| Dividing the House of Israel (Part 1) (Copyright) by Rich Travers (Clifton, Colorado) |
|---|
| Brought from obscurity, as a Family Clan in deepest bondage, the Children of Israel rose to become a prosperous and potent power in their Promised Land. But things didn’t go as expected, not as a result of economic reversals, but from Apostasy! Formed into a new nation from a relatively obscure family clan, the Children of Israel became what today is an immense multitude, a force in the modern world, unrecognized for who they were, who they are, and who they ultimately will become. Upon these peoples would rest the “blessings of Abraham”, but that’s another aspect of this story. God’s Model Nation? From a religious perspective, these peoples are thought to be God’s Model Nation instrumental in bringing salvation to the world. But their record in history severely challenges such an idea. They may think that of themselves, but their record speaks otherwise! They proved to be more examples of what not to be and do rather than what the intent was. As the nation prospered, they became a tempting target for other powers in the area who could be looking toward them for conquest and empirical gain. This of course was a concern to the citizens, which prompted them to want to be organized like the nations around them. They wanted a king, which demonstrated a lack of faith in their current situation! God Acquiesced Despite His predictions of what would come, God granted their request for a king, explaining what they should anticipate. Their first king proved to be a disaster. Their second was exemplary at times, and their third went on to become seriously compromised religiously by his foreign wives. In no way could it be said that the nation was living up to expectations. With full awareness of how things were developing with the people, God had a Plan for fulfilling His intentions. On the surface, we might not have thought so, but there was. In Isaiah 55:8 He explains, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways…” If there was in fact a Plan for the nation of Israel to be useful to God, obviously there was a need for serious remediation. Such a consideration would be a very challenging dilemma for us. If we were to conceive of a way of ‘dealing with’ such a situation, how would we do it? There IS a Plan being ‘worked out’ regarding the ultimate salvation of humanity. There is, but it’s just more subtle than apparent. Directed From Above A line from a Shakespearian Play is insightful. In ‘As You Like It’, it says: “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely Players…” Can we accept that the events of history are not all random or entirely ‘natural’? Especially where it involves one special ethnicity, things don’t “just happen”! The idea of Israel being useable is still in play despite their historic rebellion and gross ignorance. So, despite the prestige and wealth the nation of Israel had achieved in their short existence as a unified kingdom under Kings David and Solomon, (some 80 years) disaster came after the reign of Solomon ended. It was in 931BC when the Kingdom became divided. That was nearly 3000 years ago! From that point, there were two separate dynasties. What Bible students aren’t fully aware of, for the most part, is that this was by Design, not just by politically motivated incentive! We tend to think that it was some desire on the part of a preeminent figure in the nation, who sought power and schemed to do what he did. Rather, there were events in the background that caused the out-come. The division of the nation into two kingdoms was God ordained. We can read of that in 1st Kings. The Kingdom is Rent The servant of King Solomon is introduced to us in the chapter 11 of 1st Kings. His name was Jeroboam. [26] “And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, … [28] And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.” (That’d be the prominent tribes (Ephraim and Manasseh) in the north.) So Jeroboam gained a reputation in service to Solomon! But an extraordinary thing happened. God’s Prophet Ahijah [29] “And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: [30] And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: [31] “And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: [32] (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) So, Jeroboam was enlisted privately! The Underlying Reason [33] “Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. [34] Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes: [35] But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.” It’s widely assumed that Jeroboam’s actions were the result of personal ambition. That he’d taken advantage of the sentiment among the people resulting from Solomon’s, and his son Rehoboam’s, severe taxation. (1st Kings 12:1-16) While that provided a convenient excuse, it wasn’t the real reason for the kingdom being divided. The real reason was rank religious Apostasy! It’s in this that we begin to see God’s Plan at the earliest stages of implementation! Civil War Loomed! It’s not hard to expect that when the separation into two separate kingdoms occurred, there was a serious thought to go to war to restore unity. Another ‘intervention’ on God’s part prevented that from happening. Again in 1st Kings 12: it says: “Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, [24] Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD. So, the kingdom became divided. War was averted, and that on account of God insisting that the northern Ten Tribe’s separation into another kingdom was from Him. We tend to not realize how long situations existed in ancient times. Once the nation was divided, both houses coexisted adjacent to each other for the next 200-years. It was not a brief period! What may not be adequately considered is the spiritual condition of the people during that interval. Situation Unresolved That’s not to say that the apostasy situation was corrected in either kingdom. The House of Judah (which the southern two tribes were called after this point in their history – later becoming called “Jews”), continued much as before, so far as their religious orientation was concerned. There’s a general idea that The Kingdom of Judah was the more faithful of the two kingdoms. But that impression came after their return from Babylonian captivity. After all, Jeroboam set up his own priesthood, altered their Holy Day calendar and established their own worship centers. Jeroboam realized that his people in returning to Jerusalem regularly to keep the original Holy Days there would tend to foster a sentiment for reunification. That was what prompted him to establish their own priesthood and worship centers. (1st Kings 12:26-33) But we shouldn’t think that either kingdom was religiously more true-to-the-faith than the other during this period. Reformation was needed and was to come, but later! It was this multi-generational lapse that created what was going to be needed in the future. While the peoples became divided politically, they also developed as two separate ethnicities, with different cultures and with two religious systems operating under different philosophical approaches. This had a purpose! Threat of Conquest As the ancient nation of Assyria grew in power and regional influence, their ambitions caused them to look into further expansion of their empire. The House of Israel was a prime target. It was in this timeframe that Jonah was recruited by God to go up to Nineveh (capitol of Assyria – one of the largest cities in the world at that time) and warn them of God’s wrath to come. We might wonder why God gave a rip as to the spiritual condition in Assyria. What was a factor was that these were the people to conduct God’s correction on the House of Israel. It was important that His ‘instrument of correction’ be of superior moral character to that of their intended conquest! Is there another reason? And Nineveh repented! How did they know what repentance was? How did they have such regard for the God of Israel to take Jonah’s warning seriously? Brotherly Intrigue Now, another ‘interesting’ detail was that the southern kingdom, the House of Judah, had a hand in the conquest of their northern brethren. The northern House of Israel was at the time in alliance with Syria. “So Ahaz (King of Judah) sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me. [8] And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. [9] And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, (capitol of Syria) and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.” (2nd Kings 16:7-9) This was after about 200 years had passed from the time of the dividing of the Kingdom. Samaria (capitol of Israel) was besieged thereafter, falling in 732BC with deportations from there continuing for much of a decade. Why Separate Captivities? With the thought in mind that these evets were due to the peoples of Israel (both houses) having forsaken God and the form of worship He gave them, that we might wonder why both houses weren’t taken into captivity together? But the House of Judah was ultimately taken captive, this time by Babylon (successor to the Assyrian Empire). That was in 586BC, about 145 years later! It’s posed here that the reason for separate captivities was to allow development of two religious cultural environments between the two Houses. Each conquering nation had a different culture. The northern House was largely depopulated from their land and was exiled way to the north (between the Black and Caspian Seas up against the Caucasus Mountains) the other by a more refined culture (see Daniel 2:38) which the people came to appreciate as time passed. Repatriation as a result took some time. After a long generation (beginning some 50 years [1] later) the peoples of Judah were permitted to begin returning to Jerusalem and to rebuild the Temple and the City at the behest of Cyrus. The same didn’t happen with the House of Israel. They remained in exile, but this was for a very consequential reason! The curious thing is that Babylon rose in power to subdue Assyria. Babylon had been a province within the Assyrian Empire. In effect, Babylon now ruled the same region that had been Assyrian territory, which contained the northern Israelite captives. But no such release was granted to them! Was it because of the power-in-numbers they’d come to be? Was it because Babylon saw the presence of the northern house back in the same area as a potential military threat should the two houses become reunited there? Corrective Punishment We need to consider what the reason for this was. Punishment with intent to correct is one thing, and it worked to significant degree with the House of Judah, but the situation with the House of Israel took on a very different dynamic. They didn’t return to their former belief system, nor were they repatriated to their former homeland. So then, how do we explain what God was intending with them? What history doesn’t reflect upon is that the long-term effect of the tribal division was intentionally useful in the Plan of God. What we need to realize is that the situation ultimately led to a religious and cultural environment within the Ten Tribes more amenable to accepting “Christianity” when the time came. This is the important piece of the puzzle that escapes most historians. ————————————————————————————————— See Rich Traver’s other articles at: Traver, Rich – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Golden Sheaves https://www.goldensheaves.org/ ————————————————————————————————— [1] While this is but 50 years, it’s important to remember that the people migrated home over a span of time. The stated 70-year interval more likely brought the timeframe to the time the Temple was rebuilt suitable for restoration of its Services. |
| Religious Predilections (Part 2) (Copyright) by Rich Traver (Clifton, Colorado) |
|---|
| All around us, all over the globe, we see religious preferences among ethnic groups. But have we ever adequately considered how certain preferences came to be? And, is there anything concealed within the phenomenon that reveals the Overall Plan of God? God had tacitly designated Israel with being His “Model Nation”. Whatever happened to that idea? The best assessment that could be made of them is their being examples of how NOT to do things. Under Kings David & Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel attained significant regional power and wealth on the world scene. They also exhibited the religious precepts given to their ancestors back in the wilderness years through Moses. At least, for a time they did! Separate Ways But DISASTER came in the tenth to sixth centuries BC in the form of division and ultimately being conquered and taken into separate captivities. The Kingdom of Israel became divided in 931BC shortly after the death of Solomon. From that point to the present day, TWO Houses have existed (for nearly 3000 years) maintaining a separate ethnicity and separate identities, so far as the world sees it! But do those respective descendants today realize their true ethnic origins? Not long after the reign of Solomon, the monarchy became divided under separate dynasties. Averting Civil War! The two kingdoms shared a common border, for 200 years. At times they warred against each other. In fact, at the onset, there was an intention to engage in what we would consider a Civil War to reestablish unity in the kingdom. We read of it in 1st Kings 12:24. But the remarkable thing is, God prevented it from happening, making a very revealing statement at the time, by saying, “This thing is from Me…” What commonly understood historical accounts on the situation offer is that the underlying motivation for such a division was political. The people (not just the northern tribes) rebelled against overly severe taxation. But, in fact, the REAL reason was something quite different. It was due to a deepening religious apostasy! Cause Leading to an Effect We can see from this that the real reason for the split of the kingdom was not so much political, but religious apostasy. But that apostasy contaminated both houses’ form of worship at that time. We tend to think that the Israelite religion was pure and authentic much of the time. In fact, it was not! There were lapses in their fidelity, where they – including the king – weren’t aware for a generation, that there even was the Passover. [1] So, the stated reason for God dividing the nation was on account of corrupted worship. What they were doing was not at all their authentic worship system. However, division by itself wasn’t the solution to the problem. Religion was the reason / politics was the excuse. There was an eventual situation to be imposed to address their religious infidelities! Not realizing the underlying intent, we tend to fault Jeroboam for instigating this deep division although it was prompted by the people as well. The Practical Religion Factor At first, the House of Israel maintained aspects of their former religious heritage – though misoriented. However, it also included carry-over false worship that had precipitated the division of the kingdom. It wasn’t long before Jeroboam realized that his people, going down to Jerusalem for the annual Holy Days, posed a potential problem. He saw Jerusalem and its Temple-centered worship as creating a reunifying tendency. [1st Kings 12:27] Though perhaps not opposed to the religion per se it was the location and worship center that might draw the people’s hearts back to the House of Judah. To counter that element within his people, which had its unifying tendency, Jeroboam ‘saw need’ to establish their own Priestly Caste and center of worship. So, a separate priesthood was established locally after a few years. [1Ki. 12:29-33] Jeroboam is even credited / faulted for offsetting the Holy Day observances to a later month. [1st Kings 12:26-30] Thus began the religious schism that prevails to the present day. Preparing a People What isn’t realized is that the long-term effect of the Tribes being divided was intentionally useful in the long-range Plan of God. It was set-up to ultimately lead to a religious and cultural environment more amenable to accepting the New Testament form of religion and the Person of the Messiah when the day was to come. But we’ll pursue that as we consider further the broader picture. Ripe for Conquest After 235 years as an independent nation, the Ten-Tribed House of Israel was taken captive by the empire to their north: Assyria. The Kingdom of Israel was taken captive in 732 BC with an ongoing succession of deportations for much of a decade. But the Kingdom of Judah to the south was spared such fate at that time. Theirs came under another empire, 145 years later. The empire which succeeded Assyria, is who brought them into captivity. Their captors: Babylon, had conquered Assyria in the late 7th century: 625 BC This was about 105 years after the Kingdom of Israel had been taken captive and exiled. As was the case with Israel, Judah also experienced successive waves of deportations over a decade or so. The southern Kingdom (Judah) was taken captive in 586BC, (145 years after Israel was!). The House of Judah, never reformed their religion prior to their being taken captive. However, history shows that their experience in captivity did prompt serious reform of their religious beliefs and practices. No Return for Israel As mentioned earlier, the majority of the peoples of the northern House were deported and exiled to the region between the Black and Caspian Seas, up against the Caucasus Mountain Range, from which their population grew, but they never repatriated. The southern House of Judah, on the other hand, were allowed to return to the land after about 70-years. Their experience in Babylon was quite different than their northern counterparts. Babylon even set some of their Jewish captives into high offices in the Empire. Thus, the pre-eminent position of the prophet / statesman Daniel! Daniel even held and administered the empire during the 7-years of Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity. [Dan. 4:19-37] This too factored into God’s overall Plan. Yet, there was considerable reluctance on the part of these “Jewish” captives to return to the land, due to their being so well treated and accommodated. While we may regard Babylon as a different empire, we should recognize that it dominated the same region as had the Assyrian Empire. What had been Assyria was assimilated by the Babylonian Empire: The major difference being the cultural make-up of that administration. Daniel referred to it as a ‘head of gold’ administration in his prophecy found in Daniel 2. Different Empires, Same Region History shows a succession of empires in the same region: Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, the short-lived one of Alexander the Great (Greco-Macedonia) and his successor, the Seleucids. All as prophesied. Then after these, came the Parthian Empire who dominated the same region, extending from western India to Syria, for 500+ years. The center-point of their longevity being the time of Christ! (Modern historians refer to this region as “Indo-Iranian”). [2] It’s interesting to note, that despite their lengthy predominance as an empire, they aren’t listed in the succession of (Gentile) empires prophesied in Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Could it be that they weren’t actually “Gentile”? What isn’t widely reported is that these Parthians (along with their Scythian brothers) were largely descendants of the former northern House of Israel! Not only do modern Christian denominations not want to know or admit such things is because they realize the implications of such identities. The Jewish historian Josephus knew, as did his contemporaries, referring to the Ten Tribes as a vast population living “beyond the Euphrates”. [3] We might wonder why the two houses were taken into captivity at different times, by different conquerors. That too factors into God’s long-range Planning. Religious Preferences It might be appropriate at this point to step back and consider what we see among the various ethnicities in the world. There’s reason to suggest that there’s a component that must exist within the psyches of various ethnicities that would account for these cultural preferences. Certain ethnicities are known, rather widely, to embrace religious belief systems particular to their cultures. It’s something more than just culture. Take for example: the Islamic religion pervades throughout the Arabic world. Despite their proximity, it and the Jewish faith do not blend! It’s not just regional, but ETHNIC! Various ethnic populations all over the world are heavily oriented to a particular religious belief system: Hinduism / Buddhism / Shintoism / the Christian world. Each of these seems to have their appeal within certain ethnic boundaries. It’s as though there’s a spiritual predilection embeddedin the human psyche. [4] Would it be illogical that the ethnic descendants of the Tribes of Israel might exhibit similar preferences? Babeling On! Consider the confusion of languages at Babel. One day they all spoke the same language, the next, they spoke different languages, not realizing what had happened or why the others couldn’t understand what they were trying to say. Think of how God implanted something in the minds at Babel: making a sudden change in their languages. Those new languages were created by God, without any of the recipients being involved! In comparison, consider instinctual characteristics implanted in animals. They aren’t conscious of it, they didn’t ‘evolve it’, they give no thought to their way of acting. Their ongoing generations of their kind don’t train each other. Yet, all of their particular genetic kind acts alike. They are imbued with something like a predilection to act a certain way generation after generation. The Two Houses of Israel Let’s contrast the religious origins of the Jewish peoples and the European (Caucasian) peoples. It has been noted that a connection exists between the peoples who espouse what’s referred to as “the Judeo-Christian Ethic”. There’s a discernable degree of commonality there! Christianity is believed to have originated from within a Jewish religious culture. Sometimes the true Christian religion is regarded as “too Jewish”. Early on it became a discredited SECT of the Jewish religion. [Ac.28:22] In time, it embraced things not acceptable among Jews. Christianity developed its own distinct character and belief system a generation in. It’s that inter-connection that we need to understand for being rooted in the “Greater Kingdom of Israel”. Being that there’s a common point of origin between these two religions, why did they diverge as they did and come to harbor such a mutually exclusive polarization toward one another? This is where the divided kingdom, and there being two separate captivities, reveals God’s intention: and why… “this thing is of Him”. Preparing a People Let’s move-into an area we see New Testament evidence of: Jesus’ Ministry and Teachings among the Jewish religious culture of His day were largely un-received. “He came to His own, and His own received Him not…” as it says in John 1:11 (KJV). His Apostles were all Galilean which had a different acceptance level than among Judeans. (Only Paul was of a Judean mindset and look what it took to change his persuasion). Nor should we overlook the specific Commission He gave to His Apostles, to preach to “the Lost Tribes of Israel”. That Commission, given to His Disciples and Apostles regarding taking the Gospel to the world, looked out beyond Judaea. Of Himself, He says in Matthew 15:24… “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He knew what their acceptance level would be. James sent greetings in his epistle “to the twelve tribes scattered abroad”. [James 1:1] To say what he did, James must have recognized that the twelve tribes were not really ‘lost’ from history! Tracking Identities Neither are they ‘lost’ to God’s awareness. “For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the House of Israel among all nations, like ascorn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.” [Amos 9:9] (Primarily this is what the situation was with the northern 10 Tribes: The “House of Israel”. That term isn’t applied specifically to the House of Judah at this time.).” God is tracking this one ethnicity in particular, as He has a purpose for them. This too suggests His real Ministry was to others than those of His own ethnic Tribe! The specific Commission He gave to His Apostles in Matthew 10:6 was similar: “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” That would suggest a new direction. They were to leave off what they were intending to do at the time. There’d be no need to give such instruction if they were already set upon doing so. This reflected the intent of His own commission. The “House of Israel” refers to the Ten Tribes, who were well known to the people of that era! Detractors of the day reflected a prevailing under-standing in Mat. 27:42 where they said, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.” Mark 15:32 includes, “Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe…” This speaks to the common term being used among the people in that day. It shows they were aware and were thinking inclusively. His disciple Nathaniel also reveals what was understood among the people as we read in John 1:49. “Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” There again! Common people early on understood the same: in John 12:13, where they… “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” The point being, they were by this including their long-separated Tribal Brethren in their declaration. They were looking to a broader picture. That picture is also brought out in the disciples’ question: “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) This wasn’t referring to casting off Roman rule as is commonly posed. They were referring to the reunification of the TWO Houses! Such reunification was prophesied, reuniting both Houses: that of Judah and of Israel. (See Ezekiel 37.) Casting off Roman rule from Judaea would do nothing regarding that eventual outcome! It wasn’t Rome that divided them in the first place! A Future Assignment Luke 22:30 and Revelation 7:4 explain the primary ethnicity that will be the religious leadership in the World to Come to be set-up after the Second Coming! Particularly as it relates to the whole “House of Israel”. But here’s the thing: can we discern who these peoples might be by their religious predilection? We know who the House of Judah is. After all, we identify the descendants of the Kingdom of Judah primarily by their Judaic religious preference. This too suggests His real Ministry was to others than those of His own ethnic Tribe! It’s commonly thought that His ministry was primarily to “His own”. His own proclamation suggests otherwise! “King of the Jews” Research shows that the term King of the Jews is used 17 times, but just within the four Gospels. King of the Jews is used strictly by the Magi, or by Herod (on account of the Magi), but mostly by Pilate in Jesus’ Trial and Crucifixion. We don’t find where Jesus referred to Himself as “King of the Jews” except once in response to Pilate’s accusation. The term that Jesus Himself espoused was “King of Israel”. There’s an important difference. We find that the people of that day and the Gospel writers followed suit. The difference being was their use of a term that was inclusive of the Ten Tribes of Israel, not just Jewry! It’s the term “King of the Jews” that’s the more exclusive designation. The Southern Kingdom, the House of Judah, included primarily the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Not all worshippers today recognize the distinction between ‘Jew’ and ‘Israelite’. The House of Israel proper wasn’t “Jewish”! They were a distinct ethnicity who branched from the Judaic line 2900 years ago. Some 900 years before Jesus’ day. That’ll be a useful consideration as we continue. Long-Term Effects of Captivity The Northern Kingdom, by not being returned and by being long exposed to a different religious and cultural environment while ‘in exile’, changed their religious orientation. There was no opportunity, nor real desire, apparently, to repatriate back to their old ‘homeland’. Their fortunes were elsewhere! God was, in time, to make of them a Great Empire! The cultural environment where they lived for so many centuries shaped their belief system and their attitude toward religion along different lines than their ethnic brethren to the south. It impacted not only WHAT they believed, but their approach to religious belief development in general. While it’s thought that the northern Ten Tribes left the original faith, that’s not entirely the case. A contingent retained certain aspects of their former practices and devotions to God’s Covenant. Examples being the Magi who made the arduous trek to Jerusalem to acknowledge the birth of Jesus. They knew about the Messiah and where He would come from. [Acts 2: Isa. 9:6 & 7] The predominance of Parthian worshippers, seen regularly at Holy Day observances at the Temple, attests to their retention of some of their former religion. It speaks to the fact of some residual affinity for the formal Jewish religion among Parthians, even (and especially) among their elites. This was into the first century AD, being some 770 years after they were exiled by Assyria, Parthians, (with Scythian counterparts, situated to their north-west also), were descendants of the Ten Tribes. Paul’s Commission is Revealing We should notice that Paul’s Commission was to peoples outside of Judaea: People other than those of his own ethnicity. (He was of the tribe of Benjamin.) [Rom. 11:1] Peoples otherwise regarded by Judeans as “Gentiles.” “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he (Paul) is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:” [Acts 9:15] It’s the “and” that’s interesting! Jesus makes an important distinction, that there’s an ethnicity that isn’t Gentile, yet isn’t Jewish either. We know that because Paul was NOT to be an Apostle to the Jews. (See Acts 18:6) Jews were negatively polarized against Paul for his dramatic ‘conversion’. They wanted to kill him! [Acts 9:] A NEW Covenant Now, of course, this was commonly known: There’s to be a ‘new covenant’. This prophecy is pointedly repeated in both Old and New Testaments. Heb. 8:8-10 (and Jer. 31:31) says: “For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah… [10] For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:” (And, where is the “House of Judah” today as it regards the “New Testament”?) Here again, there’s a subtlety not well recognized, that the Covenant that’s prophesied to be restored is inclusive of BOTH Houses of Israel. And notice which House is mentioned first! The fault referred to wasn’t limited to the time of the Wilderness years. Quite similar faults, seen in the Kingdom in the 8th century BC that precipitated division, continue to the present. (1st Kings 11:26-40) A Purpose for Two Houses There was an important reason for this division. One we might not have realized! Judahites came out of their captivity corrected – reformed we might say – but then they became solidified, much more hardline in their Traditions. God knew of the Jewish religious tendency with its rigid adherence to their traditional views. [Ac.6:14] Coupled with disbelief and non-biblical Pharisaical teachings, Jews wouldn’t be receptive of the fundamental principles to be brought-in under the New Covenant. They knew of a New Covenant but imagined that it’d be much the same as a restoring of their present orientation. But the thing is, a people were being prepared: A people who would be more receptive of the Messiah and of the New Covenant. They would be among those peoples of the House of Israel! Consider what the situation would’ve been if Jesus left development of the New Testament to the Jewish community of the time? They would’ve put their stamp on it according to their cultural orientation. It was essential to break from said “Hebrew Culture” to facilitate a more accurate representation of Christianity’s ‘spirit-of-the-law’ precepts. It’s the ‘spirit-of-the-Law’ that’s one major difference between the New Covenant and the Old. What Was that Preparation? Consider the religious environment among the exiled northern Tribes. While they retained some familiarity with their Old Covenant religious culture, they retained only a practical vestige of it. It’s at this point that we need to become aware of the religious environment of the Empire of Parthia at and after the first century. That included these northern exiles at the time. The predominant religion in the Mesopotamian region of the day was Zoroastrianism. Hearing that name, we think of them as rank Pagans. People who look into that religion become curious when they see in Christian teachings the perpetuation of certain elements that we think were derived from that ancient religion. We find many teachings in modern belief systems. It’s astounding to find so many ‘otherwise Christian’ concepts pre-embedded in that ancient belief system. How did they get there? Zoroastrianism was Monotheistic and Messianic, which provided a receptive cultural environment for the acceptance of “the Messiah” when He became known to that world. [5] The Magi attest to that. We can’t say the same for the Traditional Judaic faiths can we? Monotheistic, BUT… The Jewish faith was also “Messianic”, but it’s strictly limited definition of “monotheism” precluded acceptance of the idea of a Dual-Person Godhead, which was the fundamental revelatory aspect of the Christian Faith. This and other major obstacles persisted in the religious cultural belief system that dominated the ‘southern kingdom’. Those being: the ‘One-Person G_dhead’ idea (‘strict monotheism’). Resurrections and existence of spirit beings also factored in. For example: Acts 23:8 says: “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.” These were major issues! The Parthian Empire The Parthian Empire, by the time of Christ was a major habitation of the populations from the exiled Northern Kingdom. It was huge, encompassing an area from the western boundary of India, all of the Mesopotamian region, and west to the boundary of the Roman Empire. And did I say it was powerful? This is affirmed by Josephus’ witness. (see footnote 4) The Northern House was prepared for what was to come by their exposure to non-Jewish beliefs that they were introduced to in captivity. God was preparing a people who’d be more receptive to the Faith and Grace to be introduced under the New Covenant. God knowing full well that the peoples of the Southern Kingdom wouldn’t be so inclined by and large! We see their negative responses abundantly in the pages of the New Testament! This isn’t to say that the religion of Parthia was by any stretch the true religion. It merely provided a cultural environment of acceptance (among those ‘called’) when the True One came along. This would help explain why God prophesied of and facilitated that division between the Houses of Judah and of Israel. He severed the majority population from what later became their “Jewish roots” and went on to prepare an otherwise Israelitish people to be accepting of the Messiah, and by them, the furtherance of His Plan. The religious establishment among the Southern Kingdom became so rigidly structured in their ‘traditions’ that they wouldn’t be amenable to another way of thinking. At least, not then! God knew the ethnic religious proclivity of these people. This helps explain (Ephesians 4:18) (John 12:40) (Rom.11:31-32) (1st Kings 11:33) & (Mark 7:9-10). While He set up the northern peoples to be accepting of His Messiahship, He ‘veiled’ the southern contingent!! For that reason, He accommodated their unbelieving nature, concluding them in a blinded state until the fullness of the “Gentile” – calling experience is to be fulfilled. [John 12:40 & 2nd Corinthians 3:14] He knew it would take a different environment before they could respond to God’s Call with a right heart and become truly converted. That environment is likely the millennial age with 12,000 Saints, drawn from each of the twelve tribes, ruling under each of the 12 Apostles, administering the government of each of the 12 Tribes. It’s that Israel that’s destined to become the Model Nation for being instruments in the salvation of the rest of humanity! But first, they had to be made ready for it! Ethnic Forensics We need to consider IF the religious predilection toward Christianity might offer yet one more clue as to the modern identities of the Ten Tribes of Israel? The modern Kingdom of Judah tends to ‘identify with’ the Judaic Faith in its various forms. The Ten Tribes tend to identify with Christian type religions in its various forms! This condition and developing predilection likely began after the division of the Kingdom under Kings Rehoboam and Jeroboam! But God had a clandestine PLAN providing a religious climate within at least a portion of Israel to accept His Messiahship and the teachings introduced under the New Covenant. He had a Plan. He’s been waiting for centuries to realize the fullest implementation of that Plan. If we could ‘bottom line’ this matter, my point is that God instilled a predilection among the Israelite ethnicities to keep their religious preferences within established boundaries. We find the modern-day remnant of the House of Judah having a Jewish orientation, and the remnants of the House of Israel with a predominantly Christian preference. There have effectively been two “Biblical Faiths” for some 2200 years. That’s not saying that either are the ‘true faith’ by any stretch. One provides a ‘schoolmaster’ environment to orient the worshipper to accepting the Messiah, and the other sufficiently ‘liberated’ where they can accept Him for who and what He is! [Gal. 5:1] That’s what the Divided Kingdom was all about! This situation raises the question as it regards the two religious approaches that we read of that will exist in the millennial kingdom. Ezekiel alludes to there being two different worship systems. Will a similar situation carry over? What’s at issue, beyond what we’ve been discussing here, is bringing salvation to the rest of humanity. A Great Plan is in progress! ————————————————————————————————— See Rich Traver’s other articles at: Traver, Rich – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Golden Sheaves https://www.goldensheaves.org/ ————————————————————————————————— [1] 2nd Chr. 34:14 through 35:18. Restoring the “lost” Passover. [2] English and German languages are referred to as having Indo-Iranian origins! Another curious factor to consider. Add to that the term used to identify a segment of the white race: “Caucasian”. A people who came from ‘Asia’ across the Caucasus Mountains! [3] Reference to the ten tribes is found in Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews, book 11, chapter 5, paragraph 2. “…while the ten tribes are beyond the Euphrates till now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers…” This of course gives a very different assessment of their actually being “lost” to history at that point. [4] Having a preference for, or being drawn to… [5] Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world’s oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. (500 BC?) It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic ontology and an eschatology which predicts the ultimate conquest of evil by good. Zoroastrianism exalts an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom known as Ahura Mazda (lit. ’Lord of Wisdom’) as its supreme being. Historically, the unique features of Zoroastrianism, such as its monotheism, messianism, belief in free will and judgement after death, conception of heaven, hell, angels, and demons, among other concepts, may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including the Abrahamic religions. (Those being Judaism, Islam and Christianity) [from the internet] |
| Preparing the Peoples (Part 3) (Copyright) by Rich Traver (Clifton, Colorado) |
|---|
| In implementing the Ultimate Phase of God’s Plan of Redemption, that being His Plan for World Salvation, it’s necessary that those who are to be a part of the huge undertaking be conditioned for the task. It involves not only the Saints, but also the Societal Environment preparing it to be Receptive of the Program. In the first article, which reviewed the events that took place involving the united House of Israel nearly 3000 years ago were explained. That involved the dividing of the nation into two separate kingdoms after some 89 prosperous years dating from the time of their first king, Saul. In that article, the focus was more on the historic aspect of that part of the Plan. We now need to look into the prophetic aspect of it, as it ultimately will play out. The religious configuration of the two Houses: Judah and Israel, still today separate entities, factors into how God will bring all nations to true conversion and into His Covenant relationship. But to reorient ourselves to where we are in this, we need to be aware that not only was the nation divided, we could say, politically, but it also became divided ethnically. We don’t often think of these two houses being different ethnically, after all, they were of a common lineage initially. But due to their separate captivities and their exposure to different ‘neighbors’ with some intermarriages occurring, it created an ethnic amalgam to where they came to exhibit a different genetic basis! But even more importantly, the two houses came to differ religiously! In fact, there are (have been) two Israelitish religious systems for 2000 years. (almost 3000 if we count from the time of the beginning of the divided monarchy). But the alternate religious system didn’t fully take-on its intended form until the time of Christ. What it did in the intervening years was to develop a cultural environment that was more amenable to accepting the new teachings and the Person of their Messiah. The northern Ten Tribes were more accepting of the Messiah than were their Judaic counterparts to the south. There was a reason for that! We know of that because as it says, “He came to his own and his own received him not.” THEY of His own ethnicity were adamantly unreceptive. Possessing a Common Ethic From a broad world perspective, it visualizes the two as historically linked, with their two distinct religious traditions sharing a single “ethic” known as the Judaeo – Christian ethic. While there are obvious philosophical differences, they’re known to exhibit a common element in their belief system. It was asked earlier, why were the Tribes of Israel divided into two nations, why were they punished by being taken captive separately and why was one “House” restored to their homeland, while the other, vastly greater in numbers, was not? Separate Nationalities As a further consideration, the House of Judah remained as a single nation (though some of their heritages are dispersed among other nations – and it’s interesting to note which ones) – yet the House of Israel’s tribes went on to each become separate nationalities, which we could peripherally consider now a ‘company of nations’. There are exhaustive studies which purport to identify the modern nations which descended from the various Ten Tribes. There’s much evidence to support those assertions. But the two “Houses” remain separate, with no impetus to reunify. Logically we can credit that out-come to their religious orientations, with it posing a barrier against reunification and especially religious assimilation. But the recurring question is why weren’t the peoples corrected together as a single nation? Why separate them, exile them, and then return one House and not the other? Is this separated condition to have a purpose in the future? By the fact that this separateness exists, we’re drawn to suspect that there is an underlying purpose for it: Especially when considering God’s involvement in history. Nations rise and fall. Empires fade. God even states plainly that He rules in the kingdoms of men, setting up over them whom He chooses, even installing, in certain cases, the basest of men! “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Daniel 4:17). Then would it be logical to expect the same oversight among the peoples of Israel? Would it help explain how base men are so often set up over nations? Underlying Intentions It’s been long understood that Israel is the nation God is working with. There are massive Promises which extend to the descendants of Abraham. Saints are heirs of those Promises, [1] especially the ‘legitimate’ side of the family: those ‘called of God’ who receive His Spirit. (There are physical promises and spiritual promises.) While the physical Promises were and are extended to the descendants of faithful Abraham, it’s the spiritual considerations that are at issue. Looking at the situation, we’re forced to conclude that these people as a whole are in no way prepared for the ultimate task intended for them! They’re (we’re) just not ready spiritually to be the examples to the world that we ought to be, let alone accurately represent the full Truth! God has to first call, train and correct these people whom He determined He would use for His purposes. Their ethnicity alone, nor their natural religious inclinations of and by themselves, don’t fully exhibit the character qualities of His Kind. We’d like to think that we do. Each religious denomination thinks of itself as right in all things, but, as it’s said, they can’t all differ as they do and all be right in all things. Overarching Plan But there’s a bigger picture here: Evident in the historical record. We don’t tend to think of the events of history as furtherance of some overall long-range plan. But there is one, and it spans some 3000 years. Literally half of what’s called the ‘age of man’. Yet, we’re faced with the spiritual conditions among the Houses of Israel (both of them) being as far from God and His Will as can be at times. One whole ethnicity is declared to be blinded [2] until a later time. It’s similarly true of their counterparts, I suppose. Can we say that the northern tribes are any more enlightened than their southern brothers? Perhaps marginally in certain areas, but the greater ‘christian’ world is similarly blinded to certain Truths as well. John 12:40 says. “He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.” What an odd thing to say about His own. Not only is there this condition, but it’s to be ongoing for the majority. 2nd Cor. 3:14 adds, “But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament, which vail is done away in Christ.” Despite being in full possession of the Scriptures of old, their understanding is limited, and that until a place in time: “For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtainedmercy through their unbelief: [31] Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. [32] For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” (Romans 11:30-32) Then again, we have the phenomenon of certain ‘christian’ denominations which have rejected the entirety of the Old Testament wholesale. How is that not a veiling effect over their eyes as well? Another Factor! Religious, yes, but in possession of a full and correct understanding? NO! That’s another matter. God says of the more religious contingent, who are in possession of the Scriptures of old, that a veil remains over their hearts in how they read their own texts even to the present day. And that veil won’t be ‘taken away’ until they’re ‘called’ and can then accept Who and What He is! And their situation will change only when the ‘Gentile’ calling period has reached its fullness! When that phase is ended, the next will begin. As is, the vast majority of the ‘select ethnicity’ – if we can use that term – are not disposed, nor are they ready to carry out the assignment God’s selection gives. Not even willing for the most part, I’m sure. Religious is one thing, but adequately knowledgeable and sufficiently spiritually informed and motivated to be used in the evangelization and presentation of the conversion opportunity to all of humanity in the Millennial Kingdom is another matter entirely. Not Just Random Events What isn’t widely recognized is that the events of history relating to the nations that emerged from the original nation had a purpose. It’d be relevant to acknowledge that the ‘divine purpose’ extended back to the Covenant made with Abram in Genesis 15. But how are a people prepared? What is required to bring a rather irreligious rabble to a point where God can raise them up as a standard to the rest of the world? (See the prophecy in Zechariah 8:23.) On the one hand, we find the more ‘deeply religious’ ethnicity, steeped in tradition, devoted to their heritage and belief system, adamantly biased against one major consideration: the acceptance of their Messiah! It’s a most amazing thing. They have all the explicit prophecies, they have all the testimonies of old, yet the most obvious event in their history escapes their view to the point of persecution and mayhem against those who ‘preach His Name’! [3] On the other hand, a people less religious externally, while largely accepting of the Messiah, but polluted with all sorts of pagan beliefs and practices, they’re found to be divided into numerous denominations of varying theological accuracy. Accounting for the Situation There is a historic situation that brings the Judaeo / Christian world to this point. That’s a result of the division of the House of Israel into two separate and competing Houses and their separate captivities and their exposure to different cultural environments. One house’s captivity was short enough to be effective in reforming and restoring their religion. The other’s exile was generations longer, without the religious heritage and leadership that the first had. As a result, no such reformation resulted. The latter instead succumbed to the religious culture in which they lived. That’s further explained in the chapter on Zoroastrianism. Few have any idea what that belief system entailed and the similarities we find in our modern-day forms of worship. But we shouldn’t consider that religious environment as totally pagan. While in many respects, it would qualify as such by the modern Christian world, yet there was a trace of their former religious awareness retained. There was also an awareness of their ethnic origins.That accounts for the interest in the religious customs practiced in Jerusalem and the significant contingent who made frequent pilgrimages there to observe the Holy Days. (Acts 2:9) It also accounts for the pagan practices and beliefs found among so-called “Christian” denominations today, such as Sunday worship, pagan holidays, and the heaven and hell belief system. But it was their Zoroastrian / Parthian environment that created an approach to religion that was more accepting of the Gospel message. That was the key advantage in that part of the world. Obscure, But Not Lost And, most intriguing, is where we find the descendants of these people in the modern world. While the peoples of the northern “House of Israel” may be ‘lost’ to history, their modern identity would astound academia and especially the religious community. It would astound the very people themselves, as few have any inkling of their own true ancestry. And I’m referring to the nations of Europe and “the West”. In the first century, their identity was well-known. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote of them in the late first century, stating: “…the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates til now, and are an immense multitude and not to be estimated by numbers.” [4] This remained the case for another 200 years from his time. Parthia dominated the Mesopotamian region for most of five centuries all told. But it was the experience of captivity and permanent exile that produced a culture receptive of the Messiah that was absent in their southern counterparts. While retaining some aspects of the original belief system, enough to at least preserve its ethic, the rigidity of belief and practice was moderated to beneficial effect. Not that it was a ‘true religion’ but that it allowed an environment more receptive of the Gospel Message! ————————————————————————————————— See Rich Traver’s other articles at: Traver, Rich – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Golden Sheaves https://www.goldensheaves.org/ ————————————————————————————————— [1] Gal. 3:29 “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” [2] Rom. 11:25 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” [3] Acts 9:2; Acts 22:5; Acts 4:17-18; [4] Antiquities: Book 11, chapter 5, para.2 |
| What Is, What Was, Zoroastrianism (Part 4) (Copyright) by Rich Traver (Clifton, Colorado) |
|---|
| A Major faith in the Centuries BC, on into the early AD’s, played a role in the development of the Christian Religion. Few in the modern world are aware of the Significance this persuasion had upon Modern Christian Denominations. In the world today, both in the religious world and our secular educational systems, little if anything is ever said about a Great Empire that rivaled Rome, that existed for 500 years, and its significant religion that was the world of the day. Where has the modern churchgoer ever heard of the Parthian Empire or its religion, Zoroastrianism? These things aren’t taught in schools, and it isn’t mentioned in churches. The focus in academic world is on Rome and Greece. We have to wonder why? Is the oversight because it exposes an ethnic connection among a particular race of people and an influence upon Christianity that we’d rather not have to consider? It MUST Be Pagan! When we hear of the Zoroastrian religion, the typical reaction is to regard it as just another form of rank paganism, without consideration of any significant impact it might have had on the formation of modern belief systems extant among the various Christian denominations known today. Even though we know that modern Christianity (so called) has incorporated many elements of belief and practice from pagan sources. We’ll consider a few. It’s widely held that the Christian religion was an outgrowth of the Jewish religion of the first century. After all, the two are identified as exhibiting a common ethic, called the “Judaeo – Christian Ethic”. But while there’s a common ethic, the two have come to present distinctly different belief systems. Our Judaic Heritage While it’s correct that the two persuasions originally shared a common heritage, yet there was a distinct divergence out of the older structured system of beliefs and practices that we today regard as Judaism. But the Judaism of the first century was not truly the religion originally delivered to Israel in the wilderness years, even as reformed after the Babylonian captivity. For that matter, the Jewish religion of Jesus’ day wasn’t identical to what we see today! Much had changed over the centuries: some things were lost, and a lot of things were added. Jesus offered His assessments of that in several places. [1] We need to be aware of the religious climate that existed in Judaea by the time of Christ. Was it amenable to His Message? Was it receptive of the new approach to the expression and spirit-of-the-law re-definition that was being introduced? And, most importantly, was it receptive of His Person as the Son of the Living God? Himself Divine and having eternally existed? This was a major hitch, to say nothing of the rejection among some of their elites of the idea of the angelic or spirit world or of any resurrections. [2] But at this point, we need to ask how the Zoroastrian religion factors into this equation. After all, wasn’t it a competing belief system? What was the basis for this other religious belief system? The curious thing is that the Magi, or their Parthian countrymen, were Zoroastrians! Why were they, the major foreign representatives, found regularly attending the religious Holy Days of the Jews in Jerusalem, as we read in the Book of Acts? And why would high-ranking Parthian elites make the weeks-long trek to Jerusalem to enquire into the birth of Jesus? And for that matter, how did they even know that a “King”, that they should pay homage to, was prophesied to be born there? What did it matter to them? An Ancient Creed From historic accounts, there is ample reason to wonder what the connection might be between the Jewish religion and their own. This brief item on that religion from the internet is informative: “Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest mono-theistic religions, having originated in ancient Persia. It contains both monotheistic and dualistic elements, and many scholars believe Zoroastrianism influenced the belief systems of other faiths: Judaism, Islam and Christianity.” Just this little bit is profound, alleging that the beliefs found in the Zoroastrian religion had a discernable influence on the major religions of the Middle East. First is the reference to ancient Persia. The Parthian nation dominated what had been Persian territory, encompassing the whole Mesopotamian region, from western India to east of modern Syria that wasn’t within the Roman Empire. In fact, Parthia was a potent rival to Rome, being its military match for nearly 500 years. The time of Christ was about the middle of their empirical longevity. To understand how Zoroastrianism influenced the religions of the region, it’s necessary to understand Parthia. Successive Empires Referring to them as Persia calls for a brief explanation. That same region was the Assyrian Empire before being taken over by Babylon. Then the Babylonians were conquered by the Medo-Persian Empire (see Daniel 2) then by Greco-Macedonia under Alexander the Great. With his decease, one of his generals ruled the region, who we know as the Seleucids. It’s they who were thereafter eclipsed by the Parthian Empire, which held power the longest of all, for half a millennium! It was in 224 AD that the Sassanians drove the Parthian populations across the Caucasus Mountains into Europe. Thereafter, the people were identified not as Parthians but as Caucasians (a contraction of the name of the mountain range that they have once lived beyond and ‘Asia’ where they’d come from.) How many have noticed that? One designation given by later historians of that region was to call it: “Indo-Iranian”. [3] But an even more significant connection is the realization that the Parthians were largely of Israelite stock, being descended from the northern Ten Tribes of Israel, exiled first to the Caucasus Mountain region between the Black and Caspian Seas by the Assyrians. These ‘other Tribes’ were well known in the first century by historians of the day, not the least being Josephus, who wrote not long after the time of Christ of the Ten Tribes, that: “…while the Ten Tribes are beyond Euphrates til now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers.” (Antiquities: Book 11, chapter 5, para.2.) This may enlighten us somewhat as to the connection between themselves and Judeans. We might pose the question, did the Zoroastrian religion ‘influence’ the Abrahamic religions or was it the other way around? Was it developed upon pre-existing belief elements? More on Parthia “The major rival of Rome to the east was the Parthian Empire. The Parthians had a Council of the Magistanes. The upper house of that council was composed of men who also held the top governmental offices in the empire. This dual capacity of priest and counselor (magistrate) is where the civil, political, and religious roles became connected in the Persian environment. They became the supreme priestly caste of the Parthian Empire — the Magi. Their duties included absolute choice of the king of the realm, and that will impact Herod’s reaction when they arrive, seeking “…he that is born, King of the Jews.”” [4] Herod knew of their high status and had suspicions of their ultimate intentions. It was these of that “upper house” that stood before him! Now, this ‘choice of kings’ idea suggests a more democratic, or at least a more parliamentary, form of government. Being More Specific “Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world’s oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. (500 BC?) It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic ontology and an eschatology which predicts the ultimate conquest of evil by good. Zoroastrianism exalts an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom known as Ahura Mazda (literally ’Lord of Wisdom’) as its supreme being. Historically, the unique features of Zoroastrianism, such as its monotheism, messianism, belief in free will and judgement after death, conception of heaven, hell, angels, and demons, among other concepts, may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including the Abrahamic religions.” [from the internet] Finding Common Elements? When researching the Zoroastrian religion, it becomes apparent that we’re finding a belief system that’s not as deeply ‘pagan’ as first thought. Some researchers are inclined to conclude that this older religion contained elements thought to be strictly of Christian introduction. To see them exhibited in the centuries BC could suggest to some that the Christian religion eventually drew as much, if not more, from Zoroastrianism than from Judaism! Surprising Similarities Let’s consider what identifiable beliefs there were: Zoroastrianism is identified being “monotheistic”. It held the concepts of “heaven & hell”, good and evil, that good will ultimately triumph over evil (is that a millennial concept?) They believed in an uncreated Deity, supremely benevolent’. They were Messianic, also believing in free moral agency (free will) and judgment after death. (Wouldn’t that involve a resurrection to stand in such judgement?) If not, then it suggests the idea of an ‘immortal soul’, which would facilitate the heaven & hell idea. They accepted the belief in the spirit world, angels and demons, unlike their Sadduceean counterparts.[5] A person could begin to deduce that Christianity had a greater root connection with Zoroastrianism than with Judaism! Gaining Acceptance But considering all these similarities with the future belief system to be brought into being by Jesus’ Ministry and that of His personally instructed apostles, we have to wonder which culture would be more accepting of Jesus’ teachings, they, or the Judeans? We know of the Judaic reaction: “He came to His own and His own received Him not!” [6] That’s not to say that the heaven and hell, immortal soul, and certain other beliefs they had were true. Some elements were incorporated from paganism. But the pointed question is, which was the more accepting culture? Does it reflect in Jesus’ proclamation that, “… I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Where are those ‘lost’ sheep? Where were they then? The “lost sheep” were not the well-known ethnicity. That term had to be referring to the dispersed (lost) Ten Tribes of the divided kingdom. We might imagine that He came primarily to convert the Jews. We know how that worked out! They killed Him! And we should note that Jesus gave instructions to His apostles to do the same. He said: “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Mt. 10:6) Saying “rather” suggests it countered their original intention. “Do this, rather than that”! And again, where was the bulk of those ‘sheep’? A Great Purpose But let’s not think that this wasn’t the Plan all along. Other articles explain the long-developing series of events that created two related but distinct religious belief systems. One to preserve elements of the Old Covenant belief system, the other to be amenable to embracing and representing the fundamental teachings of the New. Example to the World It was God’s intention that Israel (all of it) be the Model Nation to represent His True Religion to the world. That’s not now, it’s millennial. [7] You could not identify modern day Judaism or practical Christianity as being His authentic religion. Only a small select few represent His ideals and Truths presently, and even they with varying degrees of accuracy. But the major point here is that the Parthian religious culture was both amenable to the Message brought by the Messiah and were more inclined to be accepting of His Divinity. Their Jewish counterparts took great exception to the idea of a Two-Person Godhead, despite much evidence of it being set forth in their own ancient and reputable texts. [8] Conceptual Limitations Their strict adherence to their longstanding idea of a single Being as their God, what’s known as ‘strict Monotheism’, provided an obstacle to any such acceptance, and explains their drastic reaction. That particular concept remains to the present day! ————————————————————————————————— See Rich Traver’s other articles at: Traver, Rich – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Golden Sheaves https://www.goldensheaves.org/ ————————————————————————————————— [1] Matthew 15:9, Matthew23:1-39 being examples. [2] Acts 23:8 [3] A not so curious fact is that English and German languages have been identified as being of Indo-Iranian origin! That being the region today known as India and Iran. (Back then, Parthia.) [4] Matthew 2:2 [5] Acts 23:8 “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrect-tion, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.” [6] John 1:11 [7] Zechariah 8:23 “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard thatGod is with you.” (This after their retraining is completed.) [8] Examples being Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13. Quoting these two in particular toward the conclusion of His trial is what assured Him of a death sentence and speedy execution. Just in time to be our Passover. |
| Parthia’s Predicament (Part 5) (Copyright) by Rich Traver (Clifton, Colorado) |
|---|
| An Empire that succeeded a series of World Empires, remaining in power for nearly Five Centuries, found itself in an awkward situation in the middle of its Dominion. At about the time of Christ’s Birth, the Empire was experiencing political crises. Who would be their King was of major concern among the Elites of the Realm. In the Old Testament, we’re introduced to a powerful Empire located well to the north of Israel. That Empire was Assyria, a nation God used to conquer and deport the peoples of the House of Israel on account of their rejection of their Covenant with God and the embrace of other gods. That conquest resulted in the House of Israel being deported to the northern fringe of Assyrian territory, located between the Black and Caspian Seas just south of the Caucasian Mountain range. Several decades after this, Assyria was overtaken by Babylon, formerly a province within the Assyrian Empire, themselves made famous in the Old Testament by their conquest of the remaining two tribes, those of the House of Judah, the southern tribes of the greater House of Israel. But Babylon fell to the Medo-Persian Empire, and they to the exploits of Alexander the Great, whose dominion was awarded to one of his generals after his death, thereafter, known as the Seleucids.  Each of these Empires dominated much or most of the region formerly (originally) the dominion of Assyria. But strangely, what had been Assyria – Babylon – Medo-Persia – Greco-Macedonia (the Seleucids) [1] in time became dominated by those very peoples who had been deported into what had been northern Assyrian territory. The peoples of the northern House of Israel (could we say by design?) found themselves possessors of a vast Empire, without significant territorial challenge for some 470 years. [2] When compared to several well-known ancient world powers, the duration of the Parthian empire was extraordinarily long. Internal Struggles It was in the middle of the Parthian Empire’s dominion, that being the years around the time of the birth of Christ, that the political scene in its land had become unsettled to the point of civil strife. The key question was WHO had the rightful title to the throne of the Empire? What isn’t commonly known is that Parthia did not hold to the usual practice of primogeniture with regard to the succession of their kings. In other words, the oldest son of the currently reigning king wouldn’t automatically be considered the legitimate heir to the throne. That was not the case in Parthian affairs. [3] Their arrangement instead was by the determination made by a high-ranking ruling class who exercised a checks-and-balances approach, limiting the power of any reigning king. Somewhat unique in the ancient world, supreme power did not reside in the reigning monarch either, but instead was overseen by a Two-House Counsel [4] consisting of one group, the ‘kinsmen’, and another, known as ‘wise men’. (This may compare with the House of Commons and the House of Lords arrangement known in Britain, or the House and Senate in the United States Congress.) With this realization, we can better understand the role and importance of these “kings of the east” who entered Judaea in the years BC to pay homage to Him who is born “King of the Jews”. Purposeful Anointing What isn’t well-known is the situation then existing within the Parthian Empire as it regarded the ruling monarch of the time. First, it was not the eldest son of the previous king who automatically inherited the throne. The above referenced political bodies had significant say as to who would be installed as the next reigning king. Secondly, the list of potential heirs in the decade BC was especially short, complicated, and seriously dysfunctional, even to the point of seizing power by inter-familial assassinations occurring between and among rivals. It was this situation that gave rise to the interest of the Magi in making the arduous 600-mile trek to the capitol of Judaea, to say nothing of them having sighted a ‘star’ on a particular day of the year (a Biblical Holy Day?)[5] to pique the interest of an astronomically astute elite body, one familiar also with Bible prophecy! We need to ask ourselves, what did this event in the Jerusalem area have to do with Parthia? Did they see it as an omen and a Divine Answer to their present predicament? Further, they opted to do what they did without the usual diplomatic protocols of giving advance notice of their intentions. Being Parthian nobles, they had at least tacit diplomatic immunity. Herod would not have dared to molest them despite becoming outraged at their snub when they left secretly! Nor should we dismiss the involvement of angels in this event: leading them to the specific house and warning them of Herod’s true intentions. They certainly would have known of the phenomenon of murders for political advantage, which had become commonplace in their own homeland. Heir to the Throne? Where this all begins to come together is with the realization that any verifiable descendant of King David was acceptable as a potential heir to the Parthian Throne! Jesus’ lineage was known and published (Matthew 1 & Luke 3). It isn’t too remote a possibility that the Magi would have maintained contact with the Jewish Priesthood regarding such lineage and would know of the recent angelic prophecy we find in Luke 1:32, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:” which alludes to and identifies that Son referred to in Isaiah 9:6-7. Parthians regarded their Arsacid Dynasty as having been occupied by descendants of King David and particularly through the line of Phares. Elites of one nation would know their counterparts in another, especially between these two nations having a common religious and ethnic background. The above quote in Luke 1 was known from nine months prior to Jesus’ birth, and several additional months prior to the time of their visit. It was known sufficiently for Luke (an elite in Jewish society) to relate it for us. Dual Significance? The Magi’s response to seeing ‘His star’ [6] would’ve been accentuated by the situation with regard to the Parthian Throne at the time. Did they interpret this as an answer that warranted investigation? As a lead-up to the situation, Phraates IV, ca. 38–2 BC, son of Orodes II, was chosen as successor by his father after the death of Pacorus I. Feeling his position to be uncertain, Phraates IV massacred some thirty other children of Orodes II. He also had killed his own father and brothers. He was himself assassinated by his wife and son in 2 BC. Phraates V, circa 2BC – 4AD, became the next king. His mother, Musa, formerly a Roman slave girl, wife of Phraates IV and mother of Phraates V, ruled as the Parthian Empire’s first and only ruling queen, together with her son Phraates V. This Phraataces / Phraates V, Son of Phraates IV, ruled alongside his mother Musa. Can we begin to see what the Magi’s concerns were? And how were they compromised to where they were coerced to let this happen? Let’s also consider, did their queen and king know of and authorize their excursion to Jerusalem? It did pose a real threat to the legitimacy of their own rule. The Magi certainly could have justified their doing so as just another pilgrimage to worship there as was common in those days. (See Acts 2).[7] This also poses that the queen and king didn’t have the authority over their Magi that might be expected. The Arsacid Line The longevity of one particular dynasty was, in this Empire, rather unique in history. The Arsacid’s were known to be of the line of King David of Israel. It was typical for the Assyrians (as we see in the Babylonians) to employ ranking members of their captives to administer regional governance over their own peoples. This too would have given the Arsacids recognition and credibility among the captives. In time, it was Arsaces I who originally rose to prominence, leading the people to secede from the Seleucid Empire. In about 247 BC, Arsaces was crowned king in Asaak, a city which he had founded, and which served as the Arsacid royal necropolis. His coronation at Asaak is generally presumed to mark the start of the Arsacid dynasty. (We can discern in these names the affiliation with Isaac, the legitimate heir of Abraham). Their ancestral heritage was well-known among themselves and is reflected in many names of prominent figures and associated sites! Due to the assassinations and other intrigues among their ruling class, there often was a dearth of potential legitimate heirs to the Parthian Throne. Certain of their kings saw need to kill all potential rivals in order to preserve their own positions. The Magistanes (Magi) were tasked with maintaining awareness of Arsacid males born and/or living in foreign lands. It wasn’t uncommon for them to summon potential heirs to repatriate for the purpose of serving as king. With this realization, the Magi’s interest in paying homage to a potential ‘newly born heir’ becomes very understandable. Jesus was not only a direct descendant of King David, but also was of the Phares line! (Perez in the Gospels). We can see that in both genealogical accounts in Matthew 1 & Luke 3. That was the branch which the Arsacids were of! Political Impropriety So, while a serious crisis was developing in their homeland, and while observing an important Holy Occasion,[8] an unusual and unexplainable sign appeared to the west that they recognized for what it was. How did they know? What did they know? It’s with this realization that we can better perceive the significance of the Magi’s visit to ‘worship’ the “King of the Jews”, as they referred to Him before Herod, though they had ‘other’ interests. ————————————————————————————————— See Rich Traver’s other articles at: Traver, Rich – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Golden Sheaves https://www.goldensheaves.org/ ————————————————————————————————— [1] This succession of empires is documented in Daniel chapter Two. We need to consider why Parthia is not included. [2] The Parthian Empire, also known as the Arsacid Empire, was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe in conquering the region of Parthia in Iran’s northeast, then a satrapy under Andragoras, who was rebelling against the Seleucid Empire. [Wikipedia] [3] “PARTHIA, The forgotten Ancient Superpower and its Role in Biblical History”, S. Collins, page 47 [4] Strabo, a Greek Geographer and historian of the first century. [5] An article: “We Have Seen His Star” explains the unique event as they saw it. [6] An article: “We Have Seen His Star” #313 relates unrealized aspects of this unusual event. [7] It wasn’t unusual for large pilgrimages originating in Parthia to travel to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel “under the protection of many ten thousands of men”. Josephus: “Antiquities of the Jews”, book 18, chapter 9, paragraph 1. [8] Possibly while observing the new moon beginning the civil new year, not long after sunset, this ‘star’ appeared. This date being what’s known as the Feast of Trumpets. The occasion of the first visible crescent beginning the seventh month, would establish their lunar calendar for the coming year. The Feast of Trumpets was associated with the coming of the Messiah. |
| “We Have Seen His Star” (Part 6) (Copyright) by Rich Traver (Clifton, Colorado) |
|---|
| Prominent Political and Religious Potentates came to Jerusalem in the waning days of the reign of Herod the Great. The World today knows of them but knows little of who they actually were or why their interest and their visit was significant. It was after the end of the winter season when a far-travelled foreign contingent of high-ranking elites entered Jerusalem on what was to them an extremely important mission. They came seeking to find information that they expected the people of the city would know. Not only was their question startling to Herod, but for other reasons, the whole city became alarmed greatly with their appearance on scene. This is a story with profound elements. What was of real concern was the true nature of their quest. Perhaps the first thing we should note is that these ‘wise men’ somehow failed to realize what impact their question would have with Herod. Wasn’t HE the ‘king of the Jews’? He thought so! Troubled Judea Now, the whole city also became alarmed hearing of these visitors from a rival regional power. The obvious reaction, considering that their conviction was that there was another potentate in the region, suggested an imminent political upheaval. Those in power under the current government stood to lose their positions! It posed a number of profound political and military considerations. This is the narrative that Matthew gives us: Matthew 2, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, [2] Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. [1] [3] When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. [2] [4] And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. [3] [5] And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, [6] And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. [4] [7] Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. [5] [8] And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. [9] When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. [6] [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. [11] And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. [12] And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. From Luke’s Account In Luke chapter 2, we’re given a detailed account of another miraculous event. However, this occasion was mere hours after Jesus’ birth. Beginning in verse 8: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. [10] And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. [12] And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, [14] Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. [15] And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us . [16] And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. [17] And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. [18] And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” The Glory of the LORD So, with this event, there is first what is described as “the LORD’s glory” illuminating the vicinity. That was followed by a large heavenly chorus of angels that descended and filled the sky over them to sing an announcement anthem, repeated since then at a particular season of the year. This chorus was illuminated, and brilliantly so! Probable Connection? There’s a question we ought to consider. That being, was there a connection between these two accounts that we’re given by Matthew and Luke? While Matthew gives us the account of the Magi, yet we know that their ‘visit’ to the Christ Child wasn’t near the time when the shepherds visited. Their visit came months later when He was by that time a young child, in a house. [7] At this point, I’m going to enter speculative territory and pose that the two accounts are related. Matthew didn’t reveal the possibility, he merely presented one of two accounts focusing on the relative importance. The Magi’s visit posed far greater implications as Herod’s, and the City’s, alarmed reaction indicates. Seen From Afar? Where the Magi were at the time of their ‘sighting’ was some 600-miles directly east, their capitol city being Ctesiphon just north of present-day site of Babylon. From where they were, they saw some-thing brilliant on the horizon to the west, over Jerusalem (they knew where Jerusalem was from their perspective in that they worshipped toward it). What I’m posing here is that what they witnessed was the event related in Luke’s second chapter account. Shepherds staying out in the fields with their flocks overnight (this posing that it wasn’t ‘in winter’) were abruptly presented with an angelic announcement, followed by a choral display unlike anything before or since. This brilliant display went on for several minutes. It lit up the area! A Casual Coincidence? An interesting assessment of these observers is given in an internet source, where they pose the question: “So, were these just “smart” men who happened to be looking up at the sky one day and observed something unusual and decided to investigate? No and no.”! Their statement that “…we have seen His star” tells us that more than just one among them saw it. That suggests that the occasion involved more than one out observing. There obviously were multiple reliable witnesses to the unusual event. We need also to consider how they identified it as “His star” with such confidence? After all, they were astute astronomers knowing what couldn’t happen. But was there something in their normally assigned activities that played into this? Among their responsibilities (which included nominating and installing their kings) was the task of being astronomical observers, in large part to officially determine and declare their calendar. [8] One month in particular, the seventh, provided the basis for the calendar for the lunar new year. [9] It’s the first ‘new moon’ of the seventh month that would have meaning beyond just a calendar matter. That’s a date to us that we would identify as the Feast of Trumpets: [10] A date that has significance in their religious observances and in Biblical prophecy. Being a significant annual Holy Day – as Parthian presence at Holy Day observances in Jerusalem attests to – we see a regard for their Old Covenant religious heritage. (Acts 2:9) So their retention of Old Testament practices is evident in a significant portion of the Parthian population regularly attending High Days there. And it isn’t the average citizen who could afford such attendance. Scholarly Association It’s been documented by a well-known Biblical scholar in the Church of God genre, that Jesus’ birth was very probably on the Feast of Trumpets. [11] (The mid-winter date being spurious, borrowed from extra biblical sources. Many historical facts and New Testament accounts show the mid-winter date to be impractical and thus highly improbable.) It’s more than reasonable that while the Magi were performing their official task of sighting for the expected first visible crescent of the seventh month that the ‘star’ (or what appeared to be such from 600-miles distant) was seen. That crescent would have been visible on the western horizon some minutes after sunset, as dusk was deepening. The unusual phenomenon appeared in that timeframe. As they sighted the ‘new moon’, an unusual thing occurred that to them was regarded as highly significant. Especially to them! A glow first appeared in the Jerusalem vicinity. [12] While they speculated as to what that glow might indicate, a brighter light descended into that glow (which Luke identifies as the glory of the LORD), dwelling there for a few minutes while the angelic chorus sang, then reascended upward out of sight. [13] This they positively identified as an angel, not some rare astronomical phenomenon. [14] That being the case, with the Magi’s observance of the new moon of that month, and with the coincident sighting, it posed profound implications. Not just an unusual event, but one occurring on a date with Holy significance. It would have been realized by them for what it had to signify. Their Ultimate Interest But then, there was another matter that concerned them. It involved the current line of succession to the Parthian Throne. Their viable heirs to the throne were particularly unsatisfactory. Most legitimate heirs had been killed off by rivals. The next in line, if not already in power, was a young man and his former slave girl mother. She actually ruled as regent to her son. We can understand the dissatisfaction on their part with that situation. Their assigned oversight of such matters as the selection of their kings included maintaining awareness of potential heirs to their throne living abroad. They were tasked with maintaining awareness of Arsacid males born and/or living in foreign lands. It wasn’t uncommon for them to summon potential heirs to repatriate for the purpose of serving as king. With this realization, the Magi’s interest in paying homage to a potential ‘newly born heir’ becomes very understandable. Jesus was not only a direct descendant of King David, but also was of the Phares line! (Perez in the Gospels). So, is this the underlying story based on the Gospel narratives a strong possibility? Could the original sighting have been the incident with the shepherds? There’s too much there for it to be dismissed outright. ————————————————————————————————— See Rich Traver’s other articles at: Traver, Rich – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Golden Sheaves https://www.goldensheaves.org/ ————————————————————————————————— [1] Straight-line distance from where they were at the time to Jerusalem was some 600 miles. What did they see that could be seen from such a distance? [2] First, we should note that Herod and the Jerusalemites were unaware of this event prior to this. But the apprehension of ‘trouble’ of some sort is another matter that we should take into consideration. What were the implications of this? [3] This is interesting in that the theological community of the day were aware of the birth of “the Christ”. What implications that had in their religious mindset is debatable, but at least we can see that they were cognizant that such a person would be born and where the event would occur. Verse 6 might help explain how they regarded this Person. [4] This is a quote from Micah 5:2. What isn’t fully repeated in their quote is the revelation that: “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Is this revealing that this Being had eternally pre-existed? That idea would contradict Jewish teachings of the day! [5] Now this indicates that the wise men were keeping careful note of the exact date when the first appearance happened. It happened to be a memorable date, likely a high Holy Day!? [6] We’re here faced with the question that this wasn’t the same identical ‘angel’ that they’d seen from some 600 miles away. This appearance was up close and direct, leaving the entourage with no doubts as to what they were being selectively privileged to see and know. It also indicates that God wanted these high-level dignitaries to have this experience and to carry the knowledge back to their homeland. [7] Matthew 2:11 seen above [8] The Magi were known as astronomer priests. [9] The calendar in that day was lunar, with each month beginning with a new moon. That was the case with them as well as in Judea, and for that matter much of the world. [10] Leviticus 23:24 [11] Fred R. Coulter in his booklet: “When Was Jesus Christ Born” 1996, and pages 22 to 36 of his book: “A Harmony of The Gospels” 3rd Edition, 2001, York Publishing Company. [12] Luke 2:9 [13] Luke 2:13-15 [14] Matthew 2:2 |
| Parthia and Jesus’ Birth (Part 7) (Copyright) by Rich Traver (Clifton, Colorado) |
|---|
| While the story of the Magi making the long journey to Jerusalem to acknowledge the Birth of Jesus (“He who is born King of the Jews”, as they said), is commonly related at a particular season of the year, yet few worshippers are remotely aware of the real story behind these Potentates and what their Ultimate Interest was. There’s a segment of world history that’s extremely relevant to the Biblical Faith. It remains curious that reputable denominations are reluctant to investigate what’s so readily available. There’s an enduring affinity for that cute little story of the Magi’s visit to Jerusalem to worship Him who was born “King of the Jews”, as they claimed. Among the matters overlooked are the complicated political considerations of this notable engagement. Disregarding the Knowable Why is it that people just don’t want to investigate certain things, and will casually dismiss what is knowable? Well, there is a reason, it being perhaps one of many, and it has to do with the perceived obligation to keep the laws of God. It’s alleged that the Jews retain certain obligation in that regard, but Gentile peoples by and large do not. There are some among the churchgoing genre who are aware of the difference, that not all Israelites are Jews, though all Jews are Israelites. Such a claim is made where it legally obligates Jews, leaving aside the obvious question, that there are more Old Covenant peoples in the world than just that one ethnicity. Why wouldn’t the other Ten Tribes be just as obligated as are the Jews? This is the ‘third rail’ of religion. ‘We shan’t go there’ as my old Sunday School teacher would say. Long Together / Long Not! At one time, all of Israel was a single nation. That was the case for some 250 years. After the reign of King Solomon, the nation was split, [1] with ten tribes opting to separate politically, with two tribes remaining faithful to the dynasty of their former Kings David and Solomon. Ten tribes formed the northern kingdom retaining the name: House of Israel, while the two remaining tribes of the southern kingdom became known as the House of Judah. These would remain as separate kingdoms all through history. (See Ezekiel 37:15-22) By the time of what we refer to as “the Nativity” the peoples of the northern kingdom have largely been ‘lost’ from the historic record. At least, so far as modern history is concerned. Being severed from their original form of religion, their true ethnic origin was easy to lose track of. Even more so after losing their empire in the early third century AD. That’s not to say the peoples in that region in the first century didn’t know who the descendants of the House of Israel were. Historians such as Josephus certainly knew. [2] And without doubt, the Roman world did too. That would include King Herod, who must have had a sense of who the peoples of Parthia were. Not only the people but the Dynastic Line of the ruling class of that nation. While the average person of that day might not have been aware, the rulers of nations in the Middle East were quite aware, and the Magistanes themselves certainly knew who they were descendants of. Political Posturing In the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew chapter 2 we’re given a glimpse into some political intrigue taking place between two major powers of the day. Those powers were of course, the Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire. The two being military equals, having been engaged to the death on many battlefields over recent years, though they were at peace at that time. Modern churchgoers read the account of this exchange in Matthew 2, not realizing the subtle political interplay that was taking place. It isn’t well-known that it was only a few decades before that Parthia had conquered Judaea, [3] then installing a vassal king, who reigned until 37 BC, he being deposed by Herod when taking back the region for himself! For whatever reason, the Parthians opted to let it happen, giving up their territorial interest there to the Romans. It could have been on account of the political situation back home. [4] Restoring the Kingdom? This casts light on the Disciples question in Acts 1:6 where they asked, “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” It was Israel (the House of Israel) that had relinquished Judaea to the Romans not all that long before. It shows that the political situation in Judaea was on their minds. Their query was not in reference to the Millennial Kingdom! The word ‘restore’ bears evidence of that! Our first introduction to the Magi (from Magistanes) is when the alarm in Jerusalem over their presence necessitated their audience with Herod to explain to him their quest. Their presence, with military escort, as would be necessary for such high officials of the empire, left a question as to their real intentions. Were they an advance party spying out the situation ahead of a reinvasion? The whole city was very much alarmed! [5] Word spread like wildfire! What concerned Herod the most was what he’d heard that they’d seen “His star”. Such was no small matter in that day. The implications of that were taken seriously. An internet assessment has this: “So, were these just “smart” men who happened to be looking up at the sky one day and observed something unusual and decided to investigate? No and no. The magi were elite members of a governing class in Parthia or modern-day Iran. They were powerful, educated and extremely wealthy, and knew astronomy and prophecy, even Bible prophecy. They were from a special cast called Magoi, from whence the name Magi comes, with no connection to magic. But because of their knowledge of astronomy and prophecy, they were considered a mystical priesthood… The delegation of the Magistanes would have included possibly dozens of magi, a large entourage of servants, and a vast army to protect them. They would have traveled in grandeur and style, and the sight of them would have inspired not only awe but fear. There was no way Herod dared to lay a finger on them.” (Remember, Herod had taken his throne only after their Parthian-installed king in Judah had been deposed by him.) Just Innocent ‘Worship’ The situation was somewhat defused by their claim of being there to worship the King of the Jews. In other words, we’re here to pay homage to one of your guys. That may seem innocuous to average churchgoers, just consider what the reaction would have been if they’d said ‘King of Israel’ instead? (in other words, one of ours’). So, they defused one issue by changing focus, but then raised another! You see, Herod thought HE was King of the Jews! To hear of another, one with Biblical authorization and an extraordinary astronomical event, would have concerned him greatly! So, the ruse was posed, that he wanted to worship this newborn king himself. We know how that might’ve worked out. Effort was made to locate the child, after the Magi had snubbed Herod by leaving by some alternate route. (Their doing so posed high risk for them-selves and posed political implications.) The day was saved in that the priests knew the prophecy, being able at least to identify the town: Bethlehem. A Back Story! But let’s ask ourselves, what was the Magi’s real interest here? This is a story in its own right. You see, the political climate in Parthia at that time was somewhat unsettled, even desperate. To maintain unity at home, they needed a strong and stable king. That was not what was the case. The intrigue at the highest levels saw the regicide of one after another, even dispatching legitimate heirs to the Parthian Throne. It was a highly unstable time back east. Perhaps the Judeans were aware of this. There’s no better way in the world of that day (and for that matter even today) to solidify one’s rulership than to return home from battle victorious. Did they see the possibility behind the Magi’s visit? Them ‘scoping it out’ to see if such a re-invasion was feasible? It’s noteworthy to recall the massive slaughter of the Roman Army by Parthia at the battle of Carrhae in 53 BC. It was only a dozen years after that that Parthia invaded the “Holy Land”. It’s interesting that there wasn’t a similar response among the people to “worship their newborn king” as Herod claimed he sought to do. Then again, let’s realize that this event was months after His birth, not within days as the usual portrayal has it. Is that because the people, who knew, kept the matter close to their vests lest they expose Him to danger? Had His birth and location been known, why didn’t they advise the Magi? Even Herod didn’t know, (but some priests did)! At least the city didn’t know. It took a special ‘star’ to lead the Magi to the specific house. That speaks volumes as to there being any general awareness of His location. The Line of David What was addressed earlier is the reality that Jesus was in fact a potential heir to the Parthian Throne! [6] That’s the factor left out of the usual retellings. The Magi knew this. It was one of their direct responsibilities to appoint the kings of the Empire. While only a remote possibility, they saw it as essential for them to pursue the possibility. And we can see the potential implications of this had the issue come up in the audience with Herod. You see, it could imply reunification of the two Houses of Israel should this King be installed. A king of Israel ruling the kingdom of Judah? What a prospect! And does such a consideration reflect on the disciples’ question, “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Picture the implications of that on the world scene of that day. So even using the term “King of the Jews” though technically inaccurate, softened the impact of their mission in what had been a hostile environment only a generation before. It’s one thing for the ordinary citizens of Parthia to be present in Jerusalem on the High Days, as they were well-known for doing, [7] but another for elite political potentates to come there unannounced for reasons unstated. Diplomacy isn’t just a modern phenomenon. The risk of provoking an ‘incident’ between their Empire and Rome’s was there, let alone the risk at home of creating strains between themselves and their king (actually a queen mother, co-ruling with her son) who had just ascended the throne in Parthia by murdering the previous king. If there was anything that would grab Herod’s rapt attention it would be such an announcement, made by high-ranking officials from the greater segment of Israelitish peoples: the House of Israel! Any prospect of a political alliance with his Judeans spelled frightening implications to world stability and particularly that of Rome. Beyond that, what criticism would Herod be under IF things went sour with Parthia? There already existed an affinity among and between these peoples: his and theirs’. It wouldn’t take much for them to ally themselves and throw off Roman rule! And that disregards the ultra-high political tensions already present in his realm. Herod was not a favorite among the Pharisees nor the Sadducees. The High Priests were political appointees, not placed by legitimate means. Resentments ran deep! So, what we read in Matthew the second chapter tells a far broader story than meets the casual eye. We see not only a situation that could have destabilized the whole region, but also a situation that emphasizes that Jesus was far more than just “King of the Jews”! So why is all this ignored in the churches today? Likely it’s because they don’t really want to know who the Ten Tribes of Israel are. You see, there’s a problem with this identification. It has to do with the obligation to keep God’s Law. It’s acknowledged that the Jews are so obligated, but Gentiles are not. That of course sidesteps an obvious question. Since the Ten Tribes are not actually Jews (that name applies to the southern House of Judah) what’s the situation with regard to the northern House of Israel? Wouldn’t they be equally obligated as are their Jewish counterparts? That’s really the question that Christian denominations want to leave off the table! ————————————————————————————————— See Rich Traver’s other articles at: Traver, Rich – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Golden Sheaves https://www.goldensheaves.org/ ————————————————————————————————— [1] This split was God ordained. See 1st Kings 12:15 & 24. [2] In his Antiquities of the Jews, Book 11, Chapter 5, Josephus states: “…while the Ten Tribes are beyond Euphrates til now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers…” This of course referred to greater Mesopotamia. [3] In 40 BC the Parthians invaded Palestine, civil war broke out, and Herod was forced to flee to Rome. The senate there nominated him king of Judaea and equipped him with an army to make good his claim. In the year 37 BC, at the age of 36, Herod became the unchallenged ruler of Judaea, a position he was to maintain for 32 years until his death in 4 BC. [4] For reference, see Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews, Book 14, Chapter13, para. 9-10) [5] Matthew 2:3 [6] His genealogy was known and is cited in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. He being a direct descendant of David. [7] See Acts 2 and see who’s mentioned first. |
| Go to the Lost Ten Tribes (Part 8) (Copyright) by Rich Traver (Clifton, Colorado) |
|---|
| It’s commonly believed that Jesus came to evangelize and save the Jewish Nation first and foremost. Yet He Himself said otherwise. The Commission given to His Disciples reflected that of His own. Whatever we think about that, we know that “…He came to His own and His Own’ received Him NOT”! (John 1:11) Perceptions exist in the religious community that may or may not be totally accurate. Let’s look into an area we see much New Testament Evidence of. While it’s logical to think that the Bible is a book written about and to the Jewish peoples, that’s not fully comprehensive of the true picture. More accurately, it’s written to greater Israel, which encompasses all twelve tribes, not just two. Of the peoples of Israel, including all Twelve of the Tribes, it’s said that “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom theends of the world are come.” (1st Cor. 10:11) That’s referring to the Old Testament accounts and the examples demonstrated by them. It being a derogatory assessment rather than a complementary one! Oft quoted, the passage in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, presents a sad situation as it regards Jesus’ relationship with His very own ethnicity. It says, “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” (v. 10-11) How much does this change our assessment of what is really being ‘worked out’? Jesus’ Ministry and Teachings among the Jewish religious culture were largely not received. It’d be fairly accurate to say that it was what we’d regard as a bust! So much for that! It was necessary for Him to act very cautiously at times in the Judean regions, as they were more than just unreceptive. They were actually very hostile to His teaching. (Matt.26:4) An earlier presentation explained the religious climate in the Judean region. That accounts for the hostility to Jesus’ Person and message. The situation in the district to the north, Samaria, was less hostile, and in the one north of that, in Galilee, even more amenable. His apostles were all Galilean partly for that reason. Only Paul was a Judean and look what it took to change his persuasion. I Am NOT Sent… In His own statement of purpose, Jesus said “I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” [1] There are those who interpret that statement to be referring to the Jews. It actually was not. It doesn’t mean ‘lost’ in the sense of not being ‘saved’. We can see that from other clear passages. What it does is identify a broader ethnicity than just Jews. This suggests His real Ministry was to others than those of His own ethnic peoples! Jesus’ Ministry and Teachings within the Jewish religious environment of the day were largely received very poorly overall. Is that changed, really? This also illustrates for us that the Jewish peoples are presented as a different ethnicity than what’s referred to as “His own”! This exposes a fundamental difference. Nor should we overlook the Commission He gave to His Apostles, to “…go rather to the Lost Tribes of Israel.” This was in reference to the dispersed and ‘lost to history’ (ours’ at least) northern 10 Tribes, more correctly referred to as the “House of Israel”. This instruction makes it even clearer that the intended people to be sought and evangelized were other than Jews in their near vicinity. Unanticipated Direction To give that instruction, saying ‘rather’, suggests they were to leave off doing what they likely were expecting to soon be doing. There’d be no need to give such an instruction if they were already intending to go to those dispersed Tribes. This suggests it was a change to their expected assignment. The “House of Israel” refers to the Ten Tribes, who were well known to the people of that era! What accounts for the interest toward evangelizing them, but not so much toward the Jewish peoples? This is where the story becomes ‘interesting’! King of the Jews Why we tend to think that Jesus’ ministry was to be directed primarily to His own ethnicity is the term used referring to Him as “King of the Jews”. However, that term is not what actually was the case. We read of the Magi’s exchange with Herod, where they said, “…Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him.” The term “King of the Jews” was used only about a dozen times in the New Testament. And those were exclusively by the Magi, Herod and Pilate. Many of the citations were repetitive in the synoptic Gospels so the actual number of times were fewer than that. That term wasn’t the correct term, nor was it the common term in reference to Him. The more commonly used term was distinctly and purposefully different. King of Israel Prior to His trial, in what’s known as the Triumphal Entry, on that occasion that occurred four days before His crucifixion, the exclamation of the crowd was, “On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:12-13) We find this term used in several key situations. Detractors of the day reflected their prevailing understanding in Matthew 27:42 where they said, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.” Mark 15:32 includes, “Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe…” The term used by them was not “King of the Jews”. Even among detractors! We don’t find the common people, and for that matter, even their religious leaders, using “King of the Jews”. The reason being that they understood the greater aspect of their Messiah’s coming, which included the entire House of Israel, not just the Jewish contingent. We also should note that He didn’t make major corrections to the beliefs and practices of the Jewish religion of the day. His assessment of them fell more within the area of what they lacked: faith, mercy, and justice rather than ceremonial or ‘legal issues’. [2] His teaching introduced a whole new dimension of awareness. There are Twelve Tribes James sent greetings in his epistle “to the twelve tribes scattered abroad”. [James 1:1] To say that as he did, James must have recognized that the twelve (the other ten as well) were not really ‘lost’ from history! Neither are they ‘lost’ to God’s awareness. Speaking of their ongoing identity, Amos 9:9says,“For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.” The peoples themselves may have lost track of their ethnic origins, but God knows who and where they are. And they’re a key factor in the administration of the coming Millennial Kingdom. Our religious denominations for the most part generally dismiss the relevance of the Tribes of Israel in the civil and religious organization of His Kingdom on Earth. He explained in part what His Apostles should anticipate. He said to them when asked, “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones,judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matt. 19:28) (The ‘regeneration’ there referring to the First Resurrection.) That’s huge! Another key passage is in Revelation 14, where we see 12 thousand sealed from among the 12 Tribes of Israel being assigned to each of the 12 Tribes. They stand with Christ on Mount Zion. Already we may logically deduce that these 12 thousands will each serve under one of those 12 Apostles. So, we see that echelon of administration already identified! Luke 22:30 and Revelation 7:4 explain the primary nation that will comprise the religious leadership in the World to Come! But what’s significant between the terms “King of the Jews” and “King of Israel” is that the latter is inclusive of the entire nation. The Magi likely used the term that they did, not so much to limit or define His realm of authority, but in recognition of which tribe He’d be born of. They knew the ancient prophecies! And knowing that by His lineage, [3] He was a legitimate heir to the Parthian Throne (that was their ulterior interest), they were compelled to pay their respects while obscuring their intentions. Remember, their nation wasn’t ethnically Jewish! [4] This shows us that a contingent within the Parthian nation’s governing body (from whence the Magi came) retained certain aspects of their former religious orientation and devotedness to God’s Covenant with Israel. Their interest, though, was more politically based than religious. While it’s thought that the northern Ten Tribes left the original faith, that’s not entirely the case. Purposeful Sidelining As to Jesus’ ministry being primarily toward the tribes of Judah, the Apostle Paul understood something that modern disciples find difficult to fathom. He wrote this to the Church at Rome: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” (Romans 11:25) Adding clarification, he says, “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” (v.32) He continues there with the exclamation, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (v.33) This reflects on the passage in Isaiah 55:8. “For my thoughts are not yourthoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” God is not working things out in the manner that we might imagine, as there’s a much bigger operation in play here! Paul seemed to have a sense of that. That operation began centuries ago! From these verses we’re given that the people we’d expect to be first among those called to conversion, are left unaware of essential matters until a particular point in time. It can’t be the first coming of the Messiah, because as Paul was writing this, He had ascended to Heaven decades prior! No, it’s when the ‘fullness of the Gentiles’ comes to be. And it’s God who has put them and left them in that state! But it’s the ‘mercy’ aspect that we’re left to explain. So, the carrying the Gospel to ‘Gentile’ and other nations, other than Jewry, specifically seeks out the ‘lost Tribes of Israel’. We can expect that the preaching of the Gospel was better received among them than it was among the Jewish peoples. [5] Is the Preaching Limited? We might ask, what about the Commission: “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel”? [6] Let’s not forget that the Ten Tribes are scattered abroad, as James attests. By this time in history, the Tribes are to some degree dispersed, but are also nations coalescing by their varied tribal ethnicities, as God decrees. This passage in Mark 16 is what we call “the Great(er) Commission”. There‘s an affinity among peoples of similar heritage, so it’s no surprise that they would coalesce into communities. Though those other nationalities might not respond to the Gospel to the same degree as those God is specifically calling, the Israelites among them are certainly the intended echelon. A broadened ‘cast’ (being fishers of men) may be the chosen approach, but what ‘catches’ the attention of the hearers is limited in ways most Bible students may not understand. What’s related in John 6:44 poses a profound consideration: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” God’s calling is in most cases selective. That reflects back on Jesus’ Commission to seek out the ‘lost Ten Tribes’. How do we process that in today’s world? Grace, not Race A common come back to the Ten Tribes assertion is that God’s Calling is ethnically non-specific. While partly true, at the same time we need to be aware that the leading nation in the Millennium will be 144,000 sealed out of one particular ethnicity. It’s these who will form that High Administration. But the consideration in this chapter is the specific focus Jesus put on the Commission He gave His apostles. Except for what He said, we might not realize the interest in Israel’s long-term. ————————————————————————————————— See Rich Traver’s other articles at: Traver, Rich – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Golden Sheaves https://www.goldensheaves.org/ ————————————————————————————————— [1] Matthew 15:24 Matthew 10:6 [2] Mt. 23:13-29; Mt. 9:13; Mt. 12:7 [3] Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38 [4] See the article: [5] See these related articles: “The Harvest of Firstfruits”; “The Early and Latter Rains”; “Israel’s Blindness” & “And So, All Israel Shall Be Saved.” [6] Mark 16:15 |
| The Millennial Worship System (Part 9A) (Copyright) by Rich Traver (Clifton, Colorado) |
|---|
| Amazing and intricately detailed prophecies in the Book of Ezekiel describe a future Religious System few have ever heard about. Major proponents of “New Covenant Theology” exclude what this clear Biblical Prophecy reveals, avoiding disturbing Theological Questions these explicit passages expose. Few subjects attract as much interest as Bible Prophecy. It’s the rare individual who doesn’t find the subject ‘interesting’ at least, and among Bible literates, more often than not, the subject can provoke animated discussion, and usually drawing rapt attention, when it’s knowledgably presented. Most ‘Prophecy Buffs’ are quite familiar with what is known as ‘the longest prophecy’, found in the Book of Daniel, Chapters 2 and 11. (Longest in terms of the covered span of history.) These are the passages that deal with the actions of successive world empires: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, with Rome’s seven restorations, extending down to the present. (In fact, the passages in Daniel 11 contain such accurate detail, that some ‘scholars’ insist that the book must have been written after those events described actually took place, not before!) Longer in Terms of Chapters. But, in terms of chapter after chapter of incredibly specific detail, there’s a prophecy stream that’s much longer, that few church-goers are remotely aware of. It’s rarely mentioned. This one continues for thirteen whole chapters and deals with the time period of the Millennial Kingdom, which is the literal Kingdom of God on Earth. You’d think this prophecy would be of extreme interest to Bible students, yet it remains and is consigned to the remotest regions of our consciousness. Why? Not just because of its subject matter, but also because of its clear and present emphasis on an aspect of God’s Law which ‘New Covenant’ theologians, almost unanimously, have concluded to have been totally ended for all time. As a result, this subject is held by them and their peers in adamant repudiation and near total contempt. Why a Ceremonial System? It’s the uncomfortable conclusions, which would logically have to be drawn, which accounts for the widespread disdain in the religious community. It’s what these chapters portray, in such explicit detail that evokes a near total rejection. In just these few chapters, powerful challenges are posed to the cherished conclusions of nearly all ‘New Covenant’ theologians, drawn and espoused since the latter decades of the first century. Their conclusions, once defined, have skewed succeeding theological thought processes in such a way as to leave certain important questions unanswered, and even unanswerable! One example: Why was God’s Law given in the first place? (We should always remember; salvation was not earnable! Not then, and not since!) Few can offer an answer. The primary component threaded all through these prophecies found in the final thirteen chapters of the Book of Ezekiel is the practical performance of God’s Ceremonial System. More specifically: those aspects of God’s Law which involve Sacrificial performances, which most regard, with great relief, as having been thoroughly “done away” for good and for all time. But among those who hold this opinion, it’s the rare individual who can clearly explain exactly WHY it was that God gave us the Ceremonial or Sacrificial System in the first place. Without these several chapters in Ezekiel, we might never have known of the restored worship system, because we never would have thought to consider such things. Here we are presented with a scenario that falls far outside of the realm of accepted theology, yet the pointed questions raised within these passages remain inescapable. In the spring of 1995, under the doctrinal revisions being vigorously imposed upon the Church of God under its major ‘paradigm shift’, I can remember taking strong exception to a number of the illogical conclusions one would have to embrace in order to accept what was then being passed off as a ‘whole new belief system’! (It wasn’t really ‘new’!) To the statement from the podium of there being no literal Kingdom of God on Earth, as is so clearly stated in such places as Zechariah 14 and Revelation 20 and 21, the local ‘minister’ responded to a direct challenge by pointing out the obvious reference to there being some sort of sacrificial offering mentioned in Zech.14:21 and since any and all sacrificing was ENDED in Christ, those passages could not be referring to any real future event. In other words, the idea being posed was that since sacrificing was ‘all done away’, then this prophesy must be disregarded as well, as it alludes to such performances! (Does this approach represent sound theology? Rejecting a substantial Biblical statement outright because we aren’t comfortable with what it implies?) Is it All NOT True? Hearing his allegation, the question came to mind, then, what are these thirteen chapters in Ezekiel all about? Will there actually be some sort of restored Sacrificial System in the Millennium? I’d known of these thirteen chapters for years, but never had reason to focus on their actual meaning, let alone their obvious and profound implications upon ‘accepted’ Christian theology! Another minister in New England in 1972, when pointedly asked about this matter, admitted quite plainly, that he believed there would be sacrificing in the Millennial Age, but we couldn’t draw-out any further definition from him at the time as to the reason he thought such practices would again be reverted to. This remains the basic question. Is there to be some sort of restored Sacrificial System in the soon-coming Kingdom of God under His Christ, and if so, for what possible reason? Three Problem Areas! Before we pose an answer, we need to be aware that this consideration creates at least THREE major dilemmas within the ‘accepted’ theological establishment. Could it be NOT ‘Done Away’? First, the obvious thing, that of the Sacrificial and Ceremonial Systems NOT being permanently ‘done away’, as most allege. Second being the impact upon what is regarded as “New Covenant” theology, that not only does the Moral Law remain in effect, but potentially some form of the Ceremonial and Sacrificial System will be used as well! This idea would be particularly unsettling among those who advocate that ALL “Old Testament Law” is ‘done away’, that all of the Old Testament requirements have no real application to us under this New Covenant Era. But third, is a problem for the greatest majority of Christians, who hold that the Kingdom of God is here and NOW, not a REAL literal future Kingdom here on Earth. Rather, they hold that upon death, Christians go to heaven forever, “…to be with the Lord”! What possible need would there be for a Millennial Kingdom, particularly one that practices some form of “Old Testament”, ceremony involving sacrificing and ritual? What possible purpose could there be for such a contradictory scenario? Perhaps from these, we can begin to see why there is such automatic and universal rejection of and revulsion against any consideration of Ezekiel’s prophecy, and to what it reveals. Its basic allegation is gravel in the gears of fundamental Christian theology. It violates our traditional belief systems! We, like the first century Jews, are put in the position of having to choose between our cherished traditional views, or the clear Word of God? (Mark 7:9) It’s not a comfortable experience. Most will seek comfort within their traditional understandings. There are a number of New Testament passages that make reference to this matter. Many have been used to illustrate the inapplicability of Old Testament practices in the Christian Life. If, in fact, the Old Testament does present a certain degree of relevance to the Redemptive Experience, and has a useful place in the implementation of the Plan of God, as it facilitates the salvation of all mankind, then we need to consider, what doctrinal modifications would be necessary in ‘modern day theology’ to accommodate this? Fulfilling the Law and Prophets Certainly, this consideration would enliven Christ’s statement in Matthew 5:17-18, “Think not I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets, I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” What did He mean by the term: “Fulfill”? Another statement, that the ‘Elijah Work’ and Jesus Christ would “restore all things”, [1] would be similarly disturbing, if it was regarded as referring to His restoring the religious practices of past ages. After all, how do you “restore” something that never before existed? The “times of restitution”? What’s to be restored? Certainly not something entirely NEW! Could these mentions be referring to some sort of sacrificial or ceremonial system? Something similar to what was practiced in the distant past, in, say, the patriarchal era, or gasp! even under the Old Testament Levitical System? None of this would make logical sense to our way of seeing things, as defined by accepted theology. That, largely because the regard most theologians have for God’s Law precludes our understanding just why God gave the Ceremonial and Sacrificial Laws in the first place. Loosely, many people have sort of thought that “the Law” was the way they acquired or earned their salvation, or at least, how they dealt with their sins, whereas, simply accepting Christ’s sacrifice is how we acquire ours. The error of that kind of thinking should be obvious. You see, salvation was never earnable! Not then, not now! That is not what the Law of God is for!! The Law did not provide them means for salvation, nor did it provide them any degree of remission of sins! Once that is realized, the obvious question then emerges, “Then, why was the Law given?” What was it all for? This is the answer we were never given by our esteemed theologians! Even perfect Law keeping does not and did not affect remission of sins in the least! If adhering to the Law did not result in salvation, then what was it all for? New Covenant theology, as most hold it, cannot provide a full and logical answer to that essential question. Perhaps it doesn’t want one! There has to be something inherently wrong with a theological process that obfuscates our even asking this most obvious question, let alone having where-withal to provide us a true and logical answer. It seems to some, that the only reason God gave mankind His Law, was to provide Himself the opportunity to ‘do away with it’ as soon as He could! What is it that is so objectionable about the Laws God gave to Israel at Mount Sinai, and in the years following? Why do these Laws evoke such disdain and disregard, even such open contempt among ‘God loving’ people? Why did God give us Laws? What was His objective? What good did they ever do? But an even more profound question, what possible purpose would there be for a restored sacrificial and ceremonial system, like the one Ezekiel describes, for the future? Our New Testament does offer clear and understandable answers. Restoring the Kingdom to Israel? After His resurrection, the disciples asked Christ a potent question. They asked, “Will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) We tend to regard their question as addressing the political situation. Did their question also involve national reunification considerations? Couldn’t they also have been considering the prophesied religious implications of a God-restored Kingdom? A religious system overthrow as well, not just an overthrow of the Roman yoke? (In fact, Roman domination may not have been the intent of their question at all! Having previously been eyewitnesses to the powerful diatribe against the religious establishment at the Temple, just hours before His Olivet Prophecy was given, [2] how can the religious implications be left out of their question? Were they referring to the reunification of Israel? Were they referring to a restoration of that True Priesthood to the nation, called for in the Book of Malachi, [3] as opposed to the corrupt system, so well described in Matthew 23:1-39? Were they looking for that Messianic Kingdom, (seeing that His Messiahship was well established: (see Acts 1)) All of these are the major themes of Ezekiel’s Millennial prophecy! What Ezekiel Says of the Millennial Age Before discussing this matter further, it might be good at this point to review these several chapters, to get a general idea of the specific information they contain. The Millennial Kingdom passages begin in Chapter 36 and end with the end of the Book, in Chapter 48. Thirteen chapters in all! After relating Israel’s desolation in the end-time, an oath is uttered by God [4] of their restoration and national repopulation. Continuing, we find: Ezek. 36:22-28 Israel is brought back to the land, is given God’s Spirit, begins keeping God’s Statutes and Judgments; (The physical nation of Israel). 36:29-38 Israel is restored to exemplary status among nations; 37:1-25 Israel is resurrected, and is reunited as a Godly nation; 37:26-28 God makes the “Everlasting Covenant” with them, His Sanctuary is now to be established among men; 39:29 God’s Spirit is poured out upon Israel after their return from captivity; 40: & 41: Physical description of the Millennial Temple and the City of Jerusalem; 42: North Court and three-tiered galleries and the Priests areas are described; 43:7-12 The place of God’s Throne is forever among a purified people; 43:13-27 The Altar for Millennial Sacrifices is described in detail; 44:9 Spiritual OR physical circumcision is required in order to obtain access into God’s Sanctuary; (an important revelation!) 44:10-14 Unconverted ministers to officiate over these Millennial Sacrificial Services; 44:15-31 Faithful ministers are to perform Holy Service and to keep God’s Laws and Sabbaths; 45:1-25 Division of the land, weights and measures, Sacrifices appropriate for the Sabbaths and Holy Days; 46:1-10 East Gate is to be open for Sabbaths and Holy Days; 46:11-24 More explicit details concerning performing Offerings and Sacrifices; 47:1-12 River of Life flows from the Sanctuary, watered trees yield food and medicine; 47:13-23 New Israel’s territorial extent; 48:1-29 Apportionment of tribal territories; 48:30-35 City spreads 4500 measures, named: The LORD is There! How Do We Know this is Millennial? All of this is too incredible for some people to believe. They dismiss it outright as only an idea of what the people of that time would have expected in the days before Christ’s first coming. How do we know these passages are referring to God’s Millennial Kingdom? How do we establish that this is not just referring to sometime in the distant past, as the New King James version (Nelson, 1985) and other versions attempt to suggest, by means of their interposed paragraph headings? Clear, Undisputable References. There are many indisputable references in this lengthy narrative, that clearly limit the timeframe to being AFTER Christ’s second coming. For examples: 36:25-27 God’s Spirit is to be offered on a nationwide basis; 37:3-13 A general resurrection of both houses of Israel: (Judah and Israel: The southern and the northern kingdoms, which have been divided since the days just after Solomon’s reign ended.) 37:17-22 Both houses are to be reunited as a single nation for the first time since King Rehoboam, son of Solomon; 37:24 The Resurrected King David is to be their national King!; (see also Luke 22:30 ) 37:26-28 God’s Sanctuary is permanently set among them; 39:1-16 The Asian military forces are to be thoroughly defeated; 43:7 The NEW Temple is to be God’s Holy Dwelling Place; 47:1-6 A ‘Living River’ is to flow out from the Temple area. Not only these, but many other details are evident, which have NO historical precedent. This period can be nothing other than the New Millennium under God’s returned Christ. The TRUE Messiah! What Possible Reason? But WHY is this religious system to be set up? Why is such a kingdom necessary? What possible purpose could there be for a formal and structured government, both civil and religious. Why the need for a newly purified priesthood, [5] why a ceremonial system and why restored sacrificing? Here’s where traditional religion is largely ignorant, and more than ignorant, it is also extremely ill-at-ease, having rejected a pointed Biblical Truth. These things can’t be understood within the framework established by any traditional theological persuasion. Religion generally understands the essence of the Plan of Salvation, but it DOES NOT understand the overall Plan of God, which has been pre-determined to extend the opportunity for salvation to all. “God is not willing that any should perish…” (2 Pet.3:9). It’s not only His WILL, it happens to also be His PLAN! The massive numbers of ‘lost’ individuals we see everywhere are not what He wants ultimately? God has a pre-determined plan through which He will extend the opportunity for Salvation to all who have ever lived. The Millennial Kingdom is essential to the implementation of that Plan. The fundamental Biblical doctrine, the resurrections from the dead, [6] represents the second essential. Much about these is revealed thru God’s Holy Day pattern, that’s why so much is said about their observance in Ezekiel’s last thirteen chapters. What Possible Purpose? It‘s here we need to consider a profound question. Could the Millennial Sacrificial System be a component of that PLAN by which all who have ever lived, both the Tribulation’s survivors and their descendants, and even all those of past ages, by means of a general resurrection toward the end of that age, are to be processed thru God’s ultimate educational program? A program which will bring them into a Spiritual condition where they are finally capable of truly repenting and accepting Christ’s Sacrifice, and undergo a full and TRUE Conversion, ultimately undergoing a personal flesh-to-Spirit CHANGE [7] ? Actually, the New Testament has much to say on this matter! It’s without doubt, the Old Testament Sacrificial System has been discontinued since Christ’s crucifixion. He ‘fulfilled’ what those ceremonial rituals pictured. But the persistent question remains, “What was that system for in the first place?” It was not to provide them with a means to achieve salvation. Salvation WAS NOT its resultant product nor its purpose in Old Testament times! This question is not modern! The Apostle Paul recognized and addressed the question, and it is his answer to it that produces enormous insight. The Law, Our Schoolmaster! The answer Paul gave us, has been largely mis-recognized for centuries. So much so, that people today hardly fathom its real point. In Galatians 3:24 we read, “Therefore, the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” This particular statement is Paul’s answer to his own question, the same one we posed and he posed five verses earlier: “What purpose does the Law serve?” (Gal.3:19) We need to point out that Paul’s question and answer considers the purpose for the Ceremonial and Sacrificial Law. He’s referring to those components that were ADDED because of transgressions (of the Moral Law) not the moral law itself! (Same verse). Contemptuous Regard Unfortunately, the subject he presents in these verses has been viewed thru the prism of contempt by so many, for so long, that most can hardly hear what Paul is really telling us! Understanding the vital essence of this particular passage is KEY to understanding the purpose of the Millennial Sacrificial System. It is that revealing! Paul, here, in Galatians 3:19 – 29, ties-in the inter-relationships of the Promises, Eternal Life, Faith, Righteousness and Justification. Too few have noticed. Most, in their zeal to discredit and discard any degree of ‘Law-keeping’ amplify verses 24 and 25 to be saying that the Law is merely an ‘old schoolmaster’, (reading that in the sense of ‘taskmaster’), which we are justified in despising, as we as grade-schoolers despised those who taught and disciplined us. The idea being that once we got thru our schooling, we can now forget all that, as just a bad experience, just a phase, inapplicable and totally unnecessary in our current life. What is called New Testament theology generally projects a view much like that, distorting the point Paul was really trying to make. Actually, there is something very revealing in the ‘contempt attitude toward the schoolmaster’. First, it exposes the ‘natural’ attitude of enmity toward God’s Law that Romans 8:7 so well describes. Secondly, it isn’t logical to dump everything we learned from the educational system in which we grew up. Graduation, (and the release from the rigorous demands of an educational regimen), does not justify holding that educational system in contempt once we graduate! It makes even less sense to repudiate everything we learned from it once we graduate. Anyone who has earned a college degree realizes that life is different afterward. The demands on our attention, our energy, our mental discipline changes dramatically after ‘commencement’ into our real lives. The college experience organized and focused how and what we learned. To go thru all that intensive study and expense, and then after graduation, to despise all that was acquired, and to deliberately forget it, or to deliberately never use what was learned, or even to REPUDIATE it, is just plain STUPID! (Not referring to the woke indoctrination.) Our perception of what Paul is saying should not be from that point of view. Paul does not suggest we despise that schoolmaster, though many take it as though he does. “Schoolmaster” was not a derogatory term! An ADDITIONAL Law? There are interesting points Paul brings out in Galatians 3:19-25. First, after asking the question, “What purpose does the Law serve?”, he states that it (the Law) was ADDED (added to what?) because of transgressions…! That poses a very profound consideration: “The Law was added because of transgressions!” In other words, because one Law was broken, another was added to it as an after-remedy!! There’s the Moral Law, which defines what sin is (transgression), [8] and there is another set of ‘Laws’, deemed necessary on account of man’s transgression of that Moral Law. Most theologically oriented people tend to overlook this clear distinction. They are more comfortable with the idea that any mention of Law must be the same Law, and if any part of it is rendered irrelevant, all Law is rendered irrelevant, all-together, entirely! Let’s interject a consideration at this point, by asking, “Where would a person BE who disregarded (broke) the Moral Laws, yet was faithful in all the Ceremonial and Sacrificial Laws?” Under this consideration, many familiar statements of the Apostle Paul on the subject take on a new vividness, particularly as to the effectiveness of the added Sacrificial / Ceremonial System in providing remission of sins (thus attaining justification). No Law Can Give Life? For example, his statement in Galatians 3:21, “For if there had been a law which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law”. Then in verse 23, “…we were kept under guard (protected) by the law, kept (preserved) for the faith which would afterward be revealed”. The added Ceremonial and Sacrificial Laws focused and oriented one’s way of life preparatory to receiving that faith which would eventually be made available. It was for a time a stop-gap imposition. It taught life lessons by illustration. Before God’s Faith was offered, the Ceremonial Law served to orient a person’s thinking and his conduct, making him a suitable candidate for a future calling, under which calling those Ceremonial and Sacrificial elements would be rendered no longer necessary. (Not that they would ever have lost their educational values.) When a person’s compliance with the Moral Law failed, (due to human inadequacy), the Ceremonial System provided a safety net by providing a means of maintaining access to God, and by illustrating that person’s failings, keeping his mind in clear focus on what needed to be done about it! Many specific details within the Ceremonial format point directly to the functional role of Christ. The New Testament theologian will even admit that much! What Advantage Then Hast the Jew? Paul addresses another aspect of the question in Romans 3: that increasingly manifested itself in attitudes of his day. He asks, “What advantage then hast the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?” (That ritual formality essential for being able to enter the Temple and to participate in their Ceremonial activities). He then acknowledges, “Much in every way, Chiefly, because to them were committed the oracles of God.” They had possession of what God had said, not that such possession gave them any advantage other than an awareness of the right way. But, at least, it oriented their thinking (if they knew God’s oracles) to be able to accept the Atoning Sacrifice of Christ when He later came to fulfill what those observances up to that point had only pictured. That’s what those added aspects of Ritual Laws were for! To orient the mind of the sincere worshipper to The Standards of God’s Righteous Character, and where a failure to keep within His moral guidelines occurred, the added Ceremonial and Sacrificial Laws impressed on the sinner what needed to be done about it. But yet, those ritual performances remained merely ineffective representations of the justification process which would later be brought into full existence when God’s Anointed Paschal Sacrifice was finally offered, once for all. (And that ‘all’ includes those who died without having access to that sacrifice. Shedding of Blood IS Required! This explains what the Levitical Ceremonial and Sacrificial Laws were for. Not to provide the worshipper with a means of salvation, but rather, it was a ‘schoolmaster system’ to teach and prepare (and preserve) the worshipper for that future faith-based system, in the fullness of its time. Yet, the essential element remains, “…without the shedding of blood is no remission.” (Heb.9:22) Under BOTH the Old and New Covenants, this single requirement remains an absolute essential. So, the Old Testament System did have an important purpose. It dealt with the issue of sin, impressing upon the unconverted worshipper what needed to be done about it, and allowing him, in his unregenerate state, access into God’s Holy presence. Further Consideration. There’s a scripture in Ezekiel that is very revealing in this regard. It is found in Chapter 44, verse 9. In it we find two different kinds of worshippers being represented! This is perhaps the most over-looked consideration of all. The verse says, “Thus saith the Lord God; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my sanctuary…” Here we are introduced to what ought to be obvious. That there are going to be two different kinds of worshipper in the Millennial Age. Those circumcised of heart, and those not. Of those not, in order to worship God acceptably, and thus be admitted into His Holy Sanctuary, (figuratively or literally) it will be necessary to at least become circumcised of the flesh! In other words, we’re here talking about converted people and unconverted people! Two different kinds of physical worshippers living together: The Regenerate and the Unregenerate! At Christ’s return, all forms of religion will be discontinued, excepting for God’s True religion. There will no longer be any false religion of any kind. Yet, all people will then be required to worship God. What will be the form of that worship? Those who worship “…must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth”. (John 4:24) Not only with right information, but in the right Spiritual mindset! Further, at the outset of the Millennial Kingdom, all converted Saints will have been changed from a fleshly existence to a Spirit existence. Those alive at Christ’s return will instantly be made Spirit, moments after the resurrected Saints are. [9] This will leave all others remaining alive at that point in time still unregenerate! In other words, unconverted and still physical. Yet all will be required to stop how they’re doing it and to begin worshipping God in an acceptable manner. The question is, what is that acceptable form of worship? ————————————————————————————————— See Rich Traver’s other articles at: Traver, Rich – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Golden Sheaves https://www.goldensheaves.org/ ————————————————————————————————— [1] Matt. 17:11, Mark 9:12 (Mal. 4:5) Acts 3:21 , Acts 1:6, [2] Matthew 23:1-39 [3] Malachi 3:3-4 [4] Isaiah 36:7 [5] Malachi 2:7-9, 3:3 [6] Hebrews 6: 2 [7] 1 Corinthians 15:52 , & 15:22 -26 [8] 1 John 3:4 [9] 1 Thessalonians 4:14 -17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 |
| The Millennial Worship System (Part 9B) (Copyright) by Rich Traver (Clifton, Colorado) |
|---|
| New Covenant or Old? If it were up to mankind to determine how to worship God, we would have all the various forms of worship we have today. About every form of worship and expression imaginable exists. Are these all acceptable to God? And can an unconverted person worship God acceptably? At that time, when the opportunity for salvation will be extended to all who are willing to serve and obey God, what place will there be for false religion? Most religion, as we know it today, is FALSE! The TRUE religion of God is not the broad diversity we have today. It has no need to be! From the description of the world religious scene found in the later chapters of the Book of Ezekiel, it’s apparent that there will be a whole new world order. One that bears little resemblance to what exists today. But will conversion, as we’ve known it, still be attainable at that time? Beginning With the Unconverted, As the Millennial Kingdom begins, all the Saints of God who have ever lived will have been changed from a physical to a Spirit existence in the first resurrection. [1] The administration of the Kingdom will be given to the Immortal Saints under Christ. [2] All others left alive, in other words, the physical survivors, will all be unconverted. These will be the people of the Kingdom. Mortals, ruled over by Christ and His Immortal Saints! The angelic call will go out, to “…Worship Him that made heaven and Earth” [3] Under what format will they begin doing that? Will the nations be brought to Mount Sinai or drawn straight to the Cross? It likely will depend on their previous religious preconditioning. Here we will have a vast number of people, both religious and non-religious. The religious having been exposed previously to every form of religious expression imaginable! What will it take to bring all these people to a state where they can have their mental palates cleansed of false concepts, to where they can begin to worship God acceptably and become ready for true conversion? Notice, the initial instruction is to worship Him that made heaven and earth. That Creator is Christ! [4] What more appropriate way is there to worship the true Creator than to honor and observe the day He set apart to commemorate Creation: the seventh day Sabbath? (This institution predated Mt. Sinai.) The Temple is Opened, Another dramatic development relative to the question is found in the final verse of Revelation, chapter 11. (This is the passage that outlines the Day of Trumpets, verses 15 – 19.) “And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in His Temple the Ark of His Covenant;” If these things are passé, why are they showcased here? The point is, both these, the Temple AND the Ark of the Covenant, (something missing from the Jerusalem Temple in Christ’s day), are essential focus elements in the restored religion of God. Why else, just after His world takeover, would Christ set forth the opened Temple (what does that represent?) and the Ark of the Covenant, (which covenant? Does the New Covenant have the Ark, which, by the way, among other things, contains the Ten Commandments tablets?! [5] ) Not Previously So Opened The opened Temple represents an open opportunity for salvation, and we’ve seen earlier, [6] that either physical or cordial [7] circumcision is prerequisite to being allowed admittance into God’s Sanctuary. Here is the opportunity for salvation for all others who never were called to salvation. In the first day of salvation, being called was limited to just those who God specifically called. “No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the Last Day.” [8] This is clearly referring to the first calling, culminating with the resurrection at the Last (7th) Trump. God only called a relative few in this first day of salvation. This should be obvious by the relatively small number of truly converted people we find in this society at any given time. The overwhelming majority are destined to be afforded their opportunity for true conversion in the Millennial Age, and in the case of those deceased before it, in the general resurrection period known as the “Great White Throne” judgement just after the ‘thousand years’! [9] All who have ever lived will be afforded an opportunity for salvation. (Except, those who did have opportunity, but who rejected it They will not be given a second chance. [10] ) God has an Inclusion Plan for those He never called. That plan is further illustrated in the Biblical Holy Days, which this world’s religions are also averse to. (the Spring Holy Days teach the essentials relative to personal salvation, and the Fall Holy Days illustrate the overall Plan of God, relating how His plan of salvation will be extended to all who have ever lived!) Understanding God’s Holy Day Plan is essential to being able to correctly understand end-time Biblical Prophecy. Another gem from the book of Revelation is found in chapters 14 and 15. It reinforces what we saw earlier about the open Temple and the Ark of the Covenant. It involves a certain song. In 14:3-4, we see the 144,000 singing a song which they alone could sing. These are the ‘firstfruits’ of God that the Lamb redeemed from among mankind. The Song of Moses? In chapter 15, we see more definition of this scene. These same ‘Spirit Born Saints’, particularly those who lived under the Beast’s Dominion, and who are victorious over it, are heard singing the “Song of Moses, the servant of God, and the Song of the Lamb”. (The true Lawgiver!) The timeframe of this is just after Christ’s return, and His final correction on those who would resist His administration. This is the major theme of chapters 15 & 16. The imminent prophecy is then given in verse 4 of all nations worshipping before the True God. Along with the reference to the Temple and the Ark of the Covenant, we are also presented with another significant component, the Song of Moses! It’s apparent that these new ‘worshippers’ will first be brought into the most fundamental institution: as revealed in the Books of the Law. Sinai is the first apparent destination. The Cross comes later! Beast Worshippers Confronted The seven vials introduced in chapter 15, are seen poured-out individually in chapter 16. Each of these vial-plagues deal with those who gave them-selves over to the worship of the Satan-empowered Beast. This element, including all the fallen spirit-forces behind it, is to be removed from society before God’s Kingdom can be fully established. That accomplished, the call can then go out for all nations to begin worship of the true Creator God. [11] It’s the format of that worship that we need to better understand. We can’t know much about education in the World to Come, unless we understand what the final thirteen chapters in Ezekiel reveal to us. God has spoken to us on the matter, and He has done so very clearly! The Clarion Call. As the vials are about to be poured out, the clear call goes out, voiced by God’s angel: (Rev.14:6) “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth,[12] and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” “Babylon is fallen, is fallen!” [13] Just after the call for all peoples to worship God is the announcement of the second fall of Babylon, not the ancient Babylon, but its modern spiritual counterpart, the religious system that has infested, and to this day contaminates, modern religions. With negative spiritual forces and all Babylonian contamination removed from society and religion, God will then open His Temple to ‘whosoever wills’. [14] It will then be the individual’s choice to ‘come’, no longer requiring a specific call of the Father! [15] This will be a very different world! Government will dramatically change, and religion will drastically change. At Christ’s coming, He will restore all things! [16] He will take over the governments of the world, [17] using force where necessary, issuing directives from Jerusalem consistent with His Law, He will restore and set-up His Model Nation, [18] The resurrected King David will govern Israel under Christ, [19] The twelve Apostles will rule under David, [20] The Changed Religious Scene. The world will begin keeping God’s Sabbaths, [21] All nations will be called to send representatives to Jerusalem to keep God’s Feast of Tabernacles, [22] The Levitical Order will be purified and restored to acceptable service, [23] Every man will sit under his vine and his fig tree, [24] Unfaithful ministers will perform bloody physical sacrificial duties, faithful ministers will administer Holy Service, serving God in His Sanctuary. [25] The world then will actively seek to learn of God and of His ways. [26] (Clearly a new attitude!) But, Why a Restored ‘Legal System’? What will be is rather clear, but it still leaves the question unanswered as to why? What is the real purpose of a restored Ceremonial and Sacrificial System? What good could it possibly do? We need to keep in mind that at the beginning months of the Millennial Kingdom, all those living will be the physical survivors of the Great Tribulation. Any converted people there might have been would have already been changed into Spirit Beings by now, judging and ruling the earth with Christ in His Throne. [27] Among these survivors, there will be those receptive to conversion and the receipt of God’s Spirit. Others will not be, at first. In any case, it will take time and some re-education to bring each one to a state of readiness. With many, there will be a serious need for some remedial orientation. There is the criminal mind-set to deal with, or those of perverted character, the helplessly addicted, the rebellious against God and the things of God, the religious zealot dedicated to forms of worship unacceptable to God (as Cain was), and many with pre-set religious concepts or biases that obscure God’s Truth, as has been the case throughout history. Where these don’t apply, then at least just a general disinterest. How do all these people re-orient themselves to where they can become truly converted? We should also consider that all thru the Millennial Age, physical children will be born, with none of them born converted! And, in the meantime, how do these worship God in an acceptable manner before they actually do become converted? What format will they use? This is where the neo-Levitical Ministration becomes the answer. Like with ancient Israel, the sincere but unconverted are allowed to access God’s presence, thru circumcision, and by being re-taught under a structured Ceremonial format, which will train and re-orient those worshippers toward the time when they are ready to leave that system and come under an elevated relationship, that of Grace thru Faith! The Old Testament ritual format contains massive illustrations of essential Spiritual Truths. One only needs to investigate and reflect upon them to appreciate their educational purpose. Those unconverted in the Millennial Age will need also to come under a system that practices them, to re-orient their thinking and to develop toward the day when they can repent and become truly converted, and to receive God’s Spirit. There can be no false conversion in this Day of Salvation! False conversion at this point in time is a spiritual death sentence! When a person becomes truly converted, that individual will then come under a new ministration, not unlike the New Covenant system as we know it today, except not that version of it put forth by modern religion, but as it’s presented in the pages of the Bible! Even what we know as ‘New Covenant Christianity’ will be transformed by the clear Word of Biblical Truth! What passes for New Covenant Christianity incorporates all kinds of unbiblical misinformation. God has no use for man’s error. Neither should we. So, we will have in the World to Come, [28] a renewed Ceremonial System preparing individuals for true conversion. And as a follow-up to that, a ‘graduate’ Spiritual System, to direct each person’s growth toward full Spiritual maturity, … “unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”, as Ephesians 4:13 words it. Prior to conversion, the worshipper will practice a system not unlike that of the Old Testament era. As before, this will NOT EARN anyone their salvation! After becoming converted, that worshipper will then come under a different system, one generally like that known today as New Covenant Christianity. Overseeing both these two concurrent worship systems, the Spirit Born Saints of God will be in ultimate authority, [29] serving directly under Christ. We need also to keep in mind that after the one thousand years are ended, [30] there will be a general resurrection raising up all those who died prior to Christ’s second coming, prior to the thousand years, not having ever been called to salvation. With this, we can begin to understand the need for and the effectiveness of the Millennial Sacrificial System. God created an extraordinary ‘school-master system’ [31] to re-orient a person’s thinking to where he or she can ultimately accept Christ. This was the original purpose for which God gave mankind that added Ceremonial Law, to remediate for any infraction of His Moral Law, which remains and will remain applicable [32] thru all time to all who ever have and who ever will live. Then, as before, the restored Ceremonial System will provide pre-repentant people a worship format, preparing them for True Conversion. Yet, religion as we know it, prefers to reject this fundamental Biblical Truth! It was the two faiths that came to be with the divided kingdom that was the precursor for the two-tiered worship format that will be found in the Millennial Kingdom. ————————————————————————————————— See Rich Traver’s other articles at: Traver, Rich – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Golden Sheaves https://www.goldensheaves.org/ ————————————————————————————————— [1] 1Thess. 4:15 -17, Rev. 20:4-6 [2] Daniel 7:18, 22 & 27 “But the Saints of the Most High shall take the Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom forever, …Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the Saints of the Most High; and the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom. And the Kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the Saints of the Most High, whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” Daniel 2:44 “…the Kingdom shall not be left to other people…” [3] Revelation 14:6-7 [4] John 1:3 1 Corinthians 10:4 [5] Hebrews 9:4 [6] Ezekiel 44:9 [7] Romans 2:29, Philippians 3:3 [8] John 6:44 [9] Revelation 20:5 & 11-12 [10] Hebrews 6:4 [11] Revelation 14:6-7 [12] As a point of interest, here notice the double contrast: Heaven and Earth, but then also another contrast: The Sea and the Fountains of Waters! Physical creation and Spiritual Creation. The sea being representative of the masses of humanity (Rev.17:15) while the Fountains represent those who receive God’s Spirit! (Jn.7:38). Here also, we see an allusion to the two different kinds of worshippers together: the unregenerate and the regenerate, those who have not yet received God’s Spirit, and those who have. [13] Rev.14:8, cited from Isa.21:9 [14] Rev. 22:17 In the concluding comments of this Book, we are reminded (as in the concluding passage of the Old Testament, (Mal.4:4)) that they are blessed who keep God’s Commandments (v.14) Whosoever will may come. This reflects the open Temple condition all during the Millennial Age! [15] John 6:44 & 45 [16] Mark 9:12 , Matthew 17:11, Micah 4:1-2, [17] Isa. 66:15-16, [18] Isaiah 2:2-4, Zechariah 8:20-23, Ezek.36:29-38 [19] Jeremiah 30:9, Ezek. 37:24 [20] Matthew 19:28 [21] Isaiah 66:23 [22] Zech. 14:16-21 [23] Malachi 3:3-4, Isaiah 66:21 [24] Micah 4:4 Where this passage occurs is suggestive of a worship situation as much as a pastoral scene. It occurs just after the passage which relates, “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up unto the mountain of the LORD, …and He will teach us of His ways, … For the law shall go forth of Zion…(verse 2) and “For all people will walk, every one, in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God…”(verse 5). This suggests the two worship situations, with the unconverted worshipper coming under the “Fig Tree”, representative of the Old Cove-nant, and the “Vine”, representing the New Covenant form. Note Christ’s affirmation in Jn.15:1 & 5. “I am the true vine” … Also check into why Christ cursed the fig tree, in Matthew 21:19-20. These are also symbolic worship forms! [25] Ezekiel 44:10-14 & 44:15-31. (So much for abrogation!) [26] Isa.9:2, Micah 4:2, Zech. 8:20-23 [27] Revelation 3:12 & 21, 2:26 , 5:10 [28] Hebrews 2:5-18 [29] Revelation 20:4 [30] Revelation 20:5 [31] Galatians 3:23-24 [32] Matthew 5:17 “Think not I am come to destroy the law, … I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil!” |
| All the World’s a Stage… (Part 10) (Copyright) by Rich Traver (Clifton, Colorado) |
|---|
| While we live life as though there’s no purposeful direction or underlying cause in what transpires, there’s ample evidence – though veiled – to indicate otherwise. As it regards the religious situation in the Judaeo – Christian World, there’s ample Evidence to suggest that God’s Hand is, and has been, orchestrating events to further His Plan for the ultimate Redemption of humanity. People often ask, “Why does God allow all this evil in the world?” “Why doesn’t He intervene in human affairs?” We might wish to advise God in how He ought to respond to certain matters at times, expecting our assessment of what ought to be done to be omniscient. It’s when we see what God is doing, for the most part ‘behind the scenes’ that a whole new realization emerges. A BIG Picture That Shakespearian play of 600-years ago contains a famous line that’s more insightful than we might give it credit for. It states, “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely Players…” This, of course, suggests that someone is directing what transpires on a broad scale. While we may consider this premise in the context of individuals, there’s a greater picture where it involves whole nations, and involving one particular ethnicity, there’s an underlying Plan being orchestrated by the Creator God! He’s tasked, and is preparing, a particular people for an important part in what He’s to do. While there should be no question of the involvement on the part of God in human events, we have also the factor of evil spiritual forces working at the unseen spirit level in opposition to the other. Prophetic Evidence But it’s not so much the evil spiritual component that’s the focus here. It’s the major situation that accounts for what we see in the world, not only of today, but through a great span of history from deepest antiquity. While God employs those evil forces at times to fulfil His Will, we don’t often see it for what it is. Just looking at Bible prophecy, seeing it being fulfilled, is evidence in itself: Not only of God’s direction, but of His overall Plan for His Creation. God is not only predicting what will happen, but He has in most cases decreed well in advance that those things happen. Two insightful scriptures help us get our bearings in these matters. “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” (Isaiah 46:9-11) Does this sound like God is aloof to everything that’s going on? Also, Daniel 4:11, “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it towhomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” Have the many inept and corrupt rulers known throughout history been just a fluke? Is the caliber of the ones we have at present explained by this? God wants us to know that He is very much involved with what’s going on in the world, but with intent to cause an end result that we may not yet be aware of. Suspended Rationality Consider a practical situation, that of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon: “And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over itwhomsoever he will.” (Daniel 5:21) To emphasize the point with him and with Daniel, who ‘stood-in’ for him during the seven years of his insanity, his own testimony in chapter 4, after this episode was, this: “Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: Read the full account of this in Daniel 4: This was the account of his removal from power for seven years by having his mental faculties suspended: “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellers and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk-in pride he is able to abase.” This was Nebuchadnezzar’s personal realization. God had this secular ruler compose the entire chapter 4 of the book of Daniel to bear this testimony. Is there any more potent witness of the fact of God’s intervention in the affairs of men, even in the political arena? Does this cast light on the question raised in the opening paragraph of this chapter? Standing Back While it should be obvious that God is taking pretty much a ‘hands-off’ approach in routine day-to-day situations, the inescapable conclusion from history and from prophecy being fulfilled shows that He is very much aware of and in control of the major drift of events continually. We do see angelic interventions at the personal level at times, which shows He is concerned with our personal needs. That’s why we pray. Answered prayer addresses this to a limited degree, knowing that He cares, but it’s the overall world stage that’s the bigger issue. A Transcendent Task Earlier it was demonstrated that God has selected a particular ethnicity to administer His program of salvation that’s eventually to be opened to the whole world, not just the living, but all who have ever lived. At present, there’s a category of called-out ones who are to be in the first echelon. We know them as “firstfruits”. [1] An earlier chapter focused on the House of Israel. It was Jesus’ mission to ‘go to’ that ethnicity in particular. His Apostles also. But that was a means to an end! That end being World Salvation! In Luke 2:32 Simeon’s exclamation was that He would be “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” Acts 26:23 adds: “That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.” This alludes to the job assignment for His firstfruits. Acts 13:47 explains: “For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.” [Which quotes: Isaiah 49:6] “And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” The overall Plan being worked out here below is not trivial or merely local. It’s a Plan where Salvation will be extended to all of humanity (that’s not to say that all will avail themselves of it). Our major concern is to realize that Plan that supersedes any other concern. Time and chance happens to all of us. Wars and accidents occur. The innocent are occasionally caught-up in a milieu of unfortunate circumstances. Sometimes Faith is the comforting remedy. But salvation is the ultimate objective. That’s what we need to focus on, as it manifests in world developments, past, present, and future. ————————————————————————————————— See Rich Traver’s other articles at: Traver, Rich – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Golden Sheaves https://www.goldensheaves.org/ ————————————————————————————————— [1] Revelation 14:4 We see 144.000 individuals selected and assigned to one particular ethnicity, they being not just Jews, but of and from the whole House of Israel. |
Views: 50
Sign up to Receive [The "New" Church of God Messenger] weekly newsletter: