Almost 2000 years ago Jesus DID for us what we couldn't. He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. Although we couldn't do that like He did, we get to do what He did each and every day, in just as meaningful a way.

Does your life look like this?

1. Jesus...2. Others...3. Self

Did you lay your life down for someone else this morning? What would that look like?

It's simple really. Serve others. Jesus is the form...We are the function. Jesus DID it in form...We GET to do it in function. How cool is that?

Most of us will never have to face a martrys death like Jesus did. However, I hope and pray that if that day should come, that we like Him, can boldly say, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." 

And if it be one of your fellow sheep that slay you spiritually...Forgive them 70 x 7.

Choose this day to speak boldly like Christ. He was and still is our victorious forerunner. 

So yesterday at the recommendation of a friend, I purchased the Orthodox Study Bible for my Amazon Kindle. $17.99 versus $50 for the paper version. To my surprise it contains what are typically called the Apocrypha. And they are place in their contextual framework from what I can tell. 

So I decided to start looking at some of these Apocryphal works. The first one I came to is called Susanna. It is place with the book of Daniel. And is set just before chapter 01 of Daniel. 

Just 65 short verses that I'm not so sure should have been removed by the Protestants. Why you ask? Because I now believe that this is the foundation for the story we see in John 8 about the woman caught in adultery. To me, John 8 is clearly alluding to this. 

In other words...Through His actions Jesus was saying, "One greater than the prophet Daniel is in your midst,"

Matthew 11:11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Matthew 12:6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.

Matthew 12:41 ...and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

Matthew 12:42 ...and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

And the woman at the well in John 4 "...Are You greater than our father Jacob?"

So to those who taught the Law and the Pharisee's, Jesus was basically saying, "A greater than Daniel is here."

Now read these 65 short verses and tell me you don't see the connection...8-)

Susanna

1 Now there was a man that dwelt in Babylon, and his name was Joakim:

 

² And he took a wife whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Helcias, a very beautiful woman, and one that feared God.

³ For her parents being just, had instructed their daughter according to the law of Moses.

⁴ Now Joakim was very rich, and had an orchard near his house: and the Jews resorted to him, because he was the most honourable of them all.

⁵ And there were two of the ancients of the people appointed judges that year, of whom the Lord said: Iniquity came out from Babylon from the ancient judges, that seemed to govern the people.

⁶ These men frequented the house of Joakim, and all that had any matters of judgment came to them.

7 And when the people departed away at noon, Susanna went in, and walked in her husband's orchard.

⁸ And the old men saw her going in every day, and walking: and they were inflamed with lust towards her:

⁹ And they perverted their own mind and turned away their eyes that they might not look unto heaven, nor remember just judgments.

¹⁰ So they were both wounded with the love of her, yet they did not make known their grief one to the other:

¹¹ For they were ashamed to declare to one another their lust, being desirous to have to do with her.

¹² And they watched carefully every day to see her. And one said to the other:

¹³ Let us now go home, for it is dinner time. So going out they departed one from another.

¹⁴ And turning back again, they came both to the same place: and asking one another the cause, they acknowledged their lust; and then they agreed upon a time, when they might find her alone.

¹⁵ And it fell out, as they watched a fit day, she went in on a time, as yesterday and the day before, with two maids only, and was desirous to wash herself in the orchard: for it was hot weather.

¹⁶ And there was nobody there, but the two old men that had hid themselves and were beholding her.

¹⁷ So she said to the maids: Bring me oil, and washing balls, and shut the doors of the orchard, that I may wash me.

¹⁸ And they did as she bade them: and they shut the doors of the orchard, and went out by a back door to fetch what she had commanded them, and they knew not that the elders were hid within.

¹⁹ Now when the maids were gone forth, the two elders arose, and ran to her, and said:

²⁰ Behold the doors of the orchard are shut, and nobody seeth us, and we are in love with thee: wherefore consent to us, and lie with us.

²¹ But if thou wilt not, we will bear witness against thee, that a young man was with thee, and therefore thou didst send away thy maids from thee.

²² Susanna sighed, and said: I am straitened on every side: for if I do this thing, it is death to me: and if I do it not, I shall not escape your hands.

²³ But it is better for me to fall into your hands without doing it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord.

²⁴ With that Susanna cried out with a loud voice: and the elders also cried out against her.

²⁵ And one of them ran to the door of the orchard, and opened it.

²⁶ So when the servants of the house heard the cry in the orchard, they rushed in by the back door to see what was the matter.

²⁷ But after the old men had spoken, the servants were greatly ashamed: for never had there been any such word said of Susanna. And on the next day,

²⁸ When the people were come to Joakim her husband, the two elders also came full of wicked device against Susanna, to put her to death.

²⁹ And they said before the people: Send to Susanna daughter of Helcias the wife of Joakim. And presently they sent.

³⁰ And she came with her parents, and children, and all her kindred.

³¹ Now Susanna was exceeding delicate, and beautiful to behold.

³² But those wicked men commanded that her face should be uncovered, (for she was covered,) that so at least they might be satisfied with her beauty.

³³ Therefore her friends and all her acquaintance wept.

³⁴ But the two elders rising up in the midst of the people, laid their hands upon her head.

³⁵ And she weeping looked up to heaven, for her heart had confidence in the Lord.

³⁶ And the elders said: As we walked in the orchard alone, this woman came in with two maids, and shut the doors of the orchard, and sent away the maids from her.

³⁷ Then a young man that was there hid came to her, and lay with her.

³⁸ But we that were in a corner of the orchard, seeing this wickedness, ran up to them, and we saw them lie together.

³⁹ And him indeed we could not take, because he was stronger than us, and opening the doors be leaped out:

⁴⁰ But having taken this woman, we asked who the young man was, but she would not tell us: of this thing we are witnesses.

⁴¹ The multitude believed them as being the elders and the judges of the people, and they condemned her to death.

⁴² Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said: O eternal God, who knowest hidden things, who knowest all things before they come to pass,

⁴³ Thou knowest that they have borne false witness against me: and behold I must die, whereas I have done none of these things, which these men have maliciously forged against me.

⁴⁴ And the Lord heard her voice.

⁴⁵ And when she was led to be put to death, the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young boy, whose name was Daniel.

⁴⁶ And he cried out with a loud voice I am clear from the blood of this woman.

⁴⁷ Then all the people turning themselves towards him, said: What meaneth this word that thou hast spoken?

⁴⁸ But he standing in the midst of them, said: Are ye so foolish, ye children of Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth, you have condemned a daughter of Israel?

⁴⁹ Return to judgment, for they have borne false witness against her.

⁵⁰ So all the people turned again in haste, and the old men said to him: Come, and sit thou down among us, and shew it as: seeing God hath given thee the honour of old age.

⁵¹ And Daniel said to the people: Separate these two far from one another, and I will examine them.

⁵² So when they were put asunder one from the other, he called one of them, and said to him: O thou that art grown old in evil days, now are thy sins come out, which thou hast committed before:

⁵³ In judging unjust judgments, oppressing the innocent, and letting the guilty to go free, whereas the Lord saith: I The innocent and the just thou shalt not kill.

⁵⁴ Now then, if thou sawest her, tell me under what tree thou sawest them conversing together. He said: Under a mastic tree.

⁵⁵ And Daniel said: Well hast thou lied against thy own head: for behold the angel of God having received the sentence of him, shall cut thee in two.

⁵⁶ And having put him aside, he commanded that the other should come, and he said to him: O thou seed of Chanaan(Cain?), and not of Judah, beauty hath deceived thee, and lust hath perverted thy heart:

⁵⁷ Thus did you do to the daughters of Israel, and they for fear conversed with you: but a daughter of Judah would not abide your wickedness.

⁵⁸ Now therefore tell me, under what tree didst thou take them conversing together., And he answered: Under a holm tree.

⁵⁹ And Daniel said to him: Well hast thou also lied against thy own head: for the angel of the Lord waiteth with a sword to cut thee in two, and to destroy you.

⁶⁰ With that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saveth them that trust in him.

⁶¹ And they rose up against the two elders, (for Daniel had convicted them of false witness by their own mouth,) and they did to them as they had maliciously dealt against their neighbour,

⁶² To fulfil the law of Moses: and they put them to death, and innocent blood was saved in that day.

⁶³ But Helcias and his wife praised God, for their daughter Susanna, with Joakim her husband, and all her kindred, because there was no dishonesty found in her.

⁶⁴ And Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day, and thenceforward.

⁶⁵ And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom.

 

Matthew 26:50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?”

Matthew 27:3-10 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.” See Zechariah 11

Acts 1:18-19 Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

The site referred to in these verses is traditionally known as Akeldama, in the valley of Hinnom, which was a source of potter's clay. Source Wikipedia

JUDAS QUITE LITERALLY WENT TO HELL(GEHENNA)

I never made that connection before...Interesting...8-)

Theres something funny going on here. Whether we realize it or not.

Leviticus 27:1-4 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When a man consecrates by a vow certain persons to the Lord, according to your valuation, if your valuation is of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. If it is afemale, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels;

Do you see the discrepency here? 

If the price was for a male it would have been 50 shekles of silver. But this was 30. 

Was this 30 shekles of silver the price to redeem His bride from her bondage?

Was this 30 shekles of silver the price of an adulterous betrothed bride?

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

Ephesians 4:8-10 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.

I think it seems pretty clear that there's a whole lot more going on in this story than is apparent on the surface...8-)

Mike

 

by Michael J Loomis

Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. He didn't come to do away with it.

Was this not the topic of Jesus of the beatitudes?

Was Matthew 5-7 Jesus supplanting/fulfilling the betrothal covenant at Sanai? Moses type...Jesus anti-type?

In the beatitudes Jesus said 5 times, "You have heard it said...BUT I SAY." Doesn't this sound like He's fulfilling or filling in the Law and the Prophets?

He then goes on to tell them how to live. Then He sums up the Law and the Prophets in one simple commandment. Just like back in the garden. Just one.

"Therefore whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

----------

Jesus went up the mountain and He wrote His Law on their hearts...On tablets of living stone. He came down the mountain and the multitude(his sheep) followed Him. I'm going to suggest that in Acts 1, when Jesus ascended to the Father, He's then waiting to be sent back for His bride. The Holy Spirit then comes down and enters into Jesus' sheep. Marriage covenant consummated.

3000 souls were added to them.

Now compare that what happened in Exodus.

Moses on the other hand went up the mountain and he wrote the decalogue on tablets of stone. He came down the mountain and the multitude(his sheep) followed him. Moses ascended to the Father again in Exodus 24. I'm going to suggest that this second time was for the marriage covenant. But before the marriage they had defiled themselves with a golden calf. He wanted to Slaughter them...But Moses interceded for them. He then descends from the Father again. See's the people dancing around the calf. And then cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

3000 men fell that day.

Sanai had to be the betrothal. They couldn't even make it 40 days without committing adultery. Betrothal covenant broken. Marriage covenant that Moses just received is nullified. And the tablets were cast down and broken in two at the foot of the mountain of God. Nonetheless, God(Hosea?) covenanted with them again in Exodus 34(took a wife of harlotry?)

Isn't this where the story of Hosea picks up?

8-)...Mike

John The Baptist: “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Jesus: Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

Jesus: John 12:31 NOW is the judgment of this world; NOW the ruler of this world will be cast out.

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.

John 13:8 & 26 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me. . . Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread,Satan entered him(Judah/Judas). Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

Matthew 27:3-10 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

Jeremiah 19:11 and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Even so I will break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury them in Tophet till there is no place to bury.(586 BC type.)

Jeremiah 3:6-10 The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord.

John 19:17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew,Golgotha,

Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood(communion), He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil

Was the account of Judas in the passages mentioned above demonstrating to us that at the cross Jesus dealt the fatal blow to Judah/Judas/Satan?

Do you think these are valid connections I'm making? Or am I just a Hairy Tick?

 

Over the last number of months my head has been swimming through the gospels, especially the Gospel of John and Revelation, looking for connections between Jesus' ministry and Revelation 4-22.

What I'm finding is that there are a lot of connections. 

Here's a simple one. A very simple working theme of Revelation 4-22.

The judgment of the world(land), the casting down of the enemy(death), and Christ gathering all the nations into the new creation(covenant). 

Jesus while predicting His own death said in John 12:31-33 "NOW is the judgment of this world; NOW the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Now back to the Gospel of John.

One thing I've been pondering lately is the dating of the Gospel of John. This gospel has significantly more theological development that the synoptic gospels doesn't have. Conversely the synoptic gospels all have accounts of Jesus' Olivet discourse while John's gospel doesn't. 

Most people would say, "Well that's because John wrote Revelation, and so didn't need to include it." Of which I agree completely. Matter of fact I believe that helps my case for a later dating of the Gospel of John. Say somewhere around AD85. After John would have had some time to reflect on what he had seen take place over that last generation. 

There's also a very clear sense of impending doom in the synoptics that is not in John's gospel.

Just compare the baptism accounts of Jesus in the four gospels. The synoptics paint a very negative picture of an impending doom/judgment. John's greeting, "Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Followed by Jesus' little Torah debate with the devil.

John's gospel is a positive theological proclamation of who Jesus was the Lamb of God/Son of God.

In other words, I am suggesting that the Gospel of John may very well been written many years after John had witnessed Jesus' coming in AD70 in judgment on the southern kingdom and more specifically Jerusalem.

The northern kingdom...The house of Israel was dealt with back in 722 BC. 

Yes I still maintain that the synoptics were written before AD70. They contain Jesus' Olivet discourse. But lack theological development. And John had written Revelation before AD70 as well. 

And so if John had seen the events of AD70 come to pass. Would his perspective on the events of Christ's ministry look different than the perspective of Christians being persecuted by Jews before AD70?

I personally think so. 

Finally, John 21:20-25 make even more sense to me now. And seems to positively affirm Christ's coming in judgment on Jerusalem.

 

Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”

This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

What a great farewell. That last verse is the most ironic piece of prophecy in the Bible. We have quite literally filled the world with books about Jesus. Think about that for a moment. Then ask yourselves these questions.

Did John live till Christ came?

Did he live to see Jerusalem fall?

If so, wouldn't his perspective is much more victorious and theologically developed?

The Jewish persecution would have been dealt a fatal blow. He wouldn't be under any tribulation. That and he wouldn't need an olivet discourse. He already covered that in Revelation. And it had already happened.

That is if my theory is correct...8-)

What do you guys think?

Greetings, I Would like to Introduce You To...Jesus.

I have always wanted to do a full blown verse by verse study of the book of Revelation. At this point in my life I am rejoicing at reaching the 30th anniversary of my heart being open and my journey of faith beginning with Jesus Christ. As I look back at these 30 years at many victories and successes (ALL HIS) and many many failures and set backs in my walk with Christ (All mine), I admit that for many years I would not have been able to undertake such a huge task of this mysterious and often confusing book of Revelation.

It is not that I have reached some place of grand understanding or tremendous spiritual maturity that I now take up this task, but I no longer fear this book as I have in years past. I believe that the best approach to this great work of the Apostle John is to let the text speak for itself. We also must recognizing that the text itself as it is laid out by John the "Revelator" often times references back to many many Old Testament passages. I will endeavor to point out any and all Old Testament references as I become aware of them in this study.

I know also that most studies of the book of Revelation start with a debate for or against either a late or early date of the books authorship. I would love to talk to any readers who have

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In this Morning Musings, I share a bit more of my journey to the full preterist view of prophecy. In Matthew 24:3 the disciples asked Jesus about his coming and the end of the age.Virtually everyone says the disciples were confused or wrong to link the end of the age with the fall of Jerusalem. I was shocked to discover that it was not Jesus' first century disciples that were confused-- but modern Bible students!.

In this Morning Musings, I share a bit more of my journey to the full preterist view of prophecy. In Matthew 24:3 the disciples asked Jesus about his coming and the end of the age. I used to think they were asking about the end of the world! This Musing shares why that is not even possible.

 

Grab some coffee...It's time for more Morning Musings with Don K. Preston

How did I come to be a preterist, to believe that Jesus came in AD 70? This is one of the most common questions that I hear. After all, I was raised as an amillennialist, and even debated from that position! This morning, I begin sharing my testimony on how I became a believer in Covenant Eschatology, i.e. full preterism