The Scroll of God

The Bibles we read come from a long line. What once were scrolls written in Hebrew, and words spoken in Aramaic (the gospels) went through the Greek language and were likely Hellenized like most other things. Then there was the Latin. So the Hebrew "sheol" where there was "neither doing nor thought" became first "hades" (Greek) a "place of the dead" and then "inferno" (Roman). Then came Signor Dante with his entertaining tales (in the 1300's). This was after some Norse tribes had brought into the lands their slant on an afterlife, named Helheim, shortened to Hel. And then of course came along (1600's) good King James, whose heart was likely in the right place, it's just by then the culture was saturated with these other (nonbiblical) ideas.

A Note to Gnostics

If the problem here on planet Earth is earth.. matter. And a case of man having fallen from a higher state into a material body - "dust thou art" - which knowledge (gnosis) will deliver us from, the scene around us would seem to suggest otherwise. This Earth is glorious! And so is the living machinery we call our bodies. When God visited Earth in Ezekiel chapter two, he arrived on a living platform with living wheels, and which was borne about on living wings.

The problem is not creation itself. From where do wars come from? Do they come from trees? Perhaps from the ocean.. or the mountains? ...Is it the wind?

Logically, at most, if we are "trapped in a body" that would be a symptom, or an effect, and not a cause.

Why did God bar the way to the tree of life after Adam and Eve had changed? For surely, they did change. In the Genesis chapter two insert account of the creation of Adam and Eve, we are told how Adam was formed of dust, and Eve from his rib, and the two were one. "Be fruitful and multiply.. dress the trees and keep the garden.. the fruit and herbs shall be for food.."

What changed in Adam and Eve? Surely it was something in their thoughts.

Their psyche changed! The serpent had said to them, surely God was lying.. the one forbidden fruit was surely desired to make one wise. It was not unpleasant to the sight.. looked harmless enough. Indeed, if it was knowledge to make one wise.. and to be like God..!

But what was the change? They hid themselves. If there was a substance change, I believe it was in their clothing. From a raiment of light to fig leaves, and then to animal skins (in which God clothed them). They and the world became imperfect, and death now existed.

And what of the serpent? The one Revelation, chapter twelve calls Satan (adversary) and dragon? Was the issue that he fell into a denser substance?

I think the Pandora's box is thinking ability. If one is a rational creature, one can (sooner or later) make choices. What could possibly be God's motive in letting it run its course?

One Of The Greatest Metaphors

There are many metaphors in the Bible. I'd mention one if I could think of one off hand! How about how Jesus said it'd be better to cut off your hand and throw it to the funeral pyre, than harm one of these little ones? Not meant to be a literal instruction, I'm sure. Or! Maybe it is literal instruction! That's the trouble with metaphor! A teaching tool, to teach a truth. God, it seems, teaches often using metaphor.

I've just recently realized that I believe "God's Wrath" to be metaphor!

There's a strong belief in me that God's wrath is more often than not, merely the natural consequences of man's own doings. After all, isn't this a grand lesson we are all learning? An unavoidable journey? If we are to be thinking, reacting, doing creatures that is?

Surely the study of God, and his book, the bible, is utterly fascinating! (Just have to get through the smokescreens..?)

Take care and God bless!

~ * ~

Why It's Easy For Us To Think In Terms Of Billions Of Years

(As to origins, that is.) It's because we are in what is called a very long process. And the father of lies weaves strands of truth into all of his tapestries. (Which is doubly clever, for then we weave them into our psyche and life.)

When God endowed thinking ability a whole new realm (tree?) of possibilities came about, and He is being, and has been, infinitely patient awaiting the outcome. You see thinking ability includes being able to make choices, and hence we have life as it is and also death. Because God is Life itself, and is also Perfection. That makes imperfection, the opposite of life. And sooner or later, some one (some rational creature) is bound to think, "say.. do we really have to do all things, and think all things, God's way?"

He first made angels to be rational creatures. He waited and created the universe and man and woman, not only after the first rebel thought occurred, but waited until after it had matured into outright revolt and sedition. (Why? So all "in heaven and earth" would take this unavoidable journey and lesson, all together, at once.)

"Waited a very long time".. surely!? ..Here's where the "billions of years" actually comes from(!?) For when there was 'only' the Presence of the Father and the Son and the angels, surely there wasn't all that much to go astray about(?) And just think, God, being life itself, lives through all sufferings and disasters which ever occur (while He is for the most part, letting choice run its course).

And when God created the universe, in that majestic explosion of life / Himself, he placed all things where He wanted them to be, and began the motion from there. And! From the "foundation of the world" / from the beginning, He built the rescue of all into it - Jesus on the cross - an image, and love, strong enough to ultimately pierce every psyche. He is perfect, the only 'end' result imaginable, is the best one possible.
1 Timothy 4:10, among many, many verses, says "God is the savior of all.."

A thank you to Pixabay.com for the image.

All In All

The Lord started a new thing with me.. Having to do with images. I had fun with the paint program in windows, until my little netbrook broke down. Now I have a chromebook which as you may know, doesn't have paint. But that's perfect, because pixabay has free to use pictures and my images were amateur at best. And I can use Sumo paint to resize.

I've been working on writing Revelation in images, and over the last week did the Book of Revelation's Chapter twelve, "Lesson One of the Book of Revelation in Pictures, which I posted on another blog. Today at morning prayer and reading time, I can see it has affected my psyche! Something about images coming down in columns.. (hmmm, like a scroll?) ..from Him.

And then I found myself thinking 'God is immense'.. everywhere.. (as we know..) and glorious..

I'm thinking one day it will be that all God's children, man and angelic, will stand before Yahweh in utter (awed) silence.

A Letter To Christians

The Christian's number one evidence is, and should be, the working of the Spirit (Presence) of God within us.

But that doesn't mean science vs. faith, not by a long shot!

Some scientists may think their interpretation of the data disproves God. The theory/hypotheses of evolution exists upon these very sorts of conjecture.

The second most held law of science is that of entropy. All matter is in a state of breaking down. This is true also of communication, including the genetic code in all of life. It tends toward falling apart and separating. It does not develop new and better traits. How did any species within any biological category survive while slowly developing/'evolving' it's survival mechanism?

If all life forms evolved from one original, how many missing links are there?

Natural Selection is the separating of traits present. The evolving of new traits has never been observed. "Mutations"/mistakes tend to move sideways like a computer virus, or it simply fizzles out right away.

Do you all know the example of the peppered moth? Which goes like this - scientists saw there were white moths on one island, and brown moths of the same species/type on another island. "Why see how these two evolved differently!" they said.

But then, looking more closely, it became apparent that on the island where the white moth was prevalent, there was white lichen on the trees and the brown moths were picked off by predators. And the opposite was true on the other island, no white lichen on the trees, so it was the white moths which were picked off by predators and the brown moths which survived and multiplied. Until eventually there were very few white moths. This is an example of Natural Selection which theory has been observed and occurs at all times - a separation of traits present in the code.

There is no scientific data that disproves God. In all actuality the debate should move on to what sort of God created.

Evolution's ace in the hole is time, so the way of dating the earth which is used, is the one most able to suggest millions, now, billions of years. Given enough time, anything is possible? (Not so say top mathematicians.)

But there are other ways of dating which suggest a much younger age of the universe, and many things which refute the billions of years age constantly put forth. (More on this later.)

Since when does a Big Bang (aka explosion) continue moving at a constant rate and in sustained order? We may theorize but I don't think we've seen one act like this, except for the very impressive order of the universe and matter.

Scientific terms and physics do not disprove God. Indeed the minutest order suggests design. The whole theory/hypotheses/belief/philosophy is smoke and mirrors, the "strong delusion" and the "great falling away" of Western Civilization (once called Christendom).

If properly understood Bible prophecy is also evidence of God the creator.

A "last days" system called "harlet", the Greek word used being "pornos" bewitches and corrupts the seven continents with her seductive enchantments. She comes to exist side by side with a world entity/governing which first was, then wasn't. But then after the fire of Revelation 13:13 was once again, it's head now signing on. Is it vague? Hard to understand? You betcha! But it's accurate. Revelation 13:13 concerns an office but is thought by most to be a certain individual. This verse points to an office of the individual but not the individual. Verse 13:13 occurred in 1945.

Part of the problem is, these 'last days' things are often so huge and in our face we can't see them!

The false prophet? Surely same very thing as the great delusion (in full swing upon planet Earth). He began as a man, now is a white smocked magician with many miracles and modern wonders. "Knowledge will increase and man will travel to and fro".. "Your land is full of chariots".. But "the lion will" (again) "eat straw like the ox and the bear will graze with the cow". Apocalypse began long ago.. with the first rebel thought.. The original meaning of "apocalypse" is an/the "unveiling". As we've come to understand it today (as Bible students) as a crashing and burning/downfall - iS the unveiling. Apocalypse, personal and collective, is apparent and proves true from untrue, which is also good from evil and life from nonlife/death-translated "hell" for some time, but now receding. "Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess 'Jesus is Lord'." - Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:9-11.

Finding Truth In A Crazy World

Should we simply rely on what we are told the Bible says? Or should we diligently study for ourselves, each and every topic using a concordance, either online or book. And surely! Don't forget the Hebrew and Greek concordances! Why should we have to take a human translator's word as to what was originally written, when these days we have such study tools at our fingertips.

http://studybible.info/IGNT/Matthew%201:1 - This is an online interlinear Greek New Testament, and the site includes the Hebrew interlinear as well. The Greek and Hebrew word numbers are included with every word with a link to their meaning and use. (Strong's, Vine's, Thayer, Dodson and more.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/ - This keyword search tool makes for a great study for any and all topics. Heaven, hell, kingdom, life, death, day of the Lord, thief in the night.. And a good Bible dictionary to see for ourselves, for example, what is gehenna (originally, not legend). With all the untruth prevalent in the world, seeking answers straight from the Bible as originally delivered, seems to me what's called for. And also, I can't help remembering how Paul, Peter and John all warned against the danger of the teachings and ideas of the Gnostics, who seemed pretty determined to wrest the scriptures. How can we be sure they didn't in one or two ways? Unless we diligently search these things out? Why should I be lazy and let someone else tell me what the Bible says? https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/ - verse search.

The gnostics were zealous to teach esoteric ideas and teachings of the world pagan religions and philosophies. Did the Bible, for instance pick up any Plato ideas? The West was built upon the classical world. Did this color the understanding and translations?

...This inquiring mind wants to know Truth, and only Truth. God our Father gave us good reasoning power and His Word - "Thy Word is Truth" - John 17:17.

Healing by Restful Keeping Sabbath

Keeping Sabbath (for healing) can be weaved throughout the life and days.

Jesus is the vine. We are the branches. Fruit grows. If we rest in the vine. Rest in the finished work of God in Jesus. "It is done," Jesus said.

"Draw near unto God! and He will draw near unto you!" (Hebrews) "That we may receive the help (the grace) we need.." (Quit trying to make yourself good enough for God to love! Admit it can't be done! He - is the only source of Goodness. He has given an "oath" (Hebrews).

He is in the quietness.. I can't speak for any others.. but God gave me a formula for deep inner healing..

God is a God of order. (And even what seems the most complex of things, is basically simplicity.)

I was sitting on a bench under some plum trees and grape vines. Lo and behold I had found some plums that no worms had gotten! So I ate a couple and thanked the Lord. It was a very nice day. As I was musing it seemed as though a calendar opened up before me, in my mind's eye.. over a blue sky background. That there are four seasons with three times a day - 24/7. Each season with its particular spiritual lesson. I think of it as the 4 + 3 prescription. I see the big "Rexall" sign before it..

..three times a day to worship Him.. "you make the places where morning and evening meet to leap for joy" (badly? paraphrased from Psalms) - Not a strict legalistic schedule, just one to keep in mind.

Psalm 65:8 "You make the places where morning and evening have birth, to shout for joy.." ..and then there's Gethsemane's moonlit hour.. Three times a day throughout four seasons every year..

It's a box and pattern I can put my mind in.. and put up a shield of faith and deny every negative idea.. Turn from every negative thought.. The shield deflects the arrows and they fall to the ground bent and broken.

I believe we do well to allow ourselves much time(s) to rest quietly in Him. Listening to His quiet and soft voice.. of reason.

The basic idea is to weave into our life and days times of Quiet prayer and praise and the reading of God's Word. This is the bread and the wine, the prescription Jesus gave on the eve of His crucifixion.

Enter The Story Reading Schedule

I am working on transferring my Bible reading schedule onto this website / blog. The reading schedule can be found here - http://inner-monastery.blogspot.com/p/daily.html

The gospels are blended into two six month continuous readings in an effort to more easily 'enter the story' and feel a bit more as if we are walking with Jesus, where He walked and as He walked.

The Book of Acts is read over the course of the year. As is the Book of Revelation.

The New Testament letters are also read annually, and are read in the order believed to have been written.

There's an annual schedule for Psalms and a 31 day schedule for Proverbs. And a developing one for the books of the prophets.

It's Not Just The Prodigal Son

Imagine that mankind is God's child. Not only is that child a wandering prodigal, wasting his inheritance on loose living and squandering. But that child can be, and often is, quite savage and barbaric. "Which thing God hates" I'm sure! How would you create a universe? One free from such potential?

Has The Gospel Message Lost Any Of Its Glory Since First Delivered?

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. ..And man, "male and female, in His own image".

And every thing was very good" [from Genesis 1:1, 27 and 31].  And God himself, surely? Is both Life (itself) and Perfection (without flaw or weakness or limitation).

"..The Lord God breathed into his nostrils (the) breath of life, and the man became a living creature" [Genesis 2:7].

But in their heart, mankind has wandered away from perfection and God who is life. (A possibility and side effect of thinking ability?) "For all have sinned" (in the original language - missed the mark) "and come short of the splendor of God" [Romans 3:23]. And "the results of sin" (imperfection) "is death" [Romans 6:23]. Imperfection, being the opposite of Life/God.

"But! The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus!" [Romans 6:23]. "Which works" (the rescue) "was finished from the foundation/creation of the world" [Hebrews 4:3].

Jesus said, "If I be lifted up from the earth" (on the cross) "I will draw all men to me" [John 12:32]. Another translation puts it like this - "And I" said Jesus, "when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

1 Timothy 4:10 says "we trust in the living God! Who is the Savior of all men! Especially of those who believe." Another version says "who is Saviour of all men -- especially of those believing." God, our Father, is the savior of all.  -- Perfect (surely?) makes no mistakes. Can lose nothing.

"...He made known to us the mystery of his will, that when the times reach their fulfillment He might gather together all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth" [Ephesians 1:9,10]. "And through Jesus to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven.." [Colossians 1:20].

"Behold," the Book of Revelation says "I make all things new.. the river of life from the throne, as clear as crystal.."

"He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes between nations. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, with none troubling, for the Lord Almighty has spoken" [Micah 4:3,4]. "The cow and the bear shall graze, their young ones shall lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox" [Isaiah 11:7].

Christianity has been made up of human beings, and the gospel message has been passed down through human hands for nearly two thousand years. That the message has lost some of its glory, and picked up some baggage along the way, is not surprising. As the Gospel (Greek for "good news") has come to be preached and taught, it would seem one of two impossibilities would be true. God is not perfect, certainly not all powerful. Or, God is not all good. But some darkness resides within Him. (And thus He too misses the mark, and can only fade?)

Is it possible we have come to greatly underestimate Him? And His great plan (intent) of salvation and reconciliation (perfection)? "The grave" has been translated to read "hell". Which, surely, casts a great shadow upon His character. And contradicts both the good news and the Holy Bible. The "lower part of the earth" and "the place of the dead" is still the grave.

"Preaching via the Spirit to those awaiting the ark and flood", was in that day, not in a mythical, all hope is lost 'hell'. "These will be coming into eonian (agelasting) chastening/curtailing" has been translated into "these will go away into eternal punishment" [Matthew 25:46 ]. And the phrase "in the deepest depths of darkness, locked into judgment" also, does not equate to a lower chamber in 'hell'! A closer translation for judgment, would be "decision" (from the Greek word "krisis"). Even "Gehenna" the city dump has been translated to read 'hell'!

"All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before Thee" Psalm 22:27.

"So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" [Isaiah 55:11]. "I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and it turns not back, that to Me, every knee shall bow and every tongue swear" [Isaiah 45:23].

"‘As surely as I live' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me, every tongue will acknowledge God’” [Romans 14:11]. Ultimately, all humans will repent.. there may even "be weeping and gnashing of teeth" in "outer darkness" but if God says all will bend the knee and all families of the nations will worship (rejoice) before Him, who are we to contradict His Word. His Promise.

In 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, it says, "In Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order - Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then (also) -- the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having abolished all rule, authority and power.. and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.. all things having been subdued unto him, that He may be (the) all in all".

From Revelation 21:1,4,5 - "There will be new heavens and a new Earth.. God shall wipe away all tears ...there shall be no more death. Behold, I make all things new."

"..Though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.." [Psalm 46:2]. Even if man's world were to crash in an hour and fall in a day, "HIS kingdom will never end!" [Luke 1:33].

"We will not fear, for God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" [Psalm 46:1].

Jesus said "Abide in me" [John 15:4] and “if you abide in My word, truly my disciples ye are, and ye shall know the truth" [John 8:31].

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.. We may come near, then, with freedom, to the throne of grace, that we may receive kindness, and find grace -- for seasonable help" [James 4:8; Hebrews 4;16] ..for the help and ongoing transformation we need.

"We shall be like Him" [1 John 3:2].

"For the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness (gentleness), faithfulness, humility, and self-control (temperance)" [Galatians 5:22,23].

"God is love" [1 John 4:8].
  

Are The Ancient Holy Days Of Israel The Salvation Plan Outline?

I've been thinking on this (and talking about it) for a long time. I'm so happy, finally the words have come together into some sort of cohesive sense [1 Corinthians 14:7,33]. I hope!

The ancient Holy Days of God (Leviticus 23:1-44) describe UR! Otherwise known as universal Reconciliation and Redemption [Jonah 2:9] Or CU Christian Universalism.
Each Holy Day represents Jesus (Messiah).
The Spring Holy Days:

[#1] He was and is the Passover (Lamb). [Leviticus 23:5, New King James Version - "On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover."

[#2] He is the Unleavened Bread. (The oven was "the grave").

[#3] After three nights and three days, "at even" as the weekly Sabbath day was ending...
        He is the "First Fruits unto God". [1 Corinthians 15:17,18 and 20] "First Fruits" is Thanksgiving for the entire (grain) harvest. [1 Corinthians 15:20,21,22]

Then fifty (pent) days later (was) the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God, wholly dependent upon the first three Holy Days earlier in the season. [Leviticus 23:1-22, the Spring Holy Days [#1-4] fulfilled by Jesus, it would seem, as His First Advent.]

There were two harvests in the land. The fruit of the land harvest is in..

The Autumn Holy Days:

[A] On the first day of the seventh month [Leviticus 23:24].. a blowing of Trumpets (also called New Year's).

[B] 10 Days (1000 yrs?) Later, The Day Of Atonement (DOA) - "Any person who is not humbled in this same day, shall be cut off from among his people." [Leviticus 23:29] "I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it.. ..And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and scrolls were opened, and another scroll was opened, which is that of the life, and the dead were judged out of the things written in the scrolls. -- according to their works; and the sea did give up those dead in it, and the death and the hades did give up the dead in them, and they were judged, each one according to their works; and the death and the hades" (place of the dead, the grave) "were cast to the lake of the fire -- this [is] the second death; and" (then?) "if any one was not found written in the scroll of the life, he was cast to the lake of the fire." (Who's, not going to "believe" after having been resurrected, etc?) [Revelation 20:11-15] "Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all." [1 Corinthians 15:28]

[C] 5 Days (500 yrs?) Later, The Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles/Tents) - the joyful observance of the vintage and fruit harvest. "Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine." [Deuteronomy 16:13] "And you shall take for yourselves, on the first day, the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days." [Leviticus 23:40]
   "..a statute forever..." [from Leviticus 23:41]
   "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth.. and..`Lo, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and He will tabernacle with them, and they shall be His peoples, and God Himself shall be with them" [Revelation 21:1-3]
   "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles." [Zechariah 14:16]

"..I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle or dwelling place also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people." [Ezekiel 37:26c,27]
The Fall Holy Days, A-C, fulfilled by Jesus' long 2nd advent, like His 1st fulfilled the Spring Holy Days.

In the middle of writing this, I found myself thinking about Ultimate Reality, God's blueprint, how things will be after all is accomplished. In my mind's eye I saw the family I married into blending with, becoming family, with the one I was born into. (Barely at all have the two met.) Now this may seem obvious, but I don't remember ever realizing it to this degree before. It started when I found myself thinking of my mother in law, who passed away a little over thirty years ago. I thought if my family likes my husband, which they do, they will just love.. my mother in law. Then in my imagination I started to think of some dear aunts.. and sisters in law. Brothers, sisters, cousins.. And so on... all the beautiful branches of families and races, all God's family.. All safe. All beloved of God.

What Am I Saved From?

I am saved from the potential of every imperfect way. And from myself! I am the beast! I am the harlot! Metaphorically speaking, that is. From where do the beast and the harlot come? They spring forth from mankind. And I'm saved from annihilation. "The wages" (result) "of sin" (imperfection) "is death"/nonlife. For God is both Life (and Perfection). Surely?!

Okay This Is Weird

I was born on 05/05/55. So people tell me I should play the lottery using fives, especially "55". I never have. But here's a weird thing. I've become convinced that Daniel chapter 12, verse 11, is prophecy that Jerusalem's "Wailing" or "Western Wall" where prayers are offered daily, will be in some way taken away or removed. And is a sign.

I think most Bible prophecy buffs and scholars believe verse eleven refers to a third temple and its sacrifices being terminated. (This of course might make verse eleven an even later date to take note of, than one if the "Wailing Wall" is demolished.)

In Matthew chapter 24, the first two verses, the disciples were praising and saying to Jesus how magnificent the temple and temple complex was.

But Jesus said, "See all these? Not one stone shall remain atop another." I do not believe this has been (fully) fulfilled yet. The "western" section of the "wall" remains standing, after the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem which occurred in 70 a.d.

Daniel 12, eleven and twelve, read "From the time the daily sacrifice" (or place of daily sacrifices of prayer and praise?) "is removed, and the abomination which makes desolate" (666?) "is set-up, shall be 1,290 days" (three 30 day month years, plus seven months; or, that is, 43 Hebrew thirty day months). "Blessed is the one who waits and comes to 1,335 days" (forty five days later).

I have of course, been praying to know if how I'm reading this is accurate or not accurate. (That the 666 apparatus will be set up 3.5 years, plus one month after Israel's Wailing Wall is removed, taken away or destroyed. And will hum along for 45 days.) I don't want to pass along something which is not true.

The weird thing? To me, anyway? Today I learned that in 1967, the Israeli paratrooper brigade which liberated Jerusalem, finding themselves at the sacred Western Wall, was brigade No. 55.

Note - it's hard for "one" to "wait and come to" 1,335 years, which is how it is most often interpreted. (Just because 3.5 is used elsewhere.)

 Whatever that sign is, of verse 11, I think it's important to take note of.

(I also posted this on my other blog - Bible Prophecy For Today )

Fine And Dandy Or Thanatos And Tartarus

I don't begrudge anyone comfort when having lost a loved one. Absolutely not. And I do of course believe we will again see our loved ones who have left us. And I most ardently believe in "happy ever after" for all God's children.

But if we take a 'life goes on' into an after life, for granted, how will we learn to fully abhor death? And, therefore too, every thing that leads to it, all imperfection, no matter how small?

More and more I find myself thinking our heavenly Father is designing by this life of learning good from evil (life from death!) ..not only that we would have affection and compassion for our fellow person... our brothers and sisters, but that we would truly, truly abhor death. And all its causes - within our selves, most of all - which is all and any tiny straying from God, knowing full well that He is Life itself and Perfection. Therefore imperfection, is the opposite of life. And its a course - imperfection - which is irreversible, because imperfect, by itself, cannot make itself perfect.

It is darkness, even deepest darkness "tartarus", and is the bottomless pit (of potential)! Without God's salvation (Great Plan Of) we would all perish. But this journey through imperfection (surely?) is an unavoidable journey and lesson. Do you know why? (Or that is, what makes me think so? After all, it is only theory!)

What was God's other choice? No rational creatures? ..ever..?

monastic mourning.. (happens to us all..)

Streams Of Living Water

I was thinking today, about how glorious the all made new will be. How a part of the glory will be the earth made new, "wherein righteousness is to dwell". The physical universe. I was thinking about this as I was looking at a glorious tree this evening, with a glorious sunset behind it.

When I happen across the idea, I find myself rejecting it (strongly), the idea that we will be some sort of floating consciousness. If that's what God wanted, that's what He would have made. (Imho.)

Those heavenly creatures around His Throne, crying "Glory! glory! glory! To He who is, and who was and is to come".. Real creatures. I would be sad to think they are mere metaphor for some abstract mystery. Not that I don't believe in abstract mysteries! And maybe like all things they are metaphor.. (also). But I think people need a gospel and a promise they can get their teeth into.

I think the living water is first and foremost within. Refreshing and keeping "alive", renewed and inspired the soul/being/individual. But I also think it will be a literal river of crystal clear sparkling water(s) upon the planet made new. In the vicinity of which the lion will eat straw like the ox and the bear will graze with the cow. I also think His leading His own to springs of living water includes during critical apocalyptic days when he will lead His own to fresh water. (Artesian.)

As We Undergo Training

The proverb says "train up a child". And we are all God's children. As a parent myself, the goal in the training of my own children was for them to be able to stand on their feet and make good choices and decisions in their life. There was a place for punishment - no t.v., no games, or whatnot, but the end goal was to produce a person who could rationalize concerning good, and not so good choices.

The ability to know where things lead. What will be the results and consequences from this choice, this action, or that action? As a parent, it was not ever my intention to produce a child who would forever be dependant upon me to make the right choices for them. To forever have to punish and reward was not the end I ever had in sight. I wanted to raise up children who would know and understand for themselves, right from wrong (good from evil).

As a child of God, I believe experience is the best teacher, for all of us. The looking back upon the burnt out ashes of life lived apart from God is a forever lesson. The smoke of our crashing and burning will rise up for ever and ever..

Does The Book Of Revelation Follow The Pattern Of Israel's Holy Days?

This site/paper -
http://www.originofnations.org/HRP_Papers/Charts/Feast%20Days%20&%20Revelation.pdf - shows a chart suggesting the Book of Revelation correlates with Israel's ancient Holy Days

The idea rings true to me.

Copy / Pasted :

Holy Feast Day/Book of Revelation Parallels, (and I thought I'd add how the Feast Day is fulfilled)

Chapter --- Prophecy – Event --- Holy Feast Day

1 --- Introduction – Christ the Lamb of God --- Passover (Jesus is the Passover Lamb, unblemished, etc)

2-3 --- Seven Churches – sin in spiritual Israel and examining the self --- Seven Days of Unleavened Bread (Jesus is the Unleavened/free from sin/flaw Bread of Life, Manna from heaven)

4-5 --- Christ the Lamb, Redeemer  – worthy to open the scroll --- Sheaf of the Firstfruits during the DUB(days of unleavened bread; my note: no, "Firstfruits" always falls on the Sunday of Spring Holy Week)

6 – 8:6 --- Seven Seals of the Scroll  – Pentecost(?) ---- or part of FirstFriuts? (1st horseman of the apocalypse, white horse, victor, ride continues to 'end') "the scroll is opened (unrolled) and out comes a white horse and rider.."

7:4,9; 14:4 --- Two Wave Loaves/Two Multitudes – Israel and the Gentiles --- Pentecost (Acts 2,from many lands)

8:7 --- 11:19 – Seven Trumpets --- Trumpets

12 --- INSET (hooray, someone else sees this chapter is an insert, whole on its own)

13 --- 19  – Great Tribulation --- Trumpets  ---this, and the rest, is where I would differ
20:1-3  – Satan bound --- Atonement
20:4-6  – Millennial reign of the Messiah --- Tabernacles
20:7-15  – Judgment Last Great Day
(Quote: The above chart is based on the information contained in David Hill’s booklet on The Correlation between the Holy Days and the Book of Revelation)
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This makes more sense to me:

Trumpets --- calamities/judgments announce the return of Jesus, the blown shofar "come to the Lord"
     7th Trump - His return/1st resurrection/beginning of His 1000 year reign (represented by the 10 days of "Trumpets"?)
          Bowls (of final bubbling and spilling over consequences)/Judgment
               (quick & ?concurrent) and Satan bound

Day of Atonement --- 2nd resurrection, judgment day (represented by 5 days between DOA & Tabernacles?)

Tabernacles! --- "God will now tabernacle with man" - The New Jerusalem and the very throne of God come to Earth (made new in a universe made new) - God filling all things every where - "all in all")

Late Easter Poem For Earth Day

Try as we may
To keep each and every day..
In the end, they all slip away..

Yet peridot buds upon the trees,
Every year scripted,
A message for thou's and thee's.

With the blue sky above,
And the crashing of the seas,
All a proclamation of His truest love.

What I've Been Up To Lately

During 2014 I worked on a reading schedule of reading the four gospels as one continuous account.  I was semi happy with the result. You see, it turned out to be a bit repetitive in places. So I have been working on dividing the reading into two six month schedules.

I've managed to, I hope, have the two schedules done, and am now proofreading my way through the first one. It's going very well!

Previous to this, I followed a schedule of reading one gospel per season of the year. I also like to read the letters of the New Testament in the order they were believed to have been written. Reading them this way brings out a much more complete and clearer picture - a cohesive whole picture - of the days and events of the earliest believers, the first churches as they sprang up and grew, and the challenges they faced. This schedule can be found here - http://inner-monastery.blogspot.com/p/daily.html

Life In Himself

From John 5:26-29

"..as the Father hath life* in himself, so He gave also to the Son to have life* in himself... the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and they shall come forth; those who did the good things to a rising again of life, and those who practised the evil things to a rising again of judgment."

"life" = #2222 in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance - "zoe" - "life, lit or fig, life" - "from #2198 - to live"

From John 10:15

"..I lay down my life* for the sheep."

"life" = #5590 - "pneuma" - "breath"

From 1 Corinthians 15:53,52

"..this mortal must put on immortality.. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

"..as the Father hath life in himself, so He gave also to the Son to have life in himself... the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and they shall come forth; those who did the good things to a rising again of life, and those who practised the evil things to a rising again of judgment."

Never Give In To A Bully

Concerning words.. And debate. One of the surest signs that you are the more accurate in a dialogue is when the other side displays a sort of bullying attitude. Instead of presenting points which support their view, the tactic is to belittle another's view. To intimidate.

Condescension is a close relative to this.

"Be gentle with all.. with a mild spirit.. forgiving one another.. pray for those who despitefully use you.."