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Micah part 2;

3/27/2022

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​Sin isn’t such a bad word- it simply means, “Separation from God.” We ALL sin- everyday. Thats the point- god wants us to find him, unite, and be fulfilled in his grace- so that he compensates our adversities and inequities, because man cant. verse 1 states that Micah is from Moresheth-Gath, a village located near the border of Israel/Philistia.  It would have been considered ‘in the country’ in this time, it was an agricultural area not near any major cities. This puts him in good company with the prophet Amos, who “was a shepherd who took care of sycamore-fig trees.” The echoes of Micah’s effective ministry can be felt throughout the OT and New. He is also mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah as laying the foundations for the spiritual #reforms undertaken by Hezekiah: “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the LORD says: “Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets’” (Jeremiah 26:18). Micah is known for bringing a #message of judgement and *restoration that would spur a *revival in the land of Judah. Among the prophets of the Old Testament, he is perhaps the most vocal in his demands of justice for the poor. He lashes out at greedy judges, who make money from unjust bribes while ignoring true justice and mercy. He starts his book by speaking of the coming judgement of God, and makes clear that this judgement is a response to the transgressions of the people (Micah 1:5). In Micah 6:14:16 we see that the judgment will be harsh, and that it will be unavoidable. Yet the beauty of Micah’s #prophecy is that it #assures us God will not end the story there. In fact, some of the most #powerful #promises of #restoration, #hope, and a #coming #Messiah are spoken by Micah. Justice. Love. Mercy. Humility. The overarching message of Micah is that God is Holy, and as a Holy God we should #seek to act in a way that is becoming His holiness. Because He is holy, here are consequences to sin, yet there is hope for those who turn to Him. In the midst of crooked and depraved leadership, Micah 6:8 gives us a #path to seek holiness.
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The 99...

6/27/2020

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​Matt18:12/Luke15:4-from these passages we -understand- it is -Jesus- who leaves the 99. This is because he used short relatable stories to share deeper spiritual insights about Himself, His Father, and His Kingdom. The lost sheep parables are no different and point to considerable truths. To better understand these truths, we’ll need to take a closer look at the nature of parables and what is implied by the stories of the lost sheep. In Luke, the lost sheep, loving shepherd, and remaining flock, spoke so brilliantly and effectively to their respective situations. And they did so because the familiar points of reference added depth to what Jesus was trying to relay. Today, it’s a bit harder to relate to this culture of ancient Israel, so it helps to read these #parables with a little #context. For instance, Psalm 100:3 is one of many places where -God’s people- are referred to as sheep. It says, “Know that the Lord is God… we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” This theme of believers of Jesus, or Christians, being sheep is repeated all throughout (Matt10:6; Mark14:27; Isaiah53:6; Jer50:6), used again in both parables, among other places. These parables combined speak to the complete body of Christ. To the sheep who are already in the fold, and to the sheep who are yet to come. Both to the lost sinner, and again to the found saint. Most predominantly, we recognize this in the life of the “lost” sinner, “Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” (Luke15:4). While we were sinners, Christ died for us, (Romans 5:8) thus securing an eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12) and tearing the *curtain between us and God (Hebrews10:20) that from -His fullness- we can *receive #grace upon grace (John 1:16). The Shepherd goes after the sheep who are his(Matt18:12; Luke 15:4; 2 Timothy 2:19) amid the goats and the wolves(Matt25:33; Matt7:15). It is His sheep that hear and recognize their Shepherd’s voice (John 10:27), for they have been #chosen and #predestined to do so (Eph 1:4-5).
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Bible cross references;

4/12/2019

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Bible Cross References 🕊❤️🙏❤️🕊

About 340,000 CROSS references IDENTITY commonalities between different parts of the Bible—CHAINS of similar themes, words, events, or people. Or Start with These Popular Verses

Old Testament

Jeremiah 29:11
Proverbs 3:5
Proverbs 4:23
Proverbs 3:6
Psalm 37:4
Psalm 34:4
Psalm 118:24
Proverbs 16:3
Joshua 1:9
Proverbs 23:7
Proverbs 13:20
Psalm 46:10
Psalm 51:10
Proverbs 17:22
Isaiah 40:31
Isaiah 41:10
Psalm 34:18
Psalm 46:1
Psalm 27:14
Psalm 1:1

New Testament

Philippians 4:13
Romans 8:28
John 3:16
Hebrews 11:1
2 Timothy 1:7
1 Peter 5:7
1 John 4:18
John 14:6
Romans 12:2
Romans 5:8
Galatians 6:9
1 Corinthians 13:13
Philippians 4:6
Ephesians 2:8
Matthew 6:33
Galatians 5:22
Matthew 11:28
Ephesians 3:20
John 10:10
Matthew 16:16

The frequency of dense New Testament streaks in the Old Testament, especially in Leviticus and Deuteronomy; I didn’t expect to see them there.
The loops in Samuel / Kings / Chronicles and in the Gospels indicating parallel stories.

The sudden increased density of New Testament references in Psalms through Isaiah.
The eschatological references in Isaiah and Daniel.
The density of references from the Minor Prophets back to both the Major Prophets and earlier in the Old Testament.

The surprising density of cross references in Hebrew-Jude. The asymmetry. If verse A cites verse B, verse B doesn’t necessarily cite verse A. I wonder if I should make the data symmetrical.

“Jesus and New Testament writers amply illustrate their belief in the full and complete inspiration of the Old Testament by quoting from every part of the Scriptures as authoritative, including some of its most disputed teachings. The creation of Adam and Eve (Matt. 19:4–6), the destruction of the world by a flood, the miracle of Jonah and the great fish (Matt. 12:39–40), and many other incidents are quoted authoritatively by Jesus. No part of Sacred Writ claims less than full and complete authority. Biblical inspiration is plenary.”
Geisler, Norman L.; Nix, William E. From God To Us Revised and Expanded: How We Got Our Bible. Moody Publishers. ❤️

While reading a litany of cross-references called out in the Geisler and Nix book, it occurred to me that it would be helpful if we could somehow visualize the direct citations, and thereby visualize the case for plenary (or full) inspiration.  After all, it’s one thing to read about Adam and Eve in Genesis, and it’s entirely something else for Jesus to refer to Adam and Eve in a non-allegorical context.  Or maybe not (it depends on your initial understanding and belief).

According to data available from Crossway Bibles, there are 599 direct citations between verses in the Bible.  If you add word-or-phrase, thematic, and less-direct references, there are over 115,000 cross references that have been mapped by Crossway.  To graphically illustrate these cross references, we can borrow a genome mapping tool from our Canadian friends working in the field of genetics.

The above illustration is a non-genomic map of all 599 direct citations in the Bible.  If you spend a little time studying the map, it highlights and supports  some very interesting observations and conclusions.

The connecting bands represent ‘bridges’ where one book cites another.  The width of the bands is indicative of the number of citations between the two books.  The colors of the bands are meaningless, except to distinguish one connecting band from another.

The INNER ring is color-coded by writer (Paul is orange, Luke is lavender, Psalmists are red, Moses is brown, Peter and Mark are plum, John is blue, the writer of Hebrews is chartreuse, Isaiah is olive).  Numbers on the inner ring are the number of verses containing direct citations.  For example, Isaiah has over 130 direct citations from other books, and Psalms has over 180.

The OUTER ring represents percentages of connected verses within that book.  For example approximately 30 percent of the citations of Psalms appear in Hebrews.

The most influential/influenced Scriptures (the biggest wedges) were Psalms, Isaiah, Romans, Hebrews, Matthew, and Acts—accounting for half of the direct citations in the Bible.
Matthew is more grounded in the Old Testament than the other three Gospel writers.  (Isn’t it argued that Matthew’s text was written originally in Hebrew?)

Paul in Romans,  Acts (some of which is Paul), and the writer of Hebrews have the lion’s share of the New Testament citations.
Paul cites 13 different Old Testament books in Romans alone.

Genesis gets surprisingly little attention outside of Romans.

Job, which is arguably older than Genesis, gets even less recognition (in terms of direct citations anyway).

Peter apparently wasn’t very well read, as may also be apparent in Mark with so few Old Testament citations. (Mark was thought to be Peter’s secretary, so the Gospel of Mark is actually Peter’s source material.)

Revelation has almost no direct citations.  It cannot be surprising that no other books cite Revelation (Revelation was the last book written), but is interesting that the content of Revelation is full of direct dictation from Jesus and John’s apocalyptic vision(s).  In a graphical sense this reminds us that very few first-century Christians would have had their understanding of heaven based upon Revelation, and that Revelation is truly unique—and a gift to later disciples.

The Gospels are generally lacking in citations of each other—could this be an indication of their contemporary authorship (i.e. that they were written at about the same time).
What else do you see in the data?  Please comment below.

Ultimately, what we best might take away from this map is an appreciation for how tightly all of the Scriptures fit together, thereby supporting the case for the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures—in graphical form no less.

A clear example of this comes at the end of Luke's gospel. After Jesus was crucified, his followers were crushed. They had hoped that he would be the Messiah who would destroy the tyranny of Rome and restore the kingdom of Israel. But their idea of the Messiah was not God’s idea. To his disappointed followers, Jesus said:

“‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” (Luke 24:25-27 NIV)

For Jesus, the idea that he had to first die as an atonement for our sins, and then rise from the dead, made perfect sense—and was, in fact, necessary—as the fulfillment of what the prophets of the Hebrew Bible had said. This was how he understood himself, and he argued that this was the only way his followers could understand him.

But what does it mean to fulfill the Scriptures? This is not as simple as it may sound. Often, the New Testament writers say that Jesus has fulfilled the Scriptures when something in his life is literally predicted by the prophets. For instance, the idea that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Other times, fulfillment is not about prediction but pattern. In his role as Israel's Messiah, Jesus fulfills the Scriptures when he relives Israel's story through his own life—when he suffers their pains, endures their hardships, and lives a life of perfect obedience to God's law.

So, we invite you to explore these passages below from the Jewish Scriptures and their fulfillments in the life of Jesus.

The Prophecies
1) The Messiah would be resurrected

Hebrew Scriptures reference: Psalm 16:8-11

New Testament citations: Acts 13:35-37

Commentary: King David may have seen ahead to his own resurrection—but David’s resurrection was only possible because of the resurrection of his descendant, the Messiah. His vision of his own resurrection and that of the Messiah’s could well have blended into one glimpse of the future.

In rabbinic tradition, there was discussion as to whether David was speaking of immortality in Psalm 16.1 The psalm expresses King David’s hope, but what was he hoping for? Was it for a long and full life in the present – or was it for immortality and to be in God’s presence forever? David affirms that God will not “abandon my soul to Sheol,” implying that God would not leave him to the grave. And his affirmation that God would “not let your holy one see corruption” (“corruption” is literally, “the Pit”) implies that he believed he would not undergo the physical decay that death involves.

A popular Jewish song goes like this: “David, Melech Yisrael, chai, chai, v’kayam,” “David, King of Israel, lives forever” (or “lives and endures”). An online poster (using an alternative spelling for David) posed this question to a Jewish discussion group: “I’m pretty sure David, the king of Israel is dead and buried. If so, what does this song really mean and why do we sing it?” One answer given was: “Perhaps since the messiah is to be from the lineage of King David and has yet to come it is a reference of things to come via King David’s line and a continuation?”

✨In the New Testament book of ACTS, chapter two, PETER uses a similar thought in addressing Jewish people on the holiday of SHAVOUT, the day on which, according to *tradition, King David was both BORN and also DIED. No wonder he takes the occasion to quote Psalm 16 and then mentions that “David is dead and his tomb is available for INSPECTION!” ✨But, he continues,

“Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an OATH to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he FORESAW and SPOKE about the resurrection of the [Messiah], that he was not *abandoned* to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are WITNESSES.”

– ACTS 2:30-32

King David may have seen ahead to his own resurrection – but David’s resurrection was only possible because of the resurrection of his descendant, the Messiah. His VISION of his own resurrection and that of the Messiah’s could well have blended into one glimpse of the future.

In Acts chapter 13, Paul argues similarly. David did see (that is, EXPERIENCE) that corruption of death, because, after all, he died. But it was in his own descendant, the Messiah Jesus, that corruption was “Not seen.” As Paul taught elsewhere, because of Jesus’ resurrection, the resurrection of all other believers is possible.

David looked ahead to a life with God beyond the grave, even if he did not have full CLARITY of what that entailed. Because Jesus’ resurrection enables the resurrection of all believers, including David, that vision of his own resurrection merged with the resurrection of Jesus. (Reference: Psalm 16:8-11
Fulfillment: Acts 2:22-32; 13:35-37)

How Can I Identify Messianic Prophecies in the Old Testament?

There are prophetic types and shadows all throughout the Old Testament pointing to Jesus Christ. From the tabernacle and the feasts to the offerings and the High Priest, we can identify the Messiah who was, and is and is to come.

There are more than 300 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ, *revealing* the TRUE Messiah who would come to ATONE for sin and to REDEEM BOTH *Jew and *Gentile unto Himself.

In order for Christians to identify Messianic prophecies and prophetic types and shadows within the Old Testament, it is important to be a student of THE WORD of God and to understand that the New Testament is needed to UNDERSTAND the Old Testament and vice versa.

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament testify of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament predicts the One to come. The New Testament reveals the One who has come and will come again.

You may be familiar with the account in Luke 24 where Cleopas and another disciple are walking along the road to Emmaus following the *death, *burial, and *resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As they walked along, Jesus DREW NEAR and began ASKING them QUESTIONS about THEIR CONVERSATION.  

Unable to *recognize *Jesus, they told of what had happened and of their languishing hope that He was the one to redeem Israel.

Jesus 👏🏻rebuked👏🏻 them saying, “How foolish you are, and how -slow to believe- all that the prophets have SPOKEN! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:25,26).

He then went on to INTERPRET to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself, beginning with *Moses and all the Prophets* (Luke 24:27).

These passages along with countless others in the New Testament are *interwoven* with Old Testament prophecies and types, clearly IDENTIFYING Jesus Christ as the Messiah who was FORETOLD hundreds of “years before” His birth.

According to Walter Kaiser, “There is no finer TEACHER🍎 on whether Jesus is to be found in the Old Testament than the teaching of our LORD Jesus HIMSELF.” 

Along with Luke 24, we find Jesus saying to the crowd in the Sermon on the Mount, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the LAW or the PROPHETS; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (✨Matthew 5:17✨). 

He also 👏🏻REBUKED👏🏻 the Jewish people in John 5:39 saying, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you THINK that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that TESTIFY about ME.” Something worth noting here is that the scriptures Jesus referenced were from the Old Testament.

🌳🌈The Partnership of the Testaments🌈🌳

Identifying Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament requires “reading and understanding the New Testament.”

For instance, by *studying and *understanding the earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ, we can *recognize the scriptures that *foretold of Him in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament ✨PARTNER TOGETHER✨ to Jesus Christ. 🌈

Details surrounding the life and ministry of Christ Jesus and Old Testament prophecy become evident when reading the New Testament. Matthew 1:22-23 quotes the prophet Isaiah concerning the virgin birth of Christ (Isaiah 7:14).

Jeremiah 31:22 foretells of Him being conceived by the Holy Spirit, and this is fulfilled in Matthew 1:20 and Luke 1:35. The place of Christ’s birth as Bethlehem is noted in two of the gospels with it first prophesied in Micah 5:1-5.

Details surrounding His ministry, such as the BLIND SEEING🙈and the DEAF HEARING🙉 (MATTHEW 11:5) were prophesied by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 29:18,19; Isaiah 35:5).

Psalm 78:2 says, “I will open my mouth with a parable; I will UTTER HIDDEN, things from “of old.” We know from the New Testament that Jesus spoke many times in PARABLES (Matthew 13:34-35:34). 🌳🍎

The Old Testament speaks of JUDAS who would FULFILL prophecy in betraying Christ for 30 pieces of silver (Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12,13).

Several of the Psalms mention the piercing of a righteous SUFFERERS hands and feet (Psalm 22:16), soldiers casting lots for this same individual’s coat (Psalm 22:18), this One having no bones broken (Psalm 34:20), and His resurrection (Psalm 49:15).

✨Even the CRY of Jesus Christ from the CROSS, “My God, My God, why have you FORSAKEN me?” would have brought this Psalm to the crowd’s REMEMBERABCE, recognizing its SOURCE from the Old Testament. Jesus Christ was THE ONE in Psalm 22.✨

-From Genesis to Malachi-

In the “very BEGINNING” of the Old Testament, we find the “FIRST prophecy recorded” in the “GARDEN after the FALL,” 🌳🍎which would tell of the “Seed from a woman” who would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15).

All throughout the Old Testament, Messianic prophecies can be found *pointing* to Jesus Christ. According to Walter Kaiser, there are at least six direct Messianic predictions in the Pentateuch: Genesis 3:15; 9:27; 12:2-3; 49:8-12, Numbers 24:15-19, and Deuteronomy 18:15-18.

The One to come would defeat Satan, DWELL with HIS PEOPLE, and BLESS the nations of the earth through Abraham’s seed, which would come through JUDAH. He would be a STAR to come out of JACOB and a scepter to RISE out of Israel, and He would be a PROPHET.

The scriptures TELL US that the throne of David would be established forever, and this is prophesied in 2 Samuel 7:12,13, 1 Chronicles 17:11-14, and 2 Chronicles 21:7.

The promised REDEEMER is mentioned in JOB 19:25-27. A “priest like Melchizedek” is noted in Psalm 110:1-7. Proverbs 30:4 DECLARES the Son of God.

The *prophets* of the Old Testament foretold of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Isaiah PROCLAIMED more prophecies concerning Christ than anyone, particularly the well-known verses in Isaiah 53.

A description of the New COVENANT brought forth by Christ is described in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Ezekiel 34:23 says, “I will place over them one SHEPARD, my SERVANT DAVID, and he will “tend to” them; he will tend to them and be their shepherd.” 🐏👏🏻

This is referring to the MESSIAH, the 👏🏻GOOD SHEPARD.👏🏻 Daniel SPEAKS of His everlasting Kingdom (Daniel 7:13,14). 🐏👏🏻

As we continue on with the minor *prophets, we see Messianic *prophecies of Israel’s RESTORATION (Hosea 3:5), the PROMISE of the Holy SPIRIT (Joel 2:28-32), the establishment of the KINGDOM (Micah 4:1-8), the LAMB on the throne (Zechariah 2:10-13), a heavenly High Priest (Zechariah 6:12,13), and the “light of the world” (Malachi 4:2,3). ☀️

These are but a fraction of the Old Testament prophecies proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and these prophecies are fulfilled through Jesus Christ and found within the gospels, Romans, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation.

The early church held the RESPONSIBILITY of showing how the Old Testament prophecies *pointed to Jesus and that He came into the world as the Son of DAVID, “a title closely linked with the MESSIAH as a royal person.”

The early church would rely on the Old Testament to minister the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ and to TESTIFY of Him.

What Does This Mean?

There are PROPHETIC TYPES and shadows all throughout the Old Testament *pointing to Jesus Christ. From the “tabernacle and the feasts” to the offerings and the High Priest, we can IDENTIFY the Messiah who was, and is and is TO COME. 

The importance of staying in the WORD of God, understanding the New Testament and its *harmony with the Old Testament, -cannot- be overemphasized. 

To understand one is to understand the other, and they both TESTIFY of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

*HEROISM AND HOPE*

“I like the fact that Israel emphasises the heroism that often gets forgotten in tales of the Holocaust. The end of the official ceremony also involves the singing of Israel’s national anthem, “Ha Tikva”, which means “The HOPE”. The people of Israel were brutally decimated, but not destroyed. They continue to live, to grow, and be a blessing to the world in many different ways – Israel is constantly offering new technology, agricultural developments, and medical breakthroughs that bless to the nations. As we are coming up to Israel’s Independence Day in a couple of weeks, another big reason for the difference in timing becomes apparent. The country of Israel was reborn out of the ashes of the Holocaust, and it is good to be aware of the connection. And since God has restored his people to their land like dry bones coming back to life, the number of Jewish people who have also received the breath of God, his Spirit, continues to grow. There is HOPE. God is faithful to his people Israel.” ❤️☀️❤️☺️

Quantum Mechanics, and the nature of the divine energy source is explained well by jordan Peterson and the nature of entanglement, ressurection, coexistence, the living embodiment of the spirit and its relationship to objects, language and text;
(Theres no way this doesnt sound crazy without embodiment of holy spirit):

Quantum mechanics is the set of principle that explains the -behavior of matter- at atomic (or subatomic) scale. The word ‘quantum’ itself describes a “fundamental concept” of quantum mechanics – the quantized or discrete -nature- of “matter and energy.”

Quantum mechanics was “born” when Max Plank introduced the concept of quantized energy (E =nhf) to explain the blackbody thermal radiation. Then, Einstein came up with the concept of ‘photon’ to explain the particle “nature of LIGHT. It led to a theory known as ‘wave-particle duality’, which describes the POSSESSION of -both ‘wave’ and ‘particle’ qualities by -matter and -energy. Louis de Broglie introduced this concept.

Fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics also include Bohr models to describe atomic structure by Niels Bohr, Schrödinger equation (widely used equation to calculate quantum waves) by Erwin Schrödinger, uncertainty principle (which explains the probabilistic nature of matter and energy) by Werner Heisenberg, and Pauli Exclusion Principle by Wolfgang Pauli. The explanation known as Copenhagen interpretation and the *phenomenon* known as quantum *entanglement* also belong-to the quantum mechanics.

https://bible.org/article/messianic-prophecies ❤️🙏;

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Living Water;

3/2/2018

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Jesus uses the phrase “LIVING water” in two instances in the Bible. The first instance is FOUND in John chapter 4. Jesus was tired and sat at a well while His disciples went into town to buy food. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus asked her for a drink. The Samaritan woman was quite shocked because Jesus was a Jew, and Jews simply hated the Samaritans. Of course, she had no idea who Jesus was and asked Him how He could ask her for water since He was a Jew. ❤️☺️

Jesus ignored the question and went right to the POINT, “If you -knew the GIFT of God- and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you LIVING water” (John 4:10). Notice that He does not say that He is the living water, but that He would “give living” water to her, and when she received it, she would never thirst again. Of course, that does not tell us what the living water is! For that, we must go to another passage of Scripture. In this case, Jesus is in the temple surrounded by a throng of worshipers. He suddenly cried out, “If ANYONE IS THIRSTY, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in ME, as the Scriptures said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of LIVING water.’ But this He spoke of the SPIRIT, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet GLORIFIED” (John 7:37–39, emphasis added).

Here Jesus refers to the “Holy SPIRIT”✨ as the LIVING water. External influence of the Spirit had always been given in the conversion and SANCTIFICATION of the Old Testament saints and PROPHETS, but the gift of the Spirit who would “INDWELL believers” had not yet been received (ACTS 10:44–45). So, though many people say that Jesus is the living water, Jesus Himself intended the phrase to mean the “HOLY SPIRIT” who “DWELLS in believers and SEALS them for salvation” (Ephesians 1:13–14). It is the -ministry- of the Spirit, flowing out of a heart “REDEEMED by GOD,” that BLESSES believers and, -through- them, brings LIFE and LIGHT to the WORLD.☀️❤️🌈

Proverbs 18:24; All translations agree that there is a friend that STICKS closer that a brother - there is a friend who displays such loyalty towards us that no matter what we say or do they will remain loyal to us. They will SUPPORT and ENCOURAGE us, help and COUNSEL us, comfort and WARN us and they will love us no matter what happens.

Most branches of Judaism consider Jews to be the "chosen people", in the sense that they have a special role to "preserve God's revelations" (revelations come from the jewish new testament but the jewish people have their unique and special gifts and callings) or to "affirm our common humanity". This attitude is reflected, for example, in the policy statement of Reform Judaism, which holds that Jews have a responsibility to "cooperate with all men in the establishment of the kingdom of God, of universal brotherhood, Justice, truth, and peace on earth". (Well- ultimately, Identity politics and identity ideology opposes peaceful existance) Some secular and critics affiliated with other religions claim (christianity is non secular, and its not a claim) the concept implies favoritism or racial superiority, as have some Jewish critics, such as Baruch Spinoza. Some Jews find the concept of "chosenness" problematic or outdated, and such concerns led to the formation of Reconstructionist Judaism, whose founder, Mordecai Kaplan, rejected the concept of the Jews as the chosen people and decried it as being ethnocentric. (Very well could be the chosen people, but that is the definition of ethnocentric and racial superiority which was what was “claimed trump supporters” (christian Americans to be- which is -completely- backwards. If thats not definition of double standard, i dont know what is). 

Our culture has embraced the idea of -suffering- for a CAUSE, but it has cheapened the CONCEPT of martyrdom in the process. Terms like social change martyr, digital martyr, work martyr, and political martyr have expanded the meaning of martyr to include “any inconvenience resulting from expressing an opinion.” But in order to UNDERSTAND just how bad the TRIBULATION will be, we need to know what WORDS like martyr MEAN in their biblical CONTEXT.

Revelation 6:9 makes the meaning clear: "When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the WORD of GOD and for the TESTIMONY which they held." Slain is a sacrificial term that means

 "slaughter, butcher, murder." 

God's people have always experienced PERSECUTION in parts of the world, and many have sacrificed their lives for the GOSPEL throughout the centuries. As the world's END draws NEAR, persecution will rise to unprecedented levels, and many will be martyred—murdered—for their FAITH.

The Tribulation martyrs will weigh their earthly suffering against the “greater SPIRITUAL SUFFERING” of denying CHRIST, and they will arrive at the same conclusion as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who was hanged during World War II:

[Messengers of the GOSPEL] must not fear men. Men can do them no harm, for the power of men ceases with the death of the body. But they must overcome the fear of death with the fear of God. The danger lies NOT in the judgement of men, but in the judgement of GOD, not in the death of the body but in the eternal destruction of body and soul. Those who are still afraid of men have no fear of God, and those who have fear of God have ceased to be afraid of men.

The APOSTLE John says the Tribulation martyrs will be killed "for THE WORD of God and for the TESTIMONY which they HELD" (Revelation 6:9). Armed with the TRUTH of God's Word, the martyrs will preach REPENTANCE and “warn of the judgment to come.” In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul describes the Christian life as a fragrance that smells like a sweet perfume to God and other Christians. But to "those who are perishing," the aroma smells like decay and death (verses 14–16).

During the Tribulation, there will be few believers around to appreciate the fragrance of righteousness. Most people will have hardened their hearts and will “reject the message” of salvation. With the -Antichrist firmly in control- of world politics and religion, society will react violently to any trace of Christianity. Many will be CALLED upon during the Tribulation to love God more than their very lives (Revelation 12:11; see also Psalm 44:22).

A story from the Old Testament helps us understand how humans, who were created in God's IMAGE (the individual, free speach, equal platform, ideological diversity), could hate someone for serving Him. Two kings, Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah, were “preparing for war.”

Jehoshaphat insisted on consulting one of God's PROPHETS. Ahab, who worshiped false gods, summoned four hundred prophets who readily “agreed with the kings' battle plan” (hmmmmm) Jehoshaphat -wasn't fooled- (NOPE) and again asked for a prophet of the Lord. Ahab finally admitted there was one godly prophet, Micaiah, who could be consulted. 

Before calling the prophet, Ahab explained his disregard this way: "I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil" (1 Kings 22:8).

Ahab rejected TRUTH because it did not CONFORM to his expectations (correct). He preferred the “flattery of pagan prophets” to the SINCERITY of “God's prophet” (unfortunately correct). In 2 Timothy 4:3–4, the apostle Paul warned Timothy that a time would come when mankind "will not endure sound DOCTRINE, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will “turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to FABLES” (media rumors) ." Ahab's attitude is typical of what happens in a heart that has turned away from God.

The DIGITAL AGE (amazing accomplishment!) has made it possible for people to “select which news” they hear and “how it is reported.” Universities have created “safe spaces” where students can insulate themselves from “unwelcome ideas.” (What else could be a safe space from unwelcoming ideas?) 

Recent court cases have threatened the civil LIBERTIES of Christian business owners who try to conduct their businesses according to biblical standards. When Christianity in practice arouses the “DORMANT conscience of a non–Christian,” the response is to "KILL THE MESSENGER." That is why Christians have been persecuted throughout history and will be increasingly PERSECUTED as the Day of the LORD draws NEAR.

The apostle John describes the martyrs as crying out from under an altar contained inside the fifth of seven seals on a scroll (Revelation 6:9–10). Each of these seals represents a separate “judgment” upon the earth. This means the world will be “judged, among other things, for the -blood- of the martyrs.”

The PRAYERS of the saints CRYING out for justice become the “punishment of the sinners.”

The third bowl judgment, turning freshwater to blood, declares God's retribution against those who have martyred HIS people. Here are the words of the angel who pours out this judgment.

In the words of 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for YOUR SAKE. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to REPENT" 

In Revelation 6, the martyrs' CRIES FOR JUSTICE were answered with white robes and encouragement to "rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed" (verse 11). 

As in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, God will delay His judgment until every “WILLING soul” is preserved (Genesis 18:32). Now in Revelation 16, the cries are answered with the Lord's vengeance.

As Christians CELEBRATE Easter Sunday 2022, we take notice that Good Friday and the start of Passover occurred simultaneously (law and prophets FULFILL the law- star of bethlaham leads to jesus, two stars merge) this year and as such, we should not ignore the “shared symbolism.” Just as Jesus's RESURRECTION from the dead on Easter Sunday led to the start of Christianity, the Israelite's LIBERATION from Egypt led to the beginning of Judaism.  Both Easter and Passover represent “cultural freedom and rebirth” - two principles NEEDED to UNITE our Country (UNITY comes through true UNDERSTANDING). 

An Israeli Rabbi has claimed that the biblical prophecy of Balaam, which says that the appearance of a new star will precede the coming of the Messiah, matches an astronomical event that scientists predict will occur in 2022 (TRUE). Although the Jewish faith does not believe that Jesus is the Messiah, some Christians have interpreted the Rabbi’s prediction as proof that Jesus’ second coming will occur in 2022 (body of messiah through christians falls in this timeframe- the actual appearance no one knows). 

Rabbi Yosef Berger of King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion claimed that biblical prophecy of Balaam and “Jewish esoteric sources” show that the astronomical event predicted for 2022, the collision of two stars to form a brand NEW STAR in the night sky, will herald the ARRIVAL of the MESSIAH. The astronomical event FULFILLS an ancient prophetic SIGN (law and prophets) of the coming of the Messiah, the Rabbi claimed, according to Breaking Israel News.

Rabbi Berger claimed that Balaam’s prophecy and other Jewish mystical sources say that the coming of the Messiah will be preceded by HEAVENLY SIGNS involving multiple stars (the SIGNS are truly EVERYWHERE right now). 

The ancient prophecy of the arrival of the Messiah matches recent predictions by astronomers that a dazzling display from a red nova explosion will appear in the sky in 2022, following the collision of two faint stars in the constellation of Cygnus, according to the Rabbi.

The new star, expected to appear in 2022 in a blaze of LIGHT called a nova, will be the brightest heavenly body visible in the nighttime sky for six months. It will be the “first time in recorded history” that a celestial event of this kind will be WITNESSED by the naked eye.

Beyond its scientific uniqueness, the appearance of the new star could have much bigger implications for the earth-bound, one prominent rabbi told Breaking Israel News, pointing to a Biblical prophecy of Balaam which hails the appearance of a new star as the precursor to Messiah (CORRECT).

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there shall step forth a star out of Yakov, and a scepter shall rise out of Yisrael, and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth. Numbers 24:17

Rabbi Yosef Berger, rabbi of King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion, cited Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, known by the acronym Rambam, the foremost Torah authority of the 12th century, whose rulings are still used as the basis for much of Jewish law.

“The Rambam brings this verse about a star appearing as PROOF that the Messiah will come one day,” Rabbi Berger told Breaking Israel News. “But he says it will come from Jacob, and not from Esau. More specifically, from the TRIBE of JUDAH.”

According to the Hebrew Bible, the tribe of Judah was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel, named after Judah, the son of Jacob. Judah was the first tribe to take its place in the Land of Israel, occupying the southern part of the territory. Jesse and his sons, including King David, belonged to this tribe.

The tribe of Judah settled in the region south of Jerusalem and in time became the most powerful and most important tribe. Not only did it produce the great kings David and Solomon but also, it was prophesied, the Messiah would come from among its members. (They were Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Judah and Benjamin. Of these 12, only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin survived). 

The new star, announced last week by Larry Molnar, a professor of astronomy at Calvin College in Michigan, will certainly be unusual. It is a binary star, or two stars orbiting a central point. Molnar described it as “two peanuts sharing a single shell.”

In his observations, Molnar noted that the orbital period was decreasing at an accelerating rate, leading him to understand that the two stars were moving closer to each other. Based on a previous case of binary stars, Molnar predicted the two stars stars would collide in 2022, resulting in a massive explosion.

“[The collision] will release as much energy as the sun releases in its entire lifetime,” Molar said in a video about the discovery.

When the two finally collide, it will create a new star, a red nova. The star’s brightness will increase ten-thousandfold, making it one of the brightest points in the heavens for six months, after which it will fade and remain as a smaller dot in the sky. It will be the first time in history that the creation of a new star will be visible with the naked eye.

“It’s a one-in-a-million chance that you can predict an explosion,” Molnar said. “It’s never been done before.”

Machefsky quoted the Talmud (Sukkoth 29a).
“Thus saith HaShem, ‘Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed at them, the idolaters will be dismayed, but Israel will not be dismayed.’” (The talmud is similar to the new testament, but it is historically and disorganized, more repeating a lot of what the nt says except written by religious men, not godly authority or divibe spirit and paints a very inaccurate picture of christianity because christianity is true. So this was Gods plan all along- to keep the two separate). 

“According to Hasidic philosophy, the wellsprings of knowledge (spirit of truth, holy spirit, jesus is the living water, the way, the truth, and the life) will be opened up in the times of the Moshiach (Messiah),” Machefsky said. “It is truly amazing that astronomers can predict this when just a few years ago we wouldn’t have known about this until the star suddenly appeared. Science has enabled us to share in God’s natural processes (internet- technology- oneforisrael- apple iphone).”

Machefsky quoted the Talmud (Sukkoth 29a).
“Thus saith HaShem, ‘Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed at them, the idolaters will be dismayed, but Israel (christianity or messianic Judaism) will not be dismayed.’”

“According to Hasidic philosophy, the wellsprings of knowledge will be opened up in the times of the Moshiach (Messiah),” Machefsky said. “It is truly amazing that astronomers can predict this when just a few years ago we wouldn’t have known about this until the star suddenly appeared. Science has enabled us to share in God’s natural processes.”

The history of the tribe of Judah, which eventually became a nation, begins in the book of Genesis. Judah was the fourth son of the patriarch Jacob by his first wife, Leah (Genesis 29:35). He grew up with his brothers, working in the family business tending cattle and sheep.

In time Judah and his brothers grew jealous and envious of their younger brother Joseph. Joseph was favored by his father, who gave him a special coat (Genesis 37:3). But it was when Joseph told his brothers about his dreams, which indicated he would be greater than them, that their hatred of him intensified (verses 5-11).

The hatred grew to the point that the brothers wanted to actually kill Joseph; but Reuben, the firstborn, stepped in to stop them. Joseph was placed in a pit; and while Reuben was absent, Judah came up with the idea of selling Joseph to Midianite traders for 20 shekels of silver (verses 18-22, 26-29). The brothers killed a goat and covered Joseph’s coat with blood to deceive their father into believing a wild animal had killed him. Jacob could never get over his grief for the loss of his son (Genesis 37:35).

Judah suffers with family problems
Judah and his brothers thought they had taken care of the problem of their younger brother, but God did not let that be the end of the story. God preserved Joseph and blessed him in Egypt, where he had been sold as a slave. Meanwhile, Judah’s family suffered many trials over the next 20 years or more. Judah married a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua. They had three sons, Er, Onan and Shelah.

Judah took a wife, Tamar, for his firstborn son, Er, but he was so evil that God took his life (Genesis 38:6-7). Judah commanded his second-born son, Onan, to marry Tamar and produce an heir for his deceased brother as God’s laws commanded in such circumstances. Onan would not carry through with this act because it would not be his heir. God then took Onan’s life for his refusal to give his brother an heir (Genesis 38:8-10).

A strange event in Judah’s life
Following Onan’s death, Judah asked Tamar to not remarry, but to wait in her father’s house until Judah’s youngest son, Shelah, was old enough to marry. Tamar complied with Judah’s wishes. But quite a number of years went by, and Judah’s wife died. Tamar realized that she was not going to be given in marriage to Shelah, who was now grown (Genesis 38:11-14).

One day Tamar heard that her father-in-law was heading out to shear his sheep. She removed her widow’s garments and dressed to appear as a harlot as she sat along the road where Judah would pass by. Judah did not recognize her and propositioned her; and she demanded his signet, cord and staff for collateral. When it was later discovered that she was pregnant, Judah threatened her with death for harlotry. To save her life, she presented the items belonging to Judah and said, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child” (Genesis 38:18, 24-26).

Tamar had twins. At delivery, one twin put out his hand first and the midwife tied a scarlet thread on it and said, “This one came out first.” But the other twin, Perez, came out unexpectedly followed by Zerah with the scarlet thread tied on his hand (Genesis 38:27-30).

God would use the unusual birth of these twins to establish two lines of genealogy in the tribe of Judah.

The second great promise God gave to Abraham stated, “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). This promise would come through the line of Perez. King David and the kings of Judah would descend through the line of Perez. But most importantly, Jesus Christ would come through this line so “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Matthew 1:3, 16).

As the apostle Paul wrote, “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16).

Why the tribe of Judah?
In looking at the life of Judah and his character, it is hard to see why the tribe of Judah should become so prominent among the tribes of Israel. On the one hand, Joseph lived a righteous life and was blessed with the birthright in place of Reuben, the firstborn. The name of “Israel” was passed on to Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

Yet God also chose Judah and his descendants for a special place in His plan through the ages. The prophecy God gave to Jacob at the end of his life concerning his sons’ descendants “in the latter days” reveals a special blessing for the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:1, 8-10).

In speaking of the tribe of Judah, Jacob said, “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people” (Genesis 49:8-10).

In this passage God looked at Judah as a strong warrior and likened him to a young lion sleeping in its den after devouring its prey. Perhaps it was this strength of character and determination that God foresaw in this tribe that influenced Him to choose Judah to be His lawgiver and the tribe from which His Son would later be born (Hebrews 7:14). Jesus Christ is called “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5).

Regarding Genesis 49:10, Expositor’s Bible Commentary says, “The word ‘Shiloh,’ found in some English versions, is simply an untranslated form of the Hebrew expression meaning ‘one to whom it belongs.’” Jesus Christ is the “one to whom it belongs” (Frank E. Gaebelein, ed.).

Judah is also described as a lawgiver in the Psalms. God inspired David to twice say that “Judah is My [God’s] lawgiver” (Psalms 60:7; 108:8).

The tribe of Judah has not only been a lawgiver, but a preserver of God’s written laws. The apostle Paul said, “What advantage then has the Jew? … Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles [that which was spoken or commanded] of God” (Romans 3:1-2).

Through the centuries, the Jews have faithfully preserved the books of the Old Testament and the Hebrew calendar.

Judah prevails over his brothers
The postexilic writer of 1 Chronicles, probably Ezra, wrote, “Yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s” (1 Chronicles 5:2).

How did Judah prevail?

During the time of Moses, the tribe of Judah became the stronger tribe and “prevailed over his brothers.” The census in Numbers 1 shows that Judah was the leading tribe in population and in men who could go to war (Numbers 1:2-3, 27).

After the death of Joshua, God chose the tribe of Judah to take the lead in conquering the nations who were living in the land promised to the 12 tribes (Judges 1:2). The first chapter of Judges shows that the tribe of Judah was aggressive and strong in driving out the Canaanites in the southern half of the land of Canaan.

Redeemer.An even more important way that Judah prevailed over his brothers took place during the time of one of Judah’s most famous descendants, King David. The tabernacle of God had long been in Shiloh in the territory of Joseph. But David set the stage for the temple to be built on Mount Zion, “which He [God] loved,” and which David made his capital (Psalm 78:67-70).

God chose David to be His shepherd and Jerusalem (Mount Zion) for His place to dwell. God also chose David to hold the “scepter,” a symbol of kingship that would always remain in the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Psalm 89:34-37).

The tribe of Judah suffers national captivity
After the death of Solomon, the nation of Israel became divided. Solomon’s son Rehoboam refused to lighten the burden of taxes that had been imposed by his father. In fact, Rehoboam threatened to make life far worse for the people than what his father had done.

This resulted in 10 tribes separating and becoming the northern kingdom of Israel with its capital city in Samaria (1 Kings 12:12-14). The tribes of Judah, Benjamin and a part of Levi stayed with Rehoboam and became the southern kingdom of Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital.

The northern kingdom of Israel immediately went into idolatry and turned away from worshipping God. After 200 years, they went into national captivity at the hands of the Assyrian Empire. The southern kingdom of Judah lasted more than a hundred years after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel. Judah also turned away from the God of their fathers and went after idols several times, and several times righteous kings instituted reforms.

God sent prophets to warn them of their slide into idolatry, but eventually they would no longer listen. The Jewish nation was taken into national captivity by the Babylonians in several waves of deportations culminating in 586 B.C.

End-time nationhood of the tribe of Judah
After 70 years of captivity in Babylon, some of the Jews returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, but they didn’t fully return to the status of a sovereign nation until the 20th century.

Jesus—the Messiah, the Savior of mankind, the Lion of the tribe of Judah—would come through the tribe of Judah, but He would be rejected by His own people. The Church Jesus established initially sprang out of the tribe of Judah. But since the middle of the first century, the Church of God has become largely non-Jewish in membership.

Approaching the 20th century, many Jewish groups and Christian churches were advocating a homeland in Palestine for the tribe of Judah. Jewish groups wanted to return to Judea because it was their ancient homeland. Christian groups saw the establishment of a Jewish state as a sign of end-time prophecy being fulfilled that would lead to the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

One such prophecy can be found in Daniel 12:11, which indicates that the Jews will resume animal sacrifices before the return of Christ. Presumably, they would need their own homeland to do this.

In 1917 the Balfour Declaration made public Great Britain’s support of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. But it would not become a reality until May 14, 1948. Today, the nation called Israel is a major power in the Middle East, but will it remain such a power until the second coming of Jesus Christ?

Tribulation and restoration of the tribe of Judah
Jesus in His Olivet Prophecy said, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). The tribe of Judah and the State of Israel will not be spared from this traumatic time. In Luke’s account of the same prophecy, Jesus said, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near” (Luke 21:20).

The prophet Zechariah also spoke of this same time, “For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city” (Zechariah 14:2). Invasion and war will come to Jerusalem and to the tribe of Judah.

Following the prophecy of the invasion of Israel and Jerusalem, Zechariah announced the good news of the coming of Christ: “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. … And the LORD shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:4, 9).

Jeremiah spoke of this same time when he said, “In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6).

The good news for the tribe of Judah and this world is that the “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:5), will return to establish the Kingdom of God, and the tribe of Judah will finally accept its Redeemer (Romans 11:26).

Read more about this wonderful promised future in the section on the “Kingdom of God.” You can also find related articles in this section about the “12 Tribes of Israel” and the section about the “Middle East in Bible Prophecy.”

In John 7:38, Jesus makes a seemingly odd metaphorical statement: “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of LIVING water will flow from WITHIN them.” Yet, as it turns out, the statement isn’t so odd, because Jesus actually had much to say about the idea of water and ✨NEW LIFE.✨

Earlier, Jesus had told Nicodemus that one had to be born of “water and the Spirit” in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). Most likely, Jesus’ reference to water here was simply to physical birth, in contrast to “spiritual birth” (John 3:6). In John 4:10Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that He could give her “living water.” 

This was in -contrast- to the “physical-water” (physical realm/humanistic view verses spiritual realm/GOD) that the Samaritan woman came to the well to retrieve. That physical water would run out, and she would need to continually return to get more. But Jesus offered the woman water that would never run out—water that would become within the believer “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). 

Jesus later would return to this theme when He STOOD UP in PUBLIC and said, “If ANYONE is thirsty let him COME TO ME and drink” (John 7:37). In this way, He was again OFFERING Himself as the water of LIFE and telling ALL they could come to Him and receive that never-ending life! 

After making the offer of life-giving water, Jesus adds that rivers of living water would flow from the heart of the believer (John 7:38). Jesus alludes to Isaiah 55:1and Isaiah 58:11—passages that similarly present the Messianic HOPE in terms of life-giving water (cf. Exodus 17:1–6; Psalm 78:15–16; 105:40–41; Proverbs 18:4; Isaiah 12:3; Ezekiel 47:1–11; and Zechariah 14:8). 

Jesus was not simply using metaphor to liken His own life-giving ministry to that of water. He was actually claiming to be the FULFILLMENT of Scripture’s water allusions and prophecies. Because He was the Life-giver, those who believed in Him would have eternal life within them and would no longer need to seek for life from external sources. 

Later, it is revealed that God would put His Spirit within each believer (Romans 8:9), and each believer would have eternal life (John 6:47) and the EVIDENCE of life (in the Holy Spirit) within. It is in that sense that “rivers of living water” would FLOW from the HEARTS of believers. 

Later, Paul would describe that in LOVE Christ SANCTIFIES His church, washing her with the water of His WORD (Ephesians 5:25–26). The writer of HEBREWS continues the theme, noting that our hearts are sprinkled and “our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22). 

PETER adds that believers are cleansed as if by water (1 Peter 3:20–21). (Baptism theme) Finally, in a beautiful portrayal of Jesus’ MINISTRY, John says that the 

“Lamb would be the Shepherd, -leading His people- to the water of life (Revelation 7:17)”

This is reminiscent of David’s song of Psalm 23 in which the Shepherd leads David beside quiet waters (Psalm 23:2) and RESTORES his SOUL. Just as each of these writers recognized, we need to -understand that Jesus is the One- who freely gives eternal life.

The phrase the law and the prophets refers to the entire Hebrew Bible, what we call the Old Testament. Jesus spoke of “the law and the prophets” multiple times, such as when He listed the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:40). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus pointed to His absolute perfection, saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to FULFILL them” (Matthew *5:17).

On the Emmaus Road, Jesus -taught two- disciples “everything written about himself in the Scriptures, beginning with the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets” (Luke 24:27, CEV). Clearly, all Scripture, indicated by “the law and the prophets,” pointed to Jesus. 

The same passage also contains a three-fold division of the Old Testament: “the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (verse 44), but the two-fold division of “the law and the prophets” was also customary (Matthew 7:12; Acts 13:15; 24:14; Romans 3:21).

The books of the law, properly speaking, would comprise the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The prophets, in the two-fold division, would include the rest of the Old Testament. Although it may seem strange that poetic books such as “Job or Proverbs” would be included in the “prophets” category, it was common for the Jews to see any writer of Scripture as a PROPHET. Further, many of the psalms are clear messianic prophecies.

When Philip invited his friend Nathanael to meet Jesus, he referred to the whole of Hebrew Scripture in its two-fold division: “We have FOUND the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth” (John 1:45, NET). Philip was right that all of Scripture has a common theme: the Messiah, the Son of God, who is Jesus.

In the Book of Revelation, the apocalyptic hopes of the early Christian community find their clearest and most complete expression. Apocalypticism was not a new phenomenon among Christians; it was a well-established belief among Jews, who held that the coming of the kingdom of God would not be brought about by a gradual transformation but by a sudden INTERVENTION, when God would end the present age and establish his kingdom in the world made new. 

This conception of COMING events is associated with the belief that prior to this future time, “the STRUGGLE BETWEEN the forces of good and evil will become more intense.” As the evil powers grow stronger, they will INFLICT PERSECUTION and in some instances even death upon those who follow a -course- of righteousness. The struggle will eventually reach a climax, at which time God will intervene, destroy the forces of evil, and set up a “new order” in which the righteous will live for all time to come. The APPEARANCE of the Messiah will coincide with the coming of these events.

When the members of the Christian community AFFIRMED their BELIEF that the crucified Jesus was the long-awaited MESIAH, they necessarily revised their understanding concerning the work Jesus was to do and especially the way in which his work would be completed. 

Because they were convinced that the work of the Messiah must end in triumph and glory, they believed that this end could be accomplished only by a return of Jesus back to this earth from the heaven to which he had ascended. This second coming, occurring at the time when all the events connected with the apocalyptic program will take place, will inaugurate the coming of the NEW AGE, as well as the final destruction of all the forces of evil.

Revelation 1

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave(A) him to show his servants what must soon take place.(B) He made it KNOWN by sending his angel(C) to his servant John,(D) who TESTIFIES to everything HE SAW that is, the WORD of GOD(E) and the TESTIMONY of JESUS CHRIST. 

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it,(G) because the time is near.

Greetings and Doxology

John,

To the seven churches(I) in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you(J) from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,(K) and from the seven spirits[a](L) before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,(M) the firstborn from the dead,(N) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.(O)

To him who loves us(P) and has freed us from our sins by his blood,(Q) 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests(R) to serve his God and Father(S)—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.(T)

7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”[b](U)
    and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;(V)
    and all peoples on earth “will mourn(W) because of him.”[c]
So shall it be! Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”(X) says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,(Y) the Almighty.”(Z)

John’s Vision of Christ
9 I, John,(AA) your brother and companion in the suffering(AB) and kingdom(AC) and patient endurance(AD) that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God(AE) and the testimony of Jesus.(AF) 10 On the Lord’s Day(AG) I was in the Spirit,(AH) and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,(AI) 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see(AJ) and send it to the seven churches:(AK) to Ephesus,(AL) Smyrna,(AM) Pergamum,(AN) Thyatira,(AO) Sardis,(AP) Philadelphia(AQ) and Laodicea.”(AR)

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,(AS) 13 and among the lampstands(AT) was someone like a son of man,[d](AU) dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet(AV) and with a golden sash around his chest.(AW) 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.(AX) 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,(AY) and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.(AZ) 16 In his right hand he held seven stars,(BA) and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.(BB) His face was like the sun(BC) shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet(BD) as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me(BE) and said: “Do not be afraid.(BF) I am the First and the Last.(BG) 18 I am the Living One; I was dead,(BH) and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!(BI) And I hold the keys of death and Hades.(BJ)

19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen,(BK) what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand(BL) and of the seven golden lampstands(BM) is this: The seven stars are the angels[e] of the seven churches,(BN) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.(BO)

Cross references

Revelation 1:1 : Jn 12:49; 17:8
Revelation 1:1 : ver 19; Da 2:28, 29; Rev 22:6
Revelation 1:1 : Rev 22:16
Revelation 1:1 : ver 4, 9; Rev 22:8
Revelation 1:2 : ver 9; S Heb 4:12
Revelation 1:2 : ver 9; 1Co 1:6; Rev 6:9; 12:17; 19:10
Revelation 1:3 : Lk 11:28; Rev 22:7
Revelation 1:3 : S Ro 13:11
Revelation 1:4 : ver 11, 20
Revelation 1:4 : S Ro 1:7
Revelation 1:4 : ver 8; Rev 4:8; 11:17; 16:5
Revelation 1:4 : Isa 11:2; Rev 3:1; 4:5; 5:6
Revelation 1:5 : Isa 55:4; Jn 18:37; Rev 3:14
Revelation 1:5 : Ps 89:27; Col 1:18
Revelation 1:5 : S 1Ti 6:15
Revelation 1:5 : S Ro 8:37
Revelation 1:5 : S Ro 3:25
Revelation 1:6 : S 1Pe 2:5; Rev 5:10; 20:6
Revelation 1:6 : Ro 15:6
Revelation 1:6 : S Ro 11:36
Revelation 1:7 : Da 7:13; S Mt 16:27; 24:30; 26:64; S Lk 17:30; S 1Co 1:7; S 1Th 2:19; 4:16, 17
Revelation 1:7 : Jn 19:34, 37
Revelation 1:7 : Zec 12:10; Mt 24:30
Revelation 1:8 : S ver 17; Rev 21:6; 22:13
Revelation 1:8 : S ver 4
Revelation 1:8 : Rev 4:8; 15:3; 19:6
Revelation 1:9 : ver 1
Revelation 1:9 : S Ac 14:22; 2Co 1:7; Php 4:14
Revelation 1:9 : ver 6
Revelation 1:9 : 2Ti 2:12
Revelation 1:9 : ver 2; S Heb 4:12
Revelation 1:9 : S ver 2
Revelation 1:10 : Ac 20:7
Revelation 1:10 : Rev 4:2; 17:3; 21:10
Revelation 1:10 : Ex 20:18; Rev 4:1
Revelation 1:11 : ver 19
Revelation 1:11 : ver 4, 20
Revelation 1:11 : S Ac 18:19
Revelation 1:11 : Rev 2:8
Revelation 1:11 : Rev 2:12
Revelation 1:11 : Ac 16:14; Rev 2:18, 24
Revelation 1:11 : Rev 3:1
Revelation 1:11 : Rev 3:7
Revelation 1:11 : S Col 2:1; Rev 3:14
Revelation 1:12 : ver 20; Ex 25:31-40; Zec 4:2; Rev 2:1
Revelation 1:13 : Rev 2:1
Revelation 1:13 : Eze 1:26; Da 7:13; 10:16; Rev 14:14
Revelation 1:13 : Isa 6:1
Revelation 1:13 : Da 10:5; Rev 15:6
Revelation 1:14 : Da 7:9; 10:6; Rev 2:18; 19:12
Revelation 1:15 : Eze 1:7; Da 10:6; Rev 2:18
Revelation 1:15 : Eze 43:2; Rev 14:2; 19:6
Revelation 1:16 : ver 20; Rev 2:1; 3:1
Revelation 1:16 : Isa 1:20; 49:2; Heb 4:12; Rev 2:12, 16; 19:15, 21
Revelation 1:16 : Jdg 5:31; Mt 17:2
Revelation 1:17 : Eze 1:28; Da 8:17, 18
Revelation 1:17 : Da 8:18
Revelation 1:17 : S Mt 14:27
Revelation 1:17 : Isa 41:4; 44:6; 48:12; Rev 2:8; 22:13
Revelation 1:18 : Ro 6:9; Rev 2:8
Revelation 1:18 : Dt 32:40; Da 4:34; 12:7; Rev 4:9, 10; 10:6; 15:7
Revelation 1:18 : Rev 9:1; 20:1
Revelation 1:19 : ver 11; Hab 2:2
Revelation 1:20 : S ver 16
Revelation 1:20 : S ver 12
Revelation 1:20 : ver 4, 11
Revelation 1:20 : Mt 5:14, 15

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    Anew Light Ministries

    CREATING environments through the vehicles of Visual and Expressive ARTS to help plug people into their CREATOR by fostering Spiritual Growth. By combining Therapeutic Art, Christ-Centered CBT techniques, and Integrated Arts in Scriptural Education, I seek to Heal human brokenness and Redeem Fullness through the Transformative Healing Power of The Holy Spirit. 

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