Men Fainting from Fear and Expectation

On By TimIn Apostasy, Death, Israel, Last Days, Luke 21, ProphecyLeave a comment

“There will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:25–28 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

These are the words of Jesus to His disciples during a private briefing He gave them in the week before His death. Clearly, we can understand that the events portrayed here will happen around the time closely preceding Jesus’ return to judge the world.

Reading through this, there was something that stood out. Jesus speaks of the signs that seem to be unprecedented at any time heretofore. He then makes an interesting statement, that there will be humans “fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming.”

What is Coming

Perhaps He is speaking to that period of signs and distress He spoke of in the immediately preceding context. But then He could be speaking of the immediately preceding context, as bad as it was, things coming would be more perilous and frightening.

I am thinking the latter is probably a better explanation. Those people faint from fear connect right here:

In those days men will seek death but will not find it. They will desire to die, but death will elude them.

Revelation 9:6 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

As the revelation unfolds beginning in Revelation 6, seals are opened. As each seal is opened, it reveals an event among other things.

The Seals

As the first is opened, it reveals a horseman given the ability to conquer. This is most likely what will bring a one world leader into power. Yet it will not be without bloodshed. The second reveals peace being taken the earth. Again, this will probably prove fatal to some humans. The next brings massive inflation. How much death would occur during each of these?

The fourth horseman brings death to one-quarter of the Earth’s population. The next seal reveals comfort and encouragement given to the servants of God murdered during this time. They seem to have already been informed that God would avenge them. They ask God, “How long?”

The sixth seal reveals massive earthquakes and signs in the sky. The stars of heaven fall to the Earth. This could be figurative, or it could be the fallen angels coming to Earth as the marshaling of forces to confront Jesus when He comes to Earth to judge at the end of these events.

So far we see that this stuff is so disconcerting, people will go underground and hide in caves. They will hide from what they know is the great day of His (Jesus’) wrath.

A pause ensues, the servants of God on Earth are marked. We also see the saints that were murdered for their testimony during this time of perplexity worshipping Jesus. We see the prayers from those still alive being heard in the heavens and answers to them are prepared.

As the seventh seal is opened, there is a short period of silence. After the silence, angels are revealed, seven of them have trumpets.

The first angel sounds his trumpet, a third of all vegetation burns up. The second sounds and a great rock falls into the sea destroying a third of the living creatures in it and a third of the ships on it. The third blares, a star falls from heaven and makes a third of the freshwater rivers bitter; killing those who drink the water. The fourth angel sounds and a third of the day and a third of the night have no light.

There is yet another pause.

Then I watched, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the other trumpet blasts of the three angels, who are yet to sound!”

Revelation 8:13 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Now considering all that has been revealed so far from Revelation 6 through 8 and how it is easily and succinctly summed up in Luke 21:25. Think of the reaction you might have to an angel flying over your head saying loudly, “Woe, woe, woe.” Would there be overwhelming fear so bad you would want to die?

God says they will desire to die, but death will elude them.

men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken.

Luke 21:26 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)
The Powers of Heaven Will Be Shaken

The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. The star was given the key to the bottomless pit. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke ascended from the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit. And out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. Power was given them as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were given authority, not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. In those days men will seek death but will not find it. They will desire to die, but death will elude them.

Revelation 9:1–6 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I cannot even begin to imagine the things that would follow. An angel opens a pit, from which locusts thick as clouds come. These won’t bother anything other than those men who do not have the seal of God. These will have a painful sting and cannot kill either.

That Time Approaches Quickly

Given the greater context of our primary text in Luke 21, this setting is in the period before these things happen. By the parable of the fig tree that comes immediately after, we can surmise we are most likely in that time period.

What is coming is a drastic and systematic reduction of the population of the Earth. It’s going to happen. God didn’t write this to scare anyone, but to warn those who have ears to hear… So they may prepare.

That preparation is to become a servant of God… Not a servant of the needy, the culture, or yourself.

Harmonizing the Tribulation of Those Days

On By TimIn Israel, Jesus, Last Days, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse, Prophecy, Rapture, Redemption, Return of JesusLeave a comment

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Matthew 24:29–31 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

“But in those days, after that distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers that are in heaven will be shaken.’
“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. Then He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.

Mark 13:24–27 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

“There will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:25–28 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

In the harmony of these presentations of the special briefing that Jesus gave His disciples at the end of the age, there are similarities that can be harmonized. All three are describing a time of great tumult, with signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and the heavens being shaken. We also see Jesus coming in the clouds.

To understand the coming in the clouds, we must delve into the old testament. We find over the many mentions of clouds associated with God it came in the form of divine intervention for His people. During the exodus, God led the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day. When the cloud descended on the tent of meeting, it signified the presence of God. God coming in the clouds is a powerful and symbolic way to demonstrate divine intervention, divine judgment, or divine provision for the preservation of His people.

In this ‘sign’ we see ALL three. There is also another truth in the harmony that isn’t discussed. That is, Jesus is referring to Himself as God. If one understands the trial with the high priest, Jesus was asked if He was the Messiah, the Son of God. In His reply, He affirmed the questions the priest asked and claimed He is God. This is understood when we know the identity of Who comes in the clouds. Jesus said it would be Him by the title He chose for Himself. This title is also a direct reference to all of this.

I saw in the night visions, and there was one like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. There was given to Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Daniel 7:13–14 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The differences are also important. Let’s poke at some of these.

The first is the introductory phrase to this time. In the Matthew and Mark account, the audiences’ attention is drawn toward the period after these distresses. More things would happen on Earth and in the heavens, and then the Son of Man would appear. The elect would be gathered, and a kingdom established (The latter part is inferred.) Both accounts seem to give a contemporaneous account of events.

Now note how Luke explains it, paying special attention to where he wants the audiences’ attention drawn. From the outset, Luke is asking his reader to understand the time before these events occur. This is clearly understood by this phrase “of what is coming on the inhabited earth.” Luke describes the same events that will happen, not contemporaneously.

Then we encounter the last sentence. “When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.” Luke is a gentile writing to gentiles. He is admonishing them to pay attention to when these things begin to happen. We also have the use of a unique word, ‘redemption.’

Matthew and Mark are drawing attention to the time of God’s intervention, judgment, and preservation of His people. Perhaps it could be redemption. Yet they did not use the word. I think it is because the attention of the reader is being drawn to two different events. Luke is drawing attention to redemption that occurs before the harmonized disasters that are described.

Considering redemption and the way the word is used in the New Testament, we can readily see the references of the majority of forms in the graphic. There are two other uses, one reference meaning ransom/release is cited in Hebrews 11:35 (Red.) The other is referencing an event and is the one word from Luke 21:28 we are discussing, ‘Redemption.’

Is This not the Carpenter?

On By TimIn Daily Walk, Jesus, Mark 06, Spiritual WarfareLeave a comment

He went away from there and came into His own country. And His disciples followed Him. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get this? What is this wisdom that is given Him, that even miracles are done by His hands? Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him.

Mark 6:1–3 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

When Jesus returned to the place of His rearing and taught in the synagogue, people were astonished. These knew Him better than the other places He visited. They knew His upbringing. He was the carpenter.

Because these had a more intimate knowledge of Jesus growing up and working… What they thought He is became a stumbling block. How could a carpenter have so much wisdom teaching in the synagogue and even do miracles?

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house.”

Mark 6:4 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Speaking truth is just that. For anyone who does it to strangers, they may be more apt to listen. They may have no preconceptions. But when it is done with those who you grew up with, objections start to rise. Not because the truth is spoken. These know you or think they do be preconceptions.

For those who have preconceptions, what you say is going to be measured by who they think you are. A stranger speaking the truth is going to appear to have great wisdom. If that stranger is labeled conservative, what truth offered is going to be measured through what the label means to the person hearing.

What you say is going to be measured by who or what your audience thinks you are. The words themselves will be filtered through that myopia. The more specific the preconception applied to you, the more easily it will provoke some offense.

People will judge what you say by preconceived ideas.

In the instance above, to those who knew Him, it was a carpenter speaking with great wisdom and doing miracles. To the stranger, the inherent baggage of a carpenter didn’t exist. Jesus’ humble upbringing was more of a stumbling block to those who were around Him growing up.

Today, those who have a preconceived notion of what a Christian is will filter the truth spoken by that Christian through that idea. In fact, most likely the Christian will seem hypocritical, even among other Christians.

It’s not that the hometown folks didn’t honor Jesus. It was their preconceived idea of Who they thought He is… That became the offense. In other words, He didn’t fit in their box.

Don’t let the box another person wants to put you in to be the prison for you. It is actually a prison for them.

He could not do any miracles there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He was amazed because of their unbelief.

Mark 6:5–6 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Because they had imprisoned themselves, it became difficult for Jesus to do anything really good in their lives.

There is a deeper theological issue here, too. It has to do with synergy. There will be lots of folks who balk at that term. What is clearly being taught is that the people themselves weren’t receptive to Jesus. It became an impediment to them. He couldn’t help them.

If He could have changed their hearts by His own will and turned a faith-switch on, don’t you think He would have done that to have compassion on them?

Yet He didn’t. Perhaps it is because we have to come to Jesus in child-like faith, setting aside our own preconceptions of what we think is really real, believing what He says. Only then can He do miracles.

Let’s go Now

On By TimIn Angels, Daily Walk, Jesus, Luke 02Leave a comment

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they came hurrying and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. When they had seen Him, they made widely known the word which was told them concerning this Child.

Luke 2:15–17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

After the heavenly choir sang to these shepherds, they immediately left their flocks and went into Bethlehem to see with their own eyes what had happened. After all, God chose to make the birth announcement to them.

They hurried and found the announced babe just as they had been told.

Those shepherds went and spread the word. Despite the fact that a shepherd’s testimony had no value in that society. They spoke plainly of what had happened to them.

Do you think we sometimes consider ourselves in the position of a shepherd?

I mean… People won’t believe our testimony of what God has done in our lives. We don’t share it because of the rejection and disbelief we presume we will get. We might think, why bother?

If we don’t talk about Jesus… Who will?

We must be like the shepherds and speak regardless if those we speak to believe what we say.

Let There be Peace on Earth

On By TimIn Jesus, Luke 02, PeaceLeave a comment

Suddenly there was with the angel a company of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men.”

Luke 2:13–14 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Part of our Christmas tradition is visiting Disney World. We were able to stay and watch one of the final performances of Illuminations in Epcot. At Christmas, there is an additional ending added to the show. It is a song called “Let There be Peace on Earth.”

I love that song, especially in the version used for the show. It is sung by children. The message of the song is simple and can be summed up in the lyrics.

“Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.”

The fireworks were stunning… As was that verse in my mind.

God has already brought peace to the Earth! That is what we celebrate tonight. Peace on earth, goodwill to men. Peace begins with God. He began that idea from the foundation of the world. He gave us the Prince of Peace.

You can bring peace to earth, especially your parts of it. Let it begin with you. Repent, that is turn around!

Acknowledge the truth. That you and I are helpless to live rightly without Him.

Believe He is God. He lived and died as a human. He rose again, all for you and I.

Confess it aloud. Confess that Jesus is God. It will then lead you to confess sins and other things. Set yourself right toward God while you can.

Let there be peace on earth. It can be with you.

A Child is Born

On By TimIn Daily Walk, Jesus, Luke 02, SalvationLeave a comment

And in the same area there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And then an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were very afraid.

Luke 2:8–9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It was a night like any other for those shepherds. They were keeping watch over the clocks that would be used for the daily sacrifice in the temple in Jerusalem. From our perspective, shepherding is quaint and bucolic. Being a shepherd in that day was among the lowest of the rungs of that society. Meekly, they attended to their flocks with great care.

It was God (in Theophany) Who appeared to them suddenly. He came without notice of fanfare. His glory encompassed them in a flash. From darkness, it was suddenly brighter than daylight. It made them very afraid — as it would any of us.

But the angel said to them, “Listen! Do not fear. For I bring you good news of great joy, which will be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find the Baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:10–12 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Fear not! It wasn’t a command to them. They are intended as words of comfort. God was announcing favor to those most undesirable. A shepherd’s testimony in that society trusted or even sought out. The favor announced to them wouldn’t be for them alone but to all people. Who could believe them?

Yet… This is Christmas!

God announces His favor to even you. I don’t know anything about you. If you’re like me, you couldn’t think God would be favorable in your direction. Yet He is. Christmas demonstrates it. For God has caused it to be written:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Unto us, a child is born. That is for you and me, too. He is born just a wee human Babe from our perspective. God gave dearly… A Son. He didn’t give just any Son, but His unique Son. There’s not another like Him anywhere.

This Babe would eventually rule the world. He would be wise beyond His years. He is God, the One Who brings peace.

These are the good tidings to all people. God has set aside His anger toward people. Glory goes to God. Yet in the transaction, we get goodwill and peace from Him.

Suddenly there was with the angel a company of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men.”

Luke 2:13–14 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Take His Gift to you.

God’s Bread

On By TimIn Heaven, Israel, Jesus, Love, Luke 02, Prophecy, The FatherLeave a comment

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the entire inhabited earth should be taxed. This taxation was first made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own city to be taxed.
So Joseph also departed from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to the City of David which is called Bethlehem, in Judea, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So while they were there, the day came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in strips of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:2–7 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

As we’ve discussed before, God is present in every moment. The fact that Caesar Augustus decreed a tax that would ensure Joseph to be in the city of his lineage was known to God when David called the prophet Samuel.

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from ruling over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for Myself from among his sons.”

1 Samuel 16:1 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Bethlehem is the birthplace of Kings. It is the birthplace of God’s Chosen. In this way, God’s choosing of David was a pattern for Israel, and by extension the whole world. That’s for us!

David’s anointing would be when Israel already had a king… Saul. In the same way, Jesus’ advent was when Israel already had a king… Caesar.

It is Bethlehem. The word that means house of bread. The Bread of Heaven would be born there.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, although you are small among the tribes of Judah, from you will come forth for Me one who will be ruler over Israel. His origins are from of old, from ancient days.

Micah 5:2 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Least among the tribes of Judah.

Everything about His birth doesn’t make us think of kings or rulers. Jesus was born to a regular working-class couple. He was born away from home, in a stall for animals. His first resting place was most likely a trough hewn from stone used for fodder. And Bethlehem… Which was a relative backwater near bustling Jerusalem.

David was born there, too. He was the least of his brothers. He was the shortest in stature. He was a dirty shepherd. Shepherds in those days were the least esteemed of people if they were even considered that. David serves as the pattern.

We were to know that pattern.

God chooses the weak to confound the strong. He chooses the base to offend the intellectual. We choose according to stature, prowess, mental acumen and wealth. These are the things humans esteem. This is not so with God.

A dirty and lowly shepherd boy was chosen to be king over Israel. This David is like a sling stone forging through time to that lands in the midst of that lowly carpenter’s Boy’s circumstance of birth.

It’s that day.

Today (the eve of Christmas,) when you think of Jesus and His birth, it’s not the trappings of silver and gold, the red and the white and the green… Santa Claus or turkey… Or even what skeptics say that really matters.

It’s Who Jesus is that does. God’s desire is that you eat His Bread! Seriously. He wants you to take Jesus into your body by believing He is Emmanuel, God among men… Your King.

The Virgin Birth

On By TimIn Apologetics, Jesus, Matthew 011 Comment

And Joseph, when he woke up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and he took his wife and did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Matthew 1:24–25 — The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012)

God had visited Joseph to quell his own fears. It would be such a shame for him to have a betrothed who was pregnant.

Joseph did take his wife, sheltering her and honoring God. In his honor to God, he refrained from sexual relations, that the Baby would be born of a virgin.

This is the miracle. This is the virgin birth. This is Salvation for the world. This is the event that changed time. Even though we don’t use the BC and AD descriptors for years, we continue to mark the years in celebration of His birth.

This Baby changed the world!

Christmas, Behold the Lord’s Female Slave

On By TimIn Apologetics, Jesus, Luke 01Leave a comment

Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man named Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. This one will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” And the angel answered and said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, your relative Elizabeth—she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”
So Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s female slave! May it happen to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:26–38 — The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012)

Yeah… That title.

It is what Mary said. It wasn’t that she didn’t have a choice in the matter. She could have refused. Yet she didn’t. She called herself the Lord’s slave.

Did God make her do it?

No.

We tend to think about things that happen linearly because that is our only experience in this time-matter-space existence. All of this could have been orchestrated to happen to bring forth the Savior at the right time. It is well within the power of God. Such a concept as that brings to mind a child posing his toys in play, to do as such imagined. God doesn’t do that.

I think people live their lives and make choices just as Mary made. Those choices could be to honor God or more likely not. God didn’t cause Mary’s choice. Nor did He predict it. (I am sure that will cause some to gasp. Relax.) He gave us patterns for which to expect. We refer to this as prophecy.

Prophecy is just ‘truth-telling.’ In this particular situation, Isaiah recorded a truth for Ahaz, which had a dual pattern, like much of these prophecies. That dual pattern found its ultimate completion in the birth of Jesus. He is God in human form. Not appearing as God, but adding humanity to God.

God can tell us the beginning from the end. He is the only One able to do such things. He can do that because of His omniscience and omnipresence. Every moment is a present reality for God. He is present in the moment Isaiah penned ‘a maiden shall conceive.’ Just as He is present in the moment that Mary met the angel, and when Mary conceived. He is even present at that moment with Eve when He told her that her ‘seed’ would bring the redemption of humanity.

I am certain through the noisy bustle of this season, you’re going to hear the skeptical claims of holy rape and mistranslation.

Mary fully participated, yielding herself to what would happen to her. What we do know, is the conception of the Babe wasn’t sexual, and it wasn’t rape. Otherwise, she couldn’t be a virgin when she gave birth.

And that brings us to the second point. The contention over the term virgin. Many will say the Hebrew word almah cannot be translated to virgin, as it only means maiden. Yet, virgin is an acceptable translation from Hebrew just by looking at how it is used elsewhere in the Bible. Regardless, it never refers to a married woman.

Let’s look deeper.

“Behold, the virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel,”

Matthew 1:23 — The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012)

Notwithstanding the subtle controversies surrounding the Septuagint. This is a Greek translation thought to have been in common use around the time of Jesus’ birth. Here is an English translation of the Septuagint for the quotation from Matthew’s Gospel above.

Because of this, the Lord himself will give you a sign: Look, the maiden will become pregnant and will bear a son, and you will call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14— The Lexham English Septuagint (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012)

Here we see the term maiden as it is translated from Hebrew to Greek and then into English. This seems to offer the skeptic some refuge, but does it really?

With a bit of assistance from interlinear tools… We discover something important.

Do you see it?

Parthenos does mean maiden and virgin. This tells us the skeptics are wrong. This could be accepted scholarship for those. I offer it because skeptics seldom take the time to really understand their objections.

Yet somewhere in the back of my mind, I simply prefer to believe what God has said. He moved in such a way as to have Isaiah write of that, using a Hebrew word that includes the meaning of virgin. After that miracle of the birth of the God-Man, He then moved Matthew in a similar fashion to Isaiah. In his Gospel, he used the word parthenos in translating Isaiah 7:14 (Matthew 1:23.)

That is how we know Jesus was born of a virgin. God is not constrained to (or by) time, matter and space. And His Word is true and reliable.

How Is It the Pharisees Knew?

On By TimIn Apologetics, Daily Walk, Jesus, Matthew 27, Prophecy, Resurrection, The CrossLeave a comment

In one of our recent excursions in the text of the Gospel of Matthew, we encountered Jesus preparing His disciples for the near-term future when He would die and rise again. Clearly, in that discussion, the part He spoke of Himself rising again was ignored by His friends, as they were more concerned with ensuring Him of their loyalty.

Later in Matthew’s account, we read this:

The next day, following the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember that deceiver saying while He was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ The last deception will be worse than the first.”

Matthew 27:62–64 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The chief priests and Pharisees listened keenly to Jesus. They knew He was teaching that He would rise again. It is difficult to read the texts of the four Gospels and find that the disciples actually expected the resurrection. Yet here we see one of those very men setting to pen. Those set against Jesus clearly understood—even expected it to happen.

I know how the skeptics would want us to read the Gospels… Thinking that such were penned to make a new religion. They want you to believe Jesus was just a man and died as just a man. That He was buried and somehow in the middle of the night, His friends took the body away and hid it. Then these men would lie saying He rose again.

I have difficulty even entertaining that farcical point of view. If what the skeptics say were entertainable, why would Matthew abase himself as not understanding the coming resurrection with which they would allegedly attempt to deceive others?

Furthermore… How is it the chief priests and Pharisees did expect what the disciples did not?

It really is the resurrection that sets Christianity miles apart from any other religion. Think about it. God came to His created humans as a human. He died as a Human. He rose again as a human. He did this to defeat the enemy of all of us… Death. We don’t have to die and be separated from the external God. He wants us to be with Him for eternity and made a sure Way for that to be.

The last thought to consider: For almost 2,000 years it’s recorded plainly, the leaders had their alternate story set. “His disciples came by night and stole the body away.” Today that thinking still circles in the fringes. The Pharisees anticipated the resurrection and crafted an alternate explanation. Why do you think that legend of stealing Jesus’ body was recorded by Matthew?