EZEKIEL
and YHWH’s
Judgment
for the
Good News
PEOPLE
VOLUME II
The Scriptures
EZEKIEL and YHWH’s
Judgment for the
Good News People
Volume II--The Scriptures
by
an unworthy servant
And you shall know the truth,
and the truth will make you free.
(John 8:32)
Common Law Copyright, 2003 & 2005 CE, an unworthy servant, Calder, Idaho. The author claims his Right of exclusive ownership and control of this publication, the fruit of his labor, as a matter of Intellectual Property protected by the Laws of YHWH and as guaranteed by the US Constitution for the United States. Permission is granted to quote provided appropriate credit is cited together with the Publisher’s web site name and postal mailing address––WWW.AgeEnd.Com PO Box 473, Calder, ID 83808, USA.
Contents
Volume II--The Scriptures
CHAPTER PAGE
- Cover Page 1
- Title Page 2
- Contents 3
- Publisher’s Preface 5
Part G--Truth
19 Proving The CREATOR’s Word 6
20 Understanding TRUTH I 21
21 Understanding TRUTH II 30
Part H--The Old Testament
22 The Tanakh 45
23 Other Early Old Testament Versions I 61
24 Other Early Old Testament Versions II 73
Part I--The New Testament
25 The New Testament I 79
26 The New Testament II 91
27 The Alteration Problem 104
28 An Altered Greek New Testament? 110
29 The Greek Language Problem 124
30 A Hebrew New Testament? 139
Part J--More
31 More on the Scriptures 154
SHEERIT YISRAEL
PO Box 473
Calder, Idaho 83808, USA
Publisher’s Preface
Greetings! The following presentation is volume two of a 36-volume production of some 6,000 pages on “Ezekiel and YHWH’s Judgment for the Good News People,” all of which is on the Internet at the www.AgeEnd.com web site.
This overall effort provides an interpretation of the Good News message in the New Testament, its linkage to the book of Ezekiel, and an application of both to the age-end prophecies relating to certain nations and peoples now out in the world. In order for this single volume to be understood and comprehended, it is imperative that the study be read from its beginning--from page one of volume one.
Anyone trying to read this volume or the study’s 6,000 pages at any mid-point will end up in a state of confusion without having read and digested the preceding material. It is crucially important that this work be read in sequence from its beginning--otherwise, the reader will almost certainly end up missing the essence of the message!
The effort was originally set on a Macintosh computer with Microsoft Word 6.0.1. It was set in Helvetica, 12-point type (18 pt on chapter headings); single line spacings; and margins: left 1.2”, right 0.8”, top 0.7”, bottom 0.8” and footer 0.6” (for page numbers).
For further information on obtaining this study in 18 computer floppy disks (IBM-formatted, high density, 2HD, 1.44 MB, 3 1/2 inches); in a single CD-Rom; or in hard copies (when the Internet or a compatible computer is not available); please write the publisher at the above address and send a stamped, self-addressed, long (legal-size), return envelope.
With a CD-Rom or computer floppy disks, the study is readable on Macintosh (systems 5.0 and later) or IBM/compatible (with Microsoft Word-Windows) personal computers. May The Great CREATOR and SOVEREIGN OF THE UNIVERSE bless you as you study His word to learn His will and to obey Him. Shalom (peace) to you and yours!
an unworthy servant, Hanukkah 2003 CE
Chapter 19--Proving The CREATOR’s Word
Proving The Scriptures
Proving the Scriptures is much like proving The CREATOR, as accomplished in a prior chapter. Numbers of books have been written on this, and many Christians will argue the proof of their “Bible” and the presence of A CREATOR, which many say have to be accepted by faith. But no, not so, by using a little logic and thought. The truth is that there are great proofs of each.
The Hebrew Scriptures themselves prove their legitimacy. Having said this, it is easy to cite several examples out of thousands or millions. Take the case of recorded history. The Book has a logical and forthright presentation on past history, as needed to be understood by man.
For instance, many students of the Word have become aware of the Scriptural evidence suggesting that in the beginning, The ELOHIM created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1, which Ferrar Fenton translates as “By periods, GOD created”). This was a perfect creation in which the angels shouted for joy (Job 38:4-7; Isa 45:18).
But then, in Genesis 1:2, something happened to this beginning perfect creation, to cause it to become without form (unformed, as the “Soncino Books of the Bible,” v. I, p. 1, has it), and void and covered by water. The English word “void” comes from the Hebrew “bohu,” meaning “emptiness” (per Young’s “Analytical Concordance,” p. 1028).
Next, the words “without form” are significant. They come from the Hebrew word “tohu,” which means “ruin or confusion” (per Young’s, p. 367)--despite the fact that in Isaiah 45:18, the earth was “not” originally created tohu (translated to vain in the KJV).
Obviously, if planet earth was created as perfect (not in tohu) and the angels shouted for joy in the initial creation (Gen 1:1; Job 38:4-7), and if the earth later became tohu in Genesis 1:2, then it follows that the rest of Genesis 1 and 2 is describing a recreation or reforming of the planet from its tohu state of confusion and ruin.
In that tohu state, the globe was covered with water (Gen 1:2). It’s very likely that when the water was separated to provide the firmament (atmospheric heaven or space, Gen 1:7), some of the water went into space orbit around the earth (to come down later as rain water in Noah’s day), much like the bands of ice now apparent around the planet Saturn (Gen 1:2-9).
When?
The point is that earth was created in the distant past. And then, starting with Genesis 1:3, it was reformed to be habitable by Adam, created in Genesis 1:26. The creation in Genesis 1:1 seems to be undated. When did it happen? Well, scientists do not know. But they have offered dates that run the course of a few thousand years ago to billions of years ago. Thus, the truth is that man doesn’t really know the answer.
Scientists make guesses, and continually alter their estimates from time to time by billions of years, without ever offering any apologies for their supposedly incorrect earlier figures. At best, they are only speculating because they have no means of dating the earth. Modern scientists do the same thing with the age of the universe.
They easily kick around numbers that range from thousands of years to 20 billion years. One day, one scientist says one thing. And another day, another scientist says something entirely different. Modern science is constantly changing its ideas on the ages of the universe, the solar system and the earth.
Regardless of man’s confusion on dating the past times, it is evident that the universe is quite old since star light reaching earth has been in transit for infinitely long ages and light years--just to get here and be seen for the last 6,000 years.
This last point might be disputed in recent years since some portion of modern science now believes that the speed of light has changed over the eons. Some think that it is now much slower than it once was (Jan-Mar 2000 “Petah Tikvah,” p. 44).
The world of modern man has been so mesmerized by science that it refuses to challenge any of the age estimates being ridiculously thrown about. It appears that more than one great time period was involved in the creation and construction of the earth, to be eventually inhabited by Adam man (as suggested in Ferrar Fenton’s translation of Genesis 1:1 as “By periods, GOD created,” as noted above).
Manifestly, the preceding creation of the earth (formed for Adam in Genesis 1:3-25) appears to have had a lengthy development, although the creation of Adam in Gen 1:26 can be correctly dated to about 6,000 years ago--as will be proven in subsequent comments on chronology. Thus, the time of Adam seems now to have covered about 6,000 years. This is a fascinating number, as will be proven in succeeding chapters.
A Flooded Earth
As noted above, Genesis 1:6-8 describes the separation of waters surrounding the earth into two parts--one above the earth and one below. In between, The CREATOR placed the atmospheric heaven. The water above came into orbit (perhaps as ice) around the earth, in a manner much like the bands of ice around Saturn.
Genesis 7:6 mentions the great flood of Noah. Whether it was universal or not is both questionable and irrelevant (some scholars say it was, while others say it was not). What is important here is another record of water on the earth, beyond the initial water coverage in Genesis 1:2.
Geologist Edward Suess in 1885 first postulated that the entire land surface of the earth has been under water at one time or another over earth’s history. Today, geologists well understand that all land portions of earth have been submerged under water one or more times in past history. No one can argue this irrefutable evidence from geology.
Incidentally, the flood of Noah (at least, in the Euphrates Valley, in the area of ancient Ur) has been well established by archeologists. In 1929, Sir Leonard Wolley and a team of archeologists were digging down in the Ur area of Lower Mesopotamia and discovered several civilizations and cultures laying one on top of another.
In time, they came to a thick layer of clay stratum (from mud laid down in a flood) measuring about eight feet thick, under the city of Ur. Below the mud deposit, they found another pre-flood civilization where people had lived and deposited pottery and other remains. Could this be the physical evidence of Noah’s flood? It could be!
Another interesting option was offered by Bruce B. Auster in his article on “Noah and the great flood” in the November 29, 1999, “US News & World Report” (p. 12). By dating a catastrophe in the Black Sea area at possibly 7,500 years ago, it offered another likely proof of the deluge in Noah’s day, the earlier one in Genesis 1:2 or one before Genesis 1:2.
Auster says that scientists have found evidence of a big flood in the Black Sea Basin, which totally wiped out entire cities, submerged thousands of square miles of dry land and converted the Black Sea from fresh water to salt water, as the basin became linked to the Mediterranean. Researchers have located an ancient coastline, some 550 feet beneath the current surface of the Black Sea, near the Turkish port of Sinop.
This new discovery is another great proof of a former flood over portions of Asia. While the date of 7,500 years ago may or may not be precisely correct (because man’s dating methods are subject to error), it is nevertheless a phenomenal find. A future chapter in this production will assess this discovery in the context of earth cataclysms and plate tectonics.
Other Catastrophes Which Disprove Evolution
Genesis 10:25 describes a condition which seems to suggest a once great super-continent that was divided in the days of Peleg (Genesis 1:9 also implies one land mass surrounded by one over-all or continuous body of water--on this, see Richard Elliott Friedman’s “Commentary on the Torah,” p. 8).
Geologists now understand this former, huge, single, super continent. What is interesting is the fact that the Word has had this record for thousands of years, long before there was a science called geology.
During the period of the Exodus, several extraordinary events occurred in nature which have to be classified as enormous cataclysms.
For example, YHWH entered these judgments upon Egypt (through Moshe): the rivers, ponds and bodies of water of Egypt becoming blood for seven days (Ex 4:9; 7:17-25); epidemics of frogs, lice and flies which caused the land to be corrupted and stink (Ex 8:5-31); the death of the animals of Egypt (Ex 9:3-7); boils upon the humans/humanoids of Egypt (Ex 9:9-11); a great thunder, hail and electric storm (Ex 9:19-34); a locust outbreak (Ex 10:4-19); darkness over the land of Egypt for three days which could be felt (Ex 10:21); and the death of Egypt’s firstborn (Ex 12:29).
On leaving Egypt, more fantastic events occurred, when a cloud of darkness came between the pursuing Egyptians and the Israelites, while the Israelites themselves had light (Ex 14:20). Next, the Israelites miraculously crossed the sea while the pursuing Egyptians were killed by the water (Ex 14:21-23).
The former Dr Ernest Martin, of Portland, Oregon (now deceased), had an interesting theory about the crossing of the sea. He suggested that it became ice and the Israelites walked across the ice. Obviously, the ice melted or otherwise could not hold the pursing Egyptians and their horses and chariots. So it gave way and they sank into the water.
On entering the promise land, Joshua (correctly Yehoshua in the Hebrew) and his army had several battles against the Canaanite inhabitants. In one fight against the Amorites, Yehoshua prayed for the sun to stand still so that Yisrael could have her revenge upon the Amorites (Josh 10:8-14). Astronomically, something happened. At least, this was a very long day to give Yisrael light to smite the Amorites.
In Isaiah’s (Isaiah in Hebrew is Yeshayahu) day, King Hezekiah (Hizkiyahu in the Hebrew) prayed for an extension of his days. YHWH gave him an additional 15 years, and a sign of proof when the shadow from the sun dial reversed itself by ten degrees (Isa 38:7-8). Whatever happened here, it was an enormous astronomical occurrence.
Thus
The point of this is that there have been some fantastic and far reaching events on planet earth which could be thought of or described as catastrophic. Now, this Scriptural reality has an interesting linkage to what evolutionists believe and assert.
As discussed earlier, one of the backbones of evolutionary theory is that geologic and astronomic changes affecting earth have been imperceptibly slow over millions of years. It is this situation which gives evolutionists vast periods of time to supposedly allow very slight and minute changes to life forms over vast ages in the form of evolution. This belief has come to be called uniformitarianism (as cited earlier).
It was first postulated in 1785 by geologist James Hutton. Per the prior comments broaching evolution, uniformitarianism stressed that earthly changes were slight and slow--much like man has observed in contemporary times (“The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia,” p. 870). Of course, this theory is at odds with the intellect of truly religious people who can read the Word and find records of catastrophes in nature.
Now, in more recent years, much evidence is surfacing which proves that the earth has faced enormous cataclysms in past ages (like many reversals of the poles, several changes in the earth’s axis, mammoths quick frozen in the Arctic area while they were eating tropical plants, asteroid hits which could have wiped out the dinosaurs, etc).
The physical evidence is surfacing regularly. And it is so substantial that it is making scientists re-look at beliefs that they have held for ages. These catastrophes will be addressed in some detail in future chapters. Suffice to say, they categorically disprove uniformitarianism--the backbone of evolution theory.
Some Revelations From the Word
As early as 150 BCE, Hipparchus counted the stars, and said that there were 1,022 of them. In 100 CE, Ptolemy counted 1,026. Still later, astronomers counted 3,000 of them. Today, it is at last acknowledged that they are like the sand pebbles along the beach--manifestly infinite to man’s best abilities to count. Yet, thousands of years ago, the Word correctly stated reality (Gen 15:5; 22:17; Jer 31:37; 33:22).
The writings of II Kings 20:20 describe the work of the Judean King Hizkiyahu to cut a conduit through solid rock to bring water from the spring of Gihon into the city of Jerusalem in the 8th century BCE. In 1850, Hezekial’s tunnel of 600 yards was discovered under Jerusalem.
Along with the tunnel, archeologists found an interesting inscription inside the shaft which described the day that pickaxes of the workmen from two different directions met to cut out the last segment of the bedrock and complete the project. The inscription was hewed in the rock in Classical Hebrew.
Another great record of history is found in II Kings 17:3-6 about the Assyrian conquest of Samaria. The Assyrian King Shalmaneser started the siege on Samaria, and his son Sargon II finished it in about 690 BCE. Some years ago, the Khorsabad annals were discovered. And sure enough, Sargon left a secular record of the conquest of Samaria (“Zondervan Pictorial Bible Atlas,” p. 130-131).
In the 6th century BCE, Yechezkel wrote that Jerusalem is the center of the world (Ezek 5:5). Modern explorations in the 19th century confirmed Yechezkel’s words. Truly, Jerusalem is the center of this globe geographically.
More From Science
Historically, scientists generally persisted in believing in a flat earth or something similar. Some believed that the sun, moon and stars all rotated around this fixed, immovable earth. By 1520, the voyages of Columbus, Magellan and others had put this thinking to rest. The earth had to be a circular globe, which is what the Scriptures repeatedly suggest (Deut 23:11; Job 26:7; 37:12; 38:6; Ps 46:5; Prov 8:27; Isa 40:22).
On this reality, Job 38:12-14 is interesting because this text compares the breaking of a new day with a seal or signature ring making an impression upon clay.
This text really says that the seal (sun) which makes the impression (daybreak) is held in a fixed position and the clay (earth) which receives the impression (daybreak) is rotated completely around the seal (sun) so that the seal (sun) appears in its original position once again.
In 1675, a scientist named Roemer discovered that light was not an instantaneous transmission, but that it follows a path at a speed of which man now understands to be 186,000 miles a second. Iyov (Job in the KJV) wrote about this phenomenon some 3,800 years ago (Job 38:19).
In another case, the famous Sir Isaac Newton found, in 1666, that light can be apportioned or parted, when he discovered that a glass prism can be used to spilt a beam of light into bands of spectral colors. By 1859, a spectroscope had been invented for this work. Again, the book of Job was far ahead of its time when it described this parting of light (Job 38:24).
Many discoveries have been made in the last 75 years about the oceans. But the Scriptures described several of them thousands of years ago: recesses and trenches in the ocean floor (II Sam 22:16; Job 38:16); ocean currents (Ps 8:8); and springs in the water (Job 38:16; Prov 8:28). These springs remind one of Noah’s flood, when the fountains of the deep were broken up (Gen 7:11; 8:2).
Supposedly Intelligent Humans
In 1853, personnel from the French Academy of Science gathered at the Louvre in Paris. They cataloged some 101 things from the Scriptures which they declared as being wrong, per the then view of “modern” science. In other words, they were claiming that they found 101 errors in the Scriptures based upon science.
Since this bold stand on what scientists thought was true, archeology and more modern science have discovered all 101 conclusions to be wrong. It’s amazing what can happen over the years, when one can look back at former pronouncements of so-called science.
For example, the scientists of old declared that there were no horses in ancient Egypt, despite Moshe’s record of them (Gen 47:17; Ex 14:9, 23). Guess what? Digging at Buhen in the Sudan, archeologist Walter B. Emery was later to find a skeleton of a horse under a layer of ash and in a stratum dating from the Egyptian Middle Kingdom, long before the Israelite Exodus.
Importantly, on this line, there is a certain Christian prejudice or hatred of anything Hebrew or Jewish (as will be broached in some detail in subsequent chapters). Tragically, if affects particularly the Hebrew Old Testament (the Tanakh), which so many Christians still vigorously oppose, even today (to be later proven and discussed).
This attitude and mental disposition have persisted ever since the beginning of Christianity. Manifestly, it has seriously affected Christian scholars through the ages.
A 2001 promotional letter from Hershel Shanks, editor of the “Biblical Archeology Review,” commented upon the modern “Biblical minimalists” and “Biblical nihilists,” who have worked so hard at attacking the Scriptural truths by calling them fiction.
Many of these so-called scholars (mainly Christians, but some Jews, atheists, agnostics and others as well) have come along in the 19th and 20th centuries to claim that the Hebrew Tanakh was written about one thousand years later than when the Scriptures themselves suggest (as will be broached in more detail shortly below).
These “Biblical minimalists” and “Biblical nihilists” go on to posit that the patriarchal narratives are nothing but bedtime stories, and that the Israelite Exodus from Egypt never happened (nor were the Israelites ever in Egypt). The people who were later to be identified as Israelites were nothing but Canaanites. Per Shanks, one main claim for years was that both David and Shlomo were fictional characters.
Shanks quoted the famous archaeologist Frank Cross of Harvard University. Cross defined the problem with these opponents of the Book as being disposed toward “anti-Semitism.” Obviously, Shanks shared this view on the existing anti-Semitism with Cross.
Thus, the evidence is massive that indeed there is much Christian hatred of Jews and/or Judaism that has spilled over into the scholarly field, to adversely affect so-called intellectuals. Again, as noted above, this reality will be addressed in some detail in succeeding presentations.
Early Writings?
On the issue of writing, the scientific position historically has been that people couldn’t write in the days of Moshe and the Exodus. Then, in the 1970s, some archeologists were digging in Syria at a place called Ebla. They found a host of ancient clay tablets with writings from the time of Abraham (correctly Avraham in the Hebrew) and earlier, c2300-2000 BCE. This find proved how wrong science had been.
Incidentally, there are some interesting sidelights to this Ebla find because this writer was in Jerusalem, visiting at the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) in May 1975, when the find was announced.
Because of my acceptance of the reality that Moshe indeed was the writer and/or compiler of the Torah, some of the archeologists or scientists at ASOR tried to patronize me with their great intellect and scholarly achievements.
Actually, one of these “scientists” said to me that it was ridiculous to believe that Moshe wrote the Torah during the Exodus, as allowed in the Scriptures. This person, working on a doctorate, told me that the explanation of why Moshe was not the writer of the Pentateuch was that Israelites could not write at the early time of the Exodus.
The reason why scientists dogmatically asserted that people could not write by the 15th century BCE was because no digs had been accomplished, from that time frame or earlier, where physical evidence was found of writing. With no evidence to date (in early May 1975), the position of scientists was that Moshe could not write.
Well, imagine the impact when a few days later there was a media report of the find in Ebla. The ASOR people in Jerusalem knew about the dig in progress in Syria. But they had no pre-knowledge of what was being unearthed there.
The announced results in May were a complete surprise to many people in the so-called scholarly world. Obviously, it elated me in view of my discussions with the ASOR archeologists.
More From Ebla
There is another fascinating fallout of the find at Ebla. Just as scientists were totally unable to accept that Israelites could write in the days of Moshe and earlier, they had another warped belief in contradiction of the Scriptures. During the time of Avraham, the Word mentioned several cities or towns near the Dead Sea and Sodom and Gomorrah, and in the plain of Mamre (Gen 14:1-24).
Scholars consistently argued that there were no such places and that they were myths. But the Ebla find did more than establish the early writings of man because many of those early place names in Genesis were found to be present in the Ebla tablets. Even the name Abram/Avram was discovered to be a given name 4,000 years ago.
This whole event demonstrates one of the fallacies of scientists and so-called people of letters. They dogmatically held to a bad conclusion with no proof whatsoever, beyond the reality that they had not yet found actual proof of Israelite writings or mention of the Genesis towns (as if they had, in fact, known all relevant information of history based upon their finds to date).
How embarrassed were these “great scientists and scholars” when it was revealed that their scholarly conclusions and scientific determinations were all wrong? They should have been operating on the premise that they did not know, for sure, because all of the evidence was not in (in early May 1975). In fact, all the evidence is not in--even in 2003.
From Egypt
This background next takes one to another, more dramatic find on early writings. An Associated Press report on Dec 15, 1998, noted that a German archaeological team, headed by Gunter Dreyer, found some clay tablets in a cemetery in the Suhag province, 300 miles South of Cairo, Egypt.
The tablets were dated, using carbon dating, at 3300-3200 BCE, which is in the range of the earliest Sumerian tablets, also found in recent years in ancient Mesopotamia. The reported dates are significant because they preceded the later-day Pharaohic dynasties, the building of the Great Pyramid and possibly even Noah’s flood. But the dates might not be completely valid (as carbon dating may not be that accurate).
This Egyptian find could go a long way in helping to establish when the Adamic civilization started in ancient Mesopotamia (whether before the flood or afterwards). Certainly, it wasn’t too long (in years following the flood) before Adamic settlers had moved West to Northeast Africa along the Nile River.
More Thinking From Science
This discussion of so-called scientists to disbelieve and reject the plain words of Scripture brings up another fascinating point. Over the centuries, various writers and critics of the Scriptures have come forward to postulate that the Torah was written by more than one author. As early as the second century CE, a man named Celsus offered this idea.
Through the years, several others tried to put over similar thinking--like the Jewish scholar Ibn Ezra who died in 1167 CE, the Jewish-Dutch philosopher Spinoza in the 17th century, the early Dutch Christian Le Clerc and the Protestant Reformer Carlstadt who lived from 1480 to 1541.
In time, a French doctor named Jean Astruc and a Scottish Catholic priest named Alexander Geddes theorized that the Torah was actually written in the time of Solomon, using earlier material from two different sources--one called “J” and the other called “E” because of the usage of the name YHWH, as opposed to the title ELOHIM.
In 1868, a man named K. H. Graf suggested that the laws of the Pentateuch moved from the simple to the complex, which supposedly suggested two more writers beyond the J and E authors. Graf allowed that one was of the priestly class (“P”) while the other was of a Deuteronomy class (“D”).
A man named Julius Wellhausen came along in 1870 and stipulated that these four writers (J, E, D and P, as just cited) did their work during four different time frames--850 BCE, 750 BCE, 621 BCE and 500 to 450 BCE. Per Merril C. Tenney, in the “Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible,” Wellhausen “denied all the supernaturalism of the Pentateuch and regarded most of its history as unreliable.”
The Dec 1981 “Bible Advocate” had a report from Jerusalem that a team of Israeli scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute had just finished a “Genesis Project.” The team fed the entire book of Genesis (some 20,000 words) into a computer programmed to conduct an exhaustive linguistic analysis of words and phrases in the original Hebrew.
Their findings pointed in a totally different direction than that chartered by the various critics over the centuries. They found that the language of Genesis was virtually indistinguishable linguistically. The project director, Yehuda Radday, concluded: “It is most probable that the book of Genesis was written by one person,” as the Word suggests that it was written by one person (Moshe, likely in the 15th century BCE).
Some More Recent Finds
Moreover, modern archeologists continue to find things. For example, the May 2000 “End Time News” (supplement on Sodom, p. 1) had a story on archeological work suggesting that the actual site of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah has been found.
Per the report, Michael Sanders and a international team of researchers, using a mini-submarine (which was used in the discovery of the sunken WWI ocean liner, the Lusitania), have discovered what appear to be salt-encrusted remains of ancient settlements (brick structures) on the seabed of the Dead Sea. Sanders says the remains seem to be an ancient city.
Dr John Whitaker, a geologist from Leicester University, says that the find could be one of the lost cities on the plains and possibly Sodom and Gomorrah. Hopefully, further research and exploration can reveal the true identity of the find by Sanders and his team. Sodom and Gomorrah setting on the floor of the Dead Sea makes perfect sense.
The May-Jun 2000 “Prophecy Flash” (p. 16) had a follow-up report on Sodom and Gomorrah which quoted “The Washington Times” of Apr 9, 2000. The Times said that since the 1960s archaeologists have discovered mass graves on a peninsula jutting into the Dead Sea. The graves contain human bones dating from the OT period. Sulfur/brimstone has been found in nearby cliffs (this sure sounds like Genesis 19:24).
The 2001 promotional letter from archaeologist Hershel Shanks (just quoted above) mentions these recent finds: the remains of an Israelite house in Egypt at the time of the Exodus; a hieroglyphic inscription at Egyptian Thebes that speaks of a people called Israel, then living in the highlands of Canaan, some 3,200 years ago; a receipt for a three shekel donation to Solomon’s Temple of almost 3,000 years ago; and an impression in clay of the seal of Baruch (Burukh in the Hebrew), Jeremiah’s scribe (Jer 36:4).
As Shanks indicates, many of these recent finds completely repudiate some of the current thinking of modern scholars on the history of the Tanakh.
Dan, in the Upper Galilee
“US News & World Report,” of Oct 25, 1999, had a story by Jeffery L. Sheler titled “Is the Bible True?” (p. 50-56), which outlined one of the greatest finds in modern times. In 1993, Avraham Biran, of Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, was leading an archaeological dig at the site of Dan in the upper Galilee.
The team’s surveyor, Gila Cook, was about to take a break when she saw a basalt stone protruding from the ground. She called Biran over to check it. He at once exclaimed “Oh, my God! We have an inscription.” It was part of a shattered monument from the 9th century BCE which reported a military victory by the king of Damascus over two foes: the king of Israel and the house of David.
Before this find, the consensus of scholars was that David was a myth (as commented upon above by Hershel Shanks), invented by priestly propagandists during the Babylonian exile to dignify Yisrael’s past.
But as Tel Aviv University archaeologist Israel Finkelstein noted with the 1993 find--“Biblical nihilism collapsed overnight.”
Jeffrey Sheler’s article added that the reference to David was an historical bombshell since no record had ever existed about him before, outside the Scriptures.
The Hatzor Find
The 11th chapter of Joshua describes the Israelite counter-attack upon the Canaanite confederation, headed up by Jabin, king of Hatzor. In preparation for the fight, Jabin send word to his allies to gather and attack the Israelites. Yehoshua correctly did as he was commanded by YHWH. He slaughtered all of the Canaanites in this attack.
Next, Yehoshua turned his attention to Hatzor, where he slew all of the people (yes, men, women and children) and burned the city (Josh 11:11). So 3,400 years passed, and an Israeli archeological dig took place at the site of the ancient Hatzor. First, the famous archeologist Yigael Yadim excavated there. He was followed, in 1990 and later, by archeologist Ammon Ben-Tor of Hebrew University.
Per an article by Clarence H. Wagner on “Did Joshua Destroy Canaanite Hatzor?” (in a special issue of 2000 of “Dispatch From Jerusalem,” p. 1, 3), Ben-Tor found the city walls and palaces destroyed in the 14th or 13th century BCE. One wall was over 80 meters long. The basalt stones in it showed distortions caused by a terrible fire. Some were fractured by this intense fire.
Geologists have studied these stones and have suggested that the destroying fire would have had to have been over 1,200 degrees (F) to cause this kind of damage to the basalt. Per Wagner, it was easy to see the burn layer and some charcoal remaining from wood supports within some brick walls which were baked to a crisp. A huge timber, baked into charcoal, was found under some mud bricks.
A number of small stone statutes of Canaanite gods (measuring 8-10 inches each) were found with their heads and hands deliberately broken off and shattered--evidently by the conquerors of the city. Wagner quoted Deuteronomy 12:3 and asked if this was evidence of the decreed destruction of the pagan gods.
Ben-Tor is not prepared to state for certain that Yehoshua and his Israelite army were responsible for this destruction of Hatzor. But that option must be placed on the table. The destruction of the Canaanite gods would seem to rule out a Canaanite or Egyptian destruction, so that leaves only a proto-Israelite action.
The Pride of Man Proof
As described at length elsewhere herein, men have an enormous amount of pride and vanity. They will go the extra mile to try to insure that nothing bad is said about themselves--even after they are dead and gone. Presidents and leaders, without exception, are obsessed with their legacies and their records in history.
In this context, one of the greatest of proofs of the validity and authority of the Scriptures is the incredible honesty and forthrightness of its writers. Yes, the sins and shortcomings of all of its leaders and authors are laid out for eternity to see and behold.
There was no effort to cover up what Adam did or what Noah did, or what Avraham did, or what Yitzhak did, or what Yakov Yisrael did, or even what the great scribe Moshe did. All of these men committed sins and their sins are presented in the Book. They are there for all of us to see, study and learn from.
One can add to this the frankness of the Word in describing the kings of Yisrael and Yehudah and how they all were wicked in various degrees (saving David, Hizkiyahu and Josiah [Yoshiyahu in the Hebrew], to a lesser extent). Not only were some of the Scriptures attributable to these men (like David and Shlomo), but these men were the kings in charge of the historians and what they were to write.
People in charge don’t normally allow subordinates to write bad things about their bosses. Kings, in particular, with the power of life and death over their subjects, are typically in no mood to allow historians to write critical comments about themselves and their reigns.
Dying kings are traditionally followed by their sons and/or other descendants who likewise never allow bad things to be said by historians about their ancestors. Pride, being what it is, would never have allowed the honesty found in the Scriptures about its leading actors and events.
In all cases, a spade was called a spade in the Book. Even the terrible sins of David were laid out for all to behold. Nothing was held back and no punches were pulled. All of the great heroes of the Scriptures became sinners (saving YESHUA The MESSIAH, Alone). And their sins have been laid out for eternity.
Fulfilled Prophecy
Next, there is a need to mention fulfilled prophecy. It is only YHWH The ELOHIM, Who can and does proclaim the end from the beginning (Isa 41:21-23; 46:10). On this topic, there are a host of prophecies which can be examined and commented upon. In this presentation, only a few will be highlighted.
One of the most profound fulfillments of prophecy, in a completely physical sense, is the prophetic future of the island kingdom of Tyrus or Tyre. In the days of the Judges and Israelite and Judean kings, Tyre was a famous coastal city in Canaan, much like modern New York. It was extremely important commercially and clearly was to be the ante-type of the age-ending Babylonian commercial system.
In the days of Tyre’s power and glory, the Hebrew prophets predicted that it was to be utterly destroyed and never inhabited again, as the island portion was to be covered by the sea (Ezek 26-28). These words came true for Tyre when Nebuchadnezzar came against her first, over a 13 year period following the fall of Jerusalem. Over 200 years later, Alexander the Great also came against Tyre to finish her off.
Today, Yechezkel’s prediction has been absolutely fulfilled. Incidentally, in mentioning these words, it must be realized that they apply in the ante-typical, physical sense. Again, Tyre was symbolic of the Babylonian commercial system which now envelopes the earth. In the ultimate fulfillment of Yechezkel’s words, this system will end--just as the ancient city was terminated.
Another great example happened in about 730 BCE, when the prophet Micah (Mikhah in the Hebrew) wrote about the then thriving capital of Yisrael, Samaria (Mic 1:6). He said it would become a heap of a field for agriculture. Sure enough, the Assyrians came down 30 years later and destroyed Samaria. Since the time of the Crusaders, Arab farmers have moved into the area and turned it into open farmland.
The prophet Mikhah also wrote about Zion, the city of David (Mic 3:12). He predicted that it would be plowed as a field. Yirmeyahu came along years later and said that Jerusalem would expand to the North and West, from the tower of Hananeel to the gate of the corner, the Jaffa Gate (Jer 31:38-40).
Again, YHWH’s Words have come true. During Second Temple days, the Southern part of Jerusalem (Mount Ophel or old Zion) was physically leveled to the valley below. It was destroyed for all kinds of reasons. Today, Arab farmers and gardeners live there. The new Jerusalem grew over the centuries to the North and West.
More
Beyond these classic fulfillments, there are a host of others. Some of these prophecies have been or will be commented upon in other remarks herein, and deserve no mention at this time. Suffice to say, most of the remaining unfulfilled prophecies will begin to see fulfillment in the next few years (in the context of the age end).
Students of the Word should compare YHWH’s record on fulfillments with various human prophets--like Emanuel Swedenborg, (18th century), Ann Lee (18th century), Mrs Joanna Southcott (19th century), Joseph Smith (19th century), Mary Baker Eddy (19th century) and Mrs Ellen White (19th century). These human prophets all have failed many times over.
The age end Scriptural fulfillments, as they unfold (see Appendices D and E for a list of them), should convince even the most doubting critics that the Scriptures are indeed fantastic and extraordinary.
Interestingly, on this theme, an old Arab adage says “All is written down that has to come.”
A Perfect Legal Code
One more fantastic proof of the Scriptures has to be the incredible morality, righteousness and truthfulness of the Mosaic law code; which, by the way, reveals the righteous and “kodesh” (the Hebrew meaning “set apart”) character and personality of The CREATOR, discussed earlier. Truly, YHWH’s laws are perfect in all respects (as will be proven in succeeding chapters).
There is no record of any human civilization or culture whose laws, on the books, can ever began to approach the righteousness of YHWH’s laws. This same indictment applies to every US state and the national United States itself (as will later be established).
Finally on the Question of Inspiration
Without going into very lengthy and complicated details, there is a need to mention one more great scientist who spent time and effort on the question of the inspiration and authority of the written Scriptures. The man’s name was Ivan Panin. He was a former Russian nihilist, born in 1855. Panin immigrated to the US in 1872 and studied mathematics at Harvard.
It is a truism that in both the Hebrew and Greek languages, letters have numeric values. And they also have a numerical value in the context of place.
By doing a mathematical analysis of these two values (the numeric and place), it is possible to compile a mathematical profile of the entire Scriptures; and with a little statistical analysis, arrive at some probable conclusions on the inspiration of those writings.
Panin did mountains of work (figuratively speaking), in the days before there were computers. He found that repeatedly the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures contained some incredible presentations of numerical and place value computations which cannot be explained on the simple basis of chance or accident (there is also the issue of so-called “Bible Codes,” which will be addressed in a later chapter).
The Bottom Line
The essence of this presentation is that “all” the evidence is not in--in 2003.
In fact, it can be conclusively stated that all the evidence won’t be in until YHWH YESHUA returns to establish His millennial government at Jerusalem. Who knows what all He will reveal to ignorant, little, limited, insignificant, proud, vain men and women who have believed that they know everything.
Whole books can be, and have been, written on the fantastic proofs of the Scriptures. There seems to be no end to it here in the early 21st century, with the huge number of archeological digs which have occurred and are occurring with regularity. Perhaps soon, Noah’s great ark will become official knowledge. What a proof it will be.
Chapter 20--Understanding TRUTH I
What is Truth?
Some two thousand years ago, the Roman Governor Pilate asked YESHUA a profound question-- “What is truth?” (Jo 18:38). With the enormous prevailing deceit, evil and hypocrisy in today’s world, this has to be a very good question (especially so since moral relativism starts with a belief that there is no truth). However, the answer is not as complicated as modern man is attempting to make it.
Per the Scriptures, YHWH’s Word is Truth (Jo 17:17). Also, per the Book, The WORD is The ELOHIM (Jo 1:1), and The WORD became flesh in the person of YHWH YESHUA The MESSIAH (Jo 1:14-15). Consequently, YHWH YESHUA is TRUTH (Jo 5:33; 14:6). Manifestly, to understand, worship, praise and serve YHWH YESHUA, one must understand TRUTH.
Although the Old Testament carries substantially more authority than the New Testament, as will be established in subsequent chapters, the NT writings do bring out some wonderful and indeed crucial information which is not present in the Tanakh. For this reason, one is obligated to study the NT, as well as the OT, in order to approach reality.
Intellectual Gifts
Future chapters hereafter will address the question of the correct form and organization of a group of believers in the Scriptural sense. There is no intent to begin to assess those questions at this time. As will be established later, the apparent correct name for this group is Qahal Ha ELOHIM, in the Hebrew.
But now, long before assessing this type of an organization, it will be beneficial to address some aspects of it in terms of outlining some useful ideas on how to understand the Word.
To accomplish the needed functions in a correct Scriptural organization involving true believers, The MOST HIGH outlined a series of spiritual gifts which aided, helped and assisted the organizational members and leaders in carrying out their tasks to benefit the collective congregation.
Three of the gifts, as will be hereafter outlined, are especially pertinent to a discussion on intellectual attributes of persons which can serve and benefit others. These three are: knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Thus, the NT apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and/or teachers need these three important gifts to perform their services or operations correctly.
There is every reason to believe that The ELOHIM did grant one, two or all three of these gifts to some or all of His ministerial servants in both the OT and NT. In that sense, these persons were able to appropriately share their knowledge, understanding and wisdom with others, as the situation would allow or call for; and especially, in the context of teaching and instruction.
Because some people wish to believe that their local Christian preachers have these gifts, there is a supposed demand or issue for them to have Scriptural or spiritual knowledge, understanding or wisdom. In this vein, many modern Christians, in particular, follow the path established centuries ago in the Roman Catholic Church (the mother of all Protestant Churches).
The traditional position of Christendom, starting with Rome, is that the dumb sheep members (as they are called or looked upon by many church leaders) are not supposed to know anything, and indeed, need not know anything (on their own) since their pastors/priests will tell them what they need to know and as they need to know it.
This prevailing presumption in Christendom invalidates or negates the need for study, as outlined in the Prologue of this production. Hence, the Christian position crystallizes as--why study, since the priest, pastor or preacher will tell church members all that they need to know. However, per the Word, that’s not the way it is!
Per the Book, the believer himself is commanded to study to be approved, and to grow in grace and knowledge of truth and righteousness, in order to live an acceptable life of service to The MOST HIGH and others. Manifestly, there are many other reasons why one urgently needs knowledge, understanding and wisdom.
Yohanan
One of the great Scriptural teachings was penned by Yohanan, when he wrote about the requirement to test or try the mental messages which are placed into limited, human minds by very powerful spiritual agents (I Jo 4:1). Going on, Yohanan indicated that one can recognize a true representative of YHWH on the basis of truth and that the real called out ones are known by their reception of truth (I Jo 4:1-6).
The teaching in I John 4 is quite profound and far reaching, as subsequent remarks herein will demonstrate. However, for now, it is imperative to address it in the context of how demonic forces seem to use mental telepathy to place temptations and adversarial thoughts into the minds of limited human beings. This whole theme was broached earlier and will be further assessed below and in later chapters.
Although one might make the case that he or she can address, evaluate, contemplate and consider the merits of external information from the standpoint of truth by the simple basis of thought and logical analysis, such is not always possible. Very often, all of our minds and thoughts are heavily influenced by the mental telepathic messages of fallen spiritual powers (demons).
Yohanan seems to make it plain that one must be prepared to test ideas, thoughts and mental messages placed into his or her brain by external spiritual powers against the written Word of YHWH--the Scriptures. As the Book says--prove all things and hold fast to that which is good (that which is conclusively proven as truth from the Word).
It appears that fallen spiritual powers (and good ones as well) use mental telepathy to funnel ideas, thoughts and beliefs into human minds to consider, contemplate and think about. In this sense, these ideas become temptations which can lead one into sin and rebellion. It’s very easy for these thoughts to be mulled over and jelled in the human mind to make one justify and support ensuing subsequent words and actions.
Avoid Truth
Later chapters will discuss the propensity of certain classifications of people to avoid facts, truth, verity and reality in conversations with others when in disagreement. A friend of this writer once pointed out that this behavioral pattern is prompted by demonic sources.
This practice surfaces when people in these categories become hostile to information that they are already opposed to for some reason (either on the basis of false beliefs already held or thoughts and ideas being placed into their minds by demonic powers).
Take the case of many dedicated Christians. If someone tries to broach new truth with them, they become mad. And rather than deal with the facts, truth, Scriptures and information being presented, they respond by focusing on something different, or more often, by criticizing, condemning and indeed hating the person trying to convey the Scriptural information to them.
In other words, such weak individuals, operating under demonic powers, are unable to have dialogue and discussion on the basis of facts, truth and information. Instead, they shift the argument and discussion--usually to an attack on the personality of the individual trying to cite facts and verity in the argument.
Obviously, demons are funneling this attack on personalities into the minds of hooked and/or susceptible persons. Such weak people can think only along the lines of the demonic mental messages. They are unable to handle facts and reality. This response seems to be very prevalent for many classes of Christians (as well as persons involved in politics, commerce, economics, government, etc).
While the above comments have been directed at those situations arising in conversations with others, the practice of demons feeding ideas and thoughts into human minds can occur at any time with anyone and in any situation--like when someone is reading and trying to absorb truth from some writing, watching television or receiving any type of information from any external stimulus.
More will be said about this demonic, mental telepathic course of action in later chapters.
Another Text From Yohanan
The Apostle Yohanan also had a most important point on the issue of truth when he quoted The MESSIAH as saying that every one of truth hears YESHUA’s voice or Word (Jo 18:37). Although there is an element of calling in this text, the fact remains that a person has to be in truth, or dedicated to truth, to hear and understand YAH’s Words.
The world has a lot of false prophets and deceivers in it. It is very easy for a Scripturally shallow person to get caught up by one of these workers of deceit. This is particularly common with Christians. There are literally thousands of denominations and preachers communicating diverse doctrines; which, for the most part, are absolutely Satanic and utterly opposed to the righteousness of the Word.
Without some knowledge, understanding, wisdom, mental awareness, discernment, etc, it is easy to get gobbled up from one of these false notions, based simply on the charisma and persuasion of the false preacher or teacher spreading his lies and deceptions around for human ingestion.
The potential believer must have some mental qualities to avoid being entrapped in one of these snares by false teachers. In other words, the person seeking verity must try these supposed preachers and teachers by the Book to see if they are true or false.
However, it is essential for a person to have some knowledge; and hopefully, some understanding and wisdom, in order to try false preachers, and to be able to detect and ascertain if they are indeed frauds or people of truth.
False Christian Preachers Fool Many
Preachers like Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Garner Ted Armstrong, Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Pat Robertson, “Reverend” Ike, Henry J. Lyons, Jesse Jackson, Pope John Paul II and on and on have fooled billions of people.
Some--like Swaggart, Armstrong and Jackson--are notorious for their unusual and/or regular sexual encounters outside of marriage. Others--like Jim Bakker and Henry Lyons--have records of stealing and embezzling church money. “The reverend” Henry J. Lyons, in particular, is no piker on stealing church funds.
Lyons was head of the large Black National Baptist Convention in 1998. He discovered that every time a Black Church burned down, (White?) people loved to send him money to rebuild the church. Too, White businesses also enjoyed sending “the reverend” money for Black advertising. Lyons decided to steal millions of this White money flowing into his church coffers.
Ultimately, “the reverend” was caught and convicted for the theft of church funds (Feb 28, 1999, “Spokesman-Review”).
The news reports on this recent story did not seem to raise any question or concern over the possibility that Lyons or some of his colleagues may have been the very people busy burning Black church buildings down--obviously, so that they would get more and more money from the credulous Whites.
It is very easy to get entrapped into the false teachings of charismatic and persuasive Christian preachers who say things which the gullible public loves to hear--unless one has some mental awareness and understanding of exactly what the Book does say and can check their words out by truth. That’s the essence of Yohanan’s comments (I Jo 4:1-6).
Knowledge is the First Plateau
The attainment of understanding of a level of truth and/or reality is the ultimate goal of the three intellectual or mental qualities under discussion (knowledge, understanding and wisdom). Since YHWH YESHUA is TRUTH, the objective for the student of the Scriptures is to grow in the knowledge, understanding and wisdom of TRUTH. In other words, we each need to think (and act) like Him.
Knowledge is the easiest of the three qualities to acquire. It is probable that no particular gift is needed for the typical person to have some, or a desired level of knowledge (otherwise, Yohanan could not have written his remarks, mentioned above). Apparently, most so-called humans are born with some capacity to acquire knowledge (unless they are retarded or physically disabled in the mind in some way).
But knowledge of truth does not come automatically. It comes by study. Hence, YAH tells us to study to be approved. As will be described in subsequent chapters, the surfacing problem is that people are apathetic and indifferent, from pride and vanity. Thus, they typically do not study.
Most persons are intellectually a little lazy. Of course, they would prefer to have some preacher (even if he is false and a liar) tell them what they supposedly need to know. This weakness and tendency of lethargic laziness fits well into the mode of operations of most Christian Church denominations which depend upon the ignorance and lack of study of truth on the part of their church members.
If church members, in most denominations, began to study the Word, in lieu of merely listening to and absorbing information from their pastors and church leaders, it would be like a major bomb going off. Like The MESSIAH said, men cannot put new wine in an old container--lest it start fermenting and expanding to blow up the container (Matt 9:17; Mk 2:22).
Most Christian Church denominations cannot afford to have new teachings introduced to their dumb sheep. Revelations of truth to a flock locked in ignorance would create a major crisis.
For this reason, churches in the generic sense don’t want their members studying and learning things on their own from the Word. They want the dumb sheep to come to church and pay money to the church, in order to be fed what they are supposed to know by the church pastor or preacher.
More Steps Up
Knowledge is essentially the acquisition of facts, data and information. While apparently anyone can get knowledge from study, it is also possible for The ELOHIM to dispense a gift of knowledge to selected persons, as described above. Once an individual has knowledge, the next step up is understanding.
Understanding is far more complicated than knowledge. It is predicated upon taking and using the knowledge, obtained from study, in a fashion to allow perception and comprehension of what that knowledge means, and/or its relevance, importance and role in one’s life.
Wisdom is the next step up. Once a person has knowledge, obtained from study, and understands and comprehends the meaning of that knowledge, then he or she must properly use that understanding.
And that’s what wisdom is--the proper use of knowledge and understanding. In other words, it is the ability to make the correct and proper decisions based upon the presence of knowledge and the understanding of truth and reality.
The Scriptures repeatedly link these three attributes to precious metals and priceless gems--like a treasure hidden in the field or a pearl of great value (Prov 2:2-4; Matt 13:44-46). Specifically, wisdom is worth more than fine gold, and understanding is far more valuable than refined silver (Prov 16:16). In short, wisdom and understanding represent truth (Prov 23:23).
A previous presentation on study (in the Prologue) outlined the requirement for study to obtain knowledge. This present discussion will say no more about this need. Obviously, it is paramount and profound. In terms of understanding, some few ideas will now be shared from the Word on possibly how one can understand (in the context of studying and gaining knowledge).
The Tanakh (the Old Testament)
As will be described in later chapters, the Tanakh (also known in Hebrew as Ha-Sefarim, the Books) is clearly the first basis of faith and belief. Many Christians never even read the Tanakh, much less study it. And certainly, few have even the foggiest notion of what it says. Yet, it is fundamental and mandatory to have knowledge and understanding of the Tanakh first before even attempting to broach the NT.
The Tanakh is divided into three parts--the Torah (law or Pentateuch), Nevi’im (prophets) and Ketuvim (writings). The Torah is the so-called books of Moshe, Genesis to Deuteronomy, and the prophets consist of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings and essentially those named from Isaiah to Malachi.
The writings are everything else--to include Ruth (Rut in the Hebrew), Lamentations, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah (Nechemyah in the Hebrew), Esther (Ester in the Hebrew) and Chronicles. The books of Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther are called the five Megilloth. The Haphtoroth or Haftorah is a special compilation of particular sections or portions of the prophets, which are to be read following the Torah on Sabbaths and festivals.
The modern Jewish Tanakh has 24 books, which involve the same writings as found in Christian “Bibles” --except that the 12 so-called minor prophets are in one combined book identified as the Twelve Prophets; the two books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles are each in single books; and Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah are in one book.
The order of the books in the Jewish Tanakh presentation is: first the Torah, next the prophets and finally the writings, ending with Chronicles.
Generally, Christian ”Bibles” break the just mentioned several combined books apart to make a total of 39 OT books. By adding the 39 OT books to the 27 NT books, one arrives at a total of 66 books or writings (which may or may not be significant).
Evidently, in historic times, the Jewish Tanakh had only 22 books. In this context, the books of Joshua and Judges were in one volume and the books of Samuel and Kings were also in one volume. If 22 books are valid for the Tanakh, one can add the 27 books of the NT and arrive at a figure of 49, which is most intriguing.
The Types of Information Present
There is another interesting tripartite division of the whole Scriptures, as well as the Tanakh and NT individually. Essentially, the Word reflects three types of information: history, laws or standards of conduct, and prophecy of future events. Some say that at least a full one-third of the Book is devoted to prophecy--including not only the Torah, but also the writings.
For example, the Psalms were made to be sung. And they are very prophetic in addition to offering features dealing with history and standards/laws. The same is true with the five Megilloth. The former Dr Ernest Martin, of Portland, Oregon, said that the five Megilloth were sung by the women during the festivals (in the court of women).
Both the Psalms and the five Megilloth also tie to the five-fold division of the Torah and the related texts from the prophets (in the context of the Haphtoroth), which were to be read at different times during the year at Sabbaths and festivals.
The first festival of importance was Passover-Unleavened Bread in the spring. Psalms 1-41 were designed to be sung during the Passover season. This section relates to Genesis and the book of the Song of Songs, or Solomon, as it is sometimes identified. The Hallel, read, chanted or sung by believers at Passover, is specifically Psalms 113-118. The Great Hallel, which YESHUA sang at His last Passover, is Psalms 136.
Shavuot or Pentecost was the next festival when all of the males of Yisrael were commanded to be in attendance at Jerusalem. Psalms 42-72 were designed for Shavuot, along with the related books of Exodus and Ruth.
Another religious day of enormous importance was the fast of the ninth day of the fifth month. It seems to relate to Psalms 73-89 and the books of Leviticus and Lamentations.
Sukkot, Booths or Tabernacles was the third important event requiring all Israelite males to come to Jerusalem. It links to Psalms 90-106 and the books of Ecclesiastes and Numbers.
The last festival is Purim, which relates to Psalms 107-150 and the books of Deuteronomy and Esther.
The above comments on the festivals have been very brief. Other chapters later herein discuss them at some length.
Obviously, certain Tanakh writings were designed to be read or sung during each of those five festivals (in addition to the regular Sabbaths during a Scriptural year). By studying these references, in conjunction with the stipulated feasts, it is evident that a person can take a giant step up in terms of understanding.
Duality