The Millennium, part 11

Shalom, friends.

Matthew 13:47-50

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
KJV
The next parable of Matthew 13 is called...


The Parable of the Drag-Net.

The seventh parable, the Drag-Net, is similar to the Tares and the Wheat, in that the Kingdom will contain both justified ones and wicked ones who will be sorted only at the end of the Millennial Age. Again, verse 49 contains the Greek word "aioonos" meaning "age" more than the nebulous term "world."

A drag-net is a net that is weighted with metal or rocks on one side of the net and tied to floats on the other side. Thus, the net is extended the width of the net from the surface of the lake to the bottom of the net. It is then dragged through the lake. The weights will drag bottom as it comes into shallower water, and it traps all sorts of schools of fishes; however, it doesn't discriminate between types of fish. It snares them all! Then, individuals will have to sort out the catch once the net is full and drawn into the shore or the boat. This is how the Kingdom from the sky will be.

The Kingdom will collect all sorts of people, some justified by God and some who chose to remain wicked. The messengers (Greek: aggeloi) will then have to sort them out at the end of this first age of the Kingdom. Remember this: Technically, there is no end to the Kingdom. What will change, however, is who will be the primary ruler.

1 Cor 15:20-28
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
KJV

So, you see, there will come a time when the Messiah will subject Himself to His Father and the Father will become the Emperor of the earth, the King of Kings. From a comparison with the last three chapters of Revelation, this will happen in the New Earth.

Never forget, however, that the Messiah Yeshua` will remain haMelekh Yisra'el, the King of Israel:

Luke 1:30-33
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
KJV
In the Messiah's love,
Retrobyter

The Millennium, part 10

Shalom, everyone.

The next parable is frequently called the parable of the Pearl of Great Price, but that is really the wrong title. It should be called ...

The Parable of the Merchant Man

The sixth parable, the Merchant Man Who Finds a Valuable Pearl, talks about the investment prowess of the Kingdom (or rather the King), because the Kingdom is the Merchant Man, not the Valuable Pearl.

Matthew 13:45-46
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
KJV
The only element equated to the real world is...

the Kingdom of Heaven = a merchant man. Nothing else is described, even the "one pearl of great price."

Therefore, as before in other parables, the focus should be on the activities conveyed.

Yeshua` said that this "merchant man," a buyer and seller of valuables, buying low and selling high as a good investor would, found one pearl of great price. He went and sold all that he had, and bought that single pearl. However, would such a merchant who makes a living at such a transaction normally take that HUGE risk? Generally, no, he would not. He had to see that this was a deal he couldn't pass up.

The Kingdom from the sky, namely found in the King, would be willing to take such risks and always come out on top, making a profit.

I believe that other countries will see the investment savvy of the King and will come to Him for help and suggestions. Some dictators and kings, seeing they could do worse, will opt to place the rulership of their countries under the reign of ha-Melekh Yisra'el (the King of Israel), electing to be a king under the "King of kings." As you can see, that's more than just a title!

I believe that they will flock to the King of kings, or they will watch their kingdoms/countries fail financially.

Remember His great, great, ..., great grandfather, Shlomo (Solomon):

Matt 12:42
42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
KJV

Luke 11:31
31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
KJV

2 Chronicles 9:12-14
12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.
13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;
14 Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
KJV
In the Messiah's love,
Retrobyter

The Millennium, part 8

Shalom, everyone.

I forgot a couple of parables that Yeshua` said to all the people outside the building that should have been discussed before the last parable of the treasure hidden in a field.

Let's go back a few verses:

Matthew 13:31-33
31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
KJV
The Parable of the Mustard Seed

The third parable, the Mustard Seed, talks about the Kingdom of the Messiah starting out small, just in the present land of Isra’el, but grows until it fills the earth and provides shelter for “the birds of the air.” We are not told who these “birds of the air” are; therefore, the importance of the parable is not on the “birds of the air” but on the “shelter” the Kingdom provides. This is reminiscent of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter 2 that Daniel interpreted for the king:
Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
. . . . .
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
KJV

The “stone cut out of the mountain without hands” struck the feet of the statue; broke it into rubble; then the stone grew until it “became a great mountain and filled the whole earth!” It also reminds me of the dream that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed and described in Daniel 4:10-12:

Daniel 4:10-12
10 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.
KJV

Daniel later interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and the tree represents the emperor himself as the head - the emperor or the "king of kings" - of his empire, Babylon (Bavel).

The Parable of the Leaven

The fourth parable, the Leaven Hidden in Three Measures of Flour, talks about the Kingdom of the Messiah being that leaven and growing until the whole three measures of flour were influenced by the leaven or yeast. This is probably the most misunderstood of all the parables of Matthew 13 and perhaps of all the parables of Yeshua`. The leaven is not a type of sin in this instance; the leaven is referring to the influence the Kingdom will have over the rest of the world’s governments. Why “three measures of flour?” Jesus (Yeshua`) did not say, but that fact is probably not important except to say that it was a huge amount of flour for making bread.

The leaven IS the Kingdom! And as it grows, it will influence more and more of the countries surrounding it and the world in general. As I've said, when the King was here the first time, He chose to deal with individuals and on a one-by-one basis. He had the worst success (even though it was still success) when huge crowds gathered around Him.

In the Messiah's love,
Retrobyter

The Millennium, part 9

Shalom, everyone.

Okay, let's move on to the next parable of Matthew 13:

The Treasure Hidden in a Field

Matt. 13:44
44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
KJV
In some parables, it's not so much the objects that are defined as the elements of the parable, but the ACTIONS - the VERBS - that are important. This is one of them.

The only object identified is that the "Kingdom from the sky" = "treasure." The treasure at first is buried in the field. What about this "man?" He is not defined. It could be ANYONE! So, let's look at the actions that he performs:

First, we must ask, "Why was he digging in this field if it wasn't his field?" I think the answer to that is that the man was an employee of the owner of the field. This is speculation, but it would make sense that he was plowing the field for his employer and discovered the treasure in the process of plowing.

So, he doesn't know if his employer is aware of the treasure or not, but he comes to the conclusion that he could offer to buy the field and if the employer was aware of the treasure, he wouldn't sell. If the employer wasn't aware of the treasure, then he could offer a good price for the land, buy the land and its rights, and own the treasure himself.

So, he hides the treasure - buries it again in the field, and for the joy of having discovered the valuables, he raises the money he needs to buy the field by selling everything he owns. With the money he raises, he buys the field from the previous owner. Once it is his land with all the rights of whatever is on that land, he can dig up the treasure at his leisure and enjoy the wealth.

This parable tells us that the Kingdom from the sky, the Kingdom that the Messiah establishes when He returns, will be at first hidden like the treasure buried in the field. Whenever someone - anyone - makes the discovery of the Kingdom, for joy he or she will re-hide the Kingdom and do whatever necessary to obtain the purchase of that Kingdom, i.e. to do whatever it takes to procure a place within that Kingdom!

Recently, we've remembered the 10th anniversary of 9-11 and the men and women, innocent by-standers and heroes, who lost their lives that day. Have you noticed how soon after 9-11-01 the public went back to their routines and forgot about the people we lost that day? I believe it will be that way when the Messiah returns and sets up His Kingdom. It won't take very many years (months?) before the world goes back to their routines and rituals and forgets that the Messiah is present in Isra'el.

Yeshua` preferred to deal with men and women one-on-one when He was here the first time. I believe that He will deal with men and women the same way when He returns. There will be unbelievers on the earth during the days of His Kingdom, living in other nations around the earth. They will still be facing their personal challenges day by day, and the old saying, "Out of sight, out of mind," will apply in the Millennium.

The verses Yeshua` quoted in Luke 4:16-21 from Yesha`yahu's prophecy recorded in Isa. 61:1-2 will be completely fulfilled in that time:

Isa. 61:1-11
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
KJV
The Gentile or non-Jewish nations will know OF the Lord GOD, Adonai YHVH, but few will truly KNOW Him. However, I believe that is the goal during the Millennium; namely, that all will come to "KNOW Him and the power of His resurrection." (Phil. 3:10)

Isa. 11:1-16
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
15 And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.
16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
KJV
Have a wonderful day!

In the Messiah's love,
Retrobyter

The Millennium, part 7

Shalom, everyone.

Okay. Let's look at the next parable of Matthew 13:

The Tares of the Field

Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
...
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV

The elements of the parable are...

The one who sowed good seed = the Son of man.
The field = the world.
The good seed = the children of the kingdom.
The tares (look-alike weeds) = the children of the wicked one.
The enemy that sowed the tares = the devil.
The harvest = the end of the world (Greek: aioon, "age").
The reapers = the angels (Greek: aggeloi, "messengers").

Again, this parable is NOT about this present time in which we live. It is about the future Kingdom!

Let's start here with a direct substitution of the elements into the original parable wording and then read His additional explanation:

Matt. 13:24-30, 40-43
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto the Son of man which sowed the children of the Kingdom in his world:
25 But while men slept, the devil came and sowed children of the wicked one among the children of the kingdom, and went his way.
26 But when the blade (of the children of the Kingdom) was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the children of the wicked one also.
27 So the messengers of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow children of the Kingdom in thy world? from whence then hath it children of the wicked one?
28 He said unto them, The devil hath done this. The messengers said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the children of the wicked one, ye root up also the children of the Kingdom with them.
30 Let both grow together until the end of the age: and in the time of the end of the age I will say to the messengers, Gather ye together first the children of the wicked one, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the children of the Kingdom into my barn.
...
40 As therefore the children of the wicked one are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world (age).
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels (messengers), and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend (Greek: skandala, things that entrap or ensnare one to sin), and them which do iniquity (Greek: anomian, things against the law or the Torah);
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV

To enhance this rather unusual viewpoint on the Millennium and particularly the end of that period, one can review the words of Rav Sha'uwl "Paulos" commonly known as the Apostle Paul to the "calling-out" at Korinth:

1 Cor. 15:20-28
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
KJV
This is the Kingdom of the Father that is talked about in the parable of the Tares. It exists AFTER the Millennium, and is therefore the time of the New Earth, the New Atmosphere, and the New Jerusalem, the eternal state, that we've already investigated.

The Millennium is not at all like the New Earth, unless it is within the borders of the Kingdom in Isra'el. The current earth upon which the Millennium will occur will undergo several conflicts as the Messiah Elohiym haMelekh Yisra'el (the Messiah of God, the King of Isra'el) subdues His enemies. Therefore, the characteristics that many envision the Millennium to have are actually those of the New Earth and not the Millennium at all.

In this parable, the Messiah Yeshua` tells us that there will be children of the wicked one who will be "plants" (no pun intended) within the Messiah's Kingdom. They will not only infiltrate the Kingdom, but they will be integral parts of the Millennial culture and won't be easily extracted. They will not be "weeded out" until the end of the Millennium when the Great White Throne Judgment occurs, as per Rev. 20:7-11. The one thing that we CAN be sure of is that the Messiah WILL prevail and overcome all of His enemies, subduing them "under His feet," and ultimately defeat death as His last enemy.

In the Messiah's love,
Retrobyter

The Millennium, part 6

Shalom, everyone.

The parables of Matthew 13:

The reasons for the parables:

Matt. 13:10-17
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
KJV

To whom was He talking? According to verse 2, He was in a boat on the "Sea of Galilee" or Lake Kinneret in the Galiyl and "great multitudes" or huge crowds were gathered around Him on the lake shore to listen to His teaching. I'm sure these crowds probably included the "scribes and Pharisees" of 12:38, as well. So, Yeshua` said He spoke to them in parables or story analogies to keep those who really had no interest in the dark. The "mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven," or the secrets about the Kingdom from the sky, were not for just anyone. They were for those whose eyes had been opened to the true potential of the Kingdom being re-established under the King, the Messiah or the Anointed/Selected of God.

What Kingdom? Well, it was not the "church" but the Kingdom over which King David and King Solomon reigned consisting of the literal children of Israel who made up the nation of Isra'el during the time of Yeshua`s first coming or first advent. It is to this Kingdom that Yeshua` refers many times in these parables. If one keeps that Kingdom in mind, these parables will become clear to anyone who truly wants to understand them.

The first parable - The Sower

First, let's look at the text associated with this parable:

Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
...
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
KJV

In this parable, Yeshua` clearly defines the elements of the parable:
The seed = the "word of the Kingdom" or the message about the Kingdom.

Who was heralding (preaching, announcing) that Kingdom at this point? Yeshua` Himself had to be His own herald for a time since Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) had been imprisoned and beheaded. Therefore,...

The sower = the Messiah Yeshua` (Christ Jesus).
The one who receives seed by the way side or the path in between fields = the one who hears the message and doesn't understand it.
The fowls or birds = the wicked one
The one who receives seed into stony places or among the rocks = the one who has no endurance - no depth of character.
The one who receives seed among the thorns = the one who is already involved in "the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches" and has no time for it.
The one who receives seed on the good ground = the one who hears the message, understands it, and "bears fruit" or produces more seed and spreads that message.

So, Yeshua` said there would be four types of listeners: Those who don't even understand the message about the Kingdom, those who receive it and are excited about it but have no endurance, those who receive it but have no time for it, and those who receive it and give it both the time it deserves and the effort to make it grow, broadcasting the message on to others.

This is the ONLY parable that may have to do with the present in the sense that the focus is the message ABOUT the Kingdom and not the Kingdom itself, which is yet in the future. We can both receive the message about the Kingdom from the sky ourselves and spread that word to others now. But, there are those among us who (1) won't understand a message about the Kingdom, (2) will get all hyped up about it for the moment but will forget about it after a day or two, or (3) will be too busy in other matters to give it much thought or time.

I fear there are far too many among those who call themselves "Christians" who will fall into the first camp. They just don't understand it and WON'T understand it. They've been taught another way of looking at the Scriptures - even about these very verses - and just don't get it. Furthermore, they will RESIST looking at the Scriptures from a Jewish perspective, and will CHOOSE not to get it! They WON'T get it!

There are others who will fall into the second camp. They will get it briefly; they will catch a glimpse of what the Kingdom will be like, but they won't study it, won't meditate on it, won't let it become like a "Christmas spirit" within them! If they will ever truly get it, they will have to hear it a second time. They may have to hear it again and again if it will ever truly take hold in their lives.

There are still others who won't have time for the message. They're always doing and thinking about things, but they are doing and thinking about other things, not about the message of the Kingdom. And, like I'm sure they've heard before, it's not that they don't have the time for it; it's that they don't MAKE the time for it!

In a garden, if you want vegetables to grow in a particular spot where weeds are currently growing, you've got to pull up the weeds first! You have to MAKE ROOM for the vegetables!

That means that if you have something else that is important to you, you may have to sacrifice that priority for the message about the Kingdom that should take a HIGHER priority!

We only have a limited amount of time in our day. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. How you USE that time is what you feel are your highest priorities. Restful sleep, for instance, is essential, however long one takes to sleep. I usually get between 4 and 6 hours of sleep a day. That's enough for me. Seven hours is pushing it, and any longer gives me back pain.

What are the things that take up the time in the rest of your day? What do you do for work? What do you do for play? What are your hobbies? THESE are your priorities. To make room for the message about the Kingdom, you may have to give up something of lesser importance. Turn off the TV a little longer and spend more time reading the Messianic prophecies of the Tanakh (the Old Testament). It may take a while and some effort to "get it," but it will be worth the time and effort.

In the Messiah's love,
Retrobyter

The Millennium, part 5

Shalom, friends.

Okay. I was rather brutal against the modern concept of the "Church" because it is important to understand that God is not so enamoured with the "Church" as many are taught. Some cling tenaciously to the Scripture passage:

Eph. 5:21-33
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
KJV
However, as I've already mentioned, it is possible that this "church" (Greek: ekkleesia) could be talking about a 2-person "calling-out" as in the marriage itself.

If one were to substitute "married couple" for the word "church" throughout this passage, it is not totally without sense. After all, marriage was the first institution sanctified by God:

Eph. 5:21-33
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the married couple: and he is the saviour of the body (as one flesh).24 Therefore as the married couple is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the married couple, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious married couple, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the married couple:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the married couple.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
KJV
Whether you accept this possibility or not, verse 25 is NOT talking about an institution, an organization, or a corporation. Yeshua` the Messiah loves PEOPLE, not an institution, an organization, or a corporation and certainly didn't give Himself as a sacrifice for anything but the PEOPLE He loves! To this, one should easily agree. It makes no sense otherwise.

Now, let's get back to the Millennium: As I've also said, the "Kingdom of God" is not a term that is synonymous with the "church." So, even if there are congregations of "calling-out" groups of people meeting with the common goal of worshipping God, that is NOT the "Kingdom of God!" That becomes important for the interpretation of several Scripture passages. For instance, Matthew 13:

Matt. 13:1-53
1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
KJV

These parables, therefore, are NOT talking about the "church" nor are they talking about this time period at all and they are CERTAINLY NOT talking about a present "Kingdom of God," with the exception of the first parable, the parable of the sower!
These parables are Yeshua`s revelation of the Millennium, the first 1,000 years of His reign! That is extremely important because it changes the message of each of these parables. Each parable has elements that are defined, and they are the key to understanding each parable. When Yeshua` asked His talmidiym (His students) if they understood all these things, what was their answer? "Yea, Lord" or "Yes, Sir!" Do you think they lied? Do you think they were fibbing? Do you think they were hiding the fact that they really didn't understand at all? Or perhaps, you think they didn't really understand but just thought they did? NO! They said they understood, and Yeshua` didn't call them on it or question their answer. He accepted it!

I remember hearing J. Vernon McGee once saying on the radio that he had wished they had answered, "No," so Yeshua` would explain the parables better, and he voiced his opinion that they didn't truly understand the parables as they said they did.

Now, I understand that some people are of the opinion that there is no future Millennium and therefore they would not accept that these parables are talking about such a time period, but those who DO believe in a future Millennium should NOT make the mistake of saying these parables are about this time period in which we live nor that they are actually talking about the "church" or the "Church."

Next, the parables of Matthew 13 in detail:

In the Messiah's love,
Retrobyter

The Millennium, part 4

Shalom, everyone.

Yes, this does have to do with the Millennium shortly, but first, we must discuss this term "church":

As I've noted, Yeshua` (Jesus) said in Matthew,

Matt 18:15-17
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
KJV

And, this includes a quotation from the Torah:
Deut 19:15-19
15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.KJV
Therefore, Yeshua`s usage of the word "ekkleesia" is not referring to our modern usage of the word "church" at all; He is talking about the congregation of Isra'el! And, that is how His Jewish brothers and sisters would have perceived it when He said these words in Matthew 18.

Sometimes, churches today will quote Yeshua` in these verses to suggest that this is the way church discipline should run. And, that's fine, as long as one remembers that this was first the way that the nation of Isra'el was to discipline its citizens. And, the usage of these verses for "church policy" or "ecclesiastical polity" was NOT Yeshua`s first intent of His statement. It doesn't fit in with His theme as such.

Now, having said that, the "church" is a local "calling-out" of people; it's a TOWN-MEETING for the purpose of gathering real people together for mutual support and encouragement. With all due respect to those in a hierarchically structured organization called a "church" or a "Church," there is no such thing as a "Universal Church" as a "Universal Body of believers." The word "Catholic" means "Universal." Thus, I am saying that there's no such thing, particularly as described in Scripture, as a "Catholic Church." If that were the case, then why are they referred to as "churches" (PLURAL) in the verses listed above? Why are they referred to as the "church at Corinth" or the "church at Ephesus" or the "church at Rome?" No, these hierarchies were called the sect of the Nicolaitans in Revelation 2:6 and 15:

NT:3531 Nikolaites (nik-ol-ah-ee'-tace); from NT:3532; a Nicolaite, i.e. adherent of Nicolaus:
KJV - Nicolaitane.

NT:3532 Nikolaos (nik-ol'-ah-os); from NT:3534 and NT:2994; victorious over the people; Nicolaus, a heretic:
KJV - Nicolaus.

NT:3534 nikos (nee'-kos); from NT:3529; a conquest (concretely), i.e. (by implication) triumph:
KJV - victory.

NT:2992 laos (lah-os'); apparently a primary word; a people (in general; thus differing from NT:1218, which denotes one's own populace):
KJV - people.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

It's this dominance over the people to which Yeshua` said His disciples should NOT adhere in Matt.

Matt 23:1-12
23 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.KJV
He also alluded to this attitude in John 18:33-38, particularly verse 36:

John 18:33-38
33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
KJV
And yet, who in today's clergy is called "Father?" What does "Padre" mean? What does the word "Pope" mean? The words "pastor" and "bishop" are not anyone special; they are SHEPHERDS! The word "priest" means "one who intercedes with God on behalf of another," and yet the Scriptures say,

1 Tim. 2:5-6
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
KJV

Heb 10:10-22
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
KJV
So, we have no more need of priests to stand for us; we already have a Great High Priest, Yeshua` the Messiah (Jesus the Christ), who is our ONLY Mediator. We need no "vicar" or substitute; we need no "pontiff" or "pontifex" or "bridge-maker" or "path-maker." Yeshua` is our ONLY "go-between," our ONLY "Mediator," our ONLY "Substitute."

Finally, I'm going to go one step further and address the fictions of the Protestants, as well: There's no such thing as a "Universal Body of Christ." That, too, is a vestigial hold-over from one's denominational origins in the Catholic Church. There is no such doctrine of ecumenism in the Scriptures. To the contrary, the body of the "church" is to be local so that each member can take care of the other members PHYSICALLY, as needed! That's hard to do in an "invisible, universal body!"

Even in the concept of the "Bride" as in the "bride of Christ," as noted before in posts on the New Jerusalem, is both a simile and a metaphor of the CITY, the New Jerusalem, not the people!

In Ephesians 5, the only other place that talks about the "church" being to Yeshua` as a wife is to a husband, it is possible that the "calling-out" is of a group of TWO people, an ASSEMBLY of TWO persons, the man and his wife, and that it is this MARRIAGE - this WEDDING - this BOND that is subject to Yeshua`, not what we call a "church" today! If it were not in this perspective, then one would have to ask, "WHICH church?" since they are local gatherings!

Granted, that's a lot to swallow quickly without choking, but it is crucial to understanding that the "church" is NOT the "Darling" of the Messiah, as so many teach! The Kingdom, therefore, is NOT a subset of the "Church!" Nor is it another name for the "Church" or the "Universal Body of Christ."

To the contrary, the Kingdom is that same Kingdom that was put in the hands of haMelekh David, David the King, haMelekh Shlomo, Solomon the King, and their children after them! It would ultimately be inherited by the Son of David, Yeshua` haMashiach:

Jer. 23:5-8
5 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8 But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
KJV
and

Ps. 89:18-37
18 For the Lord is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:
21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;
31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;
32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
36 His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me.
37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
KJV
THIS is the Kingdom of God! And, it was the nation Isra'el given unto David the King!

In the Messiah's love,
Roy

The Millennium, part 3

Shalom, friends!

Okay, this is going to be a bumpy ride: Having already talked to some length on the meaning of "heaven," that is, that "heaven," both the Hebrew word "shamayim" and the Greek word "ouranos," mean "the sky" or "the atmosphere," I must now "step on some more toes."

What is a "church," and what is the "Church?" This is a "sacred cow" to many Christians, but it really shouldn't be.

Let's start with the English word "church." What does it mean? Where did it come from? Well, according to the Random House Webster's College Dictionary (copyright 1997 by Random House, Inc., New York), the entry for "church" says,...

church (church), n. 1. a building for public Christian worship. 2. a religious service in a church. 3. (sometimes cap.) a. the whole body of Christian believers; Christendom. b. any major division of this body; a Christian denomination. 4. a Christian congregation. 5. organized religion as distinguished from the state. 6. (cap.) a. the Christian Church before the Reformation. b. the Roman Catholic Church. 7. the profession of an ecclesiastic. --v.t. 8. to perform a church service for (a woman after childbirth). [bef. 900; ME chir(i)che, OE cir(i)ce << Gk kuri(a)kon (dooma) the Lord's (house); akin to D kerk, G Kirche, ON kirkja. See KIRK]

...where "cap." means "capitalized," "bef." means "before," "ME" means "Middle English," "OE" means "Old English," "<<" means "descended from, borrowed from intermediate stages not shown," "Gk" means "Greek," "D" means "Dutch," "G" means "German," and "ON" means "Old Norse." Thus, regardless the intermediate languages, the word comes from the Greek word "kuriakon" or just "kurikon" both meaning "of the Lord" or "Lord's." So, somehow, the adjective became a noun in usage and even migrated to usage as a transitive verb.

This word, being an adjective modifier, was used with another word, such as the Greek word "dooma" meaning "house," from which we get our words "domestic" and "dome." It could also have been used with another Greek word which is usually translated "church" in English translations, "ekkleesia," from which we get our words such as "ecclesiastic" or "ecclesiology."

The word "ekkleesia" is a compound word in Greek, stemming from "ek" meaning "out of" or "from" and "kaleoo" meaning "I call." Thus, an "ekkleesia" is defined by Strong's Dictionary of the Greek Language as...

NT:1577 ekkleesia (ek-klay-see'-ah); from a compound of NT:1537 and a derivative of NT:2564; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both):
KJV - assembly, church.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

So, this means that a "church" in the New Testament, stemming from the Greek word "ekkleesia," means a "calling out."

Okay, up to this point, that's the easy part, and you may or may not have already heard this information in a sermon or in a Bible study.

Let's look at where this word is found in Scripture:

The word is found 116 times in the NT (the Textus Receptus, for the sake of avoiding argument). Of those 116 times, it is found in the following passages:

The word was translated "church" in...
Matt. 16:18; 18:17 (2x); Acts 2:47; 5:11; 7:38; 8:1, 3; 11:22, 26; 12:1, 5; 13:1; 14:23, 27; 15:3, 4, 22; 18:22; 20:17, 28; Rom. 16:1, 5, 23; 1 Cor. 1:2; 4:17; 6:4; 10:32; 11:18, 22; 12:28; 14:4, 5, 12, 19, 23, 28, 35; 15:9; 16:19; 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:13; Eph. 1:22; 3:10, 21; 5:23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 32; Phil. 3:6; 4:15; Col. 1:18, 24; 4:15, 16; 1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:5, 15; 5:16; Philem. 2; Heb. 2:12; 12:23; Jas. 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:13; 3 John 6, 9, 10; Rev. 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, and 14. (77)
It was translated "churches" in...
Acts 9:31; 15:41; 16:5; Rom. 16:4, 16; 1 Cor. 7:17; 11:16; 14:33, 34; 16:1, 19; 2 Cor. 8:1, 18, 19, 23, 24; 11:8, 28; 12:13; Gal. 1:2, 22; 1 Thes. 2:14; 2 Thes. 1:4; Rev. 1:4, 11, 20 (2x); 2:7, 11, 17, 23, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; and 22:16. (36)
And, it was translated "assembly" in...
Acts 19:32, 39, and 41. (3)

That's not a large number of verses to look up. If you have the desire to check into these verses, I would strongly encourage you to do so. That's it! That's everywhere the word is used in Scripture.

Acts chapter 19 is fascinating as the word is not even used of a Christian "calling-out" at all! It's talking about a town meeting at Ephesus:

Acts 19:23-41
23 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.
24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
29 And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.
30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.
32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.
37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.
39 But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.
40 For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.
41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
KJV

So, you see, ANY assembly can be called a "calling-out." Furthermore, there are other passages that are equally interesting:

Matt 18:15-17
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
KJV

Acts 7:37-40
37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
KJV

Heb 2:11-12
11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
KJV

Although I believe there are more such passages as well, in these three at least, we can readily see that these verses are NOT talking about a "Christian church."

It should be obvious to the reader that the Acts location is talking about the congregation of Isra'el in the desert when it calls them "the church in the wilderness."

The other two may not be quite so obvious UNTIL one realizes that both of these passages quote from the OT. Yeshua` (Jesus) quoted from Deuteronomy 19:15-19 and the author of Hebrews quoted from Psalm 22:22:

Deut 19:15-19
15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.
KJV
Ps. 22:1-23
22 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying,
8 He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
19 But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
23 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
KJV
Think on this for a while, and I will write more.

In the Messiah's love,
Retrobyter

The Millennium, part 2

Shalom, everyone!

Well, I've been busy with some calculations lately on the New Jerusalem. In particular, I have a 1-foot diameter globe and I was doing the math to come up with a scale model of the New Jerusalem for that globe.

The dimensions are such that each side is 2.25 inches wide at the base corners and a little over 3 inches for the height of each side. One day, I will make a scale model made from red plexiglass, but for now, cardboard had to suffice. The trick was to cut the bottom of each side so that it would fit snugly to the globe. This can be accomplished by using a compass long enough to scribe an arc at 9-11/16 inches away from each corner at the base, and where they intersect would be the center of the circle to use. Then, putting the point of the compass on the center point, scribe an arc across the bottom of each side using the radius of 9-11/16 inches.

I came to this conclusion because each side is (more or less) describing a plane that cuts the globe in a chord-like circle. Indeed, if one were to cut the globe orthogonally in half for a cut-away view, the circle would be reduced to a line and would indeed be the chord of a circle. The flat plane of the base of the described pyramid would actually be underground touching the REAL base of the pyramid in just the four corner points.

Anyway, when all the cutting is done, the pyramid will have arcs on the bottom of each side that should measure 1,500 miles on the scale of the globe, and the height of the pyramid will also be 1,500 miles from the "hump" in the middle of the square base of the pyramid.

What can I say? That's what I do for fun!


Now, about the Millennium, we've talked about Psalm 2 and the nature of the Millennium being the rulership of a "Benevolent Tyrant," when Yeshua` the Messiah literally becomes King and then King of kings, growing His Kingdom into a world empire, ruling over the Gentile nations with a rod of iron or an iron sceptre.

We've mentioned that in 1 Cor. 15:20-28, Rav Sha'uwl (Paul) said that He must reign "until He has put all enemies under His feet."

It will be a time of rest for Isra'el when their King reigns as prophesied, and we who were Gentiles before being grafted into the Olive Tree of the Messiah's Kingdom will also enjoy the blessings of the King. Those of His people who are ready will be reigning with Him as He doles out assignments with each entry of another nation into the group of tributary nations. But, hey, you shouldn't just take my word for it. Let's look at the Scriptures:

Jer 33:14-22
14 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.
17 For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.
19 And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying,
20 Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;
21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.
KJV

Jer 23:5-8
5 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8 But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
KJV

Isa 9:6-8
6 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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
KJV

Jer 30:7-11
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:
9 But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.
10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
11 For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.
KJV

Jer 33:15-21
15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.
17 For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want (lack) a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.
19 And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying,
20 Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;
21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
KJV

Ezek 34:25-28
25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.
27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
KJV

Ezek 37:22-27
22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
KJV

Hos 3:4-5
4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.
KJV

There are yet a couple of other passages to note:

But, next time...

In the Messiah's love,
Retrobyter