Salem is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, located on Massachusetts' North Shore. North Shore is the region loosely defined as the coastal area between Boston and New Hampshire. The region is made up both of a rocky coastline, dotted with marshes and wetlands, as well as several beaches and natural harbors. The communities have varied and rich histories: Gloucester was America's first fishing community; Salem was the location of the infamous Witch Trials as well as one of the largest centers of shipping and the 6th largest city in early America. The hysteria that led to the Trials began in the part of Salem that is now present-day Danvers. Lynn was once the center of the American shoe industry. Saugus is home to the first integrated ironworks in North America. Peabody had the largest concentration of leather tanneries in the World; and Beverly and Marblehead often dispute over which town was the birth place of the American Navy. Newburyport was well known for producing clipper ships and for a brief time in history was the richest city in the Union; it is also the birthplace of the United States Coast Guard. Newburyport maintains the largest collection of Federal period commercial and residential architecture in the nation.
Salem is considered one of the most significant seaports in Puritan American history. The Puritans were a group of English Reformed Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England from its Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England was only partially reformed. It started as an activist movement and after the ascension of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, Puritanism played a significant role in English history during the 1st half of the 17th century. One of the most effective stokers of anti-Catholic feeling was John Pym, whose movement succeeded in taking control of the government of London in 1641. Puritans then were blocked from changing the establish church from within and were severely restricted in England by laws controlling the practice of religion. Their beliefs were transported by the emigration of congregations to the Netherlands, Ireland and later to the Wales and the region on the North East of the United States known as New England that comprises 6 states : Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the West and South, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the North East and North, respectively. The Atlantic Ocean is to the East and South East, and Long Island Sound is to the South. Puritanism were spread into lay society and parts of the educational system, particularly certain colleges of the University of Cambridge. They were in alliance with the growing commercial world.
New England was settled by religious refugees seeking to build a pure, Bible-based society. They lived closely with the sense of the supernatural. Salem village, in particular, was known for its fractious population, who had many internal disputes. Arguments about property lines, grazing rights, and church privileges were rife, and neighbors considered the population as quarrelsome. In Massachusetts, a successful merchant class began to develop that was less religiously motivated that the colony's early settlers.
The Salem witch trials began after a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by the Devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. As a wave of hysteria spread a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft started between February 1692 and May 1693. The trials resulted in the executions of 20 people, 14 of them women, and all but one by hanging. Five others, including 2 infant children, died in prison. Twelve other women had previously been executed in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Despite being generally known as the Salem Trial, the preliminary hearings were conducted in several towns. Some 150 more men, women and children were accused.
By September 1692, the hysteria begun to abate and public opinion turned against the trials. Though the Massachusetts General Court later annulled guilty verdicts against accused individuals and granted indemnities to their families, bitterness lingered in the community, and the painful legacy would endure for centuries. The episode is one of Colonial America's most notorious cases of mass hysteria. It has been used as a vivid cautionary tale about the dangers of isolationism, religious extremism, false accusations, and lapses in due process.
John Hathorne (1641- 1717), a Puritan merchant and magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Salem was the only judge involved in the Salem Witch Trials who never repented for his actions. He is portrayed as a tall man quite sadistic and the most ignorant, antagonistic character acting as a leading judge who continually denied the witnesses any chance to redeem their names in court, as if he had already determined the outcome. He was cynical and rarely showed emotion, with the exception of the finale, where he was joyful as if Satan was the one acting in him.
Belief in the supernatural and specifically in the Devil's practice of giving certain humans the power to harm others in return for their loyalty had emerged in Europe as early as the 13th century to the end of the 16th century. The harsh realities of life in the rural Puritan communities that fueled the residents of the communities to harbor suspicions and resentment toward their neighbors included the after effect of the British war with France in the American colonies, a smallpox epidemic, fears of attacks from neighboring American tribes and the long standing rivalry with the more affluent communities.
Controversy also brewed over Reverend Samuel Parris, who became Salem's first ordained minister in 1689, and was disliked because of his rigid ways and greedy nature. The Puritan villagers believed all the quarreling were not in themselves instead it was an outside work of the Devil.
The population of the region of the New England at that time would fit into Yankee Stadium of today.
Monday, 17 April 2017
THE LAST DAYS AND HOW WE SERVE GOD.
What events in our time were foretold in the Scripture? What does God's Word say people would be like in "the last days"?
The 2nd Letter from Peter is addressed to a wide circle of Christians. Its main concern is to combat the work of false teachers and the immorality which results from such teaching. The answer is found in holding to the true knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, knowledge which has been conveyed by persons who themselves have seen Jesus and have heard Him teach. The apparent delay in Christ's return is due to the fact that God does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.
2 Peter 3 says: "My dear Friends, this is now the 2nd Letter I have written you. In both Letters I have tried to arouse pure thoughts in your minds by reminding you of these things (1). Our ancestors have already died, but everything is still the same as it was since the Creation of the World! (4). First of all you must understand that in the LAST DAYS some people will appear whose lives are controlled by their own lusts (3). They purposely ignore the fact that LONG AGO God gave a Command, and HEAVENS and EARTH were created (5). The EARTH was formed OUT OF WATER and BY WATER. And it was also by water, the Water of the Flood, that the OLD WORLD was destroyed (6).
(Genesis 1: God said, "Let there be light"... God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the Midst of the Waters, and let it separate the Waters from the waters and God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day). But the HEAVENS and the EARTH that NOW exists are being preserved by the same Command of God, in order to be destroyed by Fire (7). The people whose lives are controlled by their own lusts are being kept for the DAY when godless people will be JUDGED and DESTROYED (7). There is no difference in the Lord's sight between one day and a thousand years; to HIM the two are the same." (8)
1 John 2 says: "My children, the END is near! You were told that the enemy of CHRIST would come; and now many enemies of CHRIST have already appeared, and so we know that the end is near." (18)
(Isaiah 45: 9-13 "Woe to him who strives with His Maker, an earthen vessel with the potter! Does the clay say to Him Who fashions it, 'What are you making'? or 'Your work has no handles'? Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting'? or to a woman, 'With what are you in travail'?". Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and His Maker: "Will you question ME about My children, or command ME concerning the Work of My Hands? I made the Earth, and created Man upon it; it was My Hands that stretched out the Heavens, and I commanded all their host. I have aroused Him in righteousness, and I will make straight all His Ways; He shall built My City and set My exiles free, not for price or reward," says the Lord of hosts). "We write to you about the WORD of LIFE, which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it, and we have seen it with our eyes, and our hands have touched it. (1:1) We write this in order that our joy may be complete. Now the MESSAGE that we have heard from God's Son and announce is this: 'God is light, and there is no darkness at all in Him.(1:4) If, then, we say that we have fellowship with Him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions. But if we live in the light -just as He is in the light- then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, purifies us from every sin." (1: 5-7) "If we obey God's Commands, then we are sure that we know Him. If we say that we know Him, but do not obey His Commands, we are liars and there is no Truth in us. But if we OBEY HIS WORD, we are the ones whose love for God has really been made perfect. This is how we can be sure that we are in union with God: if we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as JESUS CHRIST did." (2: 3-6) "Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him."(Ro.12:1) "Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this World, but let God transform you INWARDLY by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the Will of God -what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect." (Ro. 2:2) "We are not like so many others, who handle GOD's MESSAGE as if it were cheap merchandise; but because God has sent us, we speak with sincerity in His Presence, as servants of CHRIST."(2Cor.2:17) "You yourself are the Letter of recommendation we have, written on our hearts for everyone to know and read. It is clear that CHRIST Himself wrote this letter and sent it by us, It is written, not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, and not on stone tablets but on human hearts."(2 Cor. 3: 2-3)"The capacity we have comes from God; it is He who made us capable of serving the New Covenant, which consist not of a written law but of the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3: 2-3)
James 4 says: "What causes wars, and what causes fights among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the World is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the World makes himself an enemy of God." (1-4)
Isaiah 46 says:"Bel bows down, Nebo stoops, their idols are on beasts and cattle; these things you carry are loaded as burdens on weary beasts. They stoop, they bow down together, they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity. "Hearken to ME, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by ME from your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I AM HE, and to grey hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.
To whom will you liken ME and make ME equal, and compare ME, that we may be alike?"(1-5)
"Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it upon their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I AM GOD, and there is no other; I AM GOD, and there is none like ME, declaring the END from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My Counsel shall Stand, and I will Accomplish All My Purpose.' " (6-10
The 2nd Letter from Peter is addressed to a wide circle of Christians. Its main concern is to combat the work of false teachers and the immorality which results from such teaching. The answer is found in holding to the true knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, knowledge which has been conveyed by persons who themselves have seen Jesus and have heard Him teach. The apparent delay in Christ's return is due to the fact that God does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.
2 Peter 3 says: "My dear Friends, this is now the 2nd Letter I have written you. In both Letters I have tried to arouse pure thoughts in your minds by reminding you of these things (1). Our ancestors have already died, but everything is still the same as it was since the Creation of the World! (4). First of all you must understand that in the LAST DAYS some people will appear whose lives are controlled by their own lusts (3). They purposely ignore the fact that LONG AGO God gave a Command, and HEAVENS and EARTH were created (5). The EARTH was formed OUT OF WATER and BY WATER. And it was also by water, the Water of the Flood, that the OLD WORLD was destroyed (6).
(Genesis 1: God said, "Let there be light"... God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the Midst of the Waters, and let it separate the Waters from the waters and God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day). But the HEAVENS and the EARTH that NOW exists are being preserved by the same Command of God, in order to be destroyed by Fire (7). The people whose lives are controlled by their own lusts are being kept for the DAY when godless people will be JUDGED and DESTROYED (7). There is no difference in the Lord's sight between one day and a thousand years; to HIM the two are the same." (8)
1 John 2 says: "My children, the END is near! You were told that the enemy of CHRIST would come; and now many enemies of CHRIST have already appeared, and so we know that the end is near." (18)
(Isaiah 45: 9-13 "Woe to him who strives with His Maker, an earthen vessel with the potter! Does the clay say to Him Who fashions it, 'What are you making'? or 'Your work has no handles'? Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting'? or to a woman, 'With what are you in travail'?". Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and His Maker: "Will you question ME about My children, or command ME concerning the Work of My Hands? I made the Earth, and created Man upon it; it was My Hands that stretched out the Heavens, and I commanded all their host. I have aroused Him in righteousness, and I will make straight all His Ways; He shall built My City and set My exiles free, not for price or reward," says the Lord of hosts). "We write to you about the WORD of LIFE, which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it, and we have seen it with our eyes, and our hands have touched it. (1:1) We write this in order that our joy may be complete. Now the MESSAGE that we have heard from God's Son and announce is this: 'God is light, and there is no darkness at all in Him.(1:4) If, then, we say that we have fellowship with Him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions. But if we live in the light -just as He is in the light- then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, purifies us from every sin." (1: 5-7) "If we obey God's Commands, then we are sure that we know Him. If we say that we know Him, but do not obey His Commands, we are liars and there is no Truth in us. But if we OBEY HIS WORD, we are the ones whose love for God has really been made perfect. This is how we can be sure that we are in union with God: if we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as JESUS CHRIST did." (2: 3-6) "Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him."(Ro.12:1) "Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this World, but let God transform you INWARDLY by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the Will of God -what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect." (Ro. 2:2) "We are not like so many others, who handle GOD's MESSAGE as if it were cheap merchandise; but because God has sent us, we speak with sincerity in His Presence, as servants of CHRIST."(2Cor.2:17) "You yourself are the Letter of recommendation we have, written on our hearts for everyone to know and read. It is clear that CHRIST Himself wrote this letter and sent it by us, It is written, not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, and not on stone tablets but on human hearts."(2 Cor. 3: 2-3)"The capacity we have comes from God; it is He who made us capable of serving the New Covenant, which consist not of a written law but of the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3: 2-3)
James 4 says: "What causes wars, and what causes fights among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the World is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the World makes himself an enemy of God." (1-4)
Isaiah 46 says:"Bel bows down, Nebo stoops, their idols are on beasts and cattle; these things you carry are loaded as burdens on weary beasts. They stoop, they bow down together, they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity. "Hearken to ME, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by ME from your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I AM HE, and to grey hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.
To whom will you liken ME and make ME equal, and compare ME, that we may be alike?"(1-5)
"Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it upon their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I AM GOD, and there is no other; I AM GOD, and there is none like ME, declaring the END from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My Counsel shall Stand, and I will Accomplish All My Purpose.' " (6-10
Wednesday, 12 April 2017
ARAMEAN DEITIES.
The very few inscriptions that provide information about the Aramean religion during the 8th, 7th, and 6th centuries BC record only the religious feelings of the ruling class. No indication of what kind of religious life of the commoners might have been is ever found. The understanding of the ancient Near Eastern religion comes down to a listing of names, with occasional glimpses as to what a given deity must have meant in concrete terms to an individual.
Associations of powers from gods of various origins are frequent in the epigraphic texts as a result of confederacies in which different clans or groups would invoke their respective entities in order to warrant their mutual commitments. In this respect 'the stele of Zakkur' and the treaties concluded by Matiel, an Aramean king of Arpad, deserve special attention.
Zakkur was king of Hamath and Luath. Hostilities in this Northern part of Syria reached a dramatic point at the beginning of the 8th century. The inscription informs that Zakkur, a usurper, erected the stele for his god, Ilmer, and to express appreciation for Beelshamen's help in delivering him from his many Aramean enemies. The inscription states that Zakkur lifted his hands to the god Beelshamen, and the entity spoke to him through seers and messengers saying:"Fear not, because it was I who made you king."The two entities are mentioned again, along with Shamash and Sahar, on the right face of the stele. Ilwer is the Aramaic spelling of the ancient Mesopotamian name Ilmer, a storm god who came to be assimilated into Hadad. Beelshamen (Phoenician Baalshamim) is an epitet, meaning "lord or power of the heavens." Hadad was worshiped by the Arameans in the Syrian hinterland, and Beelshamen by the Phoenicians on the Mediterranean coast. The association of the entities could have been intended as a powerful move in order to gain to Zakkur's side the alliance of Western people.
Treaties concluded by Aramean rulers point to the active role that unseen entities played in daily life, since they were always invoked to witness the treaties, and their divine curses were called on in the event that there be any violation of the clauses. Matiel, the Aramean king of Beit Gusi, of which Arpad, some 19 miles North of Aleppo, was the capital, concluded a treaty with Ash'Ur'Nirari V. To ensure it against possible violations, the Assyrian king summoned the gods to curse Matiel "should he sin against the treaty." Sin and Hadad were called on in this particular manner:
"May the great lord Sin who dwells in Harran, clothe Mati'Ilu, his sons, his officials, and the people of his land in leprosy as in a cloak so that they have to roam the open country, and may he have no mercy on them ...May Hadad put an end on Mati'Ilu, his land and the people of his land through hunger, want, and famine, so that they eat the flesh of their sons and daughters and it taste as good to them as the flesh of spring lambs. May they be deprived of Adad's thunder so that rain be denied to them. Let dust be their food, pitch their ointment, donkey's urine their drink, rushes their clothing, let their sleeping place be in the corners of walls."
The city of Hamath was located on the Orontes River, along important trade routes, 81km/50mi inland from the Mediterranean, about 190km/118mi North of Damascus, and about 120km/75mi South of Aleppo. The oldest account of Hamath in the Scripture tells how the 12 Israelites spies came up from the South as far as "the entering in of Hamath,"referring to the Southern boundary of the territory. It was to this limit that Joshua's conquest was pushed Northward.
Toi (Tou) king of Hamath sent his son Joram(Hadoram)to congratulate King David for having defeated their common enemy Hadad'Ezer. Hamath was then an independent kingdom (2 Samuel 8:3,9,10; 1Ch. 18:3,9,10). However, during Solomon's reign the kingdom of Hamath was under Israel's control, for Solomon built storage cities in that region (2 Ch. 8:3,4). After Solomon's death, Hamath was free again.
In the 9th century BC, Jeroboam II temporarily brought Hamath again under Israelite control(2K 14:28)
About this time Hamath was described as "populous Hamath" (Amos 6:2). In the 8th century BC, the city and her neighbors, including the Ten-Tribe Kingdom of Israel, were overrun by the Assyrians in their sweep to world domination. Assyria's policy was to exchange and relocate her captives, and so people of Hamath were brought in to replace inhabitants of Samaria who, in turn, were moved to Hamath and other places (2 Ki 12:24; 19:12,13; Isa 10:9-11; 37:12,13). In the high places of Samaria, the people of Hamath then set up images of their god Ash'Ima (2 Ki. 17:29,30; 18:33,34; Isa 36:18,19)
According to an extant cuneiform inscription, after the Battle of Carchemish in 625BC (Jeremiah 46:2)
Nebuchadnezzar's forces overtook and destroyed the fleeing Egyptians in the district of Hamath.
In this same area, a few years earlier, Pharaoh Nechoh had taken King Jeho'Ahaz captive (2Ki 23:31-33). Then in 607BC, with the Fall of Jerusalem, Zedekiah and other captives were taken to Riblah in the region of Hamath, and there before his eyes Zedekiah's sons, along with other of the nobility, were put to death (2 King 25:18-21; Jeremiah 39:5,6; 52: 9,10, 24-27). Nevertheless, GOD had promised that in due time HE would restore a remnant of His captive people, including those in the land of Hamath. (Isaiah 11: 11,12)
Associations of powers from gods of various origins are frequent in the epigraphic texts as a result of confederacies in which different clans or groups would invoke their respective entities in order to warrant their mutual commitments. In this respect 'the stele of Zakkur' and the treaties concluded by Matiel, an Aramean king of Arpad, deserve special attention.
Zakkur was king of Hamath and Luath. Hostilities in this Northern part of Syria reached a dramatic point at the beginning of the 8th century. The inscription informs that Zakkur, a usurper, erected the stele for his god, Ilmer, and to express appreciation for Beelshamen's help in delivering him from his many Aramean enemies. The inscription states that Zakkur lifted his hands to the god Beelshamen, and the entity spoke to him through seers and messengers saying:"Fear not, because it was I who made you king."The two entities are mentioned again, along with Shamash and Sahar, on the right face of the stele. Ilwer is the Aramaic spelling of the ancient Mesopotamian name Ilmer, a storm god who came to be assimilated into Hadad. Beelshamen (Phoenician Baalshamim) is an epitet, meaning "lord or power of the heavens." Hadad was worshiped by the Arameans in the Syrian hinterland, and Beelshamen by the Phoenicians on the Mediterranean coast. The association of the entities could have been intended as a powerful move in order to gain to Zakkur's side the alliance of Western people.
Treaties concluded by Aramean rulers point to the active role that unseen entities played in daily life, since they were always invoked to witness the treaties, and their divine curses were called on in the event that there be any violation of the clauses. Matiel, the Aramean king of Beit Gusi, of which Arpad, some 19 miles North of Aleppo, was the capital, concluded a treaty with Ash'Ur'Nirari V. To ensure it against possible violations, the Assyrian king summoned the gods to curse Matiel "should he sin against the treaty." Sin and Hadad were called on in this particular manner:
"May the great lord Sin who dwells in Harran, clothe Mati'Ilu, his sons, his officials, and the people of his land in leprosy as in a cloak so that they have to roam the open country, and may he have no mercy on them ...May Hadad put an end on Mati'Ilu, his land and the people of his land through hunger, want, and famine, so that they eat the flesh of their sons and daughters and it taste as good to them as the flesh of spring lambs. May they be deprived of Adad's thunder so that rain be denied to them. Let dust be their food, pitch their ointment, donkey's urine their drink, rushes their clothing, let their sleeping place be in the corners of walls."
The city of Hamath was located on the Orontes River, along important trade routes, 81km/50mi inland from the Mediterranean, about 190km/118mi North of Damascus, and about 120km/75mi South of Aleppo. The oldest account of Hamath in the Scripture tells how the 12 Israelites spies came up from the South as far as "the entering in of Hamath,"referring to the Southern boundary of the territory. It was to this limit that Joshua's conquest was pushed Northward.
Toi (Tou) king of Hamath sent his son Joram(Hadoram)to congratulate King David for having defeated their common enemy Hadad'Ezer. Hamath was then an independent kingdom (2 Samuel 8:3,9,10; 1Ch. 18:3,9,10). However, during Solomon's reign the kingdom of Hamath was under Israel's control, for Solomon built storage cities in that region (2 Ch. 8:3,4). After Solomon's death, Hamath was free again.
In the 9th century BC, Jeroboam II temporarily brought Hamath again under Israelite control(2K 14:28)
About this time Hamath was described as "populous Hamath" (Amos 6:2). In the 8th century BC, the city and her neighbors, including the Ten-Tribe Kingdom of Israel, were overrun by the Assyrians in their sweep to world domination. Assyria's policy was to exchange and relocate her captives, and so people of Hamath were brought in to replace inhabitants of Samaria who, in turn, were moved to Hamath and other places (2 Ki 12:24; 19:12,13; Isa 10:9-11; 37:12,13). In the high places of Samaria, the people of Hamath then set up images of their god Ash'Ima (2 Ki. 17:29,30; 18:33,34; Isa 36:18,19)
According to an extant cuneiform inscription, after the Battle of Carchemish in 625BC (Jeremiah 46:2)
Nebuchadnezzar's forces overtook and destroyed the fleeing Egyptians in the district of Hamath.
In this same area, a few years earlier, Pharaoh Nechoh had taken King Jeho'Ahaz captive (2Ki 23:31-33). Then in 607BC, with the Fall of Jerusalem, Zedekiah and other captives were taken to Riblah in the region of Hamath, and there before his eyes Zedekiah's sons, along with other of the nobility, were put to death (2 King 25:18-21; Jeremiah 39:5,6; 52: 9,10, 24-27). Nevertheless, GOD had promised that in due time HE would restore a remnant of His captive people, including those in the land of Hamath. (Isaiah 11: 11,12)
THE SONS OF ARAM.
A'Ram (highland, high, exalted) is the last son listed of Shem's five sons. Shem is one of Noah's three sons and the Scripture says, "from these all the earth's population spread abroad" following the global Flood.
Genesis 6 says, "The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that HE had made man on earth, and it grieved Him to His Heart. So the LORD said, 'I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for I AM SORRY that I HAVE MADE THEM."(6:5-8)
After creating the first couple, GOD said:"Here I have given to you all vegetation bearing seed which is on the surface of the whole earth and every tree on which there is the fruit of a tree bearing seed.To you let it serve as food." To the first man HE also said:"From every tree of the garden you may eat plenty to satisfaction," adding a prohibition on one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and bad (Genesis1:29, 30; 2:16,17). From that time until the Flood, the Scripture gives no indication that man included the flesh of animals in his diet. A distinction was made between clean and unclean animals with regard to animals used for sacrificial purposes (Genesis 7:2). When Noah was commanded to take the animals into the Ark, GOD told Noah:"As for you, take for yourself every sort of food that is eaten; and you must gather it to yourself, and it must serve as food for you and for them(Genesis 6:21). After the Flood GOD allowed man to add flesh to his diet, saying:"Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. And in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to you. Only flesh with its soul -its blood- you must not eat"(Genesis 9:3,4).
Although Noah's three sons are consistently listed as "Shem, Ham and Japhet,"there is some uncertainty as to their relative positions according to age. The fact that Shem is mentioned first is of itself no definite indication that Shem was Noah's firstborn, since Shem's own firstborn son, Arpach'Shad, is listed 3rd in the genealogical records.
Genesis 10 says, "To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. The son of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpach'Shad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan. Joktan became the father of Almo'Dad, She'Leph, Hazarma'Veth, Jerah, Hador'Am, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abim'a-El, Sheba, Ophir, Hav'I-Lah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan." (10: 21-30)
The Scripture says that Noah began to father sons after reaching 500 years of age, the Flood occurring in his 600th year (Genesis 5:32; 7:6). Already married at the time of the Flood (Genesis 6:18), Shem is stated to have fathered his first son, Arpach'Shad, two years after the Flood when he (Shem) was 100 years old (Genesis 11:10). This means that Shem was born when Noah was 502 years of age and, since Ham appears to be referred to as the "youngest son"(Genesis 9:24), Japheth would be the first son born to Noah, when he was 500 years of age.
1Chronicles 1 says, "The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpach'Shad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. Arpach'Shad was the father of Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg (for in his days the earth was divided), and the name of his brother Joktan. Joktan was the father of Almo'Dad, Sheleph, Hazarma'Veth, Jerah, Hador'Am, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abim'a-El, Sheba, Ophir, Hav'I-Lah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan." (1:17-23)
Following the birth of Arpach'Shad, other sons and daughters were born to Shem, including Elam, Asshur, Lud and Aram (Genesis 10:22; 11:11). After Aram, the parallel account at 1 Chronicles 1:17 also lists "Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash," but at Genesis 10:23 these are shown to be the sons of Aram.
1Chronicles 1 also says, "Shem, Arpach'Shad, Shelah; Eber, Peleg, Re'U; Serug, Nahor, Terah; Abram, that is, Abraham. (24)
Aram and his four sons, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash, constituted 5 of the 70 post-Flood families, and their descendants were the Arameans and Syrians. A'Ram, used alone, applies to Syria. It includes the region from Lebanon Mountains across to Mesopotamia and from the Taurus Mountains in the North down to Damascus and beyond in the South. Aram-Naharaim in Greek is "Mesopotamia," which is understood to refer to "land between Rivers." The two Rivers were the Euphrates and the Tigris.
Stephen speaks of Abraham as living in Mesopotamia while yet down in Ur of the Chaldeans (Acts 7:2), and when sending his servant to seek a wife for Isaac many years later, Abraham told his servant to go to the city of Nahor in Upper Mesopotamia (Aram-Naharaim) (Genesis 24:2-4,10)
Paddan-Aram is used with reference to the area around the city of Haran in Upper Mesopotamia (Aram-Naharaim) (Genesis 25:20; 28:2-7,10). The Arameans were to be found throughout all these areas. Additionally, the name Uz, one of A'Ram's 4 sons, is applied to the area of the Arabian Desert East of the Promised Land and touching on the borders of Edom (Job 1:1; Lamentations 4:21).
Aramaic's language was closely related to Hebrew and in time became an international language of both trade and diplomacy throughout the regions of the Fertile Crescent. (2 Kings 18:26) Aramaic was employed particularly from the 2nd millennium BC to about 500 CE. It is one of the three languages in which the Scripture was originally written.
Biblical Aramaic, formerly called Chaldee, is found in Ezra 4:8 to 6:18 and 7:12-26; Jeremiah 10:11; and Daniel 2:4 to 7:28. The Hebrew word "Ara-mith" occurs five times and is translated "in the Syrian language" or "in the Aramaic language." (2Kings 18:26; Isa 36:11; Daniel 2:4; Ezra4:7[twice])
Aramean kingdoms begin to be mentioned in the Scripture contemporaneously with the development of the nation of Israel.
Genesis 6 says, "The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that HE had made man on earth, and it grieved Him to His Heart. So the LORD said, 'I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for I AM SORRY that I HAVE MADE THEM."(6:5-8)
After creating the first couple, GOD said:"Here I have given to you all vegetation bearing seed which is on the surface of the whole earth and every tree on which there is the fruit of a tree bearing seed.To you let it serve as food." To the first man HE also said:"From every tree of the garden you may eat plenty to satisfaction," adding a prohibition on one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and bad (Genesis1:29, 30; 2:16,17). From that time until the Flood, the Scripture gives no indication that man included the flesh of animals in his diet. A distinction was made between clean and unclean animals with regard to animals used for sacrificial purposes (Genesis 7:2). When Noah was commanded to take the animals into the Ark, GOD told Noah:"As for you, take for yourself every sort of food that is eaten; and you must gather it to yourself, and it must serve as food for you and for them(Genesis 6:21). After the Flood GOD allowed man to add flesh to his diet, saying:"Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. And in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to you. Only flesh with its soul -its blood- you must not eat"(Genesis 9:3,4).
Although Noah's three sons are consistently listed as "Shem, Ham and Japhet,"there is some uncertainty as to their relative positions according to age. The fact that Shem is mentioned first is of itself no definite indication that Shem was Noah's firstborn, since Shem's own firstborn son, Arpach'Shad, is listed 3rd in the genealogical records.
Genesis 10 says, "To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. The son of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpach'Shad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan. Joktan became the father of Almo'Dad, She'Leph, Hazarma'Veth, Jerah, Hador'Am, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abim'a-El, Sheba, Ophir, Hav'I-Lah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan." (10: 21-30)
The Scripture says that Noah began to father sons after reaching 500 years of age, the Flood occurring in his 600th year (Genesis 5:32; 7:6). Already married at the time of the Flood (Genesis 6:18), Shem is stated to have fathered his first son, Arpach'Shad, two years after the Flood when he (Shem) was 100 years old (Genesis 11:10). This means that Shem was born when Noah was 502 years of age and, since Ham appears to be referred to as the "youngest son"(Genesis 9:24), Japheth would be the first son born to Noah, when he was 500 years of age.
1Chronicles 1 says, "The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpach'Shad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. Arpach'Shad was the father of Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg (for in his days the earth was divided), and the name of his brother Joktan. Joktan was the father of Almo'Dad, Sheleph, Hazarma'Veth, Jerah, Hador'Am, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abim'a-El, Sheba, Ophir, Hav'I-Lah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan." (1:17-23)
Following the birth of Arpach'Shad, other sons and daughters were born to Shem, including Elam, Asshur, Lud and Aram (Genesis 10:22; 11:11). After Aram, the parallel account at 1 Chronicles 1:17 also lists "Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash," but at Genesis 10:23 these are shown to be the sons of Aram.
1Chronicles 1 also says, "Shem, Arpach'Shad, Shelah; Eber, Peleg, Re'U; Serug, Nahor, Terah; Abram, that is, Abraham. (24)
Aram and his four sons, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash, constituted 5 of the 70 post-Flood families, and their descendants were the Arameans and Syrians. A'Ram, used alone, applies to Syria. It includes the region from Lebanon Mountains across to Mesopotamia and from the Taurus Mountains in the North down to Damascus and beyond in the South. Aram-Naharaim in Greek is "Mesopotamia," which is understood to refer to "land between Rivers." The two Rivers were the Euphrates and the Tigris.
Stephen speaks of Abraham as living in Mesopotamia while yet down in Ur of the Chaldeans (Acts 7:2), and when sending his servant to seek a wife for Isaac many years later, Abraham told his servant to go to the city of Nahor in Upper Mesopotamia (Aram-Naharaim) (Genesis 24:2-4,10)
Paddan-Aram is used with reference to the area around the city of Haran in Upper Mesopotamia (Aram-Naharaim) (Genesis 25:20; 28:2-7,10). The Arameans were to be found throughout all these areas. Additionally, the name Uz, one of A'Ram's 4 sons, is applied to the area of the Arabian Desert East of the Promised Land and touching on the borders of Edom (Job 1:1; Lamentations 4:21).
Aramaic's language was closely related to Hebrew and in time became an international language of both trade and diplomacy throughout the regions of the Fertile Crescent. (2 Kings 18:26) Aramaic was employed particularly from the 2nd millennium BC to about 500 CE. It is one of the three languages in which the Scripture was originally written.
Biblical Aramaic, formerly called Chaldee, is found in Ezra 4:8 to 6:18 and 7:12-26; Jeremiah 10:11; and Daniel 2:4 to 7:28. The Hebrew word "Ara-mith" occurs five times and is translated "in the Syrian language" or "in the Aramaic language." (2Kings 18:26; Isa 36:11; Daniel 2:4; Ezra4:7[twice])
Aramean kingdoms begin to be mentioned in the Scripture contemporaneously with the development of the nation of Israel.
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
THE CITY OF PALMYRA.
PALMYRA is an ancient city of Central Syria, located in an oasis 210km/130mi North East of Damascus.
Once dubbed the "Bride of the Desert," Palmyra was a vital stop for caravans crossing the Syrian Desert.
Palmyra is the Greek name for the city, a translation of its original Aramaic name, Tadmor, which means "Palm Tree."
Palmyra is mentioned in tablets dating as early as the 20 century BC, when it was a trading city in the extensive trade network that linked Mesopotamia and Northern Syria. Palmyra appears in 2 Chronicles, chapter 8, as a desert city being fortified by Solomon. The Chronicles describe the rule of Solomon as King of Israel, records the revolt of the Northern Tribes led by Jeroboam against Rehoboam, Solomon's son and successor, and continues an account of the kingdom of Judah until the Fall of Jerusalem. There is also a mention of a city of Tamar in 1Kings 9, also fortified by Solomon.
The Aramean city of Tadmor (Palmyra) began to attain prominence in the 3rd century BC, when a road through it became one of the main routes of East-West trade. It was built on an oasis lying approximately halfway between the Mediterranean Sea in the West and the Euphrates River in the East, and thus helped connect the Western World with the Orient. When the Seleucids took Syria in 323BC, Palmyra remained autonomous and continued to flourish as an important caravan stop. Mark Antony tried to occupy Palmyra in 41BC but failed. The Palmyrians had advance warning and had escaped to the other side of the Euphrates by the time he arrived, which indicates that Palmyra's valuables were able to move at short notice. During the reign of Tiberius (14-37CE), Palmyra was made part of the Roman province of Syria. Palmyra then steadily grew in importance as a trade route linking Persia, India, China, and the Roman empire. Hadrian visited Palmyra in 129CE and was so impressed that he proclaimed it a free city and renamed it Palmyra Hadriana. The emperor Caracalla made Palmyra a colonia, which meant exemption from paying taxes to the empire. The 2nd and 3rd centuries CE were the golden age of Palmyra, when it flourished through its extensive trading and favored status under the Romans.
The main god of the Arameans at Palmyra was Bol. He soon became known as Bel by assimilation to the Babylonian god Bel-Marduk; both gods presided over the movements of the stars. Ruins of the temple of Bel can still be seen today. The ancient ruins at the site today show the several temples that the Palmyrians dedicated to its Aramean, Babylonian, and Mesopotamian deities. The site is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Syria.
The language of Palmyra was Aramaic. Its two systems of writing, a monumental script and a Mesopotamian cursive, reflect the city's position between East and West.
Palmyra's trade began to diminish in the early 3rd century CE, when the Persian Sassanids occupied the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates and closed the caravan road that passed through Palmyra (227CE).
In 255CE, Septimus Oda'Enathus was appointed governor of Syria Phoenice, based in Palmyra, Five years later, he was made Governor of all the East.
In 266 Oda'Enathus and his elder son were killed by assassination. Power fell to his infant son, but Oda'Enathus' wife, Zenobia, became the effective ruler. Some believe she was the one who hired the assassin. The ambitious Zenobia was half-Greek and half-Arab and claimed to be descended from Cleopatra. She was exceptionally intelligent and an eloquent speaker of Aramean Palmyrian, Greek, and Egyptian, and very attractive. Philosophers, scholars, and theologians were in her court. She was an effective ruler and her armies conquered most of Anatolia (Asia Minor) in 270CE, and the city declared its independence from Rome. Zenobia had her sights set on Antioch when she was captured in 272CE. She was sent to Rome, where she was paraded in golden chains as emperor Aurelian's trophy.
There are two stories of Zenobia's last days: she either lived confortably in Rome in a villa provided by the emperor or she starved/poisoned herself to death. A year later, Palmyra was destroyed and the inhabitants slaughtered.
In the 6th century CE, Palmyra's defences wre rebuilt by emperor Justinian and a few Byzantine churches were built, but most of the city remained in ruins. In 634CE, Palmyra was taken by the Muslim Arabs in the name of the first Muslim caliph, Abu Bakr. A castle was built on top of a mountain overlooking the oasis. Surrounded by a moat, the castle was accessible only through a drawbridge.
In 1089CE, a major earthquake destroyed what was left of Palmyra. In 1678, Palmyra was found again by two English merchants living in Aleppo. As usual, excavations at what was suppose to be sealed and never open, started in 1924. The ancient ruins were unearthed and declared UNESCO World Heritage by the people of the Western World. The extensive ruins somehow reveal the network plan of the ancient evil power that once stood at the crossroads of several civilizations.
Once dubbed the "Bride of the Desert," Palmyra was a vital stop for caravans crossing the Syrian Desert.
Palmyra is the Greek name for the city, a translation of its original Aramaic name, Tadmor, which means "Palm Tree."
Palmyra is mentioned in tablets dating as early as the 20 century BC, when it was a trading city in the extensive trade network that linked Mesopotamia and Northern Syria. Palmyra appears in 2 Chronicles, chapter 8, as a desert city being fortified by Solomon. The Chronicles describe the rule of Solomon as King of Israel, records the revolt of the Northern Tribes led by Jeroboam against Rehoboam, Solomon's son and successor, and continues an account of the kingdom of Judah until the Fall of Jerusalem. There is also a mention of a city of Tamar in 1Kings 9, also fortified by Solomon.
The Aramean city of Tadmor (Palmyra) began to attain prominence in the 3rd century BC, when a road through it became one of the main routes of East-West trade. It was built on an oasis lying approximately halfway between the Mediterranean Sea in the West and the Euphrates River in the East, and thus helped connect the Western World with the Orient. When the Seleucids took Syria in 323BC, Palmyra remained autonomous and continued to flourish as an important caravan stop. Mark Antony tried to occupy Palmyra in 41BC but failed. The Palmyrians had advance warning and had escaped to the other side of the Euphrates by the time he arrived, which indicates that Palmyra's valuables were able to move at short notice. During the reign of Tiberius (14-37CE), Palmyra was made part of the Roman province of Syria. Palmyra then steadily grew in importance as a trade route linking Persia, India, China, and the Roman empire. Hadrian visited Palmyra in 129CE and was so impressed that he proclaimed it a free city and renamed it Palmyra Hadriana. The emperor Caracalla made Palmyra a colonia, which meant exemption from paying taxes to the empire. The 2nd and 3rd centuries CE were the golden age of Palmyra, when it flourished through its extensive trading and favored status under the Romans.
The main god of the Arameans at Palmyra was Bol. He soon became known as Bel by assimilation to the Babylonian god Bel-Marduk; both gods presided over the movements of the stars. Ruins of the temple of Bel can still be seen today. The ancient ruins at the site today show the several temples that the Palmyrians dedicated to its Aramean, Babylonian, and Mesopotamian deities. The site is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Syria.
The language of Palmyra was Aramaic. Its two systems of writing, a monumental script and a Mesopotamian cursive, reflect the city's position between East and West.
Palmyra's trade began to diminish in the early 3rd century CE, when the Persian Sassanids occupied the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates and closed the caravan road that passed through Palmyra (227CE).
In 255CE, Septimus Oda'Enathus was appointed governor of Syria Phoenice, based in Palmyra, Five years later, he was made Governor of all the East.
In 266 Oda'Enathus and his elder son were killed by assassination. Power fell to his infant son, but Oda'Enathus' wife, Zenobia, became the effective ruler. Some believe she was the one who hired the assassin. The ambitious Zenobia was half-Greek and half-Arab and claimed to be descended from Cleopatra. She was exceptionally intelligent and an eloquent speaker of Aramean Palmyrian, Greek, and Egyptian, and very attractive. Philosophers, scholars, and theologians were in her court. She was an effective ruler and her armies conquered most of Anatolia (Asia Minor) in 270CE, and the city declared its independence from Rome. Zenobia had her sights set on Antioch when she was captured in 272CE. She was sent to Rome, where she was paraded in golden chains as emperor Aurelian's trophy.
There are two stories of Zenobia's last days: she either lived confortably in Rome in a villa provided by the emperor or she starved/poisoned herself to death. A year later, Palmyra was destroyed and the inhabitants slaughtered.
In the 6th century CE, Palmyra's defences wre rebuilt by emperor Justinian and a few Byzantine churches were built, but most of the city remained in ruins. In 634CE, Palmyra was taken by the Muslim Arabs in the name of the first Muslim caliph, Abu Bakr. A castle was built on top of a mountain overlooking the oasis. Surrounded by a moat, the castle was accessible only through a drawbridge.
In 1089CE, a major earthquake destroyed what was left of Palmyra. In 1678, Palmyra was found again by two English merchants living in Aleppo. As usual, excavations at what was suppose to be sealed and never open, started in 1924. The ancient ruins were unearthed and declared UNESCO World Heritage by the people of the Western World. The extensive ruins somehow reveal the network plan of the ancient evil power that once stood at the crossroads of several civilizations.
Sunday, 26 March 2017
HELL DEFINITION.
Hell is an English word to translate 4 Scriptural terms: -Hebrew 'Sheol' and Greek 'Hades' refer to the World of the Dead; Tartarus is the place of punishment for fallen angels awaiting final judgment; Greek
'Gehenna' is the place and condition of just retribution saved for the post-judgment impenitent.
- Sheol was the grave and the shadowy realm of the dead, where the human way of life no longer exists.
-Hades is a preparatory place where the souls await their end. Sheol and Hades are understood as the dark and gloomy abodes of the dead. The belief in resurrection means GOD would bring the dead from Hades back to life -a return of corporeal life; a life for resurrected spirits in Heaven. GOD will bring the soul form Hades and the body from the grave to be rejoined in resurrection. At the resurrection death ceases, and Hades will be closed. Both death and Hades diminish into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20 says, "Then I saw a great White Throne and HIM Who sat upon it; from HIS Presence Earth and Sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing Before the Throne, and Books were opened. Also another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the Books, by what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged by what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the 2nd Death, the Lake of Fire; and if any one's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire." (11-15)
- Gehenna refers to the final place of retribution, an eternal doom for the wholly wicked.
In Jewish point of view, Death means separation of body and soul. Yet no harm occurs after death, for the soul remains secure. The Old Testament makes no reference to torture once persons are relegated to Sheol.
JESUS did not proclaim a doctrine of Hell nor describe damnation, and spoke only marginally of Hell.
Matthew 25 says, "Cast the worthless servant into the outer Darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. When the Son of Man comes in His Glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His Glorious Throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will place the sheep at His Right Hand, but the goats at the Left. Then the King will say to those at His Right Hand: 'Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My Brethren, you did it to Me.' Then He will say to those at His Left Hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the Eternal Fire prepared for the Devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly,I say to you,
as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me.' And they will go away into the Eternal punishment, but the righteous into Eternal life. " (30-46)
'Gehenna' is the place and condition of just retribution saved for the post-judgment impenitent.
- Sheol was the grave and the shadowy realm of the dead, where the human way of life no longer exists.
-Hades is a preparatory place where the souls await their end. Sheol and Hades are understood as the dark and gloomy abodes of the dead. The belief in resurrection means GOD would bring the dead from Hades back to life -a return of corporeal life; a life for resurrected spirits in Heaven. GOD will bring the soul form Hades and the body from the grave to be rejoined in resurrection. At the resurrection death ceases, and Hades will be closed. Both death and Hades diminish into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20 says, "Then I saw a great White Throne and HIM Who sat upon it; from HIS Presence Earth and Sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing Before the Throne, and Books were opened. Also another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the Books, by what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged by what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the 2nd Death, the Lake of Fire; and if any one's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire." (11-15)
- Gehenna refers to the final place of retribution, an eternal doom for the wholly wicked.
In Jewish point of view, Death means separation of body and soul. Yet no harm occurs after death, for the soul remains secure. The Old Testament makes no reference to torture once persons are relegated to Sheol.
JESUS did not proclaim a doctrine of Hell nor describe damnation, and spoke only marginally of Hell.
Matthew 25 says, "Cast the worthless servant into the outer Darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. When the Son of Man comes in His Glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His Glorious Throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will place the sheep at His Right Hand, but the goats at the Left. Then the King will say to those at His Right Hand: 'Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My Brethren, you did it to Me.' Then He will say to those at His Left Hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the Eternal Fire prepared for the Devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly,I say to you,
as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me.' And they will go away into the Eternal punishment, but the righteous into Eternal life. " (30-46)
GOD 's DREAMS.
Dreams are the thoughts or mental images a person has while asleep. The Scripture refers to Dreams from GOD; Natural Dreams; and False Dreams.
- Dreams from GOD were received by GOD's Servants and by persons not devoted to Him.
In Numbers 12, when Miriam, the sister of Moses is punished, we have a clear example of Dreams from GOD received by His Servants. The narrative claims: "Moses had married a Cush'Ite woman, and Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses for it. Miriam and Aaron said, 'Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?' And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was 'very meek', more than all men that were on the Face of the Earth. And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, 'Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting.' And the 3 of them came out. And the Lord came down in a Pillar of Cloud, and Stood at the Door of the Tent, and Called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. And GOD said, 'Hear MY WORDS: If there is a Prophet among you, I the Lord MAKE MYSELF KNOWN to him IN a VISION, I SPEAK with him IN A DREAM. Not so with My Servant Moses; he is Entrusted with All My House. WITH MOSES I SPEAK MOUTH TO MOUTH, CLEARLY, and NOT IN DARK SPEECH; and HE BEHOLDS THE FORM of the LORD. Why then were not you afraid to speak against My Servant Moses?" (1-8)
In 1Kings 3, when Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, he prayed to GOD for wisdom. The narrative claims: "Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh the king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her into the City of David, until he had finished building his own palace (house), the Temple, and the Wall around Jerusalem. The people were sacrificing at the High Places, however, because no Temple had yet been built for the NAME OF THE LORD. Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father; only, he sacrificed and burnt incense at the High Places. And Solomon the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the most famous and great High place's altar. He used to offer a thousand Burnt Offerings upon that altar.
At Gibeon, during the Night, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a Dream; and GOD said, 'Ask what I shall Give you.' And Solomon said, 'You have shown Great and Steadfast LOVE to Your Servant David my father, because he walked Before You in Faithfulness, in Righteousness, and in Uprightness of heart toward YOU; and YOU Have Kept for him this Great and Steadfast LOVE, and Have Given him a son to sit on his throne and rules in his place this Day. O Lord GOD, You have Let me succeed my father as king, although I am but a little child in spirit; I do not know how to go out or come in, and here I am in the midst of Your People whom You Have Chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. So give me therefore an 'understanding mind' to govern Your People, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this Your great People?"
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. (1-9)
- Natural Dreams are the ones stimulated by certain thoughts or emotions, sensations or daily activities.
These dreams are of no great significance. A hungry person may dream of eating and a thirsty one of drinking, but they awake unsatisfied. Babylonians had such trust in these type of dreams that on the eve of important decisions they slept in temples, hoping for counsel. Greeks used the same type of dreams in his pursuit of health instruction. They slept in shrines of Aesculapius, and Romans in temples of Serapis. Egyptians were very familiar with this type of dreams that they were able to elaborate books for dream interpretation. The Scripture warns against looking for omens, whether in natural dreams or in various incidents. Deuteronomy 18 claims: "When you come into the Land which the Lord your GOD gives you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. In the Land shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, any one who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord,and because of these abominable practices the Lord your GOD is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless Before the Lord your GOD. (9-14)
- False Dreams are Scripturally condemned. According to the Law, a false dreamer who urged the committing of idolatry was to be put to death. Deuteronomy 13 claims: "If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder which he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them.' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your GOD is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul." (1-3) The prophet Zechariah assures the Deliverance of GOD's Promises by saying: "Ask the Lord for rain in the season of spring rain, from the Lord Who Makes the storm clouds, Who Gives men showers of rain, making the Fields green to everyone. For the Teraphim utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; the dreamers tell false dreams, and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for want of a shepherd. My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord of Hosts cares for His Flock, the House of Judah, and will make them like His Proud Steed in Battle. Out of them shall come the Corner Stone, out of them the Tent Peg, out of them the Battle Bow, out of them every ruler. Together they shall be like Mighty Men in Battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the Lord is with them, and they shall defeat the enemy cavalry, the riders on horses." (10: 1-5)
The Scripture speaks of Dreams in a figurative sense describing the actions that defiles the Flesh, and those already defiled are the ones who found a way to slip into the Christian congregation.
Jude warns the Believers against such men "indulging in dreams," and these persons apparently dreaming (imagining) think they can with impunity violate GOD's WORD and defile flesh in the Congregation. They will receive adverse judgment from the Supreme Judge our Lord and GOD.
- Dreams from GOD were received by GOD's Servants and by persons not devoted to Him.
In Numbers 12, when Miriam, the sister of Moses is punished, we have a clear example of Dreams from GOD received by His Servants. The narrative claims: "Moses had married a Cush'Ite woman, and Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses for it. Miriam and Aaron said, 'Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?' And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was 'very meek', more than all men that were on the Face of the Earth. And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, 'Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting.' And the 3 of them came out. And the Lord came down in a Pillar of Cloud, and Stood at the Door of the Tent, and Called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. And GOD said, 'Hear MY WORDS: If there is a Prophet among you, I the Lord MAKE MYSELF KNOWN to him IN a VISION, I SPEAK with him IN A DREAM. Not so with My Servant Moses; he is Entrusted with All My House. WITH MOSES I SPEAK MOUTH TO MOUTH, CLEARLY, and NOT IN DARK SPEECH; and HE BEHOLDS THE FORM of the LORD. Why then were not you afraid to speak against My Servant Moses?" (1-8)
In 1Kings 3, when Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, he prayed to GOD for wisdom. The narrative claims: "Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh the king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her into the City of David, until he had finished building his own palace (house), the Temple, and the Wall around Jerusalem. The people were sacrificing at the High Places, however, because no Temple had yet been built for the NAME OF THE LORD. Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father; only, he sacrificed and burnt incense at the High Places. And Solomon the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the most famous and great High place's altar. He used to offer a thousand Burnt Offerings upon that altar.
At Gibeon, during the Night, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a Dream; and GOD said, 'Ask what I shall Give you.' And Solomon said, 'You have shown Great and Steadfast LOVE to Your Servant David my father, because he walked Before You in Faithfulness, in Righteousness, and in Uprightness of heart toward YOU; and YOU Have Kept for him this Great and Steadfast LOVE, and Have Given him a son to sit on his throne and rules in his place this Day. O Lord GOD, You have Let me succeed my father as king, although I am but a little child in spirit; I do not know how to go out or come in, and here I am in the midst of Your People whom You Have Chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. So give me therefore an 'understanding mind' to govern Your People, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this Your great People?"
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. (1-9)
- Natural Dreams are the ones stimulated by certain thoughts or emotions, sensations or daily activities.
These dreams are of no great significance. A hungry person may dream of eating and a thirsty one of drinking, but they awake unsatisfied. Babylonians had such trust in these type of dreams that on the eve of important decisions they slept in temples, hoping for counsel. Greeks used the same type of dreams in his pursuit of health instruction. They slept in shrines of Aesculapius, and Romans in temples of Serapis. Egyptians were very familiar with this type of dreams that they were able to elaborate books for dream interpretation. The Scripture warns against looking for omens, whether in natural dreams or in various incidents. Deuteronomy 18 claims: "When you come into the Land which the Lord your GOD gives you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. In the Land shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, any one who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord,and because of these abominable practices the Lord your GOD is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless Before the Lord your GOD. (9-14)
- False Dreams are Scripturally condemned. According to the Law, a false dreamer who urged the committing of idolatry was to be put to death. Deuteronomy 13 claims: "If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder which he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them.' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your GOD is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul." (1-3) The prophet Zechariah assures the Deliverance of GOD's Promises by saying: "Ask the Lord for rain in the season of spring rain, from the Lord Who Makes the storm clouds, Who Gives men showers of rain, making the Fields green to everyone. For the Teraphim utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; the dreamers tell false dreams, and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for want of a shepherd. My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord of Hosts cares for His Flock, the House of Judah, and will make them like His Proud Steed in Battle. Out of them shall come the Corner Stone, out of them the Tent Peg, out of them the Battle Bow, out of them every ruler. Together they shall be like Mighty Men in Battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the Lord is with them, and they shall defeat the enemy cavalry, the riders on horses." (10: 1-5)
The Scripture speaks of Dreams in a figurative sense describing the actions that defiles the Flesh, and those already defiled are the ones who found a way to slip into the Christian congregation.
Jude warns the Believers against such men "indulging in dreams," and these persons apparently dreaming (imagining) think they can with impunity violate GOD's WORD and defile flesh in the Congregation. They will receive adverse judgment from the Supreme Judge our Lord and GOD.
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