Daniel 4

[JLG]

79)
The New Testament and the Temple The temple is a central feature in the Gospel narratives of the life and ministry of Jesus. The Gospel of Luke opens in the temple with the appearance of the angel Gabriel to the priest Zacharias as he was officiating at the incense altar in the Holy Place (Luke 1:5–24), and the Gospel of Luke ends with a note that the disciples of Jesus, after his ascension “were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God” (Luke 24:53). Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took him to the temple to offer the burnt and sin offerings as prescribed by the law of Moses (Leviticus 12:6–8), and there they met Anna and Simeon, who both proclaimed Jesus’s messiahship (Luke 2:28–38). The only story of the youth of Jesus in the Gospels recounts how as a twelve-year-old, after being left behind in Jerusalem following the Passover feast, he was found by his parents conversing with the elders at the temple (Luke 2:41–52). And as part of the temptations Jesus was transported by the Spirit (JST) to “a pinnacle of the temple” where Satan tempted him to throw himself off so that the angels would come and save him (Luke 4:9–11; Matthew 4:5). The Gospel of John records that Jesus cleansed the temple at the outset of his ministry as a symbol that he came in power and with authority, and Jesus used this occasion to teach of his eventual death and resurrection from the dead (John 2:13–25). Following this cleansing of the temple, the Jews asked Jesus for a sign of his authority. According to the Gospel of John: “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body” (John 2:19–22). Throughout his ministry Jesus came to Jerusalem each year to celebrate Passover. He regularly taught and healed at the temple (Matthew 21:14–15). In the temple precincts he observed the widow offering her alms and taught the lesson of the widow’s mite (Mark 12:41–44). During the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) John records that Jesus taught in the porch of Solomon (John 10:22). According to the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), Jesus cleansed the temple at the end of his ministry. During the passion week Jesus went to the temple, whose precincts were crowded with tens of thousands of pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. There he made a whip and drove out those “that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves” (Matthew 21:12; Luke 19:45–47). Jesus explained his act by quoting Jeremiah 7:11: “My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 20:13). More than six hundred years earlier, Jeremiah had come to the temple and had warned Israel that their unrepentant hypocrisy and sin would bring the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians. Jesus’s reference to Jeremiah was thus an ominous foreshadowing of the future destruction of the temple by the Romans if the people did not repent. And finally at the moment when Jesus died on the cross, the veil of the Holy of Holies in the temple was rent in two (Luke 23:45), symbolizing that through his atonement all would be able to enter into the presence of God. The Gospel of John specifically portrays Jesus as a fulfillment of some of the symbols of the temple and its festivals. A passage at the beginning of John describes Jesus as the tabernacle when it says, “and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The English word dwelt is derived from the Greek verb skēnoō used in reference to the Old Testament tabernacle that literally means “he tabernacled” or “pitched his tent” among us. Thus, through Jesus, God came to dwell among his people just as God had made his presence known among his people anciently in the tabernacle, in which he could “dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). When John the Baptist first saw Jesus he announced him as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), an allusion to the sacrifice of the lambs at the temple. And in the Gospel of John Jesus is crucified on the cross on the day of Passover when the paschal lambs were being sacrificed at the temple (John 19:31–37).[23]

 

[JLG]

80)
The Feast of Tabernacles included a ceremony of drawing water from the Siloam pool and pouring it on the altar of the temple and also of lighting the four great menorahs in the Court of the Women. Jesus may have been comparing himself to these symbols of water and light when in the context of this festival (John 7:2) he taught: “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38), and also “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Following the death of Jesus, the book of Acts records that the apostles and followers of Jesus continued to teach and worship at the temple. A pivotal event occurred fifty days after the death of Jesus during the pilgrimage feast of Pentecost, in which many Jews had come to Jerusalem to offer up to God their firstfruit harvests at the temple. On that day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles like a mighty wind and tongues of fire, causing them to speak in tongues. Three thousand people followed Peter’s invitation to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ—fulfilling the symbols of Pentecost as the firstfruit harvest of Christianity (Acts 2). Acts describes the early saints as “continuing daily with one accord in the temple” (Acts 2:46). Following Pentecost Peter and John healed the lame man at the temple (Acts 3) and continued to teach the good news of the resurrected Jesus at the temple, leading to their arrest and imprisonment (Acts 4:1–3). The sanctity of the temple for the earliest Christians is further reflected in a number of stories recorded in Acts. Paul and the other apostles prayed and worshipped at the temple, performing the required purification rituals and offering sacrifice there (Acts 21:26). Paul insists that he never “offended” “against the temple,” implying he accepted its sanctity (Acts 25:8). Indeed, Paul’s second vision of Christ occurred at the temple (Acts 22:14–21), strongly suggesting the continued special sanctity of the temple where God still appeared to men. The Epistle to the Hebrews explains the atonement of Jesus Christ in terms of the temple. Hebrews 8–9 portrays Jesus as the high priest and explains his act of reconciliation between God and humans in terms of the ritual of the Day of Atonement when the high priest would take the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, thereby reconciling God and his children (Leviticus 16). In Hebrews this atonement occurred not in the temple on earth but in the heavenly temple made without hands: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24). The book of Revelation contains John the Revelator’s vision of the new Jerusalem. In this vision John looked for the temple in this heavenly city and then said, “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (Revelation 21:22). In this vision the ultimate fulfillment of the temple was realized by the continuing presence of the Father and the Son in the heavenly city.

 

[JLG]

81)
The Temple in First-Century Judaism and Christianity The Roman general Pompey conquered Jerusalem in 63 BC, and Judea became a vassal state to Rome. Herod the Great ruled as a loyal subject to Rome, and yet the splendid temple he erected generally enjoyed a fiercely defended autonomy broken only by incidents where Roman rulers demanded the erection of images of themselves or their pagan gods requiring the Jews to worship them.[24] As a symbol of this balance of power under Roman rule, a daily sacrifice was offered for the welfare of the Roman emperor at the temple consisting of two lambs and an ox. The sacrifice was initiated and financed by Augustus but was defiantly abandoned at the beginning of the Jewish revolt in AD 66 (Philo, The Embassy to Gaius 157, 317–19). The major sects of Judaism and early Christianity had their own distinctive relationships to the institution of the temple and its priesthood and rituals. The Sadducees were the aristocratic priestly families who controlled and administrated many aspects of the temple. When the temple was destroyed, the Sadducees lost the foundation of their livelihood and their base of power among the people. While priestly traditions survived for a time in the synagogue traditions, eventually the Sadducees without a temple were eclipsed by the Pharisees. The Pharisees did not oppose participation in the temple in spite of their opposition to the control of the Sadducees. The Pharisees, however, owed their allegiance to oral law and thus found their relationship with the temple more flexible. Through oral law they would be able to forge religious practices that could survive without the temple. A Jewish legend records how Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai, who found himself trapped in Jerusalem during the Roman siege, realized the temple was going to be destroyed. He had himself hidden in a coffin in order to leave the city. He was taken before the military commander Vespasian, who eventually became a Roman emperor. The rabbi asked Vespasian to give him Yavneh, a city where he founded a rabbinical academy that preserved the Sanhedrin and the ongoing process of oral tradition that would result in the publication of the Mishnah (Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 56). Eventually the sect of the Pharisees transitioned into rabbinic Judaism, which became mainstream Judaism to the present day. With time Pharisaic Judaism was able to promote institutions that continued worship in the absence of the sacrificial system of the temple. A well-known story in the Midrash tells of Rabbi ben Zakkai, who, when walking by the ruins of the temple, said to his disciple, “My son, do not be grieved, for we have another atonement that is just like it. And which is it? Acts of loving-kindness, as it is said, ‘For I desire loving-kindness, and not sacrifice’ [Hosea 6:6]” (Avot de-Rabbi Natan 4.21).[25] With time other rabbis noted that prayer, study, and acts of loving-kindness are pleasing to the Lord like sacrifice.[26] The Samaritans claimed to be remnants of the northern ten tribes. They preserved an ancient tradition in their version of the Torah called the Samaritan Pentateuch that commanded the temple be built on Mount Gerizim. According to Josephus the Samaritans built their temple there sometime in the period of Alexander the Great (Antiquities 11.310–11), and it remained a center of their religious community and a competing temple to the Jerusalem temple until the Samaritan temple was destroyed by the Hasmonean king John Hyrcanus in 129 BC (Antiquities 13.254–56).[27]

 

[JLG]

82)
The age-old conflict between the Jews and Samaritans was exacerbated by the Jewish refusal to allow the Samaritans to help with the rebuilding of Zerubbael’s temple in ca. 515 BC. The destruction of the Samaritan temple in 129 BC was another one of the defining incidents leading to the division and continued animosity between the Jews and Samaritans as reflected in the New Testament. This dispute over the temple provides the background of the conversation Jesus had with the Samaritan woman in John 4. To this day Samaritans continue to live near Mount Gerizim and offer the yearly Passover sacrifice in the vicinity of their temple site. Most scholars believe that the Qumran community reflected in the Dead Sea Scrolls were the Essenes (see chapter 7). According to ancient historians, as well as some of the documents from Qumran, the Essenes believed that the Jerusalem priesthood that administrated the temple was corrupt and that the sacrificial system and the calendar were also corrupt. Thus, while the Essenes passionately believed in the temple, they did not participate in its rituals in Jerusalem. Some scholars argue that they saw themselves as a community representing the temple.[28] While they may have rejected the Jerusalem temple in their time, they had a strong belief in and love for the institution of the temple. One of the significant finds in the Dead Sea Scrolls is the Temple Scroll, believed by the Qumran sect to be scripture that describes the plans and the legal requirements for a future eschatological temple.[29] Christians initially continued worshipping at the Jerusalem temple and living the law of Moses, but eventually it became clear, following the Council of Jerusalem, that one did not have to become a Jew to become a Christian (Acts 15; compare Galatians 2); therefore most Christians began to distance themselves from the temple. Following the destruction of the temple in AD 70, Christianity generally adopted the point of view that the church was a temple. Based on passages of scripture in the writings of Paul like “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (1 Corinthians 3:16), and “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). Christians came to view the individual believer and the church as a community of believers functioning as the new temple of God.[30] Destruction of the Temple In the final week of his ministry, speaking to the apostles on the Mount of Olives, Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple: “Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here, upon this temple, one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down” (Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:3; compare Matthew 24:1–2). In this prophecy Jesus also quoted the prophecy of Daniel of the “abomination of desolation” connected with the destruction of Jerusalem and the desecration of the temple, and he advised those who wished to be preserved to “stand in the holy place” and “flee into the mountains” (Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:12–13; compare Matthew 24:15–16). Eusebius recounted that the saints in Jerusalem were spared from the destruction of Jerusalem by fleeing across the Jordan River to Pella (Church History 3, 5, 3). The temple became the focal point of the conflict between the governing Romans and the vassal Jews that lasted from AD 66 to 70 when Titus and the Roman armies besieged and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. As Jesus had prophesied, the temple was burned and destroyed, leaving a pile of rubble. The historian Josephus recorded the Roman destruction following the burning of the temple: “Caesar ordered the whole city and the temple to be razed to the ground.” He further noted that the city “was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited” (Jewish War 7.1.3). The Jews were eventually driven from Jerusalem and were left without a temple. Many of the furnishings of the temple were destroyed, though several of the implements—the trumpets, the table of the bread of the presence, and the lampstand—were preserved and taken to Rome, where their images were captured in the relief on the Arch of Titus in Rome built to commemorate Titus’s triumph. Various implements from the temple, including the menorah and the shewbread table, were preserved for many years in Rome in Vespasian’s Temple of Peace.[31]

 

[JLG]

83)
The final echo of the temple in the Roman period is found in the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Simon Bar Kokhba (“son of the star”) was a Jewish claimant to the title of messiah who led an unsuccessful revolt against the Romans in AD 132–135. He issued coins depicting the façade of the temple, suggesting that the rebuilding of the sacred building was an integral part of Bar Kokhba’s rebellion. Bar Kokhba was heralded as the Messiah by numerous prominent Jewish rabbis, including Akiba, and thus many Jews gathered to his rebellion. The devastating defeat of Bar Kokhba led to the banning of Jews from even living in Jerusalem. The destruction of the temple was pivotal for Jews and Christians alike. For the Jews the temple of Herod was a tangible symbol of their religion that made it possible to fulfill the laws of sacrifice in the law of Moses. With its destruction came the loss of the center of their religion, and Judaism would have to develop ways of worship to replace or compensate for the rituals and ordinances—most notably sacrifice and the celebration of the festivals—that could formerly be done only at the temple. Christians would have to decide what their proper relationship was to the temple—whether they needed an actual earthly building or if Jesus had in some way done away with the need for a physical temple. However, both Jews and Christians would continue to read and study the canonical books of their religions, including the prophecies in the Old Testament about the future restoration and rebuilding of the temple. Amos prophesied, “In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, . . . and I will build it as in the days of old” (Amos 9:11). Ezekiel has a vision of the future temple complete with the plans in Ezekiel 40–48. And Isaiah prophesied, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, . . . and many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob” (Isaiah 2:2–3).

 

[JLG]

84) Looking for Isaiah
Isaiah chapter 4 and 5:

• We are told about good news for the restoration!
• We are told about fertility!
• Good crops!
• But before the restoration and hope first comes the destruction!
• The nation of Israel is compared to God's vineyard!
• And the vines to the people of Judah! Even if it takes time because for God time is nothing!
• After the destruction comes the restoration!
• And it is the same today, after the destruction of this world will come its restoration under God's kingdom!
• And nobody will be authorized to oppose it!

 

[JLG]

85) Looking for Isaiah

Isaiah 5:12

They disregard לֹ֣א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, nqaqo

the actions פֹּ֤עַל (pō·‘al) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 6467: Doing, deed, work

of the LORD, יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and fail לֹ֥א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no

to see רָאֽוּ׃ (rā·’ū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 7200: To see

the work וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה (ū·ma·‘ă·śêh) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property

of His hands. יָדָ֖יו (yā·ḏāw) Noun - fdc | third person masculine singular Strong's 3027: A hand

• They disregard the actions of the Lord!
• And fail to see the work of his hands!
• It's simple!
• But what about us?
• When do we get up?
• When do we have free time during the day?
• When do we go to bed?
• When do we rest?
• When is our brain free to think?
• When do we drive?
• At any time of the day or of the night?

 

[JLG]

86) Looking for Isaiah

Isaiah 5:13

Therefore לָכֵ֛ן (lā·ḵên) Adverb Strong's 3651: So -- thus

My people עַמִּ֖י (‘am·mî) Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

will go into exile גָּלָ֥ה (gā·lāh) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

for their lack מִבְּלִי־ (mib·bə·lî-) Preposition-m | Adverb Strong's 1097: Failure, nothing, destruction, without, not yet, because not, as long as

of understanding; דָ֑עַת (ḏā·‘aṯ) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 1847: Knowledge

their dignitaries וּכְבוֹדוֹ֙ (ū·ḵə·ḇō·w·ḏōw) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 3519: Weight, splendor, copiousness

are starving, רָעָ֔ב (rā·‘āḇ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 7458: Famine, hunger

and their masses וַהֲמוֹנ֖וֹ (wa·hă·mō·w·nōw) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 1995: A noise, tumult, crowd, disquietude, wealth

are parched צִחֵ֥ה (ṣi·ḥêh) Adjective - masculine singular construct Strong's 6704: Parched

with thirst. צָמָֽא׃ (ṣā·mā) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6772: Thirst

- Starvation and thirst!

- Exile!

- Why ?

- Because of their lack of understanding!

- We could say bad choices!

- Or stupid choices!

- Or nonsense when it repeats again and again!

- Or man has lost his mind!

- Or man has no brain!

- And he transmits it from generation to generation!

- Till God's kingdom comes then man will get back his mind and his brain!

 

[JLG]

87) Looking for Isaiah

Isaiah 5:14

Therefore

לָכֵ֗ן (lā·ḵên)

Adverb

Strong's 3651: So -- thus


Sheol

שְּׁאוֹל֙ (šə·’ō·wl)

Noun - common singular

Strong's 7585: Underworld (place to which people descend at death)


enlarges

הִרְחִ֤יבָה (hir·ḥî·ḇāh)

Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular

Strong's 7337: To be or grow wide or large


its throat

נַפְשָׁ֔הּ (nap̄·šāh)

Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular

Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion


and opens

וּפָעֲרָ֥ה (ū·p̄ā·‘ă·rāh)

Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular

Strong's 6473: To open wide (the mouth)


wide its enormous

לִבְלִי־ (liḇ·lî-)

Preposition-l | Adverb

Strong's 1097: Failure, nothing, destruction, without, not yet, because not, as long as


jaws,

פִ֖יהָ (p̄î·hā)

Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular

Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to


and down go

וְיָרַ֨ד (wə·yā·raḏ)

Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular

Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend


[Zion’s] nobles

הֲדָרָ֧הּ (hă·ḏā·rāh)

Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular

Strong's 1926: Magnificence, ornament, splendor


[and] masses,

וַהֲמוֹנָ֛הּ (wa·hă·mō·w·nāh)

Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular

Strong's 1995: A noise, tumult, crowd, disquietude, wealth


her jubilant

וּשְׁאוֹנָ֖הּ (ū·šə·’ō·w·nāh)

Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular

Strong's 7588: A roar (of waters, etcetera), din, crash, uproar


and carousers!

וְעָלֵ֥ז (wə·‘ā·lêz)

Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular

Strong's 5938: Exultant, jubilant

• We are told about death that spreads!

• And the people of Jerusalem will go down (nobles and masses thus everybody without exception)!

• And in fact both Israel and Judah lost everything but each one at his time!

• First Israel!

• Second Judah!

Background. In 720 BCE, the Assyrian army captured Samaria, the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, and carried away many Israelites into captivity. The virtual destruction of Israel left the southern kingdom, Judah, to fend for itself among warring Near-Eastern kingdoms.


Assyrian siege of Jerusalem - Wikipedia

• So in both cases, they were not better!

• Same fate!

 

[JLG]

88) Looking for Isaiah

Isaiah 5:15

So mankind

אָדָ֖ם (’ā·ḏām)

Noun - masculine singular

Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being


will be brought low,

וַיִּשַּׁ֥ח (way·yiš·šaḥ)

Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular

Strong's 7817: To bow, be bowed down, crouch


and each man

אִ֑ישׁ (’îš)

Noun - masculine singular

Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person


humbled;

וַיִּשְׁפַּל־ (way·yiš·pal-)

Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular

Strong's 8213: To be or become low, to be abased


the arrogant

גְבֹהִ֖ים (ḡə·ḇō·hîm)

Adjective - masculine plural

Strong's 1364: Elevated, powerful, arrogant


will lower

תִּשְׁפַּֽלְנָה׃ (tiš·pal·nāh)

Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural

Strong's 8213: To be or become low, to be abased


their eyes.

וְעֵינֵ֥י (wə·‘ê·nê)

Conjunctive waw | Noun - cdc

Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

• First comes arrogance!

• But then the one who is arrogant must learn humility!

• And for that God must strike him!

• So was it for Israel!

• So was it for Judah!

• So will it be for mankind!

• But each one at his time!

• Why is it so hard to learn the lesson?

 

[JLG]

89) Looking for Isaiah

Isaiah 5:20

Woe

ה֣וֹי (hō·w)

Interjection

Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!


to those who call

הָאֹמְרִ֥ים (hā·’ō·mə·rîm)

Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural

Strong's 559: To utter, say


evil

לָרַ֛ע (lā·ra‘)

Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singular

Strong's 7451: Bad, evil


good

ט֖וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)

Noun - masculine singular

Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good


and good

וְלַטּ֣וֹב (wə·laṭ·ṭō·wḇ)

Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular

Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good


evil,

רָ֑ע (rā‘)

Adjective - masculine singular

Strong's 7451: Bad, evil


who turn

שָׂמִ֨ים (śā·mîm)

Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural

Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set


darkness

חֹ֤שֶׁךְ (ḥō·šeḵ)

Noun - masculine singular

Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness


to light

לְאוֹר֙ (lə·’ō·wr)

Preposition-l | Noun - common singular

Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary


and light

וְא֣וֹר (wə·’ō·wr)

Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular

Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary


to darkness,

לְחֹ֔שֶׁךְ (lə·ḥō·šeḵ)

Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular

Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness


who replace

שָׂמִ֥ים (śā·mîm)

Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural

Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set


bitter

מַ֛ר (mar)

Adjective - masculine singular

Strong's 4751: Bitter, bitterness, bitterly


with sweet

לְמָת֖וֹק (lə·mā·ṯō·wq)

Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular

Strong's 4966: Sweet, sweetness


and sweet

וּמָת֥וֹק (ū·mā·ṯō·wq)

Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular

Strong's 4966: Sweet, sweetness


with bitter.

לְמָֽר׃ (lə·mār)

Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular

Strong's 4751: Bitter, bitterness, bitterly

• Yes we are told about CORRUPTION!
• Through ages!
• How it has penetrated all human society without exception!
• Now CORRUPTION is the rule!
• Evil and good!
• Darkness and light!
• Bitter and sweet!
• And each time it is more difficult to know what is what except if we look at it carefully!
• But who is still ready to do it in our world built on SUPERFICIALITY!

 

[JLG]

90) Looking for Isaiah

Isaiah 5:21


Woe

ה֖וֹי (hō·w)

Interjection

Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!


to those who are wise

חֲכָמִ֣ים (ḥă·ḵā·mîm)

Adjective - masculine plural

Strong's 2450: Wise


in their own eyes

בְּעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם (bə·‘ê·nê·hem)

Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | third person masculine plural

Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain


and clever

נְבֹנִֽים׃ (nə·ḇō·nîm)

Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural

Strong's 995: To separate mentally, understand


in

וְנֶ֥גֶד (wə·ne·ḡeḏ)

Conjunctive waw | Preposition

Strong's 5048: A front, part opposite, a counterpart, mate, over against, before


their own sight.

פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם (pə·nê·hem)

Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural

Strong's 6440: The face

• Those who are wise in their own eyes!
• And clever in their own sight!
• Something quite usual in this world!
• But it leads to a dead end!
• God doesn’t care about such people!
• He looks for people who really want to serve him!
• Not themselves!

 

[JLG]

91) Looking for Isaiah
Isaiah 5:22
Woe
ה֕וֹי (hō·w)
Interjection
Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!

to those who are heroes
גִּבּוֹרִ֖ים (gib·bō·w·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 1368: Powerful, warrior, tyrant

in drinking
לִשְׁתּ֣וֹת (liš·tō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8354: To imbibe

wine,
יָ֑יִן (yā·yin)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3196: Wine, intoxication

and champions
וְאַנְשֵׁי־ (wə·’an·šê-)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

in mixing
לִמְסֹ֥ךְ (lim·sōḵ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4537: To mix, produce by mixing

strong drink,
שֵׁכָֽר׃ (šê·ḵār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7941: An intoxicant, intensely alcoholic liquor

• Here is a list of bad habits!
• It looks like today!
• Human time doesn’t change a lot!
• So far away from God’s time!

 

[JLG]

92) Looking for Isaiah
Isaiah 5:23

who acquit
מַצְדִּיקֵ֥י (maṣ·dî·qê)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6663: To be just or righteous

the guilty
רָשָׁ֖ע (rā·šā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person

for
עֵ֣קֶב (‘ê·qeḇ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6118: A heel, the last of anything, result, compensation, on account of

a bribe,
שֹׁ֑חַד (šō·ḥaḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7810: A present, bribe

and deprive
יָסִ֥ירוּ (yā·sî·rū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5493: To turn aside

the innocent
צַדִּיקִ֖ים (ṣad·dî·qîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6662: Just, righteous

of justice.
וְצִדְקַ֥ת (wə·ṣiḏ·qaṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6666: Rightness, subjectively, objectively

• ONE WORD: CORRUPTION!

 

[JLG]

93) Looking for Isaiah
Isaiah 5:24

Therefore,
לָכֵן֩ (lā·ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

as a tongue
לְשׁ֣וֹן (lə·šō·wn)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 3956: The tongue

of fire
אֵ֗שׁ (’êš)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

consumes
כֶּאֱכֹ֨ל (ke·’ĕ·ḵōl)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 398: To eat

straw
קַ֜שׁ (qaš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7179: Stubble, chaff

and dry grass
וַחֲשַׁ֤שׁ (wa·ḥă·šaš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2842: Dry grass

shrivels
יִרְפֶּ֔ה (yir·peh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7503: Sink, relax

in the flame,
לֶֽהָבָה֙ (le·hā·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3852: A flash, a sharply polished blade, point of a, weapon

so their roots
שָׁרְשָׁם֙ (šā·rə·šām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8328: A root

will decay
יִֽהְיֶ֔ה (yih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

and their blossoms
וּפִרְחָ֖ם (ū·p̄ir·ḥām)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6525: A calyx, bloom

will blow away
יַעֲלֶ֑ה (ya·‘ă·leh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

like dust;
כָּאָבָ֣ק (kā·’ā·ḇāq)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 80: Light particles

for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they have rejected
מָאֲס֗וּ (mā·’ă·sū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3988: To spurn, to disappear

the instruction
תּוֹרַת֙ (tō·w·raṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8451: Direction, instruction, law

of the LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

of Hosts
צְבָא֔וֹת (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

and despised
נִאֵֽצוּ׃ (ni·’ê·ṣū)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5006: To spurn, treat with contempt

the word
אִמְרַ֥ת (’im·raṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 565: Utterance, speech, word

of the Holy
קְדֽוֹשׁ־ (qə·ḏō·wōš-)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary

One of Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

• A tongue of fire consumes straw and dry grass shrivels in the flame!
• Today there are so many big fires especially in the Usa and Canada and Europe and…!
• Thus it is easy to visualize the scene!
• Their blossoms will blow away like dust!
• Blossoms becoming dust!
• What a sad vision!
• A vision of death!
• They have rejected the instruction of the Lord of hosts!
• Yes, they have rejected God’s word!
• Like mankind!
• Bad end!
• Moreover, they have despised his word!
• Like mankind!
• Bad end!
• And we can see the results right now!
• And it is only the beginning!
• But it will get worse and worse!
• And they will be afraid to such an extent!

 

[JLG]

94) Looking for Isaiah
Isaiah 5:25
Therefore
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the LORD’s
יְהוָ֨ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

anger
אַף־ (’ap̄-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire

burns
חָרָה֩ (ḥā·rāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2734: To glow, grow warm, to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy

against His people;
בְּעַמּ֜וֹ (bə·‘am·mōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

He has raised
וַיֵּ֣ט (way·yêṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

His hand
יָד֧וֹ (yā·ḏōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

against them
עָלָ֣יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

and struck them;
וַיַּכֵּ֗הוּ (way·yak·kê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

the mountains
הֶֽהָרִ֔ים (he·hā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

quaked,
וַֽיִּרְגְּזוּ֙ (way·yir·gə·zū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7264: To be agitated, quiver, quake, be excited, perturbed

and their corpses
נִבְלָתָ֛ם (niḇ·lā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5038: A flabby thing, a carcase, carrion, an idol

lay
וַתְּהִ֧י (wat·tə·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like refuse
כַּסּוּחָ֖ה (kas·sū·ḥāh)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5478: Something swept away, filth

in
בְּקֶ֣רֶב (bə·qe·reḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center

the streets.
חוּצ֑וֹת (ḥū·ṣō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors

Yet through all
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

this,
זֹאת֙ (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

His anger
אַפּ֔וֹ (’ap·pōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire

is not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

spent,
שָׁ֣ב (šāḇ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

and His hand
יָד֥וֹ (yā·ḏōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

is still
וְע֖וֹד (wə·‘ō·wḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

upraised.
נְטוּיָֽה׃ (nə·ṭū·yāh)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

• The Lord’s anger burns against his people!
• And it will be so again and again!
• And he raises his hand against them!
• Again and again!
• And he will strike them!
• Again and again!
• And they will die!
• Again and again!
• And they won’t listen!
• WARNING!
• THERE WILL BE ONE MORE CHANCE!
• ONLY ONCE!
• NOT TWICE!

 

[JLG]

95) Looking for Isaiah

Isaiah 5:26


He lifts

וְנָֽשָׂא־ (wə·nā·śā-)

Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular

Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take


a banner

נֵ֤ס (nês)

Noun - masculine singular

Strong's 5251: A flag, a sail, a flagstaff, a signal, a token


for the distant

מֵרָח֔וֹק (mê·rā·ḥō·wq)

Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular

Strong's 7350: Remote, of place, time, precious


nations

לַגּוֹיִם֙ (lag·gō·w·yim)

Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural

Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts


and whistles

וְשָׁ֥רַק (wə·šā·raq)

Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular

Strong's 8319: To be shrill, to whistle, hiss


for those

ל֖וֹ (lōw)

Preposition | third person masculine singular

Strong's Hebrew


at the ends

מִקְצֵ֣ה (miq·ṣêh)

Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct

Strong's 7097: End, extremity


of the earth.

הָאָ֑רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)

Article | Noun - feminine singular

Strong's 776: Earth, land


Behold—

וְהִנֵּ֥ה (wə·hin·nêh)

Conjunctive waw | Interjection

Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!


how speedily

מְהֵרָ֖ה (mə·hê·rāh)

Adverb

Strong's 4120: A hurry, promptly


and swiftly

קַ֥ל (qal)

Adjective - masculine singular

Strong's 7031: Light, swift, fleet


they come!

יָבֽוֹא׃ (yā·ḇō·w)

Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular

Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

• Lift a banner for distant nations!
• Whistle for those at the ends of the earth!
• And they come speedily and swiftly!
• Everybody will get the message!
• And they will come all at once!
• How unusual it is!
• They usually don’t care!

____________________________________________________________

Remember:

• If you think like today’s people, you will never understand the Bible!
• They used to write differently!
• They used to speak differently!
• They used to think differently!
• They used to act differently!

__________________________________________________________________________

 

[JLG]

https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Isaiah.html


Isaiah, whose name means “Yahweh is salvation,” is best known for writing the book that bears his name in the Old Testament. His writings are especially significant for the prophecies he made about the coming Messiah, hundreds of years before Jesus was born (Isaiah 7:14; 9:1-7, 11:2-4; 53:4-7, 9, 12). Matthew quotes Isaiah when describing John the Baptist’s ministry (Matthew 3:3; Isaiah 40:3), and when Jesus moved to Galilee to start His ministry, Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled (Matthew 4:13-16; Isaiah 9:1-2). Jesus quotes Isaiah’s prophecy when speaking in parables (Isaiah 6:9; Matthew 13:14-15), and the apostle Paul also makes reference to the same prophecy when he is in Rome (Acts 28:26-27). When Jesus reads from Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-2) in the synagogue at Nazareth, He amazes many of the Jews by claiming the prophecy is fulfilled in Him (Luke 4:16-21). It is also interesting to note that the Gospels quote more from Isaiah’s writings than from any other of the Old Testament prophets.


Little is written about Isaiah the man. We know that he was the son of Amoz and that he married and had sons of his own (Isaiah 1:1; 7:3; 8:3). Though Isaiah’s recognition as a great prophet is indicated in the books of the Kings and Chronicles, it is also probable that he was a priest, as his calling from God took place in the temple (Isaiah 6:4), an area reserved only for priests. The anointing he receives at his calling is similar to that of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:9; Isaiah 6:7).


Along with his contemporary, the prophet Micah, Isaiah served the southern kingdom of Judah under the reigns of four kings. At the time of Isaiah’s ministry, Judah was a sinful and unjust nation. Nevertheless, Isaiah believed that Judah was God’s chosen nation and they would be vindicated by God. With support from Micah and the godly King Hezekiah, their enemies were held at bay and a revival swept through the nation of Judah (2 Kings 19:32-36; 2 Chronicles 32:20-23). Many commentators describe Isaiah as Judah’s evangelist because he worked tirelessly to turn the people back to God.


There were many highs and lows in Isaiah’s life. His faithfulness to God was rewarded with some amazing miracles. In answer to Isaiah’s prayer, God moved the sun back ten steps as a sign to King Hezekiah that God would add a further 15 years to Hezekiah’s life (2 Kings 20:8-11; 2 Chronicles 32:24). Yet Isaiah spent three years stripped naked and barefoot, in obedience to God, as a “sign and wonder” against the Egyptians (Isaiah 20:2-4). His contemporary, Micah, did likewise (Micah 1:8), though we are not told for how long.


It is in examining a man’s heart that we can learn what kind of a man he is, and Jesus said it is from the overflow of a man’s heart that he speaks (Matthew 12:34). It is from Isaiah’s writings that we learn of his unswerving faithfulness and his complete humility before God. He also had great respect from King Hezekiah’s court and his peers, which was evident in times of crisis. Some of the world’s greatest art works, music and poetry have come from men who walked closely with God, and we can count Isaiah among them. His grasp of the Hebrew language has been likened to that of Shakespeare’s English, as we read in Isaiah some of the most beautiful writings in the Bible. Though the book of Isaiah was written over 2,500 years ago, it is well worth reading through the entire book, because in it we see much wisdom that still applies to our Christian lives today.


It appears that Isaiah was a very private man. When we meet some of today’s renowned speakers face to face, we may be disappointed to find they appear somewhat aloof. However, as with Isaiah, we can learn that their ministry is all about pointing people to God, not to themselves. And despite his reticence, Isaiah’s prominence is in the effect his ministry had on the people. In these last days, we need to make every word we speak count for the kingdom. And from Isaiah’s lifestyle we learn that, when God accomplishes a part of His plan through us, we must ensure that all the glory goes to Him.


In addition, it appears Isaiah’s ministry was characterized by closeness with other godly men, like Micah and King Hezekiah. Going it alone can often leave us vulnerable, but when we are united by God’s Holy Spirit to other members of the body of Christ through fellowship and prayer, our ministry is more effective by virtue of the protection others provide.

____________________________________________________________

Remember:

• If you think like today’s people, you will never understand the Bible!
• They used to write differently!
• They used to speak differently!
• They used to think differently!
• They used to act differently!

__________________________________________________________________________

 

[JLG]

• His writings are especially significant for the prophecies he made about the coming Messiah, hundreds of years before Jesus was born!

• Matthew quotes Isaiah when describing John the Baptist’s ministry!

• And when Jesus moved to Galilee to start His ministry, Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled!

• Jesus quotes Isaiah’s prophecy when speaking in parables!

• and the apostle Paul also makes reference to the same prophecy when he is in Rome !

• When Jesus reads from Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth, He amazes many of the Jews by claiming the prophecy is fulfilled in Him!

• It is also interesting to note that the Gospels quote more from Isaiah’s writings than from any other of the Old Testament prophets!

• Little is written about Isaiah the man. We know that he was the son of Amoz and that he married and had sons of his own!

• Many commentators describe Isaiah as Judah’s evangelist because he worked tirelessly to turn the people back to God!

• There were many highs and lows in Isaiah’s life!

• His faithfulness to God was rewarded with some amazing miracles!

• In answer to Isaiah’s prayer, God moved the sun back ten steps as a sign to King Hezekiah that God would add a further 15 years to Hezekiah’s life!

• Yet Isaiah spent three years stripped naked and barefoot, in obedience to God, as a “sign and wonder” against the Egyptians!

• It appears Isaiah’s ministry was characterized by closeness with other godly men, like Micah and King Hezekiah!

____________________________________________________________

Remember:

• If you think like today’s people, you will never understand the Bible!
• They used to write differently!
• They used to speak differently!
• They used to think differently!
• They used to act differently!

__________________________________________________________________________

 

[JLG]

__________________________________________________________________________

• Remember that!
• Isaiah means Yah.weh is salvation!
• He prophesied about the Messiah!
• The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son!
• And she will call him Immanuel meaning God is with us! (Isaiah 7:14)
• Beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles!
• People will see a great light!
• A child is born, a son is given!
• And the government will be upon his shoulders!
• And He will be called Wonderful Counselor!
• Mighty God!
• Everlasting Father!
• Prince of Peace!
• Of the increase of His government!
• And peace there will be no end!
• He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom!
• To establish and sustain it!
• With justice and righteousness!
• From that time and forevermore!
• The zeal of Yah.weh of hosts will accomplish this! (Isaiah 9:1-7)
• The Spirit of Yah.weh will rest on Him!
• The Spirit of wisdomand understanding!
• The Spirit of counsel and strength!
• The Spirit of knowledge!
• And the fear of Yah.weh!
• And he will delight in the fear of Yah.weh!
• He will not judge by what his eyes see!
• And he will not decide by what his ears hear!
• But with righteousness he will judge the poor!
• And with equity He will decide in favor of the earth’s oppressed!
• He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth!
• And slay the wicked with the breath of His lips! (Isaiah 11:2-4)
• Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows!
• Yet we considered Him stricken by God!
• Struck down and afflicted!
• But He was pierced for our transgressions!
• He was crushed for our iniquities!
• The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him!
• And by his stripes we are healed!
• We all like sheep have gone astray!
• Each one has turned to his own way!
• And Yah.weh has laid on Him the iniquity of us all!
• He was oppressed and afflicted!
• Yet he did not open His mouth!
• He was led like a lamb to the slaughter!
• And as a sheep before her shearers is silent!
• So He did not open His mouth!
• He was assigned a grave with the wicked!
• And with a rich man in His death!
• Although he had done no violence!
• Nor was any deceit in His mouth!
• Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great!
• And he will divide the spoils with the strong!
• Because he has poured out His life unto death!
• And he was numbered among the transgressors!
• Yet he bore the sin of many!
• And made intercession for the transgressors! (Isaiah 53:4-7, 9,12)
• And He replied, “Go and tell this people:
• ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
• Be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ (Isaiah 6:9)
• The Spirit of the Lord Yah.weh is on Me!
• Because Yah.weh has anointed Me!
• To preach good news to the poor!
• He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted!
• To proclaim liberty to the captives!
• And release from darkness to the prisoners!
• To proclaim the year of Yah.weh’s favor!
• And the day of our God’s vengeance!
• To comfort all who mourn!
• (Isaiah 61:1-2)
  

____________________________________________________________

Remember:

• If you think like today’s people, you will never understand the Bible!
• They used to write differently!
• They used to speak differently!
• They used to think differently!
• They used to act differently!

__________________________________________________________________________