I taught this series on The Good Shepherd in a Church in 2014. I decided to re-visit the series because I think the message is still a good one and still relevant to us today. I hope you enjoy and learn something new from these notes on The Good Shepherd.

In the book of Genesis, Chs. 46:33-34 and Genesis Ch. 47:3 we read that Joseph was warning his family about the types of questions Pharaoh was going to ask them. Joseph told them, Pharaoh is going to ask you, “What is your occupation”? The children of Israel at this point had just arrived in Egypt, and for the Egyptians an individual’s occupation was extremely important. A person’s occupation determined their status in society; like where they lived for example.  The answer the Children of Israel gave to Pharaoh was, “Both we and our fathers before us were Shepherds.”  Shepherds! Shepherds were not highly esteemed and only a little better than slaves.

Today, if we asked people, “What is your occupation? Different ones would say … “I am an accountant, a chef, an engineer, a nurse, a teacher, a student.” I think you would all agree with me that almost none of them would say that they are a Shepherd. And yet, the number one occupation of God’s people in the Bible was that of a Shepherd. Abel was a Shepherd, Abraham was a Shepherd, Jacob was a Shepherd, Joseph and all his brothers were Shepherds. Moses, David, they were all Shepherds. It was while they were Shepherding that God found them and called them into their respective ministries. All these great Shepherds can be found in the Hebrew Scriptures. Then there is the New Testament, in which Jesus was and still is the greatest Shepherd of them all. The Good Shepherd, in the Hebrew he is called the ha Ro’eh ha tov!

But what about the ladies? Any lady Shepherds in the Bible? It stands to reason in a physical sense at least that if your husband is a Shepherd, then the wife would also need to like sheep. Otherwise, she would be in for a rough time. In the Bible some ladies like Rachel were Shepherds even before they got married. It was unusual for that day and age, but it was not beyond the realms of possibility for women to do the work of a Shepherd. And as I will point out later in the series, that it is the same word that has been translated into the Greek and then into the English as the word, Pastor.

Now to fill in the blanks. When Jacob was on the run from his brother Esau, He sought refuge amongst his brethren in Haran. Whilst looking for his uncle Laban he saw Rachel coming towards him, bringing her father’s sheep to be watered and fed, Genesis Ch. 29:9. Rachel was doing the work of a Shepherd and the Bible calls her a Shepherdess (Ra’ah he). But we will be politically correct and call Rachel a Shepherd. The moment Jacob saw her he was not only taken by her beauty, but he was taken by the fact that she was doing a job so familiar to him. Rachel was a Shepherd like he was.

Isaac and Rebecca had trained him well and he knew what credentials to look for in a wife. Jacob kissed Rachel and it was all very Hollywood like 😊 He then lifted his voice and cried. Must have been some kiss, huh? I am not sure whether it was just a peck on the cheek or some big pash, but that encounter changed Jacob forever. There he was thinking he was alone in the world, and that day he not only met the woman of his dreams but also someone who was happy to tend to sheep.

I think it is an important model to work from, I believe Jacob chose Rachel first for her occupation. So often, when we choose a partner, we choose someone quite different to ourselves. Then we think we can change that person and that person thinks they can change us, and so the games begin. Not so for Jacob and Rachel, they shared a common bond from the very beginning. There were many obstacles in the way of these two Shepherds. The enemy (our enemy, call him what you will) hates Shepherds. He has a habit of killing Shepherds. If those two Shepherds had offspring, it would be another Shepherd. And as we know that is exactly what happened with the beautiful Shepherd named Joseph. 

We are all familiar with the Jacob story. He finds himself having to work seven years to marry Rachel, only to discover he was tricked by Laban and he was married to Rachel’s sister Leah, instead. The moral of this story must be not to get drunk on your wedding night and for goodness sake keep the light on, so you know who you are marrying. Now, there was nothing wrong with Leah per-se, but the Bible says she had delicate eyes. Delicate eyes as in, she could not see very well? I am certain Leah was a wonderful woman and she is the mother of most of the tribes of Israel, but unfortunately, and I do not mean this in a derogatory sense, her name means ‘wild cow’ in Strong’s Concordance. That does not mean she was a nasty person, I believe it simply means, she was more suited to cattle than sheep. Rachel’s name means Ewe and she was more suited to sheep.

Personally, I concluded that Leah had weak eyes, as in not being able to watch the sheep very well. It takes good eyes to watch sheep. Cattle are bigger than sheep, so they are easier to watch, they also have less predators than sheep. It is easy for a wolf or a lion to carry away a sheep, but they might find it harder to carry away cattle. Whatever Leah’s problems were we might never fully know, but nonetheless Laban decided as she was the oldest, she had to be married off first.

Rachel was the youngest, and the youngest, usually male child was left to look after the father’s sheep. Since Laban did not have any sons, Rachel was his youngest, so she took the place of a son and did what was traditionally a man’s job. Later, in Genesis we read that Laban had sons, we do not know where these came from, whether they were babies when Rachel was watching sheep, or were they born after she married Jacob? Based on my understanding, I believe Laban had no sons for the following reasons:

1. The sons of Laban that are mentioned are his grandsons. There was no word for grandson, they were all simply ‘bens’ as in sons.
2. Laban also ran after the girls, if he had sons, he would have let them go, it was commonplace for girls to leave home anyway.
3. Then there is the situation with the ‘gods’ or Teraphiym that Rachel stole from her father (Genesis Ch. 31:14). These were in fact family heirlooms and were part of the inheritance of sons. Although some related to fertility, safe travel, it is clear from Genesis Ch. 31:19 it was inheritance.

In Genesis Ch. 31:19, Rachel and Leah answer Laban and say to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? This is followed by the stealing of the idol gods. As far as Rachel was concerned, Jacob was now the head of Laban’s family and since the family were moving on, she took the idols. As the scripture also reads, that Laban was back tending to sheep, because he had lost his shepherds Jacob and Rachel. It is interesting to note that this patriarchal family, had tendencies towards polytheism and superstition, so common in the Ancient Near East. 

Rachel was the main point of contention between Laban and Jacob. That is because Rachel was an asset so both men wanted her. Leah was a liability, so Laban was happy to get rid of her. And even though this story reads that Rachel was beautiful, and I do not doubt that she was, I am certain her beauty was not the main reason for this story. There were plenty of beautiful woman in the Middle East, then as now, but they were not shepherds. Rachel imbued the characteristics of an Ancient Shepherd, which has carried on into the New Covenant. The concept has not changed, the function has not changed.   

In the end Jacob would serve a total of fourteen years for Rachel, only to find there was yet another obstacle in the way of these two Shepherds. Rachel was unable to conceive. But God prevailed and eventually Rachel gave birth to a beautiful Shepherd boy by the name of Joseph. We also know that Rachel died whilst giving birth to her second son, Benjamin. It was not uncommon for woman to die in childbirth then and it was no different for the Matriarch Rachel. Archaeologists have discovered many female skeletons from ancient times with baby skeletons still trapped in the birth canal. Also discovered are female skeletons lying next to a baby skeleton. Unlike some of these unfortunate finds, Benjamin survived his childbirth ordeal, but grew up never knowing his mother. And let us not forget that little Joseph also lost his mother on that tragic day.

Rachel would always be the most loved wife of Jacob. And her legacy would live on in Joseph. Some things are inherent, like the heart of a Shepherd. You either have the heart of a Shepherd or you do not. And I am convinced that just like Jacob went in search of a Shepherd wife, so also our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has eyes that roam to and fro on the earth, looking for those individuals who inherently have the heart of a Shepherd.

A Shepherd either loves dealing with the daily watering, feeding, cleaning of the sheep or loathes it. There is no middle road in shepherding.

Shepherding was a big part of Israelite culture. And what Ancient Israel did in the physical, we the people of the New Covenant do in the spiritual. So, shepherding then becomes for us a metaphor for caring for God’s people, human sheep. I hope I have not offended you by calling you sheep. I have heard people say, “Don’t call me sheep, sheep are stupid, I am not a sheep.” We read in Ezekiel Ch.34:31 “And you are my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men and I am your God, says the Lord.” Most translations say, “Human Sheep.” That is what the Bible calls us, to us, God is like a Shepherd and we are like Sheep. That is the analogy He uses to describe the relationship. Forget about the animal, focus on the role and the function. The Biblical Hebrew language is about FUNCTION!

If you do not like people, then I am sorry to say you are not a Shepherd. To put it another way, can a shepherd not love his sheep?

Can you imagine how miserable a Shepherd would be if he did not love his job. He is out in the elements, the sun, rain, storms, looking for shelter, looking for water, looking for food, day in and day out. The Shepherd is watching for predators, predators who want to steal away the sheep. Predators are stalking them. He cannot sleep, if he lets his guard down for one minute, one of the sheep could go missing. If he is an accountable Shepherd, then he must go and find that lost sheep and bring it back into the fold. That is exactly what Jesus said, did He not? He would leave the ninety-nine sheep and go find that one sheep that strayed.

Caring for sheep is a difficult job, in comparison to the Bedouin or Arab cultures who raised camels for example. Camels can travel longer distances, requiring less food and water along the way. I recall reading some of William Albright’s material on what he called, ‘Camel Nomads’, and I recall thinking how different it was to shepherding sheep. Sheep are so much more vulnerable and have so many more needs.  

This concludes Part One. Thank you for reading.

If you prefer to listen to the video, here is the link to my YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-KE9JTRIi8&t=19s

Cheryl Mason.

All images used are either free-images or purchased from iSock photography.

“Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen! Martin Luther.

For the 1 billion Protestant Christians worldwide the nailing of the Ninety-Five Theses will always remain a milestone in Reformation. In this feature article I discuss Martin Luther (1483-1546) his Ninety-Five Theses and his contempt for Indulgences.

The night was dark and gloomy. A lonely tree stood waterlogged in the shadows, it offered little shelter to the solitary young traveller. Thundering clouds clashed and banged overhead like cymbals being hit with a thousand drumsticks. “Help me! Don’t let me die like a dog on this road, help me!” This is how Eric Hill depicts Martin Luther’s epiphany in his 2003 film, which he titled ─ Luther.

Luther’s epiphany occurred on 2 July 1505 when he was returning to his studies at the University of Erfurt. The treacherous storm struck near the Saxony village in Stotternheim and a lightning bolt threw him to the ground. With no help in sight, the young Luther called out to Saint Anne, the patron saint of miners. Bainton, a leading authority on Reformation history says, Luther cried out, “St. Anne help me, I’ll become a Monk.” With that simple oath a fate was sealed, a life transformed, and a destiny averted.

Luther was born in Eisleben, Germany on 10 November 1483. Soon after his birth, his parents Hans and Margaretha Luder, abandoned farming in Eisenach and entered a career in copper mining in Der Harz Mountains. Even though, the history of copper mining dates to ancient times, never in its history had the metal been in such great demand as in medieval Germany. Copper was needed for the newly discovered Gutenberg Printing Press. Sleek copper plates replaced outdated wooden printing blocks because copper produced a much more refined print.

In their small copper smelting business, the Luder family experienced some upward mobility. Albeit, Hans did not want his intelligent son to enter the business. Instead, Hans wanted Luther to become a lawyer. Initially, Luther fulfilled his father’s desires by completing a Master of Law in 1505 at the University of Erfurt. However, unbeknown to his father, Luther concealed his deep, dark secret: his vow to become a monk. In a spontaneous move Luther joined the Augustinian Order of Monks. One of the strictest orders around but reserved for the highest intellectuals and academics.

By 1507 Luther was fully committed to the new direction his life was taking. Leaving his family behind, he began teaching Theology at the University of Wittenberg. It was there, where he later received his Doctor of Theology. Hans and Margaretha remained shattered on the sidelines with no prospects of support in old age. In a letter they disinherited their son and withdrew their affections towards him. Nicols, Luther’s biographer and Christian historian, quotes Luther as saying, “When I became a Monk, my father almost went out of his mind, He was all upset and refused to give me permission.”

Luther’s decision shocked not only his parents but also his peers. They saw him as throwing away his talents for a worthless cause. Because by then, the word bandied around to describe Luther was ‘genius’. Faculty member and notable scholar, Philip Melanchthon, whom Luther called a ‘scrawny shrimp’ in turn called Luther, ‘genius’. Reformation expert, Merle D’Aubigne, states that Pope Leo X when urged by his master of palace, Sylvester Prierias to renounce Luther as heretical, turned around and said … “This Friar Martin Luther, is a great genius; all that is said of him is mere monkish jealousy.”

But all was not well with Dr. Luther. Within the confines of the monastery he battled his demons. He had severe doubts about the role God played in human existence. He questioned why a loving God would allow so much suffering in life and in death. Often struggling with paralysing depression, the stoic monk put aside his own feelings and fought tirelessly to fulfil his duties to the Holy Roman Church. The Holy Roman Church was the only church, there were no other churches. God was everywhere in medieval Europe, but so were demons, goblins, elves, gargoyles and the black death. With uncertainty of life came vulnerability, and the people became open to exploitation. It was unfortunate that exploitation came from the very source the people went to for comfort.

Luther wanted to offer his parishioners comfort. So, when he discovered they were being sold Indulgences by Johann Tezel, it made him angry. Tezel was Germany’s salesman extraordinaire! He was a Dominican monk who was held in highest regard by the church. There was no sin Tezel couldn’t pardon with an Indulgence slip. His authorized Papal Bull even annulled sex with one’s own mother. Pomp, ceremony, processions, crosses and his very own jingle accompanied Tezel wherever he went. “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” That’s all it took for the money to come pouring in.

What were Indulgences and why was Luther so perturbed by them? Indulgences were relics considered ‘holy’ by the church and were purchased at great cost. The Indulgence slip issued for the purchase pardoned the buyer from current and future sins and a reprieve from purgatory. Not only for themselves but also for others. Lucas Cranach famous artist of the Reformation boasted 5,005 such particles: The Virgin Mary’s hair, swaddling from Christ’s crib, leftover bread from The Last Supper, St. Jerome’s tooth, John the Baptists severed head and a myriad of holy bones to name a few.

In 1516 Luther began openly preaching against Indulgences, but nobody was listening. Eventually, Luther was driven to take drastic action and force the church into a scholarly debate about Indulgences.

On All Saints Day, 31 October 1517 Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the All Saints Church (Castle Church) in Wittenberg. The Ninety-five Theses was a series of dot-point disagreements Luther had with the church. Like an artery that runs through the body, the central theme of his Theses was his disdain for Indulgences. Luther wanted a scholarly debate, instead he got much more than he bargained for. Author, Frederick Nohl writes Luther’s students churned out hundreds of copies of his Theses and spread them near and far: making Luther a household name in Germany overnight.

Indulgences proved lucrative for the Church and Luther was biting the hand that fed him. Indulgences also built and restored many sites including St. Peter’s Cathedral. Luther’s own parishioners were sold Indulgences to build St. Peter’s. Luther commented. “Why doesn’t the Pope build the Basilica of St. Peter out of his money? He is richer than Croesus.” In 1521 the disagreement reached a climax and Luther was excommunicated for heresy and by all accounts should’ve been burnt at the stake. His friend and German leader Frederick the Wise intervened. Kidnapped him and hid him in Warburg Castle, in Eisenach, Germany, where he wrote in exile. It would be some seventeen years after Luther’s death in 1546 that Indulgences were condemned by the church. They then established the concept of ‘Good Works’ for salvation rather than buying one’s way into heaven. A victory for Luther no doubt, and a milestone in Reformation.

At the start of this paper we were introduced to a fearful young man who cried, “Help me” in a thunderstorm. The young man’s name was Martin Luther. In time his name became synonymous with his Ninety-five Theses and a challenge to the highest authorities of Church and State. During his lifetime his name would reverberate through the innermost chambers of the Papacy. And in his death, it would be forever etched in the history of Christianity and Reformation. Those around recognised his genius, at the very start. But Luther was flawed like the rest of us and battled moments of deep depression. He told us so much about himself in his writings. Some 500 years later we are still learning about Luther. Luther’s legacy is that he showed us that through perseverance and faith we can be more pleasing to God than through corrupt practices.

References:

Bainton, R. (1977). Here I stand A Life of Martin Luther. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers.

Duggan, L. (2019). Indulgence | Roman Catholicism. Retrieved 24 October 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/indulgence

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism_by_country

History of copper – through the ages from the Copper Age to modern times. (2019). Retrieved 10 November 2019, from https://copperalliance.org.uk/about-copper/copper-history/copper-through-the-ages/

Luther, M. (2008). The bondage of the will. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers.

Luther, M., Jacobs, C., & Grimm, H. (1957). Luther’s ninety-five theses. USA: Fortress Press.

Man, J. (2009). The Gutenberg Revolution. London: Bantam Books

Martin Luther. (2019). Retrieved 19 November 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther

Merle d’Aubigné, J., & White, H. (1987). History of the Reformation of the sixteenth century. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House.

Nichols, S. (2002). Martin Luther A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought. Phillipsburg, N.J.: P & R Publishing.

Nohl, F. (1963). Martin Luther Hero of Faith. Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

Pettegree, A. (2015). Brand Luther. New York: Penguin Press.

Till, E. (2003). Luther [Video]. Eric Hill.  https://youtu.be/_rJwCqhTyY8 “Help me! Don’t let me die like a dog on this road! Don’t let me die.”

Author: Cheryl Mason © December 2019

Breaking the Sabbath was a capital crime, Exodus Ch.35:2-3 punishable by death.

I recommend you watch my video (link below) — Did Jesus break the Sabbath? For more information on the subject.

The Jewish Sabbath involves many Laws from the Talmud and not just the TaNaKh (Old Testament). See video, for the Laws of carrying for example; the Sabbath nowadays for instance even has it’s own song, L’choh Dohi (Sabbath song) is about the Sabbath as Queen.

Here’s the interesting thing, the Sabbath was not original to the Hebrews. Every ancient culture except the Phoenicians kept the Sabbath. Either based around the Lunar cycle or based around the seven day cycle. But only the Hebrews (now Jews) claim a special revelation on Mount Sinai regarding the Sabbath. 

Sabbath in other ancient cultures:

“With the other elements of Babylonian culture the institution of the Sabbath had made its way to the West. But at Sinai it was given a new and special application. Not only was it to be observed each seventh day of the week, irrespective of the beginning of the month, it became also a sign and mark of the covenant between Israel and its national God. In the book of Exodus, it is true, the reason given for keeping it is that Yahveh had rested on the seventh day from His work of creation—a reason which will hardly be accepted by the geologist—but in Deuteronomy (v. 15) it is more fittingly brought into direct connection with the deliverance from Egypt : ‘ Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm : therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.”

Sayce, A. (2004). The Early History of the Hebrews. 1st ed. [Whitefish, Mont.]: Kessinger Publishing, p.139.

The Babylonians celebrated the Shabattum as noted in the Amarna Letters which pre-dated the Mosaic Law given at Sinai. But then the scripture indicates that the Sabbath was given as an example to us in Genesis because God rested on the Sabbath. If we can figure out when Genesis was penned that would solve all the problems, but we can’t. From all accounts Genesis was penned in the seventh-century B.C. Therefore we are to conclude that these traditions were passed down orally in many cultures and written much later.

I will never understand why people squirm at anything Babylonian, after all according to the scriptures Nimrod, Noah’s great-grandson built Babylon. And because Noah lived for 950 years he was very much alive and kicking when Nimrod was born. From my estimation Noah and Nimrod shared this planet for approximately 200 years.

My point is this — that if they had any contact whatsoever Nimrod would’ve learnt some Biblical traditions. I often wonder if Nimrod is painted as a evil ruler/dictator simply because he is a descendant of Ham/Canaan/Cush. And that ancient literature conjures up some strife between Nimrod and Abraham. Although, nobody is certain who exactly Nimrod is historically. The Babylonians also kept excellent records and there is no mention of a Nimrod in the King’s List.

The identity of Nimrod varies from culture to culture, some say he was Ninurta, others Sargon the Great, still others Tukulti-Ninurta I or the Egyptian monarch Amenophis III. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, p.897). Personally I believe he was The Great Sargon (Nimrud) who acknowledged his god Marduk as discovered in the fragments of broken prisms in Assur.

Well, that’s my spat on demonising individuals like Nimrod because of folk-law.

The Early Church Fathers on the Sabbath:

What does the term Early Church Fathers mean? 

The term Apostolic (Early) Fathers refers to the first and second century disciples of Jesus Christ who were the direct followers of the original Disciples. Some of them like Barnabus and Clement are even mentioned in the New Testament as a traveling companion and successors of Paul and Peter (Acts 14:14 & Phil 4:3).

They were first called Apostolic (Early) Fathers in 1672 by French Scholar J.B. Cotelier (patre’s eevi apostolici), Fathers of The Apostolic Period. Their writings were both from the Old Testament and the New Testament and some of their writings date back to 50AD. Their writings contained everyday practical matters rather than theological doctrines. How to worship, how to assemble, concerns for Judaizers, persecution, the return of Jesus and false religions.

Even though these early Fathers established our New Testament Canon, they themselves found they were excluded from the Canon in 367 AD by Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria.

Reading the Apostolic Fathers: An Introduction Clayton N.Jefford with Kenneth J. Harder and Louis D. Amezaga, JR.

Justin Martyr on Sabbath.

“150AD JUSTIN: Moreover, all those righteous men already mentioned [after mentioning Adam. Abel, Enoch, Lot, Noah, Melchizedek, and Abraham], though they kept no Sabbaths, were pleasing to God; and after them Abraham with all his descendants until Moses… And you [fleshly Jews] were commanded to keep Sabbaths, that you might retain the memorial of God. For His word makes this announcement, saying, “That you may know that I am God who redeemed you.” (Dialogue With Trypho the Jew, 150-165 AD, Ante-Nicene Fathers , vol. 1, page 204)”

“150AD JUSTIN: There is no other thing for which you blame us, my friends, is there than this? That we do not live according to the Law, nor, are we circumcised in the flesh as your forefathers, nor do we observe the Sabbath as you do. (Dialogue with Trypho 10:1. In verse 3 the Jew Trypho acknowledges that Christians ‘do not keep the Sabbath.’)”

“150AD JUSTIN: We are always together with one another. And for all the things with which we are supplied we bless the Maker of all through his Son Jesus Christ and through his Holy Spirit. And on the day called Sunday there is a gathering together in the same place of all who live in a city or a rural district. (There follows an account of a Christian worship service, which is quoted in VII.2.) We all make our assembly in common on the day of the Sun, since it is the first day, on which God changed the darkness and matter and made the world, and Jesus Christ our Savior arose from the dead on the same day. For they crucified him on the day before Saturn’s day, and on the day after (which is the day of the Sun the appeared to his apostles and taught his disciples these things. (Apology, 1, 67:1-3, 7; First Apology, 145 AD, Ante-Nicene Fathers , Vol. 1, pg. 186)”

Tertullian:

“Tertullian, that ” on the day of the Lord’s resurrection Christians should defer their businesses lest they give any place to the devil.” “One hundred and twenty-one years later, Constantine,”” the shrewd statesman, to please his numerous Christian subjects, gave legal sanction and protection to their Sacred Day, in terms that would give no offense to his pagan subjects, by his famous edict for Sunday rest.”

Ignatius:

Ignatius the Bishop of Antioch who was a disciple of Polycarp, who was a disciple of the Apostle John, lived around 37-110 A.D.  He wrote in his Epistle.

“Be not deceived with strange doctrines, nor with old fables which are unprofitable. For if we continue to live according to Jewish Law, we acknowledge we have NOT received Grace. For even the most Holy prophets lived according to Jesus Christ. For this cause we are persecuted also, being inspired by this Grace, fully to convince the unbelievers there is One God, who hath manifested himself by Jesus Christ his Son. Who is his eternal world, not coming forth from silence, who in all things was well pleasing to him who sent him.

If therefore they come to the newness of hope, no longer observing Sabbaths, keeping the Lord’s Day in whom also our life is sprung up by Him and through His death.” (A Translation of The Epistles of Clement Of Rome, Polycarp And Ignatius, And of The First Apology Of Justin Martyr,p.68)

“Ignatius, ” Epistle to the Magnesians,” ch. g, and Council of Laodicea, can, 2g, 49 and loi, A.D. 361. See Bingham’s *’ Christian Antiquities,” vol. ii., b. 20, ch. 3.”—-4. A. Hodge, D.D., in “The Day Changed:’ The Schaff-Her-zog Cj’clopaedia says : ” The Jewish Christians ceased to observe the Sabbath [that is, Saturday], after the destruction of Jerusalem. The Ebionites and Nazarenes kept up the habit even longer.” 150—p. 382.”

Irenceus: 

“Irenceus wrote to an Alexandrian to the effect that ‘ It is right, with respect to the feast of the resurrection, that we should 2 celebrate it upon the first day of the week.’ “—A’ote by the Svriac Editor of the ” Lost Writings” 50M Frag. 259.”

Melito, Bishop of Sardis. a.d. 170. “On the Lord’s-day.” Title oj one of his bocks, 5 260—Bakdesanes, a.d. 180. (Died 223.) “On one day, the first of 2 the week, we assemble ourselves together.” 2I > 1—Clement of Alexandria, a.d. 192. (Date, A. A. Hodge.) (Clement died, according to Zahn’s latest investigations, about A.D. 215.)”

“During the last days of Christ’s earthly ministry, and in the subsequent ministry of the apostles, and among their immediate successors, the first day of the week was treated as the * * chief of days,’*

“In the seven weeks between the resurrection and the ascension, Jesus appeared to Christian gatherings on seven separated days, the first two of them surely—probably all of them—being ” the first day of the week.” ‘” During that period He gave many unrecorded ” commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen” (Acts i : 2). What those commandments were we can best infer from the subsequent acts and writings of these inspired men, who taught the churches which they organized, by precept and example, to meet together on the first day of the week to celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, to engage in social worship, to hear preaching, and to make their weekly collections for benevolence. (Acts 20 : 6-11 ; I Cor. 16 : I.)”

The Sabbath for man: a study of the origin, obligation, history, advantages and present state of Sabbath obsevance.

The Didache:

Discovered in the nineteenth century, The Didache is the earliest Christian document, it pre-dates most of the New Testament, and yet most Christians have not even heard of it. Strange huh?

The Didache is a series of simple documents, that don’t address biblical theology but rather the everyday life of Christians. The main teaching was The Two Way Tradition; others included how to pray, when to fast, the early Church fasted Mondays and Thursdays. When to assemble and their readings which they called the Memoirs of the Apostles.

The Didache says the early Church met on Sunday, that Sunday was the Day of the Lord, they broke bread, shared a meal, sang songs, and read the Memoirs of the Apostles.

The Didache.p,99.

“What the ” Fathers” say of the Sabbath is of value chiefly as affording incidental and so reliable testimony to several facts —namely : i. The Old Testament custom of setting apart one ” stated day” in each week for a sacrament, a collection, and social worship, was not abolished by the Apostles, but was uninterruptedly continued by their immediate successors. 2. The first day of the week was thus kept as a Christian festival. 3. The day of the w ^ eek most highly esteemed in the days of the Post-apostolic Fathers was not the seventh, but “the first day of the week,” called also “the eighth day” and ” Sunday.” 4. The additional observance of the seventh day was for a while tolerated in converts from Judaism. 5. ” The first day of the week” was commonly called ” The Lord’s-day,” as in Rev. i : 10.” The Sabbath for man: a study of the origin, obligation, history, advantages and present state of Sabbath obsevance.

The Reformer Martin Luther, even though not an Early Church Father and many of his contemporaries held the same views as the early Church about Sunday and not Saturday as being the Lord’s Day.

Martin Luther on The Sabbath: 

He said: “Keep the Sabbath holy for its use both to body and soul ; but if anywhere the day is made holy for the mere day’s sake, if anywhere Anyone one sets up its observance upon a Jewish foundation, then I order you to work on it, to ride on it, to dance on it, to feast on it, to do anything that shall remove this encroachment on the Christian spirit and liberty.” Martin Luther.

“In another place he says:” No day is better or more excellent than another. Some one day, at least, must be selected in each week for attention to these matters [worship and instruction], and, seeing that those who preceded us choose the Lord’s-day for them, this harmless and admitted custom must not be readily changed.” Martin Luther.

Finally…”The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath” said, Jesus the Christ, Mark 2 : 27.

It’s a case of keeping things in perspective. It’s easy to make an idol of the Sabbath and worship the day rather than worship the God who gave a day of rest for mankind. Not just for man, but the animals also. Beasts of burden pay a heavy price with their bodies and also need a day of rest. The Earth needs a rest, we all need a rest!

So God in His mercy allotted a day, one day a week to rest. And, there’s no problem with that, the problem is exalting the day to be better than or more Holier than any other day. That’s the problem. As a New Testament Christian, every day is Holy, every day is a day of worship. “Pray without ceasing.” Is what we are instructed to do.

However, how the Jews chose to celebrate the Sabbath is their business, but for the Judaizers and those misinformed people who hold Saturday a day in which to worship, I just want to tell you you are in error and are being deceived because it is quite clear from all the references above that the early Church kept Sunday as unto the Lord.

For those who say the Apostles kept the Sabbath because they went to the Synagogue, is a lie. I think it pretty obvious from my references that, that was not the case. “The apostles often went to the synagogue on Saturday to evangelize the Jews,’ but we have no record that any Christian assembly, after the resurrection, met on that day for preaching, or for the Lord’s Supper, or for public worship. Converted Jews raised some controversies as to whether Christians ought not to keep the seventh day as well as the first, but there is no record of any controversy in the early church in regard to keeping the first day.” The Sabbath for man: a study of the origin, obligation, history, advantages and present state of Sabbath obsevance.

Cheryl Mason July 2019.

References:

Bible.ca. (2019). Early Christians always met on the First day (Sunday) and never kept the sabbath!. [online] Available at: http://www.bible.ca/H-sunday.htm [Accessed 12 Jul. 2019].

Chabad.org. (2016). Judaism, Torah and Jewish Info – Chabad Lubavitch. [online] Available at: http://chabad.org [Accessed 14 Oct. 2016].

Chevallier, R. and Whittingham A.M., W. (1834). A Translation of The Epistles of Clement Of Rome, Polycarp And Ignatius, And of The First Apology Of Justin Martyr. New York: The New York Protestant Episcopal Press.

Crafts, W. (n.d.). The Sabbath for man: a study of the origin, obligation, history, advantages and present state of Sabbath obsevance.

Getty images iStock. (2016). [image].

Holy Bible. (1985). Nashville: T. Nelson.

Jefford, C. (2012). Reading the Apostolic Fathers. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Neusner, J. (2005). The Babylonian Talmud. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers.

O’Loughlin, T. (2010). The Didache. London: SPCK.

Patzia, A. (2011). Making of the New Testament. Downers Grove, Ill.: Intervarsity Press.

Pritchard, J. (1969). Ancient Near Eastern texts relating to the Old Testament. Edited by James B. Pritchard. Third edition with supplement. Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp.286,287.

Sayce, A. (2004). The Early History of the Hebrews. [Whitefish, Mont.]: Kessinger Publishing.

Schauss, H. and Schauss, H. (1996). The Jewish festivals. New York: Schocken Books.

Youngblood, R., Bruce, F. and Harrison, R. (1995). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible dictionary. Nashville: T. Nelson.

The End.

If there is one hotly debated topic in Evangelical circles it would have to be “All Israel will be saved.’ But where does the idea originate from? After all, sin is sin, there is no such thing as corporate redemption under the Old Covenant or the New. Ezekiel Ch.18:20 “The soul who sins shall die”, but then we have the passage in Romans Ch.11:26, which implies salvation for ‘all’ Israel. I decided I would explore the teachings of some of Judaism’s greatest scholars and find out why they believed ‘All Israel will be saved’, furthermore what those same teachers believed about the lack of redemption for the non-Jewish souls.

“And so, all Israel will be saved”, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; Or this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” Concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Romans 11:26-29.

In the New Testament the cross-reference to Paul’s quote is given as Isaiah Ch. 59:20;21. Isaiah is speaking about a Redeemer, there is only one Redeemer, Jesus Christ. It’s self-explanatory then, that if you are a Christian, you would realize that only those who accept the Redemption offered by Jesus Christ are saved. And, yet Christians continue to attest to salvation for ‘All Israel’. This is what Isaiah Ch.59:20;21 says…

“The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the LORD.

“As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore.”

“All Israel will be saved” is a term that is not found in the passage that Paul is referring to in Romans 11:26. Furthermore, Paul says nothing about descendants, descendants etc., forevermore. The Septuagint as usual says even less in this passage.

“The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob.” Where is it written in Isaiah Ch.59:20;21 that All Israel will be saved? When the condition for redemption is for those who TURN. Paul is quoting a reference that clearly states that only those who ‘TURN’, a word used for repentance will be redeemed when the Redeemer comes to Zion, an event that had already happened when Paul wrote Romans.

For the purpose of this study Israel will mean Jews. Simply because the Evangelicals who quote this passage of scripture mean Jews and only Jews. Any other way of dealing with the topic or referring to natural or spiritual Israel will muddy the waters and cause unnecessary confusion.

When discussing ‘All Israel will be saved’ it’s hard not to delve into the Resurrection of the Dead. A topic that comes with its own vagueness, both from a Hebraic perspective and a Christian one. The Resurrection of the Dead is a reunion of an already dead (decomposed) body to the Soul, into an immortal state.

I discovered the term “All Israel will be saved”, steeped in Judaic literature but with very little basis. Outside of Second Maccabees Ch.7:9, there is only one other reference to Israel (Jews?) being resurrected. Daniel Ch.2:2 mentions a similar ‘rising-up’ from the dust as it were. Once Maccabees and Daniel are weighed there is very little else to get excited about, until one reads Talmudic literature. The authors of Talmud are not shy in proclaiming, the Jews and only the Jews are the ones to inherit eternal life. And, then there are the Noachides (the Righteous gentiles), but that’s a whole other story. I will proceed to the Noachides later, as it is important to understand the criteria for non-Jews to enter eternal bliss.

Non-Jews before you breathe a sigh of relief there is a caveat! And, it is an elimination of whisperers. WHAT? Are you a whisperer?

I discovered that the end game for both Jews and Christians is not that dissimilar. The Pharisees (modern-day Judaism) and Christians believe in the immortal soul. They both also believe in the Resurrection of the Dead (with minor variants) and a futuristic earthly existence. Which brings us to a minor issue, NOT! The Land; the Land; the Land. For any future existence, Jews must have ‘THE LAND’, Jews must return to Eden; Eden to the land.

As they say in the movies, “Without further ado”, let’s begin…

Romans 11:26 ”All Israel will be saved”, what does it mean? 

Someone once said to me, to understand a verse in the Bible, you need to read the twenty verses before and the twenty verses after. In order to understand Romans 11:26, let’s go back 20 verses.

It’s apparent when we do this that Paul is speaking of a remnant (Romans 11:5). The meaning of the word remnant is the leftover, the residue, whatever is left behind at the end. He goes on to say … “By the election of grace and not of works”, that is not by the ‘works of the Law, we cannot be saved by the works of the Law. We can only be saved by Grace, but even under Grace there are ‘works’, and we will be judged by our ‘works’ (Revelation 20:12).

Romans 11:13-14 To you, moreover, speaking to the Gentiles and himself to some extent to shake some of them out through jealousy.

Romans 11: 17-23 Is a metaphor about the Gentiles being grafted into the wild olive tree and they (Israel) being cut off because of unbelief. Gentiles also have the potential to be cut off and Israel has the potential to be grafted back in. They are more so, because Gentiles are not part of the original olive tree.

Romans 11:25 The Mystery … Paul also speaks in Romans about Israel being blinded in part, he experienced this perfectly because when he got converted, it was like scales fell from his eyes, and he was able to receive the truth of the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ.

Romans 11:26 And, all Israel will be saved! A verse that causes so much confusion, it’s a mystery, but when the time of the Gentiles is completed a remnant of Israel will be saved. The Greek word, sode’-zo, means to save, heal and rescue.

Whatever remnant will be left at the end, will accept Jesus as their Messiah and they will be saved. There is a remnant according to grace (Romans 11:5) Paul used the 7000 that had not bowed the knee to Baal as an example.

The idea that all Israel, corporate redemption will be/must be saved is not from the Bible, but it’s an idea that is based in Judaism and Kabbalah, which is a form of Judaism. Because Adam (the Jewish man has the breath of YHWH in him, technically he cannot die or be cut-off from his creator, in theory it makes sense, but from a Christian perspective it does not. It is this teaching that has infiltrated the Christian church and its views on modern day Israel.

Of course, it should always be our desire that Jews be saved, just like it should be that the whole world should be saved. It’s Gods desire that no man perish, like it was for the Apostle Paul, but even he stated it as a desire, saying…” My heart’s DESIRE is that Israel (they) MIGHT be saved (Romans 10:1). There is a big difference between stating “All Israel WILL be saved” and desiring that Israel “MIGHT be saved”. It’s impossible that Paul meant both, instead the former has been grossly misunderstood and the latter is correct because it is confirmed by other scriptures.

 All Israel will be saved – The Talmudic perspective:

As I mentioned earlier the Pharisaic and Christian views on the immortal soul are not that dissimilar. This is because of Paul’s influence on the New Testament and his own Pharisaic upbringing. He himself stated he was a Pharisee of Pharisees (Philippians 3:5) who ‘sat at the feet’ of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Two things we can glean from his comments: the first; that the relationship between Paul and Gamaliel was very strong, to sit at someone’s feet meant to draw on every word that proceeded from their mouth. The second; that Paul was on his way to becoming Sanhedrin.

Paul with his understanding of the immortal soul would have understood Jesus’s resurrection totally. Jesus in His resurrected body was fully body and soul. The disciples were able to touch Him, doubting Thomas was only satisfied when he put his fingers into the wounds of Jesus (John 20:27). What would have been the outcome if for instance Paul was a Sadducee? Would we share the same consensus with the Jews? I don’t think so, because the Sadducees did not believe in the Resurrection of the Dead.

According to Neusner, the Sadducees deferred on the Resurrection of the Dead; Angels; the Immortality of the Soul and Divine Providence. They also only accepted the Written Torah (Neusner, 2005). From Josephus we learn that the Sadducees believed the soul perished with the body (Antiquities 18:1.4). Geza Vermes also points out that all the rewards and punishment for the Sadducees were received in this life (Vermes, 2010). We also have the reference from the New Testament itself about the Sadducees disbelief in such an event (Matthew 22:23).

The principles of Pharisee-ism are the total opposite, they are the Immortality of the Soul; belief in Angels; Divine Providence; Freedom of Will; Resurrection of the Dead and a Written and Oral Torah.

It’s clear at this point that the Sadducees did not accept the Resurrection of the Dead as a doctrine. But what of the Pharisees, where did they get their teaching from? And, you might be wondering why I am harping on about the Resurrection of the Dead, it’s because eternal life in Judaism is intrinsically connected with Resurrection. Even if for some reason a Pharisee had to spend a brief period in Gehenna, like a sort of a purgatory, his destination is Eden.

I promise you; you will not be blown away by what I discovered about what the Pharisees believe in the Resurrection of the Dead. Let’s begin with Vermes, in his book The Real Jesus, Vermes says that it was not widely known among the Jews and that the concept gained prominence only in the Second Century B.C. by the Jews in diaspora who were influenced by Greek culture.

For Neusner it’s back to the Garden of Eden. In his view because Israel holds the belief of ‘One’ God (Deuteronomy 6:4) that qualifies Israel to attain to Resurrection. Why? Because they know their God and are monotheistic. “The Gentiles are not…they reject God in favour of idols”, says Neusner. The monotheistic Jewish soul is on a journey back to the Garden of Eden, which is Israel, as in the Land. Then there is the aspect of suffering. Israel is the Suffering Servant who has endured incredible hardship in this world none explains this concept clearer than Rabbi Stuart Federow in his book Judaism and Christianity: A Contrast.

Neusner would agree I’m sure, in his eyes the Righteous Jew is always suffering and therefore warrants eternal redemption, no questions asked. The whole premise of Jewish resurrection hinges on one passage of Hebrew scripture. “Also, your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, That I may be glorified (Isaiah 60:21). That’s it!

“To be Israel means to rise from the grave and that applies to all Israelites. The entire holy people will enter the world to come, that is, Israel will enjoy the resurrection of the dead and eternal life. Israel then is anticipated to be the people of eternity.” (Neusner, 2005). The Jewish Eden, which is the land, is not just a place for the resurrected soul but rather a condition. From reading about this condition, it reminded me very much of a Buddhist Nirvana.

Which brings me to the Zohar, and no doubt some of the wackiest origins of where this concept originated from. The Zohar itself informs us that it has its origins in Babylon and that its philosophies were developed in Babylon during the Exile. In the Zend Avesta the Jews discovered similar stories about creation, Adam and Eve, the temptation and the Resurrection of the Dead. The jury is still out on whether some of these stories were adopted by Zoroastrianism or the other way around. There is no denying though that Zoroastrianism has heavily influenced Talmudic Judaism. The Resurrection for Jews in the Zohar is like other Jewish texts. It’s about the land and returning to the land, a reincarnation of souls brought back to the land when the graves were opened (Zohar).

“Therefore, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves and bring you into the land of Israel.

“Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves (Ezekiel 37:12;13).

Lastly, it’s only fair to check in on Maimonides and see what he has to say about the Resurrection of the Dead. Well, it appears very little, the man of science and medicine didn’t much care for the doctrine. And even when he was given an opportunity to make his views clear in Maamar Tehiyyet ham-Metim, he failed to do so. (The Introduction to the Code of Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, 1980).

All Israel will be saved – The Jewish perspective for non-Jews.

It’s all doom and gloom for the non-Jewish souls unfortunately, they will perish, and the wicked will not stand in judgement as the Psalmist says…” Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Remember the word ‘Righteous’ from before (Isaiah 60:21) and that the Righteous are the Jews.

The disqualifications for Redemption for non-Jewish souls include:

Those who read heretical books, “The books of the Evangelists … they do not save from the fire. But they are allowed to burn where they are, they and the reference to the divine name that are in them.” (Neusner, 2004; Neusner, 2005). Some of the suggestions from the Rabbi’s included, cut out the name and burn the rest.

“(1) He who says, the Resurrection of the dead is a teaching which does not derive from Torah, (2) and that the Torah does not come from Heaven; and (3) Epicureans [hedonist]” (Neusner, 2005). Well, Epicureans means Greek thinkers. The Zohar calls them ‘antediluvians’, from my understanding it would mean ‘creatures’ as in the ‘others’ who were created as non-Jews. Then there is a general exclusion of ‘Gentiles’, “Idolaters, do not even figure in judgment at all. They do not rise from the grave.” (Neusner, 2005).

Lastly, I will address The Whisperers. The Who? You might very well ask. For that we need to read the Jewish Creed, based on Isaiah 60:21.

From Maimonides:

He who denies The Resurrection

He who denies the origin of The Torah (that it was from Heaven)

The Unbelievers (those who do not believe in the concept of the ‘One’ God)

From Rabbi Akiba: 

He who reads Heretical Books (Christian texts)

He who Whispers over a Wound (a clear reference to Christians who pray over wounds and diseases in the name of Jesus). There are at least three instances in Talmudic literature that mentions Rabbi’s suggesting death would be better than being prayed over in the name of Jesus. Two choking instances and a snake bite.

From Rabbi Saul:

He who utters the letters of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH).

In concluding then, ‘All Israel will be saved’ is a predominantly Jewish term, that is only found in Romans 11:26, it is found nowhere else in the Bible. I checked every verse in the entire Bible that had the word Israel in it, no mean feat I can tell you. However, the idea of a Jewish remnant being ‘saved’ is throughout the scriptures.

From Isaiah 60:21 the Jews have managed to create a scenario whereby every Jew the ‘Righteous’ warrants a Resurrection. The non-Jews under Noachide, if they deny the deity of Jesus, or the reading of the New Testament might attain Resurrection with the Jews. I think I’ll pass on that one, thank you very much.

Christians who encourage that salvation can be attained in any other way are in error and will be judged for being part of a deception. If Noachides think that by having one foot in Judaism and one foot in Christianity and that somehow that will win them brownie points with God, they are wrong. The only way you can be a true Noachide is by denying Jesus Christ, who is the true Resurrection and the Life. Without Jesus Christ of Nazareth there is no Resurrection.

References:

Brenton, L. (2010). The Septuagint version of the Old Testament and Apocrypha. [Whitefish, Mont.]: Kessinger Pub, p.195.

Creed, M. (2019). Maimonides on the Jewish Creed: Abelson, J. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. [online] Internet Archive. Available at: http://archive.org/details/jstor-1451103/page/n28 [Accessed 4 Jun. 2019].

De Manhar, N. and Drais, J. (1995). Zohar Bereshith to Lekh Lekha. San Diego: Wizards Bookshelf.

Federow, S. (2012). Judaism and Christianity: A Contrast. Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse Inc.

Jesus Christ in the Talmud, a. (2019). Jesus Christ in the Talmud, Midrash, Zohar, and the liturgy of the synagogue: Dalman, Gustaf, 1855-1941 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. [online] Internet Archive. Available at: http://archive.org/details/cu31924074488150/ [Accessed 4 Jun. 2019].

Josephus, F. and Whiston, W. (2008). The works of Josephus. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.

Nelson, T. (2005). The Nkjv Daily Bible. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson.

Neusner, J. (2004). The emergence of Judaism. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, pp.74,217.

Neusner, J. (2005). Questions and answers. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, pp.13, 45,152,153,154,164.

Neusner, J. (2011). The Babylonian Talmud. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers, pp.Sanhedrin 10:1 A-G.

Twersky, I. (2010). Introduction to the Code of Maimonides. New Haven: Yale University Press, pp.43,502.

Vermès, G. and Vermès, G. (2010). The real Jesus. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, pp.107-109.

Cheryl Mason 4 June 2019.

These are some of the more commonly held beliefs about the origins of the Star of David. I found it interesting to find out where all these beliefs originated from.

The Moloch Connection:

Many claim the flags origins are with the Star of Moloch. The young martyr Steven in the book of Acts (Acts 7:43) mentioned that the Jews of his day worshiped the Star of Remphan.

Most scholars draw a connection between the Remphan and Chiun (Amos 5:26) like Nelson’s Bible Dictionary for example. Remphan/Chiun originated in Babylon, was the god of Saturn and possessed a Star. Bruce, F. and Lockyer, H. (1995). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible dictionary. Nashville: T. Nelson, pp.507-513.

Steven before he was executed, made the connection between the Star of the Jews and Moloch worship. But is it the same Star? We can’t be certain, but it appears that way.

“Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.” NKJV. Steven was reproducing the entire history of the ancient Israelites up until then.

For a more definitive answer about Remphan and Chiun, I went to the Septuagint (LXX).

Oddly enough it was Steven’s numbering of the Jews who entered Egypt that first made me go searching in the Septuagint over a decade ago. My Septuagint studies have led me to believe that the early Church were reading the LXX and not the Masoretic text. In this instance also, I found Steven to be correct in his reference to Remphan. Amos Ch.5:26 in the LXX as quoted by Steven…” Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Raephan, the images of which ye made for yourselves.” Brenton, L. (2007). The Septuagint version of the Old Testament and Apocrypha. [Whitefish, Mont.]: Kessinger Pub, p.1089.

Why the KJV versions translate this as Chuin in Amos and Remphan in Acts I will never know.

The prophet Ezekiel was also highly critical of Moloch worship in Jerusalem prior to the Babylonian Captivity. The punishment for Moloch worship was outlined in Leviticus Ch.18:21. The penalty for Moloch worship was being cut-off from the land and cut-off from among their people. Leviticus Ch.21:28-29.

Leviticus 18:21 ‘And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus Ch.21:28-29 “Lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people.” NKJV.

It is for this reason the anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews, who protest in their thousands regularly don’t support the modern-day Zionist State of Israel. They believe the people were scattered because of the abominations committed in the land. And, are now destined to live in exile as Lights to the Nations of the world until Messiah returns. When Messiah returns, He will restore the people to the land. That is their belief.

The Rothschild’s Connection:

Others have drawn a connection between the Rothschild  family emblem and the Israeli national flag. In his book Andrew Carrington mentions a date when the Rothschild’s took on a red star as a family emblem. “On February 23rd, 1744 Mayer Amschel Bauer, an Ashkenazi Jew, is born in Frankfurt, Germany, the son of Moses Amschel Bauer, a money lender and the proprietor of a counting house. Moses Amschel Bauer places a red sign above the entrance door to his counting house. This sign is a red hexagram (that geometrically and numerically translates into the number 666), which under Rothschild instruction will end up on the Israeli flag some two centuries later.”

Hitchcock, A. (2012). The Synagogue of Satan. 2nd ed. United States of America, p.247.

The Rothschild’s adopted the Red Hexagon, Rot (Red in German) Schild (shield or sign in German). As the Rothschild s were instrumental in the development of the modern-day State of Israel, it is their shield that was adopted on the Israeli flag. Except the Red was replaced by the Blue. That’s what a link from the Jewish Virtual Library which had information to a Rothschild Archive stated, but since then the information has been removed.

The Zionist Connection:

The Blue Star could’ve very well been adopted from Rothschild’s Red Star, as Theodor Herzl stated in his book, Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State) that the Zionists did not at that time possess a flag, it was only later, towards the end of Herzl’s untimely death that The Rothschild’s became involved in the development of the formation of the State of Israel. Herzl had this to say…

“THE FLAG We have no flag, and we need one. If we desire to lead many men, we must raise a symbol above their heads. I would suggest a white flag, with seven golden stars. The white field symbolizes our pure new life; the stars are the seven golden hours of our working day. For we shall march into the Promised Land carrying the badge of honor.”

Theodore Herzl, The Jewish State — Der Judenstaat.

Still very much in the period of modern-day Zionism, another contributor was mentioned in an article I read, this article related more to the design of the flag rather than the actual Magen David or Star of David.

“Actually, the flag design that David Wolffsohn came up with was one that had already been in circulation, although he most likely was not aware of it.

In 1882 Jews from Russia founded a town south of Jaffa named Rishon LeZion (“First to Zion”). It was funded in part by Baron Edmond de Rothschild. In the summer of 1885, the community started making plans to celebrate its third anniversary. One of the settlers, Israel Belkind, decided to make a flag for the occasion. Working with another settler, the two of them came up with the idea of a design that would look like a prayer shawl, with the Star of David in the center, between two blue stripes. The flag was adopted as the symbol of the town, and later, the word, Zion, was added in the center of the Star of David.” http://christinprophecy.org/…/the-story-behind-israels-flag/

“Dov Gutterman, “Rishon LeZiyyon Flag,” http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/FLAGS/il%7Dz1885.html, pp. 1-2. Accessed on March 5, 2008.”

The Kabbalah Connection:

The most comprehensive material I was able to discover recently comes from none other than the founder of Modern-Day Kabbalah, Gershom Scholem. Scholem, was the Professor of Jewish Mysticism at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Firstly, he says that “The hexagram is not a Jewish symbol much less the symbol of Judaism.”

Scholem‘s focus appears to be mainly on the pentagram and hexagram, which have a long history in magic. In Jewish circles the hexagram was mentioned by Joshua ben Asaiah (600 B.C). It was also discovered next to a Swastika in a Synagogue in Capernaum. Many Middle Age Churches also adopted and used this emblem in their architecture.

“The Hexagram was made popular by the Kabbalist, Isaac Luria. Max Grunwald wrote in 1973 about how the Kabbalist’s viewed the hexagram resembling the ten spheres of the Sefirot. The lower and upper spheres come together to create Jewish magic.”

“The first mention of the Hexagram in Kabbalah was in (1280-90) Joseph Gikatilla in Gates of Righteousness.”

“The Star of David is also a symbol of Israel’s coming Jewish military Messiah, Ben David.”

Scholem, G. (1995). The messianic idea in Judaism and other essays on Jewish spirituality. New York: Schocken Books, pp. 257-281.

The Military Messiah Connection:

Only significant people were born under a Star! The Magi, who were able to read the stars knew of the importance of those born under this sign and their ability to change the world.

It was a long-held belief that Messiah will be born under a Star. No surprises then when Matthew in his Gospel expounds on the Magi following The Star to the place of Jesus’s birth (Matthew 2:9-10). Matthew would have written this especially for his Jewish audience who were expecting Messiah to be born under a Star.

“When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” NKJV.

Since Messiah Jesus was rejected as the Messiah by the Chief Priests and Elders, The Jews continued in their search for Messiah. Later, the emblem of The Star of David was used by Rabbi Akiba to promote Bar Kochba during the Roman revolt in 135 A.D. According to Rabbi Akiba, Bar Kochba was the promised military Messiah.

A “Star” Shines

“It was Rabbi Akiva who ascribed to Shimon bar Kochba the famous messianic verse: “A star will shoot forth from Jacob” (Numbers 24:17). That is how he got the name “Kochba,” which means “star.” Rabbi Akiva crowned him the Messiah. Rabbi Akiva was so widely respected among the people that if he saw in Shimon messianic qualities then the people immediately elevated him to the level of the Messiah. The helps us understand very well why the Christians would take no part in the war; it would have made one messiah too many.”

A “Star” Fades and Burns Out

“Then they began calling him, “Bar Koziba,” meaning the son of a lie; a false messiah. Their hopes were dashed.”

Killed in Battle: “Beitar fell to the Romans on Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av, in 135 CE, adding it to calamitous national tragedies of the Jewish people. Bar Kochba was eventually killed in battle. According to Dio Cassius and Jewish sources, at least a half a million Jews were killed. It was a tremendous blood bath.”

“Even so, the Jewish people after Hadrian were crushed almost beyond recognition. Bar Kochba’s defeat marked the end of any sort of Jewish autonomy in the Jewish homeland until the twentieth century.” https://www.jewishhistory.org/bar-kochba/

Well, that was the end of Bar Kochba.

But how did the Christians during Bar Kochba’s reign react to him having the Title as ‘The Star”?

In a text by Rev. Dr Gustaf Dalman, we have an indication of how the Christians responded to Bar Koshba’s claims. Quoting Justin Martyr (Apol.i.31) the author says that the Christians were severely punished for not accepting Bar Koshba’s Star. When Rabbi Akiba referred to the prophesy in Numbers as being fulfilled in Bar Kochba (Taanith IV.8, p.68d) the Christians simply replied…

“Thou art in error, Jesus of Nazareth and no other is the true Son of a Star.” Faced with this rejection Rabbi Akiba simply altered The Jerusalem Talmud from Ben Stara of the Christian into Ben Stada the Son of a Star into the Son of a harlot. Dalman, G. (1893). Jesus Christ in the Talmud, Midrash, Zohar and the liturgy of the Synagogue. London: Cambridge, pp.14-15.

The quest for Messiah’s Star continues to this day, with websites claiming that a Star is expected to appear in 2020. Breaking Israel News | Latest News. Biblical Perspective. (2018). New Star to Appear in Night Sky, Heralding Balaam’s Prophecy of Messiah. [online] Available at: https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/…/new-star-appear-night…/ [Accessed 29 Nov. 2018].

It’s my understanding then, that the Star of David is a very old symbol which predates David and Solomon. I discovered that Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Freemasonry, Churches and witchcraft all used this symbol. Scholem was right, the Star of David is not a Jewish symbol, but has been adopted as a Jewish symbol because of its connection to the spheres of the Sefirot…

Personally, I believe it relates more to the importance of those born under its sign than anything else. For example, in the book of Jasher, it mentions even Abraham was born under a Star.

Matthew the Gospel writer made an attempt to prove to the Jews of his day that Jesus the Messiah was in fact born under a Star and thus fulfilling prophesy. The New Testament Christians believed this was the case, and this significant person who was supposed to be born under a Star was Jesus Christ. As Justin Martyr pointed out that when the Christians rejected Bar Kochba, they paid a heavy price.

Whether or not Military Messiah will appear under a Star, I cannot say for sure, but I’m certain he will use the Star of David as his emblem, because of the supernatural powers the symbol possesses.

Scripture quotations marked “NKJV” are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Cheryl Mason posted on 17 May. 2019.