WHEN WE READ ARTICLES LIKE SYNTHETIC TELEPATHY AND PSYCHOTRONIC WEAPON TORTURES BY 100,000 FBI AND NSA SECRET SPIES ON RUDY2´S MULTILINGUAL BLOG THAT IS WHEN WE SEE THIS WORLD IS NOT GOD´S BUT EVIL´S. EVIL IS THE KING IN THE WORLD SINCE MOST HEARTS IGNORE GOD, JESUS CHRIST AND OUR MISSION DURING OUR WALK AROUND HERE. WHEN GOD IS ABSENT IN OUR LIVES OUR EGO HAS A LOT OF CHANCES TO RUN THE SHOW AND SPOIL OUR COMPASSION, CHARITY, KINDNESS AND PATIENCE WHEN IT ALL COMES TO LISTENING TO OTHERS. WHEN PEOPLE IGNORE GOD´S LAWS THEY CHEAT ON EACH OTHER AND THINK IT´S ALL RIGHT TO DO SO. IGNORING GOD´S LAWS PUTS PEOPLE ON THE WRONG TRACK, NOT SEEING WHAT THEY´VE GOT IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES AND SO THEY UNDERESTIMATE SEX AND SO THEY SHARE IT WITH ANYONE, ANYHOW, ANYTIME…SOONER THAN LATER THOSE ON THE WRONG TRACK RUIN THEIR LIVES, THEIR SEX, AND THEIR PERPETUAL PEACE AND JOY, WHICH ONLY COMES FROM OUR OMNIPOTENT FATHER ABOVE.
TODAY MOST PEOPLE DO NOT FEEL ANY ATTACHMENT TO ANYTHING NOR TO ANYONE, AND SURELY ENOUGH THIS IS A SYMPTOM OF BEING ON THE WRONG TRACK. THE MOMENT WE GROW APART FROM OUR SUPREME LORD, THE BIGGEST SOURCE OF LOVE, OUR HEARTS BECOME COLD AND NOTHING GOOD COMES OUT OF THEM. NO JOY, NO LOVE, NO NOTHING. PEOPLE RUN FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER WITHOUT LISTENING TO ANYONE REALLY. IT´S EGOCENTRICISM MAINLY. OUR EGO MAKES US THINK OF OURSELVES ALL THE TIME, VERY OFTEN LEAVING OUR DEAR ONES OR PEOPLE IN NEED ASIDE. ONCE WE GET TO KNOW GOD IT´S EASY FOR US TO FEEL DETACHED FROM SHALLOW ACQUAINTANCES OR PEOPLE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR EGO, AND WHO BEHAVE AS IF THEIR EGO RULED THEIR LIVES. THESE DAYS GOD IS ALMOST ABSENT IN MOST TV PROGRAMMES, EXCEPT FOR SUNDAY MASS AT LEAST IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY. THE FEW OF US WHO BELIEVE IN GOD TALK TO GOD ON A DAILY BASIS, PRAYING AND FOLLOWING HIS RULES AND TURN TO THE BIBLE AS A MEANS OF GETTING CLOSE TO GOD AND HIS WORD.
“THE SACRED BIBLE IS THE MOST READ BOOK IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND, THE MOST COPIED, PUBLISHED AND TRANSLATED BOOK THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES FOR ITS ETHICAL AND TRANSFORMING POWER, WHICH ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS HUMAN BEINGS BRING UP. IT CAN BE READ IN 2.287 LANGUAGES, AND SO 90% OF MANKIND CAN UNDERSTAND IT. FIRST IT WAS TRANSLATED TO HEBREW, FROM THERE TO GREEK AND THEN TO LATIN BY ST. GREGORY SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTERWARDS. THE GENRE WE CAN FIND IN THE BIBLE ARE VARIED: FROM HISTORICAL, MORAL, POETIC, PHILOSOPHICAL TO LEGAL AMONG OTHERS. THE CATHOLIC BIBLE IS COMPOSED OF 73 BOOKS – 43 OF THE OLD TESTAMENT AND 27 OF THE NEW ONE -, AND THEY ARE THEOLOGICAL HISTORY WHOSE MAIN CHARACTERS ARE GOD AND THE CHOSEN ONES.. THE AUTHORS AND THE CHARACTERS IN THESE 73 BOOKS ARE OF VERY DIFFERENT ORIGINS:
1.SOME ARE UNKNOWN AUTHORS.
2.OTHERS ARE FROM A DISTANT PAST (18TH BC-2ND AC), FROM WHOM WE´LL NEVER HAVE A RELIABLE BIOGRAPHY.
MANY OF THE UNKNOWN AUTHORS AND OF THE ANCIENT ONES NEVER MET EACH OTHER, BECAUSE THEY EITHER LIVED IN DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT PLACES OR SPOKE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. SOME OF THE AUTHORS WERE LEARNED PEOPLE, LIKE KING DAVID, KING SALOMON, ST. PAUL, ST. LUKE AND SOME PROPHETS. OTHER AUTHORS WERE ORDINARY FELLOWS LIKE THE APOSTLES – HUMBLE FISHERMEN -, CHOSEN BY JESUS, BEING AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THEY KNEW MORE OF NETS THAN OF SPIRITUALITY”.
“FROM THE VERY START, THE VERY FIRST LINES IN THE BIBLE SHOW US THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT PASS UNNOTICED, USING MANY PEOPLE AS INTERMEDIARIES, SIMPLY BECAUSE GOD LOVES US IMMENSELY. EVEN THOUGH GOD GIVES US HIS LOVE FOR FREE WE GO ON REJECTING HIS PROTECTION. AS WE REJECT GOD WE ARE UNPROTECTED AGAINST EVIL FORCES. AS WE ARE UNPROTECTED FROM EVIL FORCES GOVERNMENTS MAKE PEOPLE GET INTO FIGHTS WHICH TAKE MANY INNOCENT LIVES. DESPITE ALL, GOD IS STILL ALIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE XXI CENTURY, LOVING US LIKE THE CHOSEN ONES, AND FORGIVING US TIME AND TIME AGAIN. IT´S THIS FACT WHICH MAKES OF THE BIBLE SUCH A CURRENT MANUSCRIPT SINCE ITS MORAL TEACHINGS ARE ABSOLUTELY VALID FOR TODAY´S MAN. WHENEVER WE FEEL LET DOWN IF WE RESORT TO GOD, TALKING TO HIM WITH PRAYERS OR READING THE BIBLE HE WILL COME TO US SOONER THAN WE THINK. THE BIBLE ALSO TELLS US ABOUT WHAT WILL COME AFTER EACH ONE OF US DIES.”( BOTH QUOTES ABOVE ARE FROM CIELO E INFIERNO: VERDADES DE DIOS BY MARÍA VALLEJO-NÁGERA).
“READING THE BIBLE IS DIFFICULT FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:
1.THE HERETICS VERY OFTEN DISTORTED THE MEANING TO FAVOR THEIR OWN INTERESTS.
2.THE HERETICS OFTEN INTERPRETED COMPLEX TEXTS SUPERFICIALLY.
3.THE RABBIS WERE NOT INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT THE BIBLICAL AUTHORS´ INTENTIONS NOR IN TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THESE SACRED TEXTS.
4.ALLEGORIES.” (HISTORY OF THE BIBLE BY KAREN ARMSTRONG).
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER READ ANY ALLEGORIES AND SO WHENEVER THEY LISTEN TO A BIBLE´S TEXT THEIR MINDS CAN´T MAKE ANY SENSE OF WHAT THAT TEXT IS TRYING TO SAY TO THEM. AS MANY PEOPLE FIND ALLEGORIES DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET, THE GOAL OF KNOWING GOD, OUR FATHER IS AN IMPOSSIBLE MISSION. GIVEN THE FACT THAT LANGUAGE ITSELF CAN BE SOMETIMES SUBJECT TO NUMEROUS INTERPRETATIONS, IF WE ADD ALLEGOREIS TO OUR LANGUAGE THEN THE NUMEROUS INTERPRETATIONS TURN INTO FAR TOO MANY CHANCES FOR GOD´S COMPETITION´S FOLLOWERS TO COME IN, UNDO AND DISTORT AS MUCH OF GOD´S DIVINE MESSAGE FOR OUR SALVATION. THE BOOK IS PACKED WITH ALLEGORIES AND THAT´S WHY WE DON´T UNDERSTAND SOME OF THEM. WHAT WE DO UNDERSTAND AND MUST BE AWARE OF IS THAT GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS WORD LIKE WHEN HE TOLD LOT AND HIS WIFE NOT TO LOOK BEHIND THEM WHEN FLEEING SODOM. AS LOT´S WIFE FAILED TO COMPLY WITH GOD´S LAW SHE TURNED INTO A PILLAR OF SALT. SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE DESTROYED AS IT WAS FORETOLD. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF GOD´S MESSAGE USING ALLEGORIES IS IN AMOS 8 WHERE GOD SHOWS AMOS A BASKET FULL OF FRUIT AND ASKS HIM THIS: “WHAT CAN YOU SEE, AMOS?” AND AMOS ANSWERED: “A BASKET FULL OF RIPE FRUIT”. AND GOD TOLD HIM THIS:” MY ISRAELI PEOPLE ARE RIPE. I WON´T FORGIVE THEM ANYMORE. WHEN THAT DAY COMES MUSIC WILL TURN INTO LAMENT, CADAVERS AND SILENCE WILL FLOOD EVERYWHERE, THE LORD´S ORACLE”.
THE LACK OF FAITH WORLDWIDE IS ROOTED ON THE FOLLOWING FACTS:
1.LET´S IMAGINE THAT THINGS STARTED GOING WRONG MANY CENTURIES BEFORE JESUS CHRIST WAS BORN, WHEN PEOPLE STARTED COMPLAINING ABOUT COMPLYING WITH THE FULFILLMENT OF THE TORAH, AND SO SOME PRIESTS STARTED FEELING INTIMIDATED AS WELL, DUE TO THE MANY COMPLAINTS. VERY SOON ALL THE OTHER PRIESTS STARTED DOING THE SAME IN ORDER TO PLEASE PEOPLE, SINCE PRIESTS FEARED PEOPLE MUCH MORE THAN GOD, AND THAT´S WHY THEY DECIDED TO CHANGE GOD´S LAWS.
2.THE FACT THAT MANY PRIESTS REQUESTED PROSTITUTES MANY CENTURIES BEFORE JESUS CHRIST WAS BORN, AND THE FACT THAT MANY PRIESTS DID NOT TEACH GOD´S KNOWLEDGE PAVED THE WAY TO SECTS AGAINST GOD.
3.THE SPREAD OF SECTS TOOK PLACE SPECIALLY IN THE LATE MIDDLE AGES IN GERMANY, THE NETHERLANDS, FLANDERS, GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, CATALONIA AND DURANGO (BASQUE COUNTRY). DURANGO HERESY (1442-1444) IS ONE OF THE MANY EXAMPLES. IN DURANGO IN 1444 THIRTEEN PEOPLE WERE BURNT BY THE AUTHORITIES OUTSIDE ST. MARY CHURCH, BECAUSE THEY WERE AGAINST THE 10 COMMANDMENTS AND THE SACRAMENTS. FRAY ALONSO DE MELLA – A FRANCISCAN PREACHER – AND FRAY GUILLÉN LED THE SECT AGAINST GOD, INTERPRETING THE BIBLE AGAINST ESTABLISHED AUTHORITY . FRAY ALONSO WOUND UP BEING STABBED TO DEATH BY THE MUSLIMS IN GRANADA, AND FRAY GUILLÉN ENDED UP BURNT IN LEKEITIO. PEOPLE LIKE FRAY ALONSO, FRAY GUILLÉN AND OTHERS WERE IN CHARGE OF MOCKING THE BIBLE, GOD´S 10 COMMANDMENTS AND THE SACRAMENTS. THEIR GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND STILL IS TO MISLEAD PEOPLE BY MEANS OF AUDACITY. TODAY THERE ARE STILL DESCENDANTS OF THOSE PEOPLE BACK THEN WHO REPELLED GOD´S LAWS AND WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE FREE TO DO WHAT THEY WANTED TO.
LET´S IMAGINE THAT CORRUPT ONES THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THAT IS, CENTURIES BEFORE CHRIST AND AFTER CHRIST TOOK PART IN DISTORTING THE TRUTH, GETTING RID OF IMPORTANT TEXTS WHERE GOD´S LAWS AND ADVICE FOR US WERE TOLD, AND ALL THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE THERE WERE CORRUPT PRIESTS WHO PRETENDED TO BE ON GOD´S SIDE TO FOOL GOD´S FOLLOWERS. LET´S IMAGINE MOST CORRUPT PRIESTS PROBABLY WERE GOOD ONES WHEN THEY STARTED OFF AS PRIESTS, BUT THEIR FAITH WASN´T STRONG ENOUGH AND FLESH TEMPTATIONS TOOK OVER. NO WONDER ONE OF GOD´S MESSAGES IS THAT PRIESTS WILL BE THE MOST SEVERELY PUNISHED OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS ON EARTH. WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE DON´T HAVE FAITH IN GOD BECAUSE OF ALL THE EFFORTS MADE BY SO MANY CORRUPT PRIESTS, PROPHETS AND BILLIONS OF PAID-OFF ONES WHO MOCKED AND STILL GO AGAINST IT NOWADAYS. THIS LONG AND WINDING ROAD OF LIES ABOUT GOD, AND OF IMPORTANT DESTROYED TEXTS FROM OUR LORD RESULT IN OUR CURRENT WORLD AVID FOR MONEY, SEX AND READY TO SHOW DISPLEASURE WHENEVER SOMEONE MENTIONS GOD, JESUS CHRIST, THE HOLY MARY OR THE HOLY SPIRIT. WHEN SOMEONE BRINGS IN THE TOPIC OF GOD, THE HOLY MARY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT SOME PEOPLE´S REACTION IS LIKE “NO WAY”,”I CAN´T TAKE THIS”, “THIS IS SOMETHING FROM THE PAST WHICH IS A LIE”, “I FEEL STRANGE”, “WHAT´S GOING ON?”, “I DON´T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THIS TOPIC” ETC., AND THAT´S BECAUSE OF THE MANY CENTURIES OF MANIPULATION OF GOD´S MESSAGES BY BILLIONS OF CORRUPT ONES WHO DEVOTED THEIR LIVES TO DISTORTING, MOCKING AND DESTROYING GOD´S MESSAGES FOR ALL OF US.
ONCE WE SEE THAT THE BIBLE WAS DISTORTED, PRESENTING US INTERPRETATIONS WHICH WEREN´T THE AUTHOR´S INTENTION WE´LL BE IN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING POSITION TO ACCEPT THE BIBLE AS SOMETHING DEAR TO US, DESPITE ITS DISTORTIONS. LET´S IMAGINE THAT OUR PARENTS KEPT A GOLD MEDAL WITH SOME LOVING WORDS ENGRAVED IN IT AND THAT UNFORTUNATELY SOMEONE FOUND IT AND DECIDED TO REMOVE THE WORDS ENGRAVED IN IT SO THAT HE COULD SELL IT. LET´S IMAGINE SOMEHOW THE POLICE MANAGED TO CATCH THE PERSON TRYING TO SELL IT AND FINALLY WE GOT OUR PARENTS´ GOLD MEDAL WHICH WAS DESTINED FOR US. WOULD WE REJECT THE MEDAL SIMPLY BECAUSE SOME LOVING WORDS WERE REMOVED FROM IT?, OR WOULD WE KEEP IT AND LOVE IT JUST AS MUCH AS WE DID WHEN THE LOVING WORDS WERE ENGRAVED IN IT? SURE WE SHOULD VALUE IT AS MUCH AS IF IT WAS FIRSTLY DESIGNED, EVEN IF THERE´S NO WRITTEN MESSAGE, SINCE THE MEDAL ITSELF IS A LOVE MESSAGE. THE MEDAL IS IMBUED WITH LOVE. THE BIBLE TOO, DESPITE ITS REPETITIONS AND CONTRADICTIONS, MUST BE VALUED AS THE HOLY BOOK WITH HEALING POWER TO HELP US SINCE GOD´S ESSENCE IS IN THERE. GOD´S HOLY SPIRIT IS IN THE BIBLE. IN THE BIBLE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE SEE REPETITIONS, CONTRADICTIONS OR SIMPLY TOO MUCH MEASUREMENT INFORMATION AND NOT ENOUGH WISDOM IN A PARTICULAR TEXT, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE WE CAN SEE IN EZEKIEL 40-43, WHERE THE AUTHOR DESCRIBES THE NEW TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM, AND THE HEIGHT AND THE WIDTH ARE REPEATED UNTIL ONE´S BLUE IN THE FACE. ALSO TOO MUCH UNNECESARY INFORMATION IS GIVEN IN RELATION TO THE DESCRIPTION OF THE SURROUNDINGS OF THE TEMPLE, PROVIDING US WITH TOO MANY MINOR DETAILS AND PRECISE MEASURES AS TO PORTICOS, ATRIUMS, ETC., AS WE CAN SEE IN EZEKIEL 40, 48-49: “ HE TOOK ME TO THE VESTIBULE OF THE TEMPLE AND MEASURED ITS PILASTERS: 2 AND A HALF METRES EACH ONE. THE WIDTH OF THE PORTICO WAS A METRE AND A HALF ON BOTH SIDES”. ALSO “IT WAS FIFTY CUBITS LONG AND TWENTY-FIVE CUBITS WIDE” IS REPEATED OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN RELATION TO THE NORTH GATE, THE SOUTH GATE AND THE GATES TO THE INNER COURT. THAT SHALLOW INFORMATION IS NOT SUITABLE FOR THE BIBLE, EVEN IF WE´RE TALKING ABOUT THE SACRED TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM. DURING THESE CHAPTERS 40-43 WE SEE TOO MANY MEASURES OF DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE TEMPLE WHICH MAKES US THINK SOMEONE PROBABLY DIDN´T LIKE LA TORAH´S LAWS AND DECIDED TO DO SOME “HARM” TO IT ADDING SUPERFICIAL INFORMATION LIKE THAT ONE.
ON THE OTHER HAND THERE ARE MEMORABLE BIBLICAL TEXTS LIKE FOR EXAMPLE THESE ONES:
1.”IN THE YEAR 539 BC, CYRUS, PERSIAN KING, DEFEATED BABYLONIANS AND BECAME THE MOST POWERFUL MAN OF ALL EMPIRES. CYRUS PROMISED TO REPATRIATE ALL THE EXILES AND KEPT HIS WORD. BY THE END OF 539 BC, SOME MONTHS AFTER BEING CROWNED, A SMALL GROUP OF EXILES WENT TO JERUSALEM. MOST ISRAELITES CHOSE TO STAY IN BABYLON, WHERE THEY CONTRIBUTED TO THE HOLY HEBREW SCRIPTURES. THE EXILES WHO CAME BACK BROUGHT WITHIN THEMSELVES 9 ROLLS WHICH TOLD THE HISTORY OF THEIR PEOPLE, FROM THEIR CREATION TO THEIR DEPORTATION. THE FIRST 5 BOOKS ARE PART OF THE PENTATEUCH: GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITIC, NUMBERS AND DEUTERONOMY, AND TO THESE 5 BOOKS WE HAVE TO ADD JOSHUA, JUDGES, SAMUEL AND KINGS. THEY ALSO BROUGHT ANTOLOGIES OF THE PROPHETS´ ORACLES, AND THE PSALMS BOOK WHICH INCLUDED THEN PSALMS WRITTEN IN BABYLON. THE BIBLE WAS NOT FINISHED YET BUT THE EXILES HAD THE BASICS OF THE HEBREW BIBLE IN THEIR POSSESSION”(HISTORIA DE LA BIBLIA BY KAREN ARMSTRONG).
2.“WHEN THE ROMAN SOLDIERS BURST INTO THE PATIOS OF THE TEMPLE, THEY CAME ACROSS ABOUT 6,000 ZEALOT JEWS, READY TO FIGHT UNTIL DEATH. ONCE THEY SAW THE TEMPLE WAS BURNING A TERRIBLE ROARING ROSE INTO THE SKY. SOME OF THEM POUNCED ON THE ROMANS´ SWORDS, AND OTHERS JUMPED INTO THE FLAMES. WHEN THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE JEWS GAVE UP AND THEY RESTRICTED THEMSELVES TO SEE HELPLESS HOW TITO´S OFFICIALS DESTROYED WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE TOWN. ONCE AGAIN THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED BUT THIS TIME IT WOULD NOT BE REBUILT. ONLY 2 OF THE SECTS, WHICH HAD PROLIFERATED DURING THE LATE YEARS OF THE SECOND TEMPLE, WERE ABLE TO FIND A WAY TO GO ON. THE FIRST ONE WAS JESUS´ MOVEMENT, WHICH WAS INSPIRED BY THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE, IN ORDER TO WRITE A COLLECTION OF HOLY TEXTS. MANY OF THE HOLY TEXTS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WERE WRITTEN AS AN ANSWER TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE BY THE ROMANS. ONE OF THE DEFENDERS OF THIS NEW ESCHATOLOGY WAS PAUL, A GREEK JEW FROM TARSO, IN CILICIA, WHO HAD JOINED THAT CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT ABOUT 3 YEARS AFTER JESUS CHRIST DIED. PAUL NEVER MET JESUS, AND AT THE BEGINNING HE WAS EVEN AGAINST JESUS´ MOVEMENT. HOWEVER, LATER ON PAUL BECAME A CHRISTIAN DUE TO A REVELATION WHICH WON HIM OVER. IT HAD TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT CHRIST HAD CALLED ON HIM TO BE THE GENTILES´ APOSTLE.
PAUL TRAVELLED AROUND THE DIASPORA AND FOUNDED CONGREGATIONS IN SIRIA, ASIA MINOR AND GREECE, DETERMINED TO SPREAD THE GOSPELS ALL AROUND THE WORLD, BEFORE JESUS CHRIST CAME BACK AGAIN. HE WROTE LETTERS TO THE CONVERSE TELLING THEM ABOUT FAITH. PAUL DIDN´T THINK HE WAS WRITING HOLY TEXTS SINCE HE WAS CONVINCED JESUS CHRIST WOULD COME BACK WHILE HE WAS ALIVE. HE NEVER IMAGINED FUTURE GENERATIONS WOULD BE STUDYING HIS EPISTLES. PAUL INSISTED THAT HIS CONVERTED GENTILES GIVE UP ALL PAGAN CULT AND THAT THEY ADORE GOD ONLY. BUT HE DIDN´T THINK THEY HAD TO CONVERT TO JUDAISM SINCE JESUS HAD ALREADY MADE THEM THEIR CHILDREN, WITHOUT CIRCUMCISION AND WITHOUT THE TORAH” (HISTORIA DE LA BIBLIA BY KAREN ARMSTRONG).
FOR SURE ST. PAUL AND MANY OTHER PROPHETS, SAINTS AND ORDINARY PEOPLE HAVE DONE AMAZING THINGS WHICH REVEAL THE DIVINE REVELATIONS THEY HAD FROM GOD. THOSE VISIONS´ GOAL WAS TO SHARE GOD´S MESSAGE WITH ALL OF US SO THAT WE, GOD´S CHILDREN, FOLLOW GOD´S RULES, DO GOD´S WILL AND IN THAT WAY BE PROTECTED FROM EVIL FORCES SURROUNDING US EVERY SINGLE DAY. MANY HUMAN BEINGS ARE SO ARROGANT THAT THEY THINK GOD HAS TO BE PROVING TO THEM TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT GOD EXISTS. THESE EGOCENTRIC PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE GOD SPEAKS ONCE AND THAT´S IT. HE ONCE SPOKE TO MOSES HIS WAY, USING THE BURNING BUSH TO GET HIS ATTENTION AND GAVE HIM THE 2 STONE TABLETS. “ACCORDING TO TRADITIONAL TEACHINGS OF JUDAISM IN THE TALMUD, THEY WERE OF BLUE SAPPHIRE STONE AS A SYMBOLIC REMINDER OF THE HEAVENS AND OF GOD´S THRONE” (TABLETS OF STONE-WIKIPEDIA). WHERE ARE THE 2 STONE TABLETS? DOES ANYBODY KNOW? LET´S IMAGINE CORRUPT ANCIENT BABYLONIAN PRIESTS WERE IN CHARGE OF DESTROYING THEM. “THE STONE TABLETS IN THE HEBREW BIBLE WERE THE 2 PIECES OF STONE INSCRIBED WITH THE 10 COMMANDMENTS WHEN MOSES ASCENDED MOUNT SINAI AS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS. ACCORDING TO RABBINIC TRADITION, THEY WERE RECTANGLES, WITH SHARP CORNERS, AND INDEED THEY ARE SO DEPICTED IN THE 3RD CENTURY PAINTINGS AT THE DURA-EUROPOS SYNAGOGUE AND IN CHRISTIAN ART THROUGHOUT THE 1ST MILLENNIUM, DRAWING ON JEWISH TRADITIONS OF ICONOGRAPHY. FOR MICHELANGELO AND ANDREA MANTEGNA THEY STILL HAVE SHARP CORNERS (SEE GALLERY), AND ARE ABOUT THE SIZE FOUND IN RABBINIC TRADITION” (TABLETS OF STONE-WIKIPEDIA). “THE ARK OF THE COVENANT WAS A WOODEN CHEST CLAD WITH GOLD CONTAINING THE 2 STONE TABLETS OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS. THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT RELATES THAT, APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AFTER THE ISRAELITES EXODUS FROM EGYPT, THE ARK WAS CREATED ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN GIVEN TO MOSES BY GOD WHEN THE ISRAELITES WERE ENCAMPED AT THE FOOT OF BIBICAL MOUNT SINAI. THE ARK WAS CARRIED BY THE ISRAELITES DURING THE 40 YEARS OF WANDERING IN THE DESERT. WHEN THE ARK WAS BORNE BY LEVITES IN THE BED OF THE JORDAN RIVER, THE WATERS PARTED AS GOD HAD PARTED THE WATERS OF THE RED SEA, OPENING A PATHWAY FOR THE ENTIRE HOST TO PASS. WHEN ABIATHAR (THE SOLE HISTORICAL INSTANCE OF THE DEPOSITION OF A HIGH PRIEST) WAS DISMISSED FROM THE PRIESTHOOD BY KING SOLOMON FOR HAVING TAKEN PART IN ADONIJAH´S CONSPIRACY AGAINST DAVID, HIS LIFE WAS SPARED BECAUSE HE HAD FORMERLY BORNE THE ARK (1 KINGS 2:26). IN 587 BC, THE BABYLONIANS DESTROYED JERUSALEM AND SOLOMON´S TEMPLE. THERE´S NO RECORD OF WHAT BECAME OF THE ARK IN THE BOOKS OF KINGS AND CHRONICLES. A LATE 2ND CENTURY RABBINIC WORK KNOWN AS THE TOSEFTA STATES THE OPINIONS OF THESE RABBIS THAT JOSIAH, THE KING OF JUDAH, STORED AWAY THE ARK, ALONG WITH THE JAR OF MANNA, AND A JAR CONTAINING THE HOLY ANOINTING OIL, THE ROD OF AARON WHICH BUDDED AND A CHEST GIVEN TO ISRAEL BY THE PHILISTINES” (ARK OF COVENANT-WIKIPEDIA). LET´S IMAGINE THAT JOSIAH STORED AWAY THE ARK, AND THAT THE BABYLONIANS FOUND IT AND TOOK IT TO BABYLON WHERE IT WAS FINALLY DESTROYED.
BEING AWARE OF ALL THIS INFORMATION THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS TO FOLLOW THE 10 COMMANDMENTS. WE KNOW GOD GAVE THEM TO MOSES. “THE 10 COMMANDMENTS ARE LISTED TWICE IN THE HEBREW BIBLE, FIRST AT EXODUS 20:1-17, AND THEN AT DEUTERONOMY 5.4-21. BOTH VERSIONS STATE THAT GOD INSCRIBED THEM ON 2 STONE TABLETS WHICH HE GAVE TO MOSES. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE 10 COMMANDMENTS ARE CLEARLY ATTRIBUTED TO MOSES. THE 10 COMMANDMENTS INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONS TO WORSHIP ONLY GOD, TO HONOUR PARENTS AND TO KEEP THE SABBATH; AS WELL AS PROHIBITIONS AGAINST IDOLATRY, BLASPHEMY, MURDER, ADULTERY, THEFT, DISHONESTY AND COVETING” (TEN COMMANDMENTS-WIKIPEDIA).
A MODERN ADVANCED SOCIETY AS WE ALL LIKE TO BE ADDRESSED AS SHOULD BE COMPASSIONATE, RESPECTFUL AND HUMBLE IN ORDER TO DO WHAT´S IMPERATIVE IN MANY CIRCUMSTANCES. HOWEVER, SOME ADVANCED SOCIETIES FAILED TO DO SO. HERE ARE THESE 2 EXAMPLES:
“GERMANS, WHO HAD DEVELOPED ONE OF THE MOST INTELLIGENT EUROPEAN SOCIETIES COMMITTED SOME OF THE WORST ATROCITIES. THE ENORMOUS MAGNITUDE OF THE NAZI HOLOCAUST AND OF THE SOVIET GULAG REVEALS ITS MODERN ORIGINS. THE HORRORS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR (1939-45) ENDED UP WITH THE FIRST DETONATION OF THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMBS OVER HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI. MANY PEOPLE HAD DREAMT WITH AN APOCALIPSIS FOR CENTURIES. INSTEAD OF LETTING GOD DECIDE ON WHEN THE APOCALIPSIS WAS TO HAPPEN THEY USED THEIR PRODIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE TO FIND THE WAY TO CARRY IT OUT THEMSELVES EFFICIENTLY. THE EXTINCTION CAMPS, THE ENORMOUS MUSHROOM-SHAPED CLOUD AND – TODAY – THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT REVEAL A NIHILIST VIOLENCE IN THE HEART OF THE MODERN CULTURE” (HISTORIA DE LA BIBLIA BY KAREN ARMSTRONG).
THE BIBLE ITSELF IS A MIRACLE, DESPITE ITS MANY INTERPRETATIONS AND DISTORTIONS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE MANY DIFFICULTIES THERE WERE DURING THOSE CENTURIES BACK WHEN THE ORAL TRADITION CALLED THE SHOTS, AND WHEN PRINTING DIDN´T EXIST AS TO THE TRANSMISSION OF GOD´S DIVINE ESSENCE. THE GOAL OF THE BIBLE IS TO AROUSE THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS NOT. TODAY SOME PEOPLE HAVE DEVIATED FROM GOD AND SO WE SEE MANY COUPLES WHO ARE UNFAITHFUL. THEY CHEAT ON THEIR HUSBANDS AND WIVES AND IGNORE THE WRONG THEY DO TO THEMSELVES AND TO THEIR SPOUSES. SOME PEOPLE PUSH GOD´S BOUNDARIES CHEATING ON ANYONE THEY ENCOUNTER AND FIND THEMSELVES WITH HIV FACE TO FACE. WE SEE SOME PEOPLE ON TV SUDDENLY THEY SAY GOODBYE, AND IF WE LOOKED INTO WHY THAT SUDDEN GOODBYE HAPPENED ALL OF A SUDDEN WE WOULD OFTEN FIND OUT IT WAS BECAUSE OF IGNORING GOD, OF CHEATING ON THEIR SPOUSES AND BEING UNPROTECTED, SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING AND THEREFORE BEING UNPROTECTED PHYSICALLY SPEAKING AS WELL. THE BIBLE INSISTS ON THE IDEA THAT GOD WILL GIVE HIS SENTENCE ON ALL PEOPLE ON EARTH AND WE MUST BE HUMBLE AND ACCEPT IT. THE PEOPLE OF DARKNESS TRY TO MOCK THE BIBLE, GOD AND GOD´S FOLLOWERS. THIS IS THE TEST EACH ONE OF US HAS TO PASS. WHEN SOMEONE ISN´T HUMBLE, FAITHFUL NOR HONEST HE IS A PERSON OF DARKNESS. THERE IS NO PLACE IN THE MIDDLE. EACH ONE OF US IS EITHER BRAVE AND GO FOR GOD, OR A COWARD WHO PREFERS TO BE SITTING ON INERTIA ENJOYING THE CONFORT ZONE OF FOLLOWING WHAT MOST PEOPLE DO, NO MATTER HOW SENSELESS MIGHT THAT ALL BE. WHEN READING THE BIBLE WE CAN´T HELP THINKING HOW MESSY SOME TEXTS ARE, AND YET WE KNOW IT´S THE ONE AND ONLY BOOK WHERE WE CAN FIND GOD´S WORD.
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE EVIL EFFORTS TO DESTROY GOD´S WORD TOGETHER WITH THE POOR CONDITION OF MANY OF THE MANUSCRIPTS, TEXTS AND SCROLLS WHICH HAD GOD´S WORD WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT IMPORTANT INFORMATION IS PROBABLY MISSING AND THAT´S WHY WE MUST FOLLOW THE RULES WE KNOW. THE PEOPLE WHO DON´T FOLLOW GOD´S RULES ARE DARKENED IN THEIR UNDERSTANDING AS FOR VIRTUES AND WISDOM. LET´S IMAGINE SOME OF GOD´S MESSAGES WERE REMOVED BY CORRUPT PRIESTS. LET´S IMAGINE THOSE ANCIENT CORRUPT PRIESTS BACK IN THE 7TH CENTURY BC ABUSED HIS POWER MISLEADING BELIEVERS AND NON BELIEVERS, IMPOSING THEIR LIES ON THE POPULATION, SINCE THEIR GOAL WAS TO SPREAD CONFUSION AS TO GOD AND HIS LAWS. THE FOLLOWING 3 EXAMPLES SHOW SOME OF THE SPREAD CONFUSION WE ARE TALKING ABOUT:
1.THE FIRST CHAPTER OF GENESIS REFERS TO GOD AS ELOHIM (HEBREW), WHILE THE SECOND CHAPTER USES YAHWEH AS THE NAME OF GOD.
2.MANY OF THE TEXTS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WERE WRITTEN IN ANCIENT GREEK.
3.WHEN WE´RE TOLD THE LORD SAID TO ADAM AND EVE NOT TO EAT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL (GENESIS 2:16,17), AS IT IS AN ALLEGORY THE INTERPRETATION IS THAT EACH ONE OF US MUST BE FAITHFUL. GOD WANTED TO SHOW US THAT INSIDE US WE HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE, BOTH OF GOOD AND EVIL. THE SERPENT TALKING TO EVE IS OUR SECOND VOICE INSIDE US TELLING US TO ENVY OTHERS, CHEAT ON OUR PARTNER, CRITICIZE, BRIBE, LIE, MOCK OTHERS, BE GREEDY, INCOMPASSIONATE, EGOCENTRIC, ARROGANT, A PERVERT, AN ABUSER, ETC. THIS SECOND VOICE INSIDE US IS NOURISHED BY ALL THE DECEIVERS OUT THERE WHO LOVE PERVERSION AND ARE REGULARS AT WHORING HOUSES. THE ALLEGORY OF ADAM AND EVE EATING OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF EVIL MEANS THAT THEY WERE DECEIVED THE SAME AS MANY CRIMINALS TRY TO FOOL US ALL EVERY DAY, AND GOD WANTS TO PREVENT US FROM ANY ABUSERS. THEREFORE IN THE SECOND CHAPTER OF GENESIS IS WHERE THE AUTHOR, PROBABLY MOSES AND 2 MORE AUTHORS TELLS US THAT GOD GAVE HIM THE MESSAGE OF TELLING US THAT WE ARE FREE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN GOOD OR EVIL. THIS IS THE REAL MEANING OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. LET´S IMAGINE THE AUTHOR OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF GENESIS WAS CORRUPT, AND THAT´S WHY THEY DIDN´T MENTION THIS CHOICE HUMAN BEINGS HAVE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. LET´S IMAGINE THAT ONLY IN THE SECOND CHAPTER SUCH KEY PIECE OF INFORMATION IS MENTIONED, AND NOT IN ANY OTHER CHAPTERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, NOR IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, SINCE THERE WERE ALWAYS SOMEONE CORRUPT NEXT TO THE GOOD PROPHETS TO GIVE THEM A HARD TIME AND DECEIVE THEM INTO CHANGING NAMES AND KEY INFORMATION, AND EVEN OMITTING PARAGRAPHS AND BOOKS, AND DESTROYING MANY OF THOSE AS WELL. TODAY THESE DECEIVERS ARE BIG MOUTHS FULL OF LIES AND THEIR TIME IS SPENT THIS WAY:
1.GIVING A HARD TIME TO GOD´S FOLLOWERS. THE MOMENT THEY SEE SOMEONE FOLLOWING GOD AND SEE THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING AS MUCH HARM TO HIM THEY GO AHEAD AND DO IT. THEY ARE RUTHLESS AND LOVE NOBODY BUT THEIR EGOS.
2.TELLING LIES ABOUT GOD.
3.MOCKING GOD´S MESSAGES.
4.SPREADING THEIR VICE PRACTICES AS IF THEY WERE NORMAL.
5.SPREADING DRUGS, SEX AND CREATING RECESSIONS SO THAT PEOPLE BECOME DEPENDENT ON ABUSERS. THEY KNOW THAT THE MORE FINANTIAL PROBLEMS PEOPLE HAVE THE MORE SUCEPTIBLE PEOPLE ARE TO BEING BOUGHT OFF, ENDING UP GIVING UP THEIR MORAL STANDARDS.
SOMETIMES WHEN WE READ THE BIBLE IT SEEMS AS IF WE WERE READING OVER AND OVER AGAIN THE SAME IDEA. OTHER TIMES IT SEEMS AS IF WHAT WE JUST READ WAS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT´S BEEN SAID BEFORE. LET´S IMAGINE THAT YAHVE´S TRAITORS WERE INTERESTED IN COMMUNICATING AN UNREALISTIC CERTAINTY ON UNDESCRIBABLE QUESTIONS. LET´S IMAGINE “DEUTERONOMISTS RELIGION WAS STRIDENT SINCE THEY DESCRIBED MOSES PREACHING VIOLENT REPRESSION POLITICS” (HISTORIA DE LA BIBLIA BY KAREN ARMSTRONG), WHICH WAS FALSE. LET´S IMAGINE THERE WERE GOOD DEUTERONOMISTS AND BAD DEUTERONOMISTS. LET´S IMAGINE MOST WERE GOOD ONES BUT IT WAS THE BAD ONES, ALTHOUGH FEWER, WHO CALLED THE SHOTS AND WHO DISTORTED THE CONTENT OF MANY PARAGRAPHS, MAKING SOME OF THEM SHORTER, OTHERS LONGER AND DESTROYING OTHERS. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, IN EZEKIEL 24 THEY SAID MISTAKENLY THAT THE LORD SAID TO EZEKIEL NOT TO DRESS IN BLACK WHEN HIS WIFE DIES. ON THE OTHER HAND, BELOW THAT BIBLICAL TEXT, IN THE CORRESPONDING EXPLANATION FOR EZEKIEL 24 IT SAYS HE DRESSED IN BLACK WHEN HIS WIFE DIED. CONTRADICTIONS OF THIS SORT ARE SOMETIMES FOUND THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE TEXTS AND THE EXPLANATIONS BELOW THEM.
THE KIND OF CONFUSION WE SOMETIMES FEEL WHEN READING SOME BIBLICAL TEXTS WE ALSO FEEL IT WHEN WE WATCH THE NEWS AND THE SAME NEWS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF DRIVING FAST, ABOUT THE DANGERS OF TAKING THE SUN, ABOUT THE DANGERS OF EATING SUCH AND SUCH, ETC., THAT WE GET THE FEELING THAT THEY ARE PISSING HERE. WE DON´T WANT ANY MORE OF THOSE NEWS BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNOW THOSE. WE WANT TO LISTEN TO THOUSANDS OF INTERESTING NEWS WHICH ARE RELEVANT TO OUR LIVES. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY COULD DARE TELL US ABOUT THE AGONIES OUR DEAR ANIMALS HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHEN EGOCENTRIC HUNTERS CHASE THEM SO THAT PEOPLE BECOME AWARE OF THE EMOTIONS ANIMALS HAVE AND THE RESPECT THEY DESERVE FROM ALL OF US.
THE TORAH – WRITTEN IN THE FIRST 5 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE, ALSO CALLED LAW OF MOSES, – AND THE GOSPEL HAD BECOME DISTORTED THROUGH TIME. MUSLIMS THOUGHT THE TORAH WAS NOT VALID ANY MORE AND THAT´S WHY THEY CREATED THE CORAN. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, IN EZEKIEL – WHEN BABYLONIANS TOOK OVER IN THE MIDDLE EAST IN 605 BC – WE´RE TOLD THAT PRIESTS WERE SO CORRUPT THEY REQUESTED PROSTITUTES. THAT MEANS CORRUPT PRIESTS BROKE GOD´S LAWS. IT ALSO MEANS CORRUPT PRIESTS LET THEMSELVES BE INFLUENCED BY THE PAGAN NATIONS NEXT TO THEM.
THE PENTATEUCH INCLUDES THE BOOKS OF GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS AND DEUTERONOMY. “DEUTERONOMIST MATERIAL IS FOUND IN THE BOOKS OF JOSHUA, JUDGES, SAMUEL, KINGS AND JEREMIAH. THE DEUTERONOMISTIC HISTORY ORIGINATED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE BOOKS OF GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS AND NUMBERS (THE 1ST 4 BOOKS OF THE TORAH, SOMETIMES CALLED THE “TETRATEUCH”, WHOSE SOURCES ARE THE PRIESTLY SOURCE, THE JAHWIST AND THE ELOHIST), AND THE HISTORY OF THE BOOKS OF CHRONICLES; MOST SCHOLARS TRACE ALL OR MOST OF IT TO THE BABYLONIAN EXILE ( 6TH CENTURY BC) AND ASSOCIATE IT WITH EDITORIAL REWORKING OF BOTH THE TETRATEUCH AND JEREMIAH. UNDER THE COVENANT YAHWEH HAS PROMISED ISRAEL THE LAND OF CANAAN, BUT THE PROMISE IS CONDITIONAL: IF THE ISRAELITES ARE UNFAITHFUL, THEY WILL LOSE THE LAND. THE DEUTERONOMISTIC HISTORY EXPLAINS ISRAEL´S SUCCESSES AND FAILURES AS THE RESULT OF FAITHFULNESS, WHICH BRINGS SUCCESS, OR DISOBEDIENCE, WHICH BRINGS FAILURE; THE DESTRUCTION OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL BY THE ASSYRIANS (721 BCE) AND OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH BY THE BABYLONIANS (586) ARE YAHWEH´S PUNISHMENT FOR CONTINUED SINFULNESS” (DEUTERONOMIST-WIKIPEDIA).
“THE TORAH IMPLORES US TO REMEMBER AND TEACH THE EXODUS, YET SURPRISINGLY, SOME BIBLICAL PASSAGES SEEM UNAWARE OF THIS EVENT AND DESCRIBE AN ALTERNATIVE TRADITION: GOD FOUND ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS. THE EXODUS IS UNDENIABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT IN BIBLICAL MEMORY. IT´S MUCH MORE PROMINENT, FOR EXAMPLE, THAN THE GIVING OF THE TORAH AT SINAI. IT IS PREFIGURED IN ABRAHAM´S DESCENT TO EGYPT, FORETOLD TO HIM IN THE COVENANT BETWEEN THE PARTS, AND CONTINUALLY HIGHLIGHTED IN PASSAGES THAT RETELL GOD´S GRACIOUS ACTS ON BEHALF OF ISRAEL. GOD DOES NOT INTRODUCE HIMSELF TO ISRAEL IN THE DECALOGUE AS THE CREATOR OF THE WORLD, BUT AS THE GOD OF THE EXODUS, IMPLYING THAT GOD´S ACT OF FREEING THE ISRAELITES FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT IS WHAT WON HIM THE RIGHT TO DEMAND ISRAEL´S ALLEGIANCE. INDEED, ACCORDING TO NUMBERS 15:41, THE VERY PURPOSE OF THE EXODUS WAS THAT THE LORD MIGHT BECOME ISRAEL´S GOD. THUS, THE ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND ISRAEL IS FOUNDED UPON THE EXODUS EVENT. NOT ONLY DOES THE EXODUS SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR ISRAEL´S PRESENT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, BUT IT ALSO SERVES AS PROTOTYPE FOR GOD´S FUTURE ACTS OF REDEMPTION. JOES, ONE OF THE TWELVE MINOR PROPHETS OF UNCERTAIN DATE, SPEAKS OF A TERRIBLE PLAGUE OF LOCUST THAT GOD WILL SEND AGAINST JUDAH FOR HER SINS. IN LIGHT OF THE LENGTHY DESCRIPTION OF THIS PLAGUE AND THE GREAT DEVASTATION THAT IT BRINGS TO THE LAND IT IS STRIKING THAT NO ALLUSION IS MADE TO THE PLAGUE OF LOCUST IN EGYPT” (EXODUS: NOT THE ONLY TRADITION ABOUT ISRAEL´S PAST – THE TORAH.COM. DR.RABBI DAVID FRANKEL). LET´S IMAGINE THAT BACK IN TIME SOME EGYPTIANS BRIBED AND THREATENED CORRUPT PRIESTS TO DISTORT HISTORICAL FACTS, BECAUSE THAT DATA EXPOSED THE SINS OF THE EGYPTIANS TORMENTING THE ISRAELITES. LET´S IMAGINE THAT ISRAEL´S PROPHETS WROTE ABOUT THE PLAGUES AGAINST EGYPT AND SOME EGYPTIANS BOUGHT OTHERS OFF TO DESTROY THOSE FACTS, SO THAT YOU, EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD AND I WOULD NOT BE AWARE OF THE REAL AND TRUE FACT THAT DIVINE PUNISHMENT EXISTED, EXISTS AND WILL EXIST AS LONG AS GOD WANTS TO. WHY? YOU SEE, BEING UNAWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF DIVINE PUNISHMENT MAKES IT EASY FOR US TO TAKE THE BAIT OF LICENTIOUSNESS, GIVING PRIORITY TO OUR EGOCENTRICITY OVER ANY MORAL CONSIDERATIONS. LET´S IMAGINE EGYPTIANS WERE THE ONES WHO WERE INTERESTED IN SUPRESSING THE EXODUS SO THAT THEIR EVIL HISTORY AND SUBSEQUENT PUNISHMENT WOULD NOT BE RECALLED CONSTANTLY AS WE READ THE BIBLE. “IN SPITE OF THE REPEATED BIBLICAL CALL UPON PARENTS TO REHEARSE SPECIFICALLY THE EXODUS STORY TO THEIR CHILDREN (EXODUS 13:8-9, 14-16; DEUT. 6:20-23), THE STORY THAT THE ISRAELITE ANCESTORS OF THIS PSALM TELL THEIR CHILDREN CONCERNING GOD´S GREAT ACTS RELATES TO THE CONQUEST OF THE LAND ALONE. THE FACT THAT GOD BROUGHT THE ISRAELITES OUT OF EGYPT AND DESTROYED THE ENTIRE EGYPTIAN ARMY WITH HIS MIGHTY HAND AND OUTSTRETCHED ARM IS COMPLETELY ABSENT” (THE DEUTERONOMISTS AND THE SUPPRESSION OF ANCIENT TRUTHS/THE MILENNIAL STAR. MARCH 14, 2011 BY DAVID LARSEN). LET´S IMAGINE THE HISTORICAL REALITY OF LOCUSTS AGAINST EGYPTIANS ONCE WAS SUPRESSED, AND ONCE OTHER HISTORICAL EVENTS WERE SUPRESSED AS WELL, MAINLY BECAUSE CORRUPT ONES DID NOT WANT TO HAVE ANY MORAL RESTRICTIONS AND WANTED TO BE FREE TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANTED AND WHENEVER THEY WANTED, WE CAN STATE THAT IT ALL BOILED DOWN TO MISLEADING US, AND MAKING US IGNORE THE REALITY OF OUR TIME HERE, PROMPTING US TO MAKE MORAL MISTAKES, WHICH WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO GET THAT VALIDATION TICKET FOR THE REAL LIFE WHICH ONLY SOME WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO TASTE ONCE THIS BRIEF EPISODE IS OVER.LET´S IMAGINE THAT THE 70 TRANSLATORS – 6 OLD MEN FROM EACH OF THE 12 TRIBES – WERE ALL HONEST AND DID FAIR PLAY AS TO TRANSMITTING THE EXACT MESSAGE GOD WANTED THEM TO SHARE WITH US, THE SAME AS GOD DID WHEN HE PASSED THE STONE TABLETS TO MOSES, AND MANY OTHER MESSAGES TO MANY OTHER PROPHETS TO REACH ALL OF US, GOD´S CHILDREN.
“A MESSIAH – LITERALLY “ANOINTED ONE” – IS A SAVIOUR OR LIBERATOR OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE, MOST COMMONLY IN THE ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS. IN THE HEBREW BIBLE, A MESSIAH IS A KING OR HIGH PRIEST TRADITIONALLY ANOINTED WITH HOLY ANOINTING OIL. HOWEVER, MESSIAHS WERE NOT EXCLUSIVELY JEWISH, AS THE HEBREW BIBLE REFERS TO CYRUS THE GREAT, KING OF PERSIA, AS A MESSIAH FOR HIS DECREE TO REBUILD THE JERUSALEM TEMPLE” (MESSIAH-WIKIPEDIA,THE FREE ENCLYCOPEDIA). “THE TANAKH (HEBREW BIBLE) PROCLAIMS THE COMING MESSIAH WILL BE A DESCENDANT OF DAVID. WHEN WE COMPARE THE JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING OF WHO THE MESSIAH IS, WE SEE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. FROM A CHRISTIAN POINT OF VIEW, MANY OF THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE MESSIAH OF JUDAISM REACH FULFILLMENT AT THE SECOND COMING. THE MESSIAH WILL RULE FROM JERUSALEM OVER THE NATIONS, AND DURING HIS REIGN ISRAEL WILL BE BLESSED ABOVE THE NATIONS. LEADING UP TO HIS COMING, ISRAEL WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION BY THE NATIONS (GENTILES), AND AT THE END WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE ALL HOPE IS LOST, MESSIAH, SON OF DAVID, COMES TO ISRAEL´S RESCUE AND DEFEATS THE NATIONS. MANY OF THESE BELIEFS ARE SIMILAR BETWEEN THE JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN VIEWS ON THE ROLE MESSIAH WILL PLAY” (OBJECTIONS TO ISAIAH 7:14 AND ISAIAH 9:6-7). DESPITE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RELIGIONS WE ALL AGREE THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE – WHETHER THEIR MESSAGES WERE DELIVERED OR NOT TO US – CONTRIBUTED , AND STILL DO TODAY, TO OUR MORAL GROUNDING, SO THAT WE CAN LOVE AND RESPECT EACH OTHER, SINCE THEY PROTECTED GOD´S WORD, FIGHTING FOR IT. HERE´S A LIST OF SOME OF THESE:
1.MOSES (1391 BC-C. 1271 BC). “ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT HEBREW RELIGIOUS LEADERS, MOSES IS REGARDED AS THE MOST IMPORTANT PROPHET IN JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM, THE BAHÁÍ´ FAITH, RASTAFARI AND CHRISLAM, AMONGST MANY OTHER FAITHS” (MOSES BIOGRAPHY-CHILDHOOD, LIFE ACHIEVEMENTS…).
2. JOSHUA (1355 EGYPT -1245 BCE CANAÁN). “THE BOOK OF JOSHUA BEGINS: “AND IT WAS AFTER THE DEATH OF MOSES, THAT THE LORD SAID TO JOSHUA…: “MOSES MY SERVANT HAS DIED AND NOW ARISE AND CROSS THE RIVER JORDAN. YOU AND ALL THIS NATION GO TO THE LAND WHICH I GIVE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL…JUST BE STRONG AND VERY COURAGEOUS TO OBSERVE AND DO IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL THE TORAH THAT MOSES MY SERVANT HAS COMMANDED YOU. THEREFORE, DO NOT STRAY RIGHT OR LEFT IN ORDER THAT YOU WILL SUCCEED IN WHEREVER YOU GO”. JOSHUA IS ONE OF THE GREAT LEADERS OF JEWISH HISTORY. AFTER THE DEATH OF MOSES JOSHUA LEADS THE JEWISH PEOPLE FOR 28 YEARS. THE BOOK OF JOSHUA DESCRIBES THE 7 YEARS OF CONQUEST AND 7 YEARS OF SETTLEMENT OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL. AFTER THE LAND IS CONQUERED IT IS DIVIDED INTO SEPARATE TRIBAL PORTIONS VIA A DIVINELY GUIDED LOTTERY. THE BOOK OF JOSHUA ALSO DESCRIBES THE BIBLICAL BOUNDARIES OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL. AT THIS TIME THE SO-CALLED PROMISED LAND IS BOUNDED BY THE EGYPTIAN EMPIRE TO THE SOUTH AND THE MESOPOTAMIA TO THE NORTH. BUT IT ISN´T RULED BY EITHER OF THEM. IN FACT, THERE IS NO POWER RULING THIS SECTION OF LAND, RATHER IT´S SETTLED BY 7 CANAANITE TRIBES WHO INHABIT 31 FORTIFIED CITY-STATES SCATTERED ALL OVER THE MAP, EACH RULED BY ITS OWN “KING”. BEFORE THEY ENTER THE LAND, THE JEWISH PEOPLE SEND AN ENVOY TO THE CANAANITES WITH THE MESSAGE, “GOD, THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE HAS PROMISED THE LAND TO OUR FOREFATHERS. WE´RE NOW HERE TO CLAIM OUR INHERITANCE, AND WE ASK YOU TO LEAVE PEACEFULLY”. ONLY 1 TRIBE TOOK THE OFFER AND LEFT. MEANWHILE, JOSHUA HAS CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS FROM GOD THAT IF THE CANAANITES DON´T GET OUT, THE JEWS MUST WIPE THEM OUT, BECAUSE IF THEY REMAIN IN THE LAND THEY´RE GOING TO CORRUPT THE JEWS. THE CANAANITES ARE EXTREMELY IMMORAL AND IDOLATROUS PEOPLE AND THE JEWS CAN´T LIVE WITH THEM AS NEIGHBORS. SOME ARCHEOLOGISTS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE EASY CONQUEST OF THE FORTIFIED CITY OF JERICHO WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY A WELL-TIMED EARTHQUAKE. SO NOT ONLY THE WATERS OF THE JORDAN MIRACULOUSLY STOP FLOWING AND THEY CROSS ON DRY LAND, AND THEN THE JORDAN REFILLS WITH WATER BUT THE CITY WALLS CRUMBLE BEFORE THEIR EYES” (JOSHUA AND THE CONQUEST OF THE PROMISED LAND-SIMPLE TO REMEMBER).
3. ”HOSEA, SON OF BEERI, WAS AN 8TH CENTURY BC PROPHET IN ISRAEL WHO AUTHORED THE BOOK OF PROPHECIES BEARING HIS NAME. HE´S ONE OF THE 12 PROPHETS OF THE JEWISH HEBREW BIBLE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE MINOR PROPHETS OF THE CHRISTIAN OLD TESTAMENT. HOSEA IS OFTEN SEEN AS A “PROPHET OF DOOM”, BUT UNDERNEATH HIS MESSAGE OF DESTRUCTION IS A PROMISE OF RESTORATION. THE TALMUD (PESACHIM 87 A) CLAIMS THAT HE WAS THE GREATEST PROPHET OF HIS GENERATION. THE PERIOD OF HOSEA´S MINISTRY EXTENDED TO SOME 60 YEARS AND HE WAS THE ONLY PROPHET OF ISRAEL OF HIS TIME WHO LEFT ANY WRITTEN PROPHECY. THE TERMS “MINOR PROPHETS” AND “TWELVE PROPHETS” CAN ALSO REFER TO THE TWELVE TRADITIONAL AUTHORS OF THESE WORKS. THE TERM “MINOR” RELATES TO THE LENGTH OF EACH BOOK. THE FIRST EXTRA-BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WE HAVE FOR THE 12 AS A COLLECTION IS C. 190 BCE IN THE WRITINGS OF JESUS BEN SIRACH, AND EVIDENCE FROM THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS SUGGESTS THAT THE MODERN ORDER WAS ESTABLISHED BY 150 BCE. IT´S BELIEVED THAT INITIALLY THE FIRST SIX WERE COLLECTED, AND LATER THE SECOND SIX WERE ADDED” (HOSEA – WIKIPEDIA,THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA).
4. “AMOS (8TH CENTURY BC) WAS BORN NEAR BETHLEHEM, ISRAEL. IN HIS YOUTH AMOS WAS A SHEPHERD. AS A YOUNG MAN HE TELLS OF HAVING RECEIVED A DIVINE COMMANDMENT TO GO TO THE ISRAELITE SHRINE AT BETHEL. ONCE THERE, HE PROCEEDED TO FULMINATE AGAINST THE POPULAR ERRORS OF HIS DAY AND WAS OUSTED BY THE HEAD PRIEST, AMAZIAH. APPARENTLY, AMOS WAS A PROPHET FOR ONLY A SHORT TIME, AND HE DID NOT WRITE DOWN HIS PROPHETIC MESSAGES AND UTTERANCES. AT THAT TIME, ORACLES SUCH AS THOSE OF AMOS WERE PRESERVED IN AN ORAL TRADITION; THAT IS, THEY WERE TRANSMITTED BY SPOKEN WORD AMONG TEMPLE CIRCLES AT JERUSALEM. AMOS´ PROPHECIES WERE PROBABLY WRITTEN DOWN BEFORE THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL WAS CONQUERED BY THE ASSYRIANS IN 721 BC” (AMOS FACTS). “HE WAS A JUDEAN WHO BELIEVED HE WAS COMMISSIONED BY YAHWEH TO ADDRESS HIS WORDS TO ISRAEL. HIS ORACLES TOGETHER WITH HOSEAS´ ONES ARE INCLUDED IN THE BIBLICAL COLLECTION “THE MINOR PROPHETS”, A REFERENCE TO THE LENGTH RATHER THAN THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR UTTERANCES. LIKE HIS PREDECESSORS, HE STOOD IN JUDGEMENT OF MORAL AND ETHICAL EVIL. HIS ROLE AS LONE INTERCESSOR FOR THE PEOPLE IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF ABRAHAM IN THE J. ACCOUNT (THE J TEXT=THE YAHWIST TEST (597 BCE) WHERE THEY REFER TO GOD AS YAHWEH) OF THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH (GEN. 18:22 FF.). AMOS´ RELIGIOUS CONCEPTS EMBRACED ETHICS AND MORALS” (CHAPTER 17 – AMOS AND HOSEA).
5. JOSIAH, KING OF JUDAH (639 B.C – 608 B.C) INTRODUCED REFORMS. DURING HIS REIGN THE DEUTERONOMY´S INFORMATION WAS GATHERED, AND ALL UNDER THE PROPHET JEREMIAH´S COMMAND” ( JOSÍAS – WIKIPEDIA ). “KING JOSIAH CHANGED THE RELIGION OF ISRAEL IN 623 BC. ACCORDING TO THE OLD TESTAMENT ACCOUNT IN 2 KINGS 23 HE REMOVED ALL MANNERS OF IDOLATROUS ITEMS FROM THE TEMPLE AND PURIFIED HIS KINGDOM OF CANAANITE PRACTICES. AN OLD LAW BOOK HAD BEEN DESCOVERED IN THE TEMPLE, AND THIS HAD PROMPTED THE KING TO BRING THE RELIGION OF HIS KINGDOM INTO LINE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT BOOK. THE LAW BOOK IS EASILY RECOGNIZABLE AS DEUTERONOMY AND SO KING JOSIAH´S PURGE IS USUALLY KNOWN AS THE DEUTERONOMIC REFORM OF THE TEMPLE. 25 YEARS AFTER THE WORK OF JOSIAH, JERUSALEM WAS ATTACKED BY THE BABYLONIANS UNDER KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR, AND 11 YEARS AFTER THE FIRST ATTACK THEY RETURNED TO DESTROY THE TOWN AND THE TEMPLE. REFUGEES FLED SOUTH TO EGYPT, AND WE READ IN THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH HOW THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE PROPHET´S INTERPRETATION OF THE DISASTER. HE INSISTED THAT JERUSALEM HAD FALLEN BECAUSE OF THE SINS OF HER PEOPLE, BUT THE REFUGEES SAID IT HAD FALLEN BECAUSE OF JOSIAH” (THE DEUTERONOMISTS AND THE SUPPRESSION OF ANCIENT TRUTHS / THE MILENNIAL STAR ). LET´S IMAGINE THAT THOSE REFUGEES WHO BLAMED THE DISASTER ON KING JOSIAH WERE SINNERS AND LIERS, AND SAID LIES ABOUT KING JOSIAH IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY THEIR PAST AND FUTURE SINNING. LET´S IMAGINE KING JOSIAH WAS A REALLY GOOD KING AND PERSON WHO WAS REALLY MOVED BY THE BOOK OF LAW. LET´S IMAGINE THE MOMENT HE KNEW OF THE VIOLATION OF ISRAEL´S COVENANT WITH GOD HE DECIDED TO RENEW IT BETWEEN JUDAH AND GOD, FOLLOWING THE BOOK OF LAW (= THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY).
6. HESEKIAH WAS ACCORDING TO THE HEBREW BIBLE, THE SON OF AHAZ AND THE 13TH KING OF JUDAH. ARCHAELOGIST EDWIN THIELE HAS CONCLUDED THAT HIS REIGN WAS BETWEEN C. 715 AND 686 BC. HE´S ALSO ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT KINGS OF JUDAH MENTIONED IN THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW. ACCORDING TO THE HEBREW BIBLE, HEZEKIAH WITNESSED THE DESTRUCTION OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL BY SARGON´S ASSYRIANS IN C. 720 BC, AND WAS KING OF JUDAH DURING THE INVASION AND SIEGE OF JERUSALEM BY SENNACHERIB IN 701 BC. HEZEKIAH ENACTED SWEEPING RELIGIOUS REFORMS, INCLUDING A STRICT MANDATE FOR THE SOLE WORSHIP OF YAHWEH AND A PROHIBITION ON VENERATING OTHER DEITIES WITHIN THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. ISAIAH AND MICAH PROPHESIED DURING HIS REIGN (HEZEKIAH –WIKIPEDIA ).
7. ”HILKIAH (7TH CENTURY BC) IS THE PRIEST WHO FOUND A BOOK OF THE LAW OF THE LORD GIVEN TO MOSES, AND TOLD SHAPHAN THE SCRIBE ABOUT IT. HILKIAK DELIVERED IT TO SHAPHAN AND SHAPHAN CARRIED IT TO THE KING, AND BROUGHT THE KING THE WORD BACK AGAIN SAYING: “ALL THAT WAS COMMITTED TO THY SERVANTS, THEY DO IT. AND THEY´VE GATHERED TOGETHER THE MONEY THAT WAS FOUND IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, AND WE HAVE DELIVERED IT INTO THE HAND OF THE OVERSEERS AND TO THE HAND OF WORKMEN. SHAPHAN READ IT BEFORE THE KING. AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE KING HAD HEARD THE WORDS OF THE LAW, THAT HE RENT HIS CLOTHES. IF HILKIAK HAD NOT BEEN BUSY IN SETTING WRONG THINGS RIGHT, HE WOULD NOT HAVE FOUND THE BOOK IN ITS DARK HIDING-PLACE. WHAT THE WORLD CALLS ACCIDENTAL COINCIDENCE DEEPER WISDOM DISCERNS TO BE THE TOUCH OF GOD´S HANDS” (JOSIAH AND THE NEWLY FOUND LAW- BIBLE HUB).
8. “JEREMIAH WAS PRIMARIY A PREACHING PROPHET (626 BC -587 BC), GOING WHERE THE LORD DIRECTED HIM TO PREACH ORACLES THROUGHOUT ISRAEL. HE CONDEMNED IDOLATRY, THE GREED OF PRIESTS, AND FALSE PROPHETS. MANY YEARS LATER, GOD INSTRUCTED JEREMIAH TO WRITE DOWN THESE EARLY ORACLES AND OTHER MESSAGES” (JERMIAH-WIKIPEDIA).
9. “THE MACCABEES LED THE MACCABEAN REVOLT (167 BC – 160 BC) AGAINST THE SELEUCID EMPIRE AND THE HELLENISTIC INFLUENCE ON JEWISH LIFE. IN THE NARRATIVE OF I MACCABEES AFTER ANTIOCHUS ISSUED HIS DECREES FORBIDDING JEWISH RELIGIOUS PRACTICE, A RURAL JEWISH PRIEST FROM MODIIN, MATTATHIAS THE HASMONEAN, SPARKED THE REVOLT AGAINST THE SELEUCID EMPIRE BY REFUSING TO WORSHIP THE GREEK GODS. MATTATHIAS KILLED A HELLENISTIC JEW WHO STEPPED FORWARD TO OFFER A SACRIFICE TO AN IDOL IN MATTATHIAS´ PLACE. THE REVOLT ITSELF INVOLVED MANY BATTLES, IN WHICH THE LIGHT, QUICK AND MOBILE MACCABEAN FORCES GAINED NOTORIETY AMONG THE SLOW AND BULKY SELEUCID ARMY, AND ALSO FOR THEIR USE OF GUERRILLA TACTICS. AFTER THE VICTORY, THE MACCABEES ENTERED JERUSALEM IN TRIUMPH AND RITUALLY CLEANSED THE TEMPLE, REESTABLISHING TRADITIONAL JEWISH WORSHIP THERE AND INSTALLING JONATHAN MACCABEE AS HIGH PRIEST. A LARGE SELEUCID ARMY WAS SENT TO QUASH THE REVOLT, BUT RETURNED TO SYRIA ON THE DEATH OF ANTIOCHUS IV. ITS COMMANDER LYSIAS, PREOCCUPIED WITH INTERNAL SELEUCID AFFAIRS, AGREED TO A POLITICAL COMPROMISE THAT RESTORED RELIGIOUS FREEDOM” (MACCABEAN REVOLT – WIKIPEDIA).
10. “THE SCHOOL OF ESSENCES (2ND CENTURY BC- 1ST CENTURY AD), SOME OF WHOM AUTHORED THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS. “WHEN THE CHRISTIAN ERA STARTED THERE WAS AN OFFICIAL JUDAISM: THE SANHEDRIN OF JERUSALEM; AND A MARGINAL OR PERIPHERAL ONE FORMED BY OTHER SECTS: AMID THEM, THE ESSENES. ACCORDING TO JOSEPHUS, THE ESSENES SET UP COLONIES AND QUMRAN COULD BE ONE OF THEM, ON THE SHORE OF THE DEAD SEA. QUMRAN MANUSCRIPTS AND BUILDINGS ARE THEIR WORKS, BEING ESSENES ONE OF THE CHIEF PARTIES OF THE EPOCH. ELEVEN GROTTOES WERE DISCOVERED BRINGING TO LIGHT MANUSCRIPTS OF THE MOST ANTIQUE BIBLICAL WORKS. IN THE FIRST CAVE THERE WERE COPIES OF THE BOOK OF ISAIAH; A COMMENTARY OF THE BOOK OF HABACUC AND 4 MANUSCRIPTS CALLED: APOCRYPHAL GENESIS; DISCIPLINE MANUAL; REGULATION OF THE WAR BETWEEN THE SONS OF LIGHT AND THE SONS OF DARKNESS; HYMS. THERE ARE 3 WORKS THAT DID NOT FORM PART OF THE BIBLE, WRITTEN IN GREEK LANGUAGE FOR THE JEWS OF THE DIASPORA. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ADOPTED THEM THROUGH THE NAME OF: DEUTEROCANONICAL. THEY ARE: TOBI, ECCLESIASTICUS AND THE LETTER OF JEREMIAH. THERE WERE ALSO FOUND SOME ANTIQUE WORKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, WHICH PROTESTANT NAMED PSEUDEPIGRAPHAL AND CATHOLICS, APOCRYPHAL. THOSE ARE: JUBILEES, THE BOOKS OF ENOCH; ONE TESTAMENT OF LEVI AND ONE OF NAPHTALE; GENESIS APOCRYPHAL; PSALMS OF JOSHUA AND PRAYER OF NABONIDUS. AMID BIBLICAL MANUSCRIPTS ARE TESTIMONIES OF THE 3 TRADITIONS: SAMARITAN, ALEXANDRINA AND MASORETIC. THERE IS A LOT OF SIMILITUDE BETWEEN WHAT IS REVEALED IN THE MANUSCRIPTS AND THE TEACHING OF JESUS. R. P. DANIÉLOU QUOTES THAT BEFORE BEING CONVERTED, JOHN THE BAPTIST BELONGED TO THE QUMRAN COMMUNITY IN 70 AC. R.P. DANIÉLOU COMMENTS THAT JESUS FOLLOWED THE CALENDAR OF QUMRAN; WAS IN CONTACT WITH JOHN THE BAPTIST; AND THAT HIS FIRST DISCIPLES WERE RECRUITED IN A LOCATION NEAR QUMRAN. THE ESSENES ARE THE LOST NEXUS, NOW RECOVERED, BETWEEN THE CONVULSED HISTORY OF ISRAEL AND THE PRIMITIVE GROUPS OF CHRISTIAN JEWS” (DEAD SEA SCROLLS – EDMOND JABÉS).
11. “ST. JAMES THE JUST (UNKNOWN – 69 AD) WAS AN IMPORTANT FIGURE OF THE APOSTOLIC AGE. EUSEBIUS RECORDS THAT CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA RELATED, “THIS JAMES, WHOM THE PEOPLE OF OLD CALLED THE JUST BECAUSE OF HIS OUTSTANDING VIRTUE, WAS THE FIRST, AS THE RECORD TELLS US, TO BE ELECTED TO THE EPISCOPAL THRONE OF THE JERUSALEM CHURCH. OTHER EPITHETS ARE “JAMES THE BROTHER OF THE LORD, SURNAMED THE JUST”, AND “JAMES THE RIGHTEOUS,” AND “JAMES OF JERUSALEM””. A “JAMES” IS MENTIONED IN PAUL´S FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS, AS ONE TO WHOM JESUS APPEARED AFTER HIS RESURRECTION: “FOR I DELIVERED TO YOU AS OF FIRST IMPORTANCE WHAT I ALSO RECEIVED: THAT CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCRIPTURES, THAT HE WAS BURIED, THAT HE WAS RAISED ON THE THIRD DAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCRIPTURES, AND THAT HE APPEARED TO CEPHAS, THEN TO THE TWELVE. THEN HE APPEARED TO MORE THAN 5 HUNDRED BROTHERS AT ONE TIME, MOST OF WHOM ARE STILL ALIVE, THOUGH SOME HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP. THEN HE APPEARED TO JAMES, THEN TO ALL THE APOSTLES. LAST OF ALL, AS TO ONE UNTIMELY BORN, HE APPEARED ALSO TO ME” (JAMES (BROTHER OF JESUS) – WIKIPEDIA, THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA).
12. ”HILLEL THE ELDER (BABYLON C. 110 BC – 10 AC IN JERUSALEM ) WAS A FAMOUS JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADER, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURES IN JEWISH HISTORY. HE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MISHNAH (=WRITTEN REDACTION OF THE JEWISH ORAL TRADITIONS, THE “ORAL TORAH. C. 200 AC) AND THE TALMUD (= THE COLLECTION OF WRITINGS WHICH MAY REFER TO EITHER THE GEMARA (=ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY ON THE MISHNAH) OR THE GEMARA AND THE MISHNAH TOGETHER. THE TALMUD – WHICH CONSISTS OF 63 TRACTATES AND IT´S OVER 6,200 PAGES LONG – CONTAINS THE TEACHINGS AND OPINIONS OF THOUSANDS OF RABBIES BEFORE CHRIST ON A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS, INCLUDING JEWISH ETHICS, PHILOSOPHY, HISTORY AND MANY OTHER TOPICS. HILLEL IS POPULARLY KNOWN AS THE AUTHOR OF 4 SAYINGS:
1.”IF I AM NOT FOR MYSELF WHO IS FOR ME? AND BEING FOR MY OWN SELF, WHAT AM I? AND IF NOT NOW, WHEN?
2.THE EXPRESSION OF THE ETHIC OF RECIPROCITY, OR GOLDEN RULE: “THAT WHICH IS HATEFUL TO YOU, DO NOT DO TO YOUR FELLOW. THAT IS THE WHOLE TORAH; THE REST IS THE EXPLANATION; GO AND LEARN”.
3.”DON NOT JUDGE YOUR FELLOW UNTIL YOU ARE IN HIS PLACE”.
4.”WHOSOEVER DESTROYS A SOUL IT IS CONSIDERED AS IF HE DESTROYED AN ENTIRE WORLD. AND WHOSOEVER THAT SAVES A SOUL IT´S CONSIDERED AS IF HE SAVED AN ENTIRE WORLD”.
HILLEL LIVED IN JERUSALEM DURING THE TIME OF KING HEROD AND THE ROMAN EMPEROR AUGUSTUS. BOTH MOSES AND HILLEL LIVED 120 YEARS AND AT THE AGE OF 40 HILLEL WENT TO THE BAND OF ISRAEL; 40 YEARS HE SPENT IN STUDY; AND THE LAST THIRD OF HIS LIFE HE WAS THE SPIRITUAL HEAD OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE” (HILLEL THE ELDER – WIKIPEDIA,THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA).
13. ”ST. IRENAEUS (EARLY 2ND CENTURY AD – C. AD 202), WAS BISHOP OF LUGDUNUM IN GAUL, THEN A PART OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (NOW LYON, FRANCE). HE WAS AN EARLY CHURCH FATHER AND APOLOGIST, AND HIS WRITINGS WERE FORMATIVE IN THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. HE IS THE EARLIEST WITNESS TO RECOGNITION OF THE CANONICAL CHARACTER OF ALL FOUR GOSPELS. HE IS RECOGNIZED AS A SAINT IN BOTH CATHOLICISM AND EASTERN ORTHODOXY (IRENAEUS – WIKIPEDIA).
14. ”POPE SAINT GREGORY I (C. AD 530 – C. AD 604), COMMONLY KNOWN AS SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT, WAS POPE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH FROM 590 TO 604” (POPE GREGORY I – WIKIPEDIA). “GREGORY GAVE MUCH OF HIS TIME TO LECTURING ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURE AND IS RECORDED TO HAVE EXPOUNDED TO HIS MONKS THE HEPTATEUCH (THE FIRST 7 BOOKS OF THE HEBREW BIBLE: GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, DEUTERONOMY, JOSHUA AND JUDGES), BOOKS OF KINGS, THE PROPHETS, THE BOOK OF PROVERBS, AND THE CANTICLE OF CANTICLES. NOTES OF THESE LECTURES WERE TAKEN AT THE TIME BY A YOUNG STUDENT NAMED CLAUDIUS, BUT WHEN TRANSCRIBED WERE FOUND BY GREGORY TO CONTAIN SO MANY ERRORS THAT HE INSISTED ON THEIR BEING GIVEN TO HIM FOR CORRECTION AND REVISION. APPARENTLY THIS WAS NEVER DONE, FOR THE EXISTING FRAGMENTS OF SUCH WORKS ATTRIBUTED TO GREGORY ARE ALMOST CERTAINLY SPURIOUS” (CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: ST.GREGORY THE GREAT).
15. ”JOHN NELSON DARBY (1800-1882) WAS AN ANGLO-IRISH BIBLE TEACHER AND IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE FATHER OF MODERN DISPENSATIONALISM AND FUTURISM. DARBY WAS EDUCATED AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL AND TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN, WHERE HE GRADUATED CLASSICAL GOLD MEDALLIST IN 1819. DARBY EMBRACED CHRISTIANITY DURING HIS STUDIES, ALTHOUGH THERE´S NO EVIDENCE THAT HE FORMALLY STUDIED THEOLOGY. HE JOINED AN INN OF COURT, BUT FELT THAT BEING A LAWYER WAS INCONSISTENT WITH HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEF. HE THEREFORE CHOSE ORDINATION AS AN ANGLICAN CLERGYMAN IN IRELAND, “LEST HE SHOULD SELL HIS TALENTS TO DEFEAT JUSTICE”. IN 1825, DARBY WAS ORDAINED DEACON OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH OF IRELAND AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR AS PRIEST. FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS WILLIAM KELLY (1821-1906) WAS HIS CHIEF INTERPRETER IN HIS WORK. JOHN NELSON DARBY AS I KNEW HIM STATED THAT “A SAINT MORE TRUE TO CHRIST´S NAME AND WORD I NEVER KNEW OR HEARD OF”. HE WAS THE DOMINANT FORCE IN THE EARLY BRETHREN MOVEMENT (A CONSERVATIVE NONCONFORMIST EVANGELICAL MOVEMENT IN THE LATE 182OS). IN 1834, A DISPUTE AROSE OVER HIS FRIEND, FRANCIS WILLIAM NEWMAN, WHO STARTED TO HOLD HERETICAL BELIEFS IN REGARD TO THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST” (JOHN NELSON DARBY – WIKIPEDIA). “DISPENSATIONALISM IS A RELIGIOUS INTERPRETIVE SYSTEM FOR THE BIBLE. IT CONSIDERS BIBLICAL HISTORY AS DIVIDED DELIBERATELY BY GOD INTO DEFINED PERIODS TO WHICH GOD HAS ALLOTTED DISTINCTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE PRINCIPLES. DISPENSATION MEANS AN ADMINISTRATION OF AFFAIRS, A MODE OF DEALING. EACH AGE OF THE PLAN OF GOD IS THUS ADMINISTERED IN A CERTAIN WAY, AND HUMANITY IS HELD RESPONSIBLE AS A STEWARD DURING THAT TIME. EACH DISPENSATION IS MARKED BY A CYCLE. GOD REVEALS HIMSELF AND HIS TRUTH TO HUMANITY IN A NEW WAY. HUMANITY IS HELD RESPONSIBLE TO CONFORM TO THAT REVELATION. HUMANITY REBELS AND FAILS THE TEST. GOD JUDGES HUMANITY AND INTRODUCES A NEW PERIOD OF PROBATION UNDER A NEW ADMINISTRATION” (DISPENSATIONALISM – WIKIPEDIA).
16. “ABRAHAM ISAAC KOOK (1865-1935) WAS THE FIRST ASHKENAZI CHIEF RABBI OF THE BRITISH MANDATORY PALESTINE, JEWISH THINKER AND A RENOWNED TORAH SCHOLAR. WHILE HE IS EXALTED AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINKERS IN MAINSTREAM RELIGIOUS ZIONISM, THERE ARE SEVERAL PROMINENT QUOTES IN WHICH RAV KOOK IS QUITE CRITICAL OF THE MORE MODERN-ORTHODOX RELIGIOUS ZIONISTS, WHOM HE SAW IN TRADITIONAL JUDAISM WITH A MODERN AND LARGELY SECULAR IDEOLOGY. UNLIKE OTHER ZIONIST LEADERS, HOWEVER, KOOK´S MOTIVATIONS WERE PURELY BASED ON JEWISH LAW AND BIBLICAL PROPHECY. IN 1928, RAV KOOK WROTE A LETTER TO RAV YOSEF MESSAS (CHIEF RABBI IN ALGERIA), ADDRESSING CERTAIN MISQUOTES WHICH WERE ERRONEOUSLY BEING REPEATED IN HIS NAME REGARDING A SPEECH HE GAVE AT THE INAUGURATION OF HEBREW UNIVERSITY. THE FOLLOWING ARE TRANSLATED EXCERPTS FROM THE LETTER R. KOOK WROTE TO RAV MESSAS: 1.“…FROM THE TIME THAT I CAME TO THE HOLY LAND, IT HAS BEEN MY GOAL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY TO DRAW ALL THOSE WHO ARE ESTRANGED AND SPEAK TO THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY COME CLOSE TO TORAH…”.
2.”…THEY MUST GUARD THE HOLINESS OF ISRAEL, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ALIKE, AND NOT FOLLOW FOREIGN IDEAS NOR TURN ASIDE FROM THE TORAH…”.
3.”…THESE WORDS ARE EXPLICIT IN MY SPEECH THAT I SPOKE AT THAT TIME BEFORE THE PEOPLE, BEFORE ALL THE IMPORTANT OFFICIALS WHO CAME TO THE CELEBRATION, AND TO THE ENTIRE GREAT CROWD OF THOUSANDS WHO CAME FROM THE FAR ENDS OF THE HOLY LAND AND FROM THE LANDS OF THE DIASPORA. SO, HOW CAN MALICIOUS PEOPLE COME TO DISTORT THE WORDS OF THE LIVING GOD IN A WAY THAT IS SO FILLED WITH WICKEDNESS AND FOLLY?” ( ABRAHAM ISAAC KOOK-WIKIPEDIA).
AMONG THESE MANY MALICIOUS FELLOWS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE DISTORTION OF THE BIBLE HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES BELOW:
1. CORRUPT PRIESTS AND KINGS AND OTHER CONSPIRATORS. THE BOOK OF THE LAW OF THE LORD HAD BEEN LOST BEFORE IT WAS FOUND BY HILKIAH. WE DON´T KNOW FOR HOW LONG IT WAS LOST BUT THE FACT THAT IT HAD BEEN CARELESSLY KEPT IS ELOQUENT OF THE INDIFFERENCE OF PRIESTS AND KINGS, ITS APPOINTED GUARDIANS.
2. THE PHARISEES´ EVIL MANEUVERS TO UNDERMINE JESUS CHRIST´S DIVINE POWERS TO CURE PEOPLE. THE FACT THAT PHARISEES DENIED THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD WHEN JESUS PERFORMED HIS MIRACLES HAS SURELY DONE A LOT OF HARM TO ALL THE GENERATIONS AFTER THEM, AND WE´RE INCLUDED TOO, AS VICTIMS OF THEIR DECEIVING PRACTICES. SOME GIFTED ONES – WHO WERE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO GET MESSAGES FROM GOD – PASSED ON TO US THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE THING GOD IS NEVER GOING TO FORGIVE AND IT IS EXACTLY THAT ONE WE´VE ALREADY MENTIONED REGARDING THE PHARISEES. THE PHARISEES WERE KNOWN FOR THEIR OSTENTATIOUS PIETY, NOT BY THE COMPASSION AND HUMBLENESS THAT JESUS CHRIST SPREAD.
3. THE GENTILES. “GENTILE IS AN ETHNONYM THAT COMMONLY MEANS NON-JEW. OTHER GROUPS THAT CLAIM ISRAELITE HERITAGE SOMETIMES USE THE TERM TO DESCRIBE OUTSIDERS. THE TORAH EXHIBITS A PASSIONATE INTOLERANCE OF THE GENTILE NATIONS, ALLEGING THE GENTILES PRACTICED “IDOLATRY” AND OTHER THINGS IT HOLDS TO BE IMMORAL. THE TORAH ALLEGES THAT THE GENTILES´ BARBARISM WOULD “CONTAMINATE” THE HEBREWS. PAUL COPAN ARGUES THAT JOSHUA FULFILLED THIS COMMAND”. (GENTILE – WIKIPEDIA).
4. THE GNOSTICS. “ THEY WEREN´T A SINGLE GROUP BUT A WIDE ARRAY OF SECTS. SOME GROUPS WERE INDEED LIBERTINE BECAUSE THEY CONSIDERED BODILY EXISTENCE MEANINGLESS”. (ERENAEUS – WIKIPEDIA). “ONE OF THE MOST CONFUSING VOICES COMES FROM THE DISCIPLINE OF POLITICAL SCIENCE. WE´RE TALKING ABOUT ERIC VOEGELIN WHO BECAME A PROPHET OF A NEW THEORY OF HISTORY, IN WHICH GNOSTICISM PLAYED A MOST NEFARIOUS ROLE. SINCE GNOSTICS DID NOT ACCEPT THE CONVENTIONAL CHRISTIAN ESCHATON OF HEAVEN AND HELL, VOEGELIN CONCLUDED THAT THEY MUST BE ENGAGED IN A MILLENARIAN REVOLUTIONIZING OF EARTHLY EXISTENCE. AT THE SAME TIME, VOEGELIN WAS BOUND TO ADMIT THAT THE GNOSTICS REGARDED THE EARTHLY REALM AS GENERALLY HOPELESS AND UNREDEEMABLE. IN MOLNAR´S VIEW, GNOSTICS WEREN´T ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL MODERN UTOPIANISM, BUT ALAS FOR THE INORDINATE ATTACHMENT OF MODERN PEOPLE TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. THE SCIENTIFIC WORLD VIEW, SAID THIS FOLK, IS IN FACT A GNOSTIC WORLD VIEW, AND IT´S RESPONSIBLE FOR TREATING HUMANS AS MACHINES AND FOR MAKING SOCIETIES INTO MACHINELIKE COLLECTIVES” (WHAT IS A GNOSTIC? – THE GNOSIS ARCHIVE).
5. LET´S IMAGINE SOME DEUTERONOMISTS WERE CORRUPT AND SOME OF THEIR EVIL MANEUVERS CONSISTED OF DISTORTING KEY BELIEFS AND DESTROYING HOLY PLACES. LET´S IMAGINE SOME DEUTERONOMISTS CENSORED SOME OF GOD´S MESSAGES. “DEUTERONOMISTS WOULD HAVE REGARDED A PROPHET LIKE LEHI – WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE SEEN THE DIVINE COUNCIL AND RECEIVED THE MYSTERIES (SEE 1 NEPHI 1:8-14) – AS A FALSE PROPHET. THUS LAMAN AND LEMUEL CALLING THEIR FATHER A “VISIONARY MAN” WOULD BE A DIRECT RESULT OF THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF THE DEUTERONOMISTIC INTERPRETATION OF WHAT A PROPER PROPHET SHOULD BE. THEY WERE DECLARING THAT THEIR FATHER, BY DEFINITION OF SEEING VISIONS, SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED AS A TRUE PROPHET. IN THE DEUTERONOMIST HISTORY, JOSIAH “IS DEPICTED AS A SECOND DAVID” AND “TOUTED AS THE IDEAL DAVIDIC KING”. LAMAN AND LEMUEL, “LIKE UNTO THE JEWS WHO WERE AT JERUSALEM,” DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THEIR FATHER´S PROPHECY ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM COULD EVER HAPPEN. AS NEPHI TRIES TO PERSUADE THEM TO REJOIN THEIR FATHER AT HIS CAMP, HE REITERATES THE PROPHECIES OF DESTRUCTION AND ADDS TO THEM HIS OWN PROPHETIC PRONOUNCEMENT, “NOW BEHOLD, I SAY UNTO YOU THAT IF YE WILL RETURN UNTO JERUSALEM YE SHALL ALSO PERISH WITH THEM, “ WORDS WHICH NEPHI INSISTS WERE GIVEN TO HIM BY “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD” (1 NEPHI 7:15, SEE VV.13-15). NOW NEPHI, LIKE LEHI, WAS IN THEIR MINDS A “VISIONARY MIND,” THAT IS, A FALSE PROPHET. GRANT HARDY EXPLAINS THAT “LAMAN AND LEMUEL WOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE THAT THE SCRIPTURAL PENALTY FOR FALSE PROPHETS WAS DEATH (DEUT. 18:20;CF. 13:1-11). …THE BROTHERS MIGHT WELL HAVE RECALLED THAT THE DEUTERONOMIC JUDGMENT ON FALSE PROPHETS REQUIRED A SUMMARY EXECUTION, EVEN FOR “THY BROTHER, THE SON OF THY MOTHER” (DEUT. 13:6). THIS COULD ALSO EXPLAIN THEIR LATER ATTEMPTS TO KILL BOTH NEPHI AND LEHI. LEHI USED DEUTERONOMY ONLY AS A PARALLEL SINCE HE HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME KIND OF VISIONS AND REVELATIONS THAT MOSES HAD RECEIVED. HE KNEW THAT HIS REBELLIOUS OLDER SONS SPECIFICALLY REJECTED HIS VISIONS, CALLING HIM A VISIONARY MAN (1 NEPHI 2:11), AND HE THEREFORE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF MOSES AS SUPPORT. LEHI KNEW THAT LAMAN AND LEMUEL HELD MOSES IN HIGH REGARD, AND THUS SOUGHT TO USE HIM AS AN ARCHETYPE FOR HIS OWN CALLING. HENCE, THE ABOVE SUGGESTIONS THAT NEPHI MAY HAVE USED THE LAW TO APPEAL TO LAMAN´S AND LEMUEL´S DEUTERONOMIST SENSIBILITIES, WHILE TRYING TO POINT THEM TO SOMETHING GREATER, MAY LIKEWISE APPLY HERE: LEHI DRAWS ON THE FIGURE OF MOSES BECAUSE HE KNOWS IT WILL APPEAL TO LAMAN AND LEMUEL. BUT AT THE SAME TIME HE IS USING THE MOSES TYPE TO SUGGEST THAT HE HIMSELF WAS A TRUE AND LEGITIMATE PROPHET” (THE DEUTERONOMIST REFORMS AND LEHI´S FAMILY DYNAMICS/BOOK OF MORMON ARCHAEOLOGICAL FORUM). LET´S IMAGINE THAT INDEED LEHI WAS A TRUE AND LEGITIMATE PROPHET AND THAT MANY CORRUPT DEUTERONOMISTS WERE AGAINST VISIONARY ONES LIKE LEHI, SO THAT THEIR VICIOUS CIRCLE OF ADULTERY AND IDOLATRY COULD GO ON AS IT WAS.
6. “HISTORICALLY, KABBALAH EMERGED, AFTER EARLIER FORMS OF JEWISH MYSTICISM, IN 12TH TO 13TH CENTURY SOUTHERN FRANCE AND SPAIN, BECOMING REINTERPRETED IN THE JEWISH MYSTICAL RENAISSANCE OF 16TH CENTURY OTTOMAN PALESTINE” (KABBALAH – WIKIPEDIA). LET´S IMAGINE SOME CABALISTS WERE SO EVIL THEY DECIDED TO DISTORT THE BIBLE AND CONFUSE PEOPLE AS MUCH AS THEY COULD, STRIPING THE BIBLE OF THE DEEPEST PARTS, AND ADDING MORBID NOTES TO IT. LET´S IMAGINE THE CABALISTS REESTABLISHED THE MYTHIC ELEMENT OF THE OLD ISRAELI TRADITION, WHOSE “BIBLE WAS EL ZOHAR WHICH GAVE SHAPE TO A II CENTURY NOVEL CALLED EIN SOF (INFINITY), GOD´S MOST INTIMATE ESSENCE, WHICH HAD APPEARED FROM HIS HIDDEN PLACE, LIKE A BIG TREE WHOSE BRANCHES AND LEAVES HAD GROWN RAPIDLY. DIVINE LIFE SPREAD TO OTHER HIGH CIRCLES UNTIL THE GOOD NEWS SPREAD ALL OVER, WHILE EIN SOF REMAINED HIDDEN. THIS WAS THE ROOT OF THE TREE, SOURCE OF STABILITY AND VITALITY BUT INVISIBLE. GOD´S ATTRIBUTES – HIS POWER, WISDOM, BEAUTY AND INTELLIGENCE – WERE TRANSFORMED BY CABALISTS IN 10 DYNAMIC POWERS WHICH THEY CALLED SEFIROTH (“ENUMERACIONES”), THE INSIDE DIMENSIONS OF THE HUMAN PSIQUE. THERE WAS ALWAYS A STRONG SEXUAL ELEMENT IN THE CABALA. BINAH (HEBR) MEANS INTELLIGENCE; 3ª SEFIRAH IN THE CABALISTIC MYTH OF CREATION AND REDEMPTION WAS ALSO KNOWN AS THE SUPREME MOTHER, WHOSE UTERUS, ONCE IT WAS PULLED IN BY THE PRIMARY END, GAVE BIRTH TO THE INFERIOR SEFIROTH. SEFIROTH REFLECTED DIVINE ASPECTS WHICH WERE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO HUMAN BEINGS (FIRST CHAPTER OF GENESIS), AND WHICH WERE SYMBOLIZED BY THE 7 DAYS OF CREATION. IN THE ZOHAR THE TORAH IS COMPARED TO A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, ISOLATED IN A PALACE, WHO HAD A SECRET LOVER. ACCORDING TO CABALISTS, MYSTICS HAD TO STRIP THE BIBLE OF ITS SUPERFICIAL MEANING, THAT IS, ITS NARRATIVES, LAWS AND GENEALOGIES – LIKE A LOVER UNDRESSES HIS LOVER AND LEARNS ABOUT HER BODY AND ALSO ABOUT HER SOUL. CABALISTS HAD TO LIVE TOGETHER IN A COMMUNITY, FIGHTING EGOISM AND EGOTISM, SINCE WRATH CAME IN THEIR PSIQUE LIKE AN EVIL SPIRIT AND ENDED WITH THE DIVINE HARMONY OF THEIR SOULS. CABALISTS THOUGHT THE TORAH WAS FAULTY, INCOMPLETE, AND THAT IT CONTAINED A RELATIVE TRUTH, NOT AN ABSOLUTE ONE. SOME THOUGHT THERE WERE 2 BOOKS MISSING FROM THE TORAH, AND THAT THE LANGUAGE HAD BEEN DISTORTED. THE KABBALAH STARTED AS A SMALL ESOTERIC MOVEMENT, BUT IT WOULD BECOME A MASS MOVEMENT IN JUDAISM AND ITS MYTHOLOGY WOULD INFLUENCE EVEN THE ONES WHO DIDN´T HAVE ANY MYSTICAL TALENTS. AS THE KABBALAH´S STORY BECAME MORE TRAGIC, JEWS FOUND THEIR DYNAMIC GOD MORE UNDERSTANDING THAN THE DISTANT ONE OF PHILOSOPHERS, AND SO THEY FELT THE MEANING OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES WAS INSATISFACTORY AND THAT NEEDED THE KABBALAH” (HISTORIA DE LA BIBLIA BY KAREN ARMSTRONG). “MANY CHRISTIANS WHO ARE AGAINST DARWINISM ARE CALVINISTS, BUT JOHN CALVIN SAID THAT THE BIBLE WAS NOT A SCIENTIFIC DOCUMENT AND THAT THOSE WHO WANTED TO LEARN ASTRONOMY OR COSMOLOGY SHOULD LOOK IN SOME OTHER PLACES. THERE´S A LOT OF VIOLENCE IN THE BIBLE, MUCH MORE THAN IN THE CORAN. THROUGHOUT HISTORY PEOPLE HAVE USED THE BIBLE TO JUSTIFY THEIR ATROCITIES. JUST LIKE CANTWELL SMITH SAID, THE BIBLE AND ITS INTERPRETATIONS MUST BE CONSIDERED INSIDE ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT. THE WORLD HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VIOLENT PLACE, AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES AND THEIR INTERPRETATION HAVE OFTEN BEEN VICTIMS OF CONTEMPORARY AGRESSION. DEUTERONOMISTS INTRODUCED JOSUAH FIGHTING AS A CRUEL ASIRIAN GENERAL. THE CRUSADES IGNORED JESUS´ PEACEFUL TEACHINGS AND ENLISTED IN A MILITARY EXPEDITION TO THE HOLY LAND, SINCE THEY WERE SOLDIERS, WANTED A MILITARY RELIGION AND APPLIED THEIR FEUDAL SPIRIT TO THE BIBLE” (CALVINISTS – WIKIPEDIA).
WE´RE ALL VICTIMS OF THE DEFORMING INTERPRETATIONS, DUE TO MANY ANCIENT PEOPLE´S IGNORANCE AND TO CORRUPT PRIESTS AND PROPHETS. THE DESCENDANTS OF ALL THOSE AGAINST GOD THROUGHOUT MANY CENTURIES HAVE PLANTED THEIR EVIL SEEDS IN HUMANKIND TELLING PEOPLE AS MANY LIES AS THEY´VE BEEN ABLE TO. WE MUST NOT REPEAT THE MISTAKES OTHERS BEFORE US MADE, LIKE WHEN BABYLONIAN KING NABUCODONOSOR INVADED JERUSALEM AND KEPT MOST ISRAELITES CAPTIVE – EZEKIEL INCLUDED -, AND WE SEE THAT IT WAS THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT WHO LED THEIR PEOPLE TO AN STATE OF LACK OF FAITH IN GOD. THAT STATE OF LACK OF FAITH AND MORAL VIRTUES CLEARED THE GROUND FOR GOD´S COMPETITION TODAY TO CALL THE SHOTS.
TO THE ONES WHO ARE TRYING TO MOCK THE BIBLE´S MESSAGE, UNDERESTIMATING THE POWER ITS TEACHINGS HAVE, SINCE THEY ARE KEY TO SALVATION, WE TELL THEM THE FOLLOWING: DESPITE THE MANY DISTORTIONS THE BIBLE HAS BEEN A VICTIM OF, IS THE ONLY GUIDANCE MESSAGE FOR OUR MORAL UPRIGHT AND SALVATION. THIS DIVINE MESSAGE IS COMPASSION WHICH LEADS US TO CHARITY. THE BIBLE IS FULL OF COMPASSIONATE ALLEGORIES TO LEAD US INTO BECOMING COMPASSIONATE BEINGS WHO END UP DOING SOMETHING ACCORDINGLY, LIKE BEING CHARITABLE AND HUMBLE.
BEING AWARE NOW AS WE ARE OF THE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE WE MUST SAY, THAT WHEN READING THE BIBLE, WE ARE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THESE 3 ASPECTS: 1. THE LITERAL MEANING OF THE TEXT, 2. THE ALLEGORIA AND 3. THE MORAL INTERPRETATION. IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND A BIBLICAL TEXT WE ARE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THOSE 3 CONCEPTS, BESIDES TALKING TO GOD AND ASKING HIM TO GUIDE US IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE MESSAGE HE WANTS US TO MAKE OURS.
IF WE HAD TO SAY WHAT CIRO – PERSIAN KING – MEANT FOR US IS THAT BEING POWERFUL AND A GOOD PERSON IS POSSIBLE, AND KEEPING OUR WORD – LIKE HE DID WITH THE EXILES IN BABYLON – IS AS IMPORTANT AS BEING GOOD. ACTUALLY IT MEANS BEING GOOD. “THE HEBREW BIBLE REFERS TO CYRUS THE GREAT, KING OF PERSIA, AS A MESSIAH FOR HIS DECREE TO REBUILD THE JERUSALEM TEMPLE (MESSIAH – WIKIPEDIA).
THE 3 EXAMPLES BELOW SHOW US HOW OUR FAITH IS TESTED THROUGH REALLY COMPLICATED TESTS DURING OUR STAY HERE:
1.DANIEL 13 (OLD TESTAMENT): JOAKIM´S WIFE – SUSAN – WAS SAVED BY THE PROPHET DANIEL, FROM TWO CORRUPT ELDERS AND JUDGES WHO HAD ACCUSED HER OF HAVING SLEPT WITH A YOUNG BOY AND CONDEMNED HER TO DEATH. DANIEL ASKED THE PEOPLE THERE TO SEPARATE THE 2 CORRUPT ELDERS AND JUDGES, AND ASKED THEM SEPARATELY UNDER WHAT TREE THEY SAW SUSAN AND THE BOY TOGETHER. ONE OF THEM ANSWERED “UNDER A MASTIC TREE”, AND THE OTHER SAID “UNDER AN OAK”, AND THIS WISE WAY DANIEL MANAGED TO CONVICT THE ELDERS AND JUDGES OF BEARING FALSE WITNESS AND WERE PUT TO DEATH.
2.DANIEL 14 (OLD TESTAMENT): DANIEL ALSO UNMASKS THE IDOL BEL WHOM THE PERSIAN KING CIRO WORSHIPPED, BECAUSE CIRO THOUGHT THAT IT WAS BEL WHO ATE ALL THE FOOD AND DRINKS THAT EVERY DAY CIRO LEFT AROUND HIM. DANIEL UNMASKED THE CORRUPT PRIESTS WHO HAD SET UP A SECRET ALLEY UNDER THE TABLE WHERE THE STATUE OF BEL WAS SO THAT AT NIGHT THE PRIESTS´ FAMILY WOULD ENTER THE ROOM AND EAT AND DRINK EVERYTHING, TO MAKE KING CIRO THINK BEL WAS A LIVING GOD. THE KING DECIDED TO SEAL THE ROOM AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FOOD AND DRINK THE FOLLOWING DAY, AND OF COURSE IT WAS GONE BUT DANIEL SHOWED CIRO THERE WERE FOOTPRINTS ON THE FLOOR, AND THEN HE SHOWED HIM HOW THOSE FOOTPRINTS TOOK THEM TO THE ALLEY UNDER THE TABLE. FINALLY CIRO ASKED DANIEL TO BURN BEL AND THE PRIESTS WERE SENTENCED TO DEATH.
3.DANIEL 14 (OLD TESTAMENT): WE ALSO SEE HERE THAT DANIEL UNMASKED THE DRAGON WHOM BABYLONIANS AND CIRO WORSHIPPED. DANIEL BOILED SOME FISH, GREASE AND HAIR, AND WITH ALL THAT HE MADE SOME BALLS AND PUT THEM INSIDE THE DRAGON´S MOUTH, AND THE DRAGON FINALLY BURST. BABYLONIANS GOT ANGRY WITH CIRO, SAYING THAT HE HAD BECOME JEW AND THAT HE LET BEL BE DESTROYED, THE DRAGON KILLED, AND HAD THE PRIESTS EXECUTED. SO THE BABYLONIANS SCARED CIRO GIVING HIM AN ULTIMATUM: “YOU EITHER GIVE US DANIEL OR WE´LL KILL YOU AND YOUR FAMILY”, AND AS CIRO DIDN´T HAVE THE AUTHORITY NOR THE GUTS HE SHOULD HAVE HAD CIRO GAVE DANIEL TO THEM AND THEY PUT HIM IN A DITCH WITH LIONS. GOD SENT THIS MESSAGE TO THE PROPHET HABACUC: “GO TO BABYLON WHERE DANIEL IS AND TAKE THAT FOOD YOU HAVE THERE TO HIM”, AND GOD TOOK HABACUC WHERE DANIEL WAS SO THAT HE WOULDN´T STARVE FOR THE 7 DAYS HE WAS THERE. CIRO WENT TO SEE DANIEL AFTER 7 DAYS TO SEE IF IT WAS TRUE THAT DANIEL´S GOD HAD SAVED HIM, AND HE REALIZED IT WAS TRUE. THEREFORE, CIRO ORDERED HIS ARMY TO PUT THE ONES WHO WANTED TO KILL DANIEL IN THE DITCH WITH THE LIONS, AND THEY WERE INSTANTLY DEVOURED BY THE LIONS.
DANIEL SHOW US THAT WE´VE GOT TO DEFEND WHOEVER IS INNOCENT. THERE´S NO JOY SUCH AS THAT. SAVING AN INNOCENT LIFE IS JOY ITSELF. SUSAN HAD NOT SURVIVED THE COMPLOT IF IT HADN´T BEEN FOR DANIEL´S GUTS, COMING FORWARD AND DEFENDING HER EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS NOT A RELATIVE NOR A FRIEND OF HIS. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT JEREMIAH ATTACKS JEHOIAHIM (C. 635-598 BCE), KING OF JUDAH (608-598 BCE), WHO HAD PUT HIS HEART INTO ABUSING PEOPLE, SPILLING INNOCENT BLOOD, OPPRESSING AND INTO USING VIOLENCE. JEREMIAH IS ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE TO HELP US REALIZE WE ARE TO GO AGAINST ABUSERS. THAT WAY WE´LL BE DEFENDING THE RIGHTEOUS.
LET´S FOLLOW THERESE NEUMANN´S EXAMPLE, OPPOSING EVIL FORCES. LET´S NOT FOLLOW FALSE GODS LIKE MONEY AND FAME. LET´S NOT FOLLOW ISRAEL´S EXAMPLE, WHEN BACK THEN ISRAELIES IGNORED GOD AND WORSHIPPED FALSE ONES. LET´S RESOLVE TO STOP BEING GREEDY AND LET´S BE HUMAN BEINGS OF LIGHT, THAT IS, OF TRUTH, FAITHFULNESS, KINDNESS AND OF JUSTICE. IN DOING SO WE´LL BE SETTING AN EXAMPLE FOR THE ONES WHO DON´T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND SO THE MORE BROTHERS OF LIGHT WE ARE THE HAPPIER OUR LORD WILL BE.
THE MORE WE LIVE THE MORE WE REALIZE THAT OUR DAYS HERE ARE NOT TO DO EVERYTHING WE WANT TO BUT EVERYTHING WE ARE SUPPOSED TO. WHAT IS THAT? WELL, ONCE WE KNOW GOD WE START DOING WHAT IS RIGHT, NOT WHAT WE WANT; ONCE WE REALLY FOLLOW OUR LORD´S COMMANDMENTS WE ENJOY HELPING THE HELPLESS AND WE SEE THAT WE´VE BEEN REALLY LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW OUR LORD LITTLE BY LITTLE ON A DAILY BASIS, AND WE FEEL THE URGE TO CONVERT OTHERS, THE URGE TO HELP OTHERS KNOW GOD THROUGH OUR ACTS AND WAYS.
WHENEVER WE SEE TODAY SO MUCH FANATICISM, IDOLATRY AS TO FOOTBALL PLAYERS, FOOTBALL TEAMS, SPORTS PEOPLE, ETC., IT SEEMS AS IF OUR LIVES´ FUTURE DEPENDED ON THEIR SCORES, OR ON HOW MUCH WE KNOW ABOUT WELL-KNOWN CELEBRITIES. WE´VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND OR ACCEPT, IF WE DON´T UNDERSTAND IT, THAT GOD DOES NOT WANT US TO WORSHIP ANYBODY EXCEPT HIM. WE CAN ENJOY WATCHING RUSSIAN FIGURE SKATER, EVGENI PLUSHENKO, ARITZ ADURIZ PLAYING FOOTBALL, RAFA NADAL PLAYING TENNIS, LEBRON JAMES PLAYING BASKETBALL…, BUT WE MUST NOT GO THAT FAR AS TO IDOLIZE THEM SINCE THAT IS NOT RIGHT. IDOLS ARE FALSE GODS AND WE DON´T WANT ANY OF THAT, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE EXPERIENCE CIRO HAD BURNING BEL, ONCE HE REALIZED IT WAS A PAGAN GOD. CIRO AND MANY OTHERS EXAMPLES ARE AN EXCUSE TO TELL US THAT WE NEED GOD NO MATTER HOW POWERFUL FINANTIALLY SPEAKING WE ARE. THE SAME AS CIRO, WE DO NEED GOD TO PROTECT US, TO GUIDE US THROUGH DIFFERENT KINDS OF HARD CIRCUMSTANCES LIFE FACES US WITH. CIRO IS AN EXCUSE TO MAKE THE POINT THAT WE NEED GOD SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT´S RIGHT AND WHAT IS NOT, TO SEE THAT IF SOMEONE IS INNOCENT, NO MATTER WHAT ULTIMATUM WE ARE GIVEN, WE MUST DEFEND THE INNOCENT ONE. THE MORE YEARS WE LIVE THE MORE WE REALIZE HOW MUCH INJUSTICE THERE IS IN THE WORLD. MANY UNJUST CASES WALK BY OUR EYES EVERY SINGLE DAY, LIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE SANE AND ARE DIAGNOSED INSANE BECAUSE THEIR RELATIVES ARE AFTER THEIR MONEY, AND THEY DO THE IMPOSSIBLE LIKE PRESENTING FALSE DOCUMENTS IN EVIDENCE TO BACK THEMSELVES UP. THEY DARE GO AGAINST GOD. IT TAKES GUTS TO GO AGAINST ABUSERS AND DEFEND THE INNOCENT ONES, AND HAVING GUTS TAKES BEING PROTECTED BY GOD. BEING PROTECTED BY GOD TAKES FAITH, AND HAVING FAITH TAKES BEING HUMBLE AND OPENED TO SOMEONE BETTER AND BIGGER THAN US. IT TAKES ACCEPTANCE OF OUR MINUSCLE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT´S GOING ON AND OF WHAT GOD´S PLANS ARE, EXCEPT THAT HE LOVES US AND WANTS US TO FOLLOW HIS RULES BEING GOOD BEINGS.
IF MOSES WAS CHOSEN BY GOD WAS BECAUSE MOSES HAD REACHED A LEVEL OF UNION WITH GOD, PRAYING FERVENTLY, DOING AS MUCH AS IT WAS IN HIS POWER DURING HIS LIFE AND CULTIVATING A RECEPTIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOD. WHEN MOSES EXISTED THE BIBLE WAS NOT YET CREATED. HOWEVER, MOSES MANAGED TO TALK TO GOD IN A WAY WHICH GOD LIKED AND APPRECIATED, TO SUCH AN EXTENT OF BEING CHOSEN TO RECEIVE THE STONE TABLETS. WE NEED GOD TO UNEARTH ALL THE TROYAN HORSES THAT COME OUR WAY, AND TO PROTECT US HELPING US SEE THAT WE´RE SUPPOSED TO SAY “NO” TO THOSE WHO TRY TO MISLEAD US. THE 10 LAWS GIVEN BY GOD TO MOSES AND TO US ARE STILL HERE TO HELP US. LET´S REVIEW THEM NOW:
YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.
YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELF A CARVED IMAGE—ANY LIKENESS OF ANYTHING THAT IS IN HEAVEN ABOVE, OR THAT EARTH BENEATH, OR THAT IS IN THE WATER UNDER THE EARTH.
YOU SHALL NOT MISUSE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN.
REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY.
HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER.
YOU SHALL NOT MURDER.
YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.
YOU SHALL NOT STEAL.
YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR.
YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR´S HOUSE; YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOUR´S WIFE, NOR HIS MALE SERVANT, FEMALE SERVANT, NOR HIS OX,NOR HIS DONKEY,NOR ANYTHING THAT IS YOUR NEIGHBOR´S.
NEPHI WAS ANOTHER PERSON CHOSEN BY GOD. “JESUS CHRIST DID SHOW HIMSELF UNTO THE PEOPLE OF NEPHI, AS THE MULTITUDE WERE GATHERED IN THE LAND BOUNTIFUL, AND DID MINISTER UNTO THEM; AND ON THIS WISE DID HE SHOW HIMSELF UNTO THEM”. “AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT WHILE THEY WERE CONVERSING ONE WITH ANOTHER, THEY HEARD A VOICE AS IF IT CAME OUT OF HEAVEN;… AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT AGAIN THEY HEARD THE VOICE, AND THEY UNDERSTOOD IT NOT. AND BEHOLD, THE 3RD TIME THEY DID UNDERSTAND THE VOICE WHICH THEY HEARD, AND IT SAID UNTO THEM:
“BEHOLD MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED, IN WHOM I HAVE GLORIFIED MY NAME – HERA YE HIM”. AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS THEY UNDERSTOOD THEY CAST THEIR EYES UP AGAIN TOWARDS HEAVEN; AND BEHOLD, THEY SAW A MAN DESCENDING OUT OF HEAVEN; AND HE WAS CLOTHED IN A WHITE ROBE; AND HE CAME DOWN AND STOOD IN THE MIDST OF THEM; AND THE EYES OF THE WHOLE MULTITUDE WERE TURNED UPON HIM, AND THEY DURST NOT OPEN THEIR MOUTHS, EVEN ONE TO ANOTHER, AND WIST NOT WHAT IT MEANT, FOR THEY THOUGHT IT WAS AN ANGEL THAT HAD APPEARED UNTO THEM. AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT HE STRETCHED FORTH HIS HAND AND SPOKE UNTO THE PEOPLE, SAYING:
“ BEHOLD, I AM JESUS CHRIST, WHOM THE PROPHETS TESTIFIED SHALL COME INTO THE WORLD. AND BEHOLD, I´M THE LIGHT AND THE LIFE OF THE WORLD; AND I HAVE DRUNK OUT OF THAT BITTER CUP WHICH THE FATHER HATH GIVEN ME, AND HAVE GLORIFIED THE FATHER IN TAKING UPON ME THE SINS OF THE WORLD, IN WHICH I´VE SUFFERED THE WILL OF THE FATHER IN ALL THINGS FROM THE BEGINNING.” AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT WHEN JESUS HAD SPOKEN THESE WORDS THE WHOLE MULTITUDE FELL TO THE EARTH; FOR THEY REMEMBERED THAT IT HAD BEEN PROPHESIED AMONG THEM THAT CHRIST SHOULD SHOW HIMSELF UNTO THEM AFTER HIS ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN. AND THE LORD SAID UNTO NEPHI: “I GIVE UNTO YOU POWER THAT YE SHALL BAPTIZE THESE PEOPLE WHEN I AM AGAIN ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN.” AND AGAIN THE LORD CALLED OTHERS, AND SAID UNTO THEM LIKEWISE; AND HE GAVE UNTO THEM POWER TO BAPTIZE…”(THIRD NEPHI. THE BOOK OF NEPHI 11:8-10).
DESPITE ALL THE DISTORTED INFORMATION IN THE BIBLE WE CAN SAY THAT STUDYING AND MEDITATING ON IT, WITH THE HELP OF PRAYERS IS A FINE WAY TO REACH A DIVINE UNION WITH GOD, OUR FATHER. BEFORE WE START READING THE BIBLE, FOR EXAMPLE IT´S A GOOD IDEA TO SAY “IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT”. AFTER READING SOME BIBLICAL TEXTS WE CAN END UP SAYING “AMEN, THANK YOU, LORD.” WE CAN ADD MANY MORE PRAYERS AS WE WANT TO. PRAYERS ARE KEY WHEN READING THE BIBLE SINCE THEY HELP US TUNE IN TO GOD, SO THAT GOD CAN PROVIDE US WITH THE MESSAGE WE NEED MORE EFFICIENTLY. “REPEATING WORDS OR SENTENCES SAID BY GOD OR BY JESUS CHRIST, AND MEDITATING ON LITTLE DETAILS ABOUT GOD´S LAWS ARE OTHER WAYS OF COMMUNION WITH THE DIVINE” (HISTORIA DE LA BIBLIA BY KAREN ARMSTRONG). JESUS CHRIST GAVE ALL OF US THE LORD´S PRAYER – THE ONE HE TAUGHT TO HIS DISCIPLES – TO RECITE IT EVERY DAY. LET´S DO IT NOW:
OUR FATHER, WHO IS IN HEAVEN,
HOLY IS YOUR NAME;
YOUR KINGDOM COME,
YOUR WILL BE DONE,
ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD,
AND FORGIVE US OUR SINS,
AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL. AMEN.
SAYING THIS PRAYER – JESUS CHRIST GAVE US – MEANING EVERY WORD WE SAY AND ON A DAILY BASIS MEANS THAT WE FOLLOW GOD´S RULES, AND THAT WE ARE PROTECTED. EVIL IS WATHING OUR STEPS AND TEMPTATIONS ARE AROUND THE CORNER. ONE OF THE MANY TEMPTATIONS OUT THERE IS ABUSING THE HELPLESS, LIKE HUNTERS DO AND LIKE ST. HUBERT USED TO DO KILLING BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS, BEFORE HE REALIZED THE WRONG AND THE EVIL IN HUNTING. “ST. HUBERT OR SAINT HUBERTUS (C. 656-C. 727 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM) CALLED THE “APOSTLE OF THE ARDENNES” WAS THE FIRST BISHOP OF LIÈGE. AS A YOUTH, HE WAS SENT TO THE NEUSTRIAN COURT OF THEUDERIC III AT PARIS, WHERE HIS CHARM AND AGREEABLE ADDRESS LED TO HIS INVESTMENT WITH THE DIGNITY OF “COUNT OF THE PALACE”. LIKE ALL NOBLES OF THE TIME, HE LOVED THE PLEASURES OF “THE CHASE” I.E. HUNTING. HURBERT MARRIED FLORIBANNE, DAUGHTER OF DAGOBERT, COUNT OF LEUVEN, BUT HIS WIFE DIED GIVING BIRTH TO THEIR SON AND HE RETREATED FROM THE COURT, WITHDREW INTO THE FORESTED ARDENNES, AND GAVE HIMSELF UP ENTIRELY TO HUNTING. BUT A GREAT SPIRITUAL REVOLUTION WAS IMMINENT. ON GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, WHEN THE FAITHFUL WERE CROWDING THE CHURCHES, HUBERT SALLIED FORTH TO THE CHASE. AS HE WAS PURSUING A MAGNIFICENT STAG OR HART, THE ANIMAL TURNED AND, AS THE STORY NARRATES, HE WAS ASTOUNDED AT PERCEIVING A CRUCIFIX STANDING BETWEEN ITS ANTLERS WHILE HE HEARD A VOICE SAYING: “HUBERT, UNLESS THOU TURNEST TO THE LORD, AND LEADEST AN HOLY LIFE, THOU SHALT QUICKLY GO DOWN INTO HELL.” HUBERT DISMOUNTED, PROSTRATED HIMSELF AND SAID, “LORD, WHAT WOULDST THOU HAVE ME DO?” HE RECEIVED THE ANSWER, “GO AND SEEK LAMBERT, AND HE WILL INSTRUCT YOU”. HUBERT SET OUT IMMEDIATELY FOR MANSTRICHT, FOR THERE LAMBERT WAS BISHOP. ST. LAMBERT RECEIVED HIM KINDLY AND BECAME HIS SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR. HUBERT NOW RENOUNCED ALL HIS VERY CONSIDERABLE HONOURS, GAVE UP HIS BIRTHRIGHT TO AQUITAINE TO HIS YOUNGER BROTHER ODO, WHOM HE MADE GUARDIAN OF HIS INFANT SON, FLORIBERT, DISTRIBUTED ALL HIS PERSONAL WEALTH AMONG THE POOR, STUDIED FOR THE PRIESTHOOD AND WAS SOON ORDAINED” (ST. EUSTACE AND T. HUBERT: THE PATRON SAINTS OF HUNTING – ROMAN CHRISTENDOM). HUBERT´S TESTIMONY IS MORE THAN RELIABLE. ST. HUBERT´S TESTIMONY AND THE 2 MIRACLES BELOW SHOULD MAKE EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING ON EARTH REALIZE GOD EXISTS, IS OMNIPOTENT, OMNIPRESENT AND THEREFORE CAN PERFORM WONDERS AS HE DID WHEN 1. GOD BROUGHT JESUS CHRIST TO LIFE, AND 2. WHEN FEEDING THE MULTITUDE. “THE FIRST MIRACLE” THE FEEDING OF THE 5,000”, IS THE ONLY MIRACLE RECORDED IN ALL 4 CANONICAL GOSPELS: MATTHEW 14: 13-21, MARK 6:31-44, LUKE 9:10-17, AND JOHN 6:5:15. THE FEEDING OF THE 5,000 IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE “MIRACLE OF THE 5 LOAVES AND 2 FISH; BECAUSE THE GOSPEL OF JOHN REPORTS THAT FIVE BARLEY LOAVES AND 2 SMALL FISH SUPPLIED BY A BOY WERE USED BY JESUS TO FEED A MULTITUDE. ACCORDING TO MATTHEW´S GOSPEL, WHEN JESUS HEARD JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD BEEN KILLED, HE WITHDREW BY BOAT PRIVATELY TO A SOLITARY PLACE NEAR BETHSAIDA. THE CROWDS FOLLOWED JESUS ON FOOT FROM THE TOWN. WHEN JESUS LANDED AND SAW A LARGE CROWD, HE HAD COMPASSION ON THEM AND HEALED THEIR SICK. AS EVENING APPROACHED, THE DISCIPLES CAME TO HIM AND SAID, “THIS IS A REMOTE PLACE AND IT´S GETTING LATE. SEND THE CROWDS AWAY, SO THEY CAN GO TO THE VILLAGES AND BUY THEMSELVES SOME FOOD”. JESUS SAID THEY DID NOT NEED TO GO AWAY, AND THEREFORE THE DISCIPLES WERE TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT. THEY SAID THEY ONLY HAD 5 LOAVES OF BREAD AND 2 FISH, WHICH JESUS ASKED BE BROUGHT TO HIM. JESUS DIRECTED THE PEOPLE TO SIT DOWN IN GROUPS OF 50 ON THE GRASS, IMPLYING THAT THERE WERE 100 SUCH GROUPS, ACCORDING TO LUKE´S GOSPEL. TAKING THE 5 LOAVES AND THE 2 FISH AND LOOKING UP TO HEAVEN, HE GAVE THANKS AND BROKE THE LOAVES. THEN HE GAVE THEM TO THE DISCIPLES, AND THE DISCIPLES GAVE THEM TO THE PEOPLE. THEY ALL ATE AND WERE SATISFIED, AND THE DISCIPLES PICKED UP 12 BASKETS FULL OF BROKEN PIECES THAT WERE LEFT OVER” (FEEDING THE MULTITUDE –WIKIPEDIA, THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA).
FAITH IS THE ONLY KEY TO GOD´S HEART. IF WE WIN GOD OVER THROUGH FAITH HE´LL CHOOSE US GIVING US A CALL THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH WILL WORK WONDERS IN US IF WE ARE HUMBLE, COMPASSIONATE, PATIENT AND LOVING BEINGS. OUR FATHER DESERVES BETTER FROM US. WE ALSO DESERVE BETTER, BUT IT´S US WHO HAVE TO MAKE IT BETTER. THIS WORLD NEEDS GOD´S PEOPLE. WE CAN BE GOD´S EYES. GOD IS WAITING FOR US TO DECODE THE BIBLE, DESPITE ITS DISTORTIONS. GOD IS WAITING FOR US TO DO SOMETHING GOOD EVERY DAY, AND IF POSSIBLE MAKE THE MOST OF ANY CHANCE WE HAVE TO GROW INTO BETTER HUMAN BEINGS. WE CAN FEEL THE JOY WE LOOK FORWARD TO ONCE WE START FOLLOWING GOD´S RULES. THE FOLLOWING LYRICS BY CALLE 13 AND SUNG BY SILVIO RODRIGUEZ TALK ABOUT A BEAUTIFUL SOUL WHO MAKES PEOPLE BE HAPPY SHOWING THEM HER WAY IN LIFE, AND MAKING THEM REALIZE HOW WRONG IT IS TO BE HAPPY AT THE EXPENSE OF WASTE. IT´S A SPANISH SONG BUT I´LL TRANSLATE THE CHORUS FOR ALL OF YOU. HERE IT GOES:
THE MOON COMES FOR A WALK
FOLLOWING YOUR PUPILS,
THE NIGHT GLITTERS ORIGINAL
AFTER YOU LOOK AT IT.
NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO BE HAPPY
AT THE EXPENSE OF WASTE ANY MORE,
AND IT´S ALL THANKS TO YOU
AND TO YOUR EYES.
I WOULD ADD THE FOLLOWING 2 VERSES TO THIS CHORUS:
THANK YOU LORD FOR THOSE EYES,
FULL OF YOUR LOVE,
FULL OF YOUR LIGHT,
FULL OF YOUR COMPASSION
THANK YOU LORD FOR SUCH EYES
FOR THIS JOY
WE SHARE WITH OTHER EYES,
FOR OUR EYES ARE FULL OF LOVE LIGHT.
THERE ARE MANY EYES OUT THERE WHO THINK THEY ARE HAPPY AT THE EXPENSE OF WASTE, AT THE EXPENSE OF ABUSING OTHERS WITH TAXES, SLAUGHTERING ANIMALS, MISLEADING PEOPLE, REQUESTING PROSTITUTION, CONSCIOUSLY CONTAMINATING FOOD, HEALTH SUPPLEMENTS, CREAMS, ETC. THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN GOD´S FOLLOWERS AND THE GOOD ACTS FROM GOD´S SERVANTS ARE WAITING FOR MORE EYES TO SEE THROUGH THEIR EYES, TO SEE THE WORD, THE LIGHT AND THE LIFE. THAT´S 3 IN 1. THE BIBLE GIVES US GUIDANCE AND ITS ESSENCE IS OBSERVING THE 10 COMMANDMENTS, BEING FAITHFUL, DOING ONTO OTHERS AS WE WANT THEM TO DO ONTO US, PRAYING TO GOD FERVENTLY CONCENTRATING ON CLEAR, PURE THOUGHTS OF GOD, BEING HUMBLE, COMPASSIONATE, GENEROUS, HONEST, HARD WORKING AND KIND. WE´VE GOT TO TRUST CHRIST, WE´VE GOT TO ACCEPT HIS LEGACY FOR PROTECTION REASONS. WE´VE GOT TO ABANDON OURSELVES TO GOD BELIEVING HIS COMMANDMENTS AND WHAT WE´VE BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH, GETTING OUR ACT TOGETHER. GOD IS TESTING US ON FAITH EVERY DAY. THE FIRST STEP IN ORDER TO BE GRANTED FAITH IS BEING HUMBLE TO ACCEPT OUR OMNIPOTENT AND OMNIPRESENT FATHER WHO LOVES US, GIVING OURSELVES FREELY TO HIM, BETTING ON OUR FATHER´S GOODNESS. FAITH IMPLIES BETTING ON SOMEONE UNKNOWN TO US, AND I AM BETTING ON ALL OF YOU RIGHT NOW, HOW COOL IS THAT?