Category Archives: The Jewish people

The Real and the Type of Circumcision, Part I of III

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A missing dimension is much Bible study is an understanding of types or shadows, and how they work. The sign of circumcision as given to Abraham can be a useful study.

“This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.”
Gen 17:10 WEB

Abraham, then 99 years old, and all his house, were immediately circumcised, Gen 17:22-24. Also was the command that if any were not circumcised, they were to be “cut off,” Gen 17:14. And “cut off” meant to be put to death, as in Gen 9:11 and many other passages.

So Circumcision became central to
God’s covenants.

So when Moses was called by the Lord the lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage, it was natural that circumcision was an issue. It is unclear what all was going on in the latter part of Exodus 4. If I were guessing, I would say that Moses knew that his sons should be circumcised, but that his wife Zipporah had prevented that from happening! Perhaps she just felt that was nothing that should be done to child: cruel, hurtful, although commanded. So it says,

“24 It happened on the way at a lodging place, that Yahweh met him and wanted to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26 So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.”
Ex 4:24-26 WEB

A strange passage no doubt. And how did Yahweh appear to Moses? John, like others, tells us,

“No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.”
Jn 1:18 WEB

So was this an angel called the “angel of Yahweh” as in Gen 16:7? Or is it like Exodus 3 where it says,

“The angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. …”
Gen 3:2 WEB

And then Yahweh spoke from the burning bush, and it says,

“Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people …”
Ex 3:7 WEB

And when Moses answered it says,

“Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, …”
Ex 3:11 WEB

Many mysteries (in the modern sense) are here. Still it is clear that circumcision was required. Holiness was to be to the extent of cutting off some parts of yourself, even of your private parts, if that was necessary to cleanse yourself before God! So circumcision became a requirement in Moses law, Lev 12:1-3.

But some other things were there.

So Moses said,

“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.”
Deut 10:16 WEB

Thus indicating physical circumcision was symbolic of something even more important. Inner cleansing!

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Zechariah: A Key Prophetic Book

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Poor, poor, neglected Zechariah. Zechariah is one of the smaller books in our Bible. Also Zechariah is one of the most difficult books of our Bible. Perhaps it is more difficult than the book of Revelation. Even many scholars just avoid the book. On the other hand, I would not say there is any book of the Bible of which I can say, I understand ALL of it. Still Zechariah deals with some central themes.

Zechariah deals with the first coming of the Christ.

It even quotes particulars such as His violent death.

“Awake, sword, against my shepherd,
And against the man who is close to me,” says Yahweh of Hosts.
Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; And I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
Zech 13:7 WEB

There is more about Jesus in Zechariah, but this verse is quoted as such in Mtt 26:31

Zechariah and Revelation often use similar imagery.

There are horns, there four chariots that sort of remind one of some of the images of heaven in Revelation. There are angels ministering to men, and more.

Zechariah deals with the Jews coming to Jesus.

It deals with this explicitly in Zechariah chapters 12 and 13. It seemingly speaks of all of Israel turning to Yahweh and His Christ, and it is discussed in connect with some heavy attacks on both “Judah” and “Jerusalem.” Such a national conversion has not happened to the Jews overall … so far!

Zechariah deals with TWO massive assaults on “Jerusalem,”.

“… and all the nations of the earth will be gathered together against it.” Zech 12:3 WEB

But is this talking about earthly Jerusalem as in Gal 4:24? Or is it talking about the church, Jerusalem above of the “kingdom of heaven,” as in many passages, including:

“But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Gal 4:26 WEB

Earthly Jerusalem has NEVER been assaulted this way, nor has the church, EVER, by “ALL the nations of the earth.” Either way, as described, these assaults have NEVER happened in any way. So we are either talking about a false prophecy … or one that is yet to happen.

Zechariah deals with a special “worthless shepherd.”

He is called an “idol shepherd” Zech 11:17 KJV. In a wandering discussion over several chapters Zechariah compares him with the true shepherd (Jesus the Christ). Both are killed by “the sword” according to Zechariah. Both have a recovery from death of one sort or another, according to Zechariah. Could this be speaking of the beast of Rev 13:3, who is “wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed,” KJV, and who is worshiped by the entire world?

There is more to tell, but this is a sampler.

Really, I do not think you can unravel the prophecies of the Christian Age, of Revelation, or of the end of the age, without Zechariah. Really we should not even be trying to do that.

KJV is the King James Versiom, 1611

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Time in Jeremiah 31, Part III of III

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But Jer 31:1 describes “ALL the families of Israel” as being faithful at some point.

In contrast, true atheists are rare in most nations, but common among the Jews. Further, the number of modern Jews who are not really atheists, but who are actually very secular, or even anti-religious in their thinking and outlook, seem to be in the majority among modern Jews. The Jews will on one hand claim to you and me that God was the one who promised Palestine to them, but on the other hand, treat Genesis as a children’s fairy tale if serious discussion of Scripture starts. Still Jeremiah says that,

“At that time, says Yahweh, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.”
Jer 31:1 WEB

Over two thousand years have passed and
this has NEVER happened!

Is this a false prophecy?

In truth, this present rejection of God and His Messiah was clearly forecast in many Scriptures, such as Isa 8:14-15. It is even implied in the grand context of Jeremiah himself that this glorious time will come only after much correction and hardship and suffering because of the ongoing sins of the Jews.. We might assume that since so much time has past, that the prophecy is now void. Jesus says something else:

“Scripture Cannot Be Broken,” Jn 10:35 KJV

If you believe the Word of God, then what do you make of Jer 31:1? This means it just has not happened yet! After over 2,000 years? YES! This in fact is dealt with in innumerable Old Testament passages, and several in New Testament, including Roman chapters 9 to 11.

Then look at Time in Jeremiah 31.

See first that the order in which things are discussed is NOT necessarily the order in which things will happen! It is a conversational order of discussion in much of Bible prophecy. Just like in a human conversation, not everything is in sequential time order. God is having a conversation with your and me about the future.

Secondly it should be seen that it is not a human time perspective in Scripture, but an eternal time perspective. That is the real time scale we are on. Remember “that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2Pe 3:8 WEB. So an interruption of two thousand years is as nothing in this perspective, as Yahweh works to save as many men as possible. We do not really know how much more there is to come, even though we are clearly told to be watching.

It is as if God said, Yes one day all the families of Israel will be my people. I will send my Son as a baby. Many will be killed in the attempt to kill Him, and He will bring a New Covenant that will write My law on the hearts of My people. In the end it will be well for the Jews.

Clearly it is easy to make naïve assumptions
about time in prophecy!

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Time in Jeremiah 31, Part II of III

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We have talked about Jer 31:15 as a time marker in Jeremiah’s prophecy in chapter 31. That would be about 4 BC.

In the next part of Jeremiah 31 God talks about Ephraim as a pseudonym for Israel and the Jews, and says,

“Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a darling child? for as often as I speak against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says Yahweh.” Jer 31:20 WEB

That is still very much in line with the general subject of Jeremiah 31 as was outlined in Part I. Jeremiah is talking about the Jews, and He also says,

“27 Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of animal. 28 It shall happen that, like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant, says Yahweh.”
Jer 31:27-28 WEB

Again Yahweh is clearly talking about physical Israel, Israel after the flesh, the Jews. Also this once again is clearly in line with Jer 31:1-2 and also verse 20.

Then God talks about the coming of the a New Covenant

Paul quotes Jer 31:31 of the New Covenant in Jesus Christ, and the Jews, as was noted in Part I. Additionally the author of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31 in Heb 8:8-12 and again in Heb 10:16-17 of the new covenant as it applies to both Jews and gentiles. It should be noted that God says,

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:” Jer 31:33 WEB

Now when did this New Covenant happen? In approximately 30 AD Jesus twas setting up this New Covenant. He was instituting the Lord’s Supper which was to be in commemoration of the shedding of His blood.

“for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins” Mtt 26:28 WEB

Then there was the actual shedding of Jesus blood on the cross at Golgotha, a little later. Then there was Jesus resurrection. Just before Jesus went up to heaven in Acts 1, He told them it was not for them to know the times or seasons, but to wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon them., Acts 1:7-8. The Holy Spirit came in Acts 2 with the first gospel sermon by Peter. In all it is safe to date the New Covenant as coming in 30 AD. So here is another date marker in Jeremiah 31, and it does follow in time “Rachel weeping for her children” in Jer 31:15.

But then comes a problem …

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Time in Jeremiah 31, Part I of III

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We are trying to understand time in prophecy. Many passages of prophecy could be used, but here we are going to use Jeremiah chapter 31 as sort of a prophecy laboratory. Jeremiah says that one day ALL the families of Israel will belong to the Lord. It is at a certain “time.”

“At that time, says Yahweh, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.” Jer 31:1 WEB

Jeremiah is speaking during the period of time when Israel and Judah were going into captivity into foreign countries and he says,

“Thus says Yahweh, The people who were left of the sword found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.” Jer 31:2 WEB

Now because of the usages of Jeremiah 31 in Scripture, it should be nailed down that this is talking about the Jews, not just about the new and broader Israel of the New Covenant. So Paul quotes Jer 31:31 of the Jews in the book of Romans.

27 This is my covenant to them,
When I will take away their sins.”
28 Concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.
Rom 11:27-28 WEB.

So indeed we shall have to return to Jer 31:1 again, before this study is over. God says in Jer 31:3 that “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love …” WEB. God says in verse 7 that they should sing aloud with joy, and publish this good news. God says that He is indeed going to bring them back from the foreign counties, and goes into talking in several verses following about their singing for joy. There was a return in time of Ezra, around 536 BC. Is that what was talked about? We will have to see.

Then God talks about crying and weeping in Ramah

“Thus says Yahweh: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” Jer 31:15 WEB

At this point we have a certain time marker. The Apostle Matthew says that was when Herod the Great killed all of the infants in a certain place called Ramah near Gibeon, and not far from Jerusalem. When exactly did this happen? It was when Jesus was a baby. Our modern calendar is off a little bit in calculating the birth of Christ. We know from secular history that Herod the Great died in 4 BC. So the date of the slaughter of the infants is say, somewhere between 4 BC and say 6 BC. Without know the time exactly, we still have a pretty good time marker in Jeremiah 31 here.

Jeremiah goes to say that Rachel should stop crying. The children shall return.

“Thus says Yahweh: Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says Yahweh; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.” Jer 31:61

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

The Jews Will Finally Convert to Jesus of Nazareth

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Yes it is true that it was prophesied that the Jews would reject their own Messiah, the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. Some of the passages are stunning, even blood curdling.

“14 He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense  both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 Many shall stumble thereon, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.” 
Isa 8:14-15 WEB

By now it is passe that the Jews as a whole have rejected Jesus, and everyone treats this as a permanent case. Even so, Scripture also says that the Jews will finally convert to Jesus!

This is far less widely acknowledged. In fact it is often emphatically disputed. Part of the issued is how wide has been the Jewish rejection, and how stubbornly consistent it has been over the centuries. Many during the centuries have seen that Scripture predicted a final conversion to Jesus, and thinking it was near, tried to turn the Jews to better ways … only to be faced with bitter failures. So many have come to treat their conversion as something that just wasn’t so, and never will be!

But many of the Scriptures are very clear and not at all conditional. For instance,

“Yahweh your God WILL circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.”
Deut 30:6 WEB.

Will the prophets of the Jews finally have the impact on that nation that they should have had all along?

That is not a wishy-washy prophecy, nor are many others. For instance:

“At that time, says Yahweh, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.”
Jer 31:1 WEB

Now David says that, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” ” Psa 14:1 WEB. Yet there is probably no nation on earth that has a greater percentage of atheist than the Jews. But Jeremiah 31:1 says that there will come a day when “says Yahweh, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.” Either this is a false prophecy, or it just has not happened yet!

And then there are prophecies like those of Zechariah. He points to day when,

“I will pour on the house of David, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for his firstborn.”
Zech 12:10 WEB

In context this is ALL the families of Israel, Zech 12:11-13. That is to say, “all the families who remain,” Zech 12:14.

That would be an astounding day, an awesome day, which has never happen YET! And it happens during a time of great stress.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision 
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

A Second RETURN of the Jews

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Then there are prophecies like those of Zechariah. Now Zechariah was from the first return from captivity. He is listed in the book of Ezra concerning a return to fuller devotion to the Lord and completing the rebuilding of the temple Zerubbabel had been working on, Ezra 5:1 and 6:14. Zechariah said in Zech 1:1 that his prophesying had been begun “In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, ” which would be about the year 520 BC, well after the beginning of the first return from captivity. Zechariah talked about many things in his much neglected fourteen chapters, including the following.

I will scatter them among the peoples;
And they will remember me in far countries;
And they will live with their children, and will return.
Zech 10:9 nf

So at a time when the Jews have barely just begun their gathering from captivity, Yahweh, the Lord of Hosts is announcing through Zechariah that God is going to scatter the Jews a second time.

The Lord says that He will scatter them. The KJV is “sow them,” and they will be scattered as seed are scattered for sowing, but it does not seem to be describing any blessing that is being talked about in their being forced again into all the nations.

And when did the second scattering of Israel begin, the second sowing of them in foreign countries? No time fits this but the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD! Jesus says of those time,

“23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Lk 21:23-24

But then God says, He will not only scatter them a second time, but that He will also gather them a second time!

I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt,
And gather them out of Assyria;
And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; And there won’t be room enough for them.
Zech 10:10 WEB

And a second return of the Jews when they will be so properous that “there won’t be room enough for them. ”

Isaiah writes before the first scattering of the Jews, and says,

“It shall happen in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, who shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.”

But this is written before even the first return of the Jews after first scattering.

So a second scattering, and a second return of the Jews is forecast in the Old Testament. You tell me when the second return starts!

WEB is the World English Bible, is a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

nf is my own translation of a passage, based on the WEB