God’s House

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1Peter 02:05)

But you are fellow citizens with the saints,

And are members of God’s household,

Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

In whom the whole building is joined together

And rises to become a holy temple in the Lord;

In whom you also are being built together

Into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

(Ephesians 02:19-22)

And I tell you, that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)

In Hebrew there is a wordplay between “Stone” אבן and “Will Build” אבנה

J. Clontz - Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

We are...

We are…

Hard pressed,

but not crushed

Perplexed,

but not in despair

Persecuted,

but not forsaken

Struck down,

but not destroyed

For Jesus’ sake.

(2Corinthians 04:08-09, 11 ~ Paraphrased)

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

We will be raised up forever

It is sown a perishable body

It is raised - imperishable

It is sown in dishonor

It is raised - in glory

It is sown in weakness

It is raised - in power

It is sown a natural body

It is raised - a spiritual body

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust -

We shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

 (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 49)

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread also which I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world…Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 06:51, 54)

In Hebrew, there is a wordplay between “Raise (Stood) up” עמד and Forever” עולם עד

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

The original tough love: love your enemies

Love bears all things,

Love believes all things,

Love hopes all things,

Love endures all things,

Love never fails…

(1 Corinthians 13:07-08)

But I say to you, love your enemies (Matthew 05:44)

In Hebrew, there is a wordplay between “Love” אהבו and “Enemies” אויביכם

The original tough love: love your enemies,

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

He will also raise us up

“By his power God raised the Lord, and he will also raise us up.” (1 Corinthians 06:14)

“And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise children for Abraham.” (Matthew 03:09)

In Hebrew, there is a wordplay between the words for “God” (אלקים) and “Raise Up” (להקים).

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Romans 08:29 We have many brothers

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 08:29)

“In my Father’s house are many rooms.” (John 14:02)

We have many brothers and a really big house,

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Romans 06:05 We shall be united

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 06:05)

In the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24:1-39 there is a wordplay between the Hebrew words for “United” יתחברו and “Chosen” נבחריו.

We shall be united,

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Have Patience

“To those who by patience in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life.” (Romans 02:07)

Have Patience,

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Israeli 1948 War of Independence Fulfilled Ezekiel 20:37-49

• IN any case, the pesher concept from qumran indicates that the
  essenes believed that sections of the OT could be found that related
  to current events. This matches to some extent the legend of the
  Oral torah of Moses.
  If this concept is correct, theoretically we could find a passage in
  the OT that corresponds with our current events happening now.
  Or we could find a given passage in the OT that would correspond to
  a given historical event in history. At one point, what we now think
  of as history was in fact current events.
  Given this thought, then we should be able to find something of
  immense interest in world history. For instance the Israeli 1948 war
  of independence should be in the OT just as references to the roman
  conquest were in habbakuk.
  Below is an attempted pesher of the Israeli 1948 war of independence:
  
  The 1948 Israeli War of Independence
  
  After WWII, the Jews demanded a homeland. The Balfour Declaration of
  1917 made by the British government openly favored the creation of a
  Jewish national home in Palestine. Britain gained the mandate for
  the region of Palestine in 1920 and therefore could enact the
  provisions of the Balfour Declaration, if so desired.
  
  After WWII, Jewish immigration into the Palestine area grew
  enormously. In May of 1948, Israel became an independent nation and
  was immediately attacked by the Arab countries in the region. By
  using our code we can find the Israeli War of Independence in the
  Bible. Since we know that it started in 1948. we can find the
  corresponding Bible chapter by using our chart in Appendix A.
  According to our chart, 1948 corresponds with Ezekiel chapter 20 in
  the Bible. Below is an overview of the historical events of 1948
  related to the Israeli War of Independence with the corresponding
  biblical parallels in Ezekiel chapter 20.
  
  Historical Events
  
  The British regulate Jewish immigration into Palestine based on the
  white paper of 1922 which stated: "it is necessary that the Jewish
  community in Palestine should be able to increase its numbers by
  immigration. This immigration cannot be so great in volume as to
  exceed whatever may be the economic capacity of the country at the
  time to absorb new arrivals. It is essential to ensure that the
  immigrants should not be a burden upon the people of Palestine as a
  whole, and that they should not deprive any section of the present
  population of their employment. It is necessary also to ensure that
  persons who are politically undesirable be excluded from Palestine,
  and every precaution has been and will be taken by the
  Administration to that end."
  In May of 1948, five Arab armies (Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon
  and Iraq) invaded Israel shortly after Israel`s independence was
  declared on May 14.
  Israel gains control of previous Arab areas including the Negev and
  Jerusalem.
  Summer of 1948, Count Folke Bernadotte was sent by the UN to
  Palestine to mediate a truce and try to negotiate a settlement.
  Bernadotte's plan called for the Jewish State to relinquish the
  Negev and Jerusalem to Transjordan and to receive the western
  Galilee. This was similar to the boundaries that had been proposed
  prior to the partition vote, and had been rejected by all sides. The
  Jews and Arabs both rejected the plan.
  The Arabs, primarily Jordan, wind up with less territory than they
  would have had if they had accepted partition.
  The Arab countries signed armistice agreements with Israel in 1949,
  starting with Egypt (Feb. 24), followed by Lebanon (March 23),
  Jordan (April 3) and Syria (July 20). Iraq was the only country that
  did not sign an agreement with Israel, choosing instead to withdraw
  its troops and hand over its sector to Jordan's Arab Legion.
  Biblical Parallels in Ezekiel 20:
  
  Chapter 20
  37: I will make you pass under the rod, and I will let you go in by
  number.
  38: I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who
  transgress against me; I will bring them out of the land where they
  sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will
  know that I am the LORD.
  39: "As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve
  every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not
  listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your
  gifts and your idols.
  40: "For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, says
  the Lord GOD, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall
  serve me in the land; there I will accept them, and there I will
  require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all
  your sacred offerings.
  41: As a pleasing odor I will accept you, when I bring you out from
  the peoples, and gather you out of the countries where you have been
  scattered; and I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of
  the nations.
  42: And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the
  land of Israel, the country which I swore to give to your fathers.
  43: And there you shall remember your ways and all the doings with
  which you have polluted yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves
  for all the evils that you have committed.
  44: And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for
  my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to
  your corrupt doings, O house of Israel, says the Lord GOD."
  45: And the word of the LORD came to me:
  46: "Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against the
  south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negeb;
  47: say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the LORD: Thus
  says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall
  devour every green tree in you and every dry tree; the blazing flame
  shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be
  scorched by it.
  48: All flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall
  not be quenched."
  49: Then I said, "Ah Lord GOD! they are saying of me, `Is he not a
  maker of allegories?'"
  
  Commentary
  
  Ezekiel's verse 37 compares favorably with the British enforcement
  of the 1922 white paper. The British only allowed so many immigrants
  per year which is another way of saying "go in by number."
  Verse 38 is incredibly prophetic with regards to the 1922 white
  paper and its position on screening out undesirable Jewish
  immigrants --"I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those
  who transgress against me; I will bring them out of the land where
  they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel." The
  white paper stated: "It is necessary also to ensure that persons who
  are politically undesirable be excluded from Palestine, and every
  precaution has been and will be taken by the Administration to that
  end
  Verse 40 may be referring to the actual capture of Jerusalem. In
  order to preserve Jerusalem the israeli soldiers volunteered to take
  Jerusalem using only infantry and small weapons. This tactic caused
  an inordinately high number of casualties to occur in the israeli
  armed forces -- -- "the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred
  offerings."
  Verse 41 is referring to the mass immigration of Jews from all the
  nations of Europe following WWII.
  Verse 43 refers to the institution of Jewish customs in the new
  nation of Israel.
  Verse 46 refers to the Israeli capture of the Negev and the Israeli
  refusal to return the Negev as proposed by the UN negotiator
  Bernadotte. The "fire" in the Negev refers to the fire fight in the
  Negev between the Israeli's and the Arabs. The war would continue
  for several extra months in the Negev until the Arabs gave up on the
  idea of winning back their lost territory.
  The reference to the Negev in verse 46 through 48 may not have had
  any relationship to Ezekiel's actual time. In verse 49, Ezekiel may
  have been alluding to the fact that he would prefer it if God would
  stick to prophecies that were applicable to the present time period.
  By making prophecies about the distant future, none of his
  contemporaries were taking him literally.

By Dr. J. Michael Clontz – Editor of Comprehensive New Testament:

20:37 I will make you pass under the rod, and I will let you go in by

number.

Ezekiel's verse 37 foretells the British enforcement

of the 1922 white paper. The British only allowed so many immigrants

per year which is another way of saying "go in by number."

38: I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who

transgress against me; I will bring them out of the land where they

sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will

know that I am the LORD.

Verse 38 is incredibly prophetic with regards to the 1922 white

paper and its position on screening out undesirable Jewish

immigrants --"I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those

who transgress against me; I will bring them out of the land where

they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel." The

white paper stated: "It is necessary also to ensure that persons who

are politically undesirable be excluded from Palestine, and every

precaution has been and will be taken by the Administration to that

end.

39: "As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve

every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not

listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your

gifts and your idols.

40: "For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, says

the Lord GOD, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall

serve me in the land; there I will accept them, and there I will

require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all

your sacred offerings.

Verse 40 refers to the actual capture of Jerusalem. In

order to preserve Jerusalem, many Israeli soldiers offered to take

Jerusalem using only infantry and small weapons against automatic

weapons. This tactic caused an inordinately high number of

casualties to occur in the Israeli armed forces -- "the choicest

of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings."

41: As a pleasing odor I will accept you, when I bring you out from

the peoples, and gather you out of the countries where you have been

scattered; and I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of

the nations.

Verse 41 is referring to the mass immigration of Jews from all the

nations of Europe and the rest of the world following WWII.

42: And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the

land of Israel, the country which I swore to give to your fathers.

43: And there you shall remember your ways and all the doings with

which you have polluted yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves

for all the evils that you have committed.

Verse 43 refers to the institution of Jewish customs in the new

nation of Israel.

44: And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for

my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to

your corrupt doings, O house of Israel, says the Lord GOD."

45: And the word of the LORD came to me:

46: "Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against the

south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negev;

47: say to the forest of the Negev, Hear the word of the LORD: Thus

says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall

devour every green tree in you and every dry tree; the blazing flame

shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be

scorched by it.

48: All flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall

not be quenched."

Verse 46 refers to the Israeli capture of the Negev and the Israeli

refusal to return the Negev as proposed by the UN negotiator

Bernadotte. The "fire" in the Negev refers to the fire fight in the

Negev between the Israeli's and the Arabs. The war would continue

for several extra months in the Negev until the Arabs gave up on the

idea of winning back their lost territory.

49: Then I said, "Ah Lord GOD! they are saying of me, `Is he not a

maker of allegories?'"

In verse 49, Ezekiel was alluding to the fact that he would have

preferred it if God stuck to prophecies that were applicable

to his lifetime. By making prophecies about the events thousands

of years in the future, none of his contemporaries were taking him

literally.

Romans 01:16

…the gospel: for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes… (Romans 01:16)

Have a powerful New Year,
J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament