The Story of the Christian Fish Symbol - Matthew 16:01-04 and Luke 23:45

In Matthew 16:1-4, the Sadducees and Pharisees ask for a sign from Heaven. Jesus responds, “…no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Did Jesus give the Sadducees and Pharisees a sign from Heaven? Did you know that during the crucifixion the shape of the fish that swallowed Jonah miraculously appeared in the Heavens?

According to Luke 23:45, “the sun failed” or “eclipsed” during the crucifixion. As everyone knows Jesus was crucified at Passover. Passover occurs during a full moon. What many people don’t know is that the moon is on the wrong side of the earth for a natural solar eclipse to occur during a full moon. The eclipse of the sun during the crucifixion occurred supernaturally. So what does this have to do with the sign of Jonah appearing in the Heavens? The area where two circles overlap was referred to by ancient mathematicians as “the fish.” If you look at the diagram below you can clearly see the Christian Fish Symbol where the circles overlap.

The sign of Jonah appeared from Heaven as requested by the Sadducees and Pharisees. They didn’t see it – I hope you do.


J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

You Know Neither the Day nor the Hour

In Matthew 25:01-13, Jesus creates a poem about the second coming of the Messiah. Several of the words in the passage are puns for the Hebrew word “Messiah” (משיח) - “Heaven” (שמים), “Five” (חמשה), “Oil” (שמן), “Heard” (נשמע). In case you ever wondered why Jesus chose the number five in this passage instead of two, three, or four - the Hebrew word for “Five” {“Five” (חמשה)} is part of the wordplays in the poem. Below are the wordplay groups in the poem:

“Kingdom” (מלכות)
“Virgins” (בתולות)
“Wise” (וחכמות)
“Foolish” (כסילות)
“Buy” (לקנות)
“Preparedness” (והמוכנות)

“Heaven” (שמים)
“Five” (חמשה)
“Oil” (שמן)
“Heard” (נשמע)

“Delayed” (ויתמהמה)
“Lingered” (נתמהמהו)

“Gate” (השער)
“Hour” (והשעה)

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

You Can’t Take It With You.

In Matthew 25:18, there is a wordplay between “Buried” (ויטמון) and “Money” (ממון).


25:18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground {“Buried” (ויטמון)}, and hid his master’s money {“Money” (ממון)}.

J. Clontz - Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Evildoers Destined for a Fall.

In Matthew 07:23-27, there is a wordplay between the words “evildoers” and “fall.”


Evildoers {“Workers” (פועלי)}
Fall {“Fall” (יפול)}

23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers {“Workers” (פועלי)}!’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man {“Wise man” (חכם)} who built {“Built” (בנה)} his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall {“Fall” (יפול)}, because it had been founded on the rock {“Stone” (אבן)}. 26 And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. 27 And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell. And great was its fall {“Fall” (מפלה)}.”

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Luke 02:15-17 Have You Seen the Light?

Did you know that the Hebrew word for “Manger” (אֲוֵרָה) also means “Light?” In Hebrew, Luke 2:15-17 contains a wordplay between the words “See” (ותראה), “Seen” (ראו), and “Manger” (אֲוֵרָה).


J. Clontz - Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament

Luke 01:46-56 Mary creates a Poem about the Lord.

http://youtu.be/vyPwXv8K0xI
Back translating Mary’s words into Hebrew reveals a complex Hebrew poem involving two wordplays. The first wordplay involves the Hebrew letters that form the “R”, “D”, “B” and “T” sounds. The second wordplay involves the words “Spirit” (רוחי), “Fear” (יראיו), and “Show” (הראה) which is a well known Hebrew wordplay that also appears in four passages in Matthew including the Nativity passage. Below is a list of the words used in the Poem:


48 “Servant” (ממשרתו)
48 “Generations” (דורות)
48 “Blessed” (ברוך)
49 “Mighty” (אדיר)
49 “Things” (דברים)
50 “Generations” (דורות)
50 “Generations” (דורות)
52 “Mighty” (אדיר)
53 “Things” (דברים)
54 “Servant” (למשרתו)
55 “Spoke” (דיבר)

47 “Spirit” (רוחי)
50 “Fear” (יראיו)
51 “Show” (הראה)

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament

Luke 01:39-45 Elizabeth Welcomes Mary and her Unborn Child

http://youtu.be/OEy1-o1GVYA


In this passage, Elizabeth is noted as the first person in the New Testament who is filled with the Holy Spirit. Back translating Elizabeth’s words into Hebrew reveals a complex poem based on the Hebrew letters that form the “B” and “R” sounds. The Hebrew word for “blessed” also means "welcome." Below is a list of the words used in the Poem:
40 Greeted (וברך)
41 Greeting (ברכה)
41Womb (ברחמה)
41 Spirit (ברוח)
42 Blessed (ברוך)
42 Among (בקרב)
42 Blessed or Welcome (וברוך)
42 Fruit (פרי)
44 As soon or once (ברגע)
44 Greeting (ברכה)
44 Womb (ברחם)
45 Blessed or Welcome (וברוך)
45 Spoken (שדבר)
48 Blessed (ברוך)

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament

Matthew 01:18-02:23 has a wordplay between “Jesus” (ישוע), “Save” (יושיע), “Name” (שמו).

This section of Matthew also employs the wordplay “Appeared” (נראה), “Fear” (תירא), “Saw” (ראו) which is used in several other passages in Matthew including the Transfiguration and The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen and the Vineyard. Some of the more interesting wordplays are listed below:


“Jesus” ישוע
“Save” יושיע
“Name” שמו

“Betrothed” ארוסה
“Bind” לאוסרה

“Want” רצה
“Conceiving” הרה

“Appeared” נראה
“Fear” תירא

“People” עמי
“Sins” מעונותם
“Virgin” העלמה
“Emmanuel” עמנואל
“God With Us” אלקים עמנו

“Herod” הורודוס
“Kill” להרוג

“Jeremiah” ירמיה
“Rama” רמה
“Bitterness” תמרורים

“Hastened or Urged” זרזהו
“Nazarith” נאזרית
“Called” הנקראת
“Nazareth” נאזרת

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament