Posted on 01/21/2011 3:01:25 PM PST by pastorbillrandles
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.(Psalm 2:1-3)
The first two Psalms go together. Perhaps it isn’t immediately apparent, because in some ways they are completely different, but I believe the Holy Spirit led those who placed them side by side as the opening of the Psalter.
Psalm one examines a lone individual, a God worshipping , scripture meditating disciple who has made a serious break with the thinking of his day. He is separate internally, he seeks other counsel than the prevailing opinions, he loves to be constantly re-oriented in his soul to the Word of God.
He is described in the singular, whereas the “ungodly”, the “sinners and the scornful” are pluralities in the Psalm. The assumption is that it is their worldview which is the prevailing thinking of the day. This one stands alone, and nourishes himself by a different fountain than everyone else.
The second Psalm, on the other hand, looks at the whole world. The entire planet is in a state of revolt, led by its political, educational, and religious leaders. The nations of the world are in turmoil, and their populations are gripped by an empty illusion,( A vain imagination). Traditional restraints are cast into the wind, a kind of social revolution is taking place, led by the elite on all levels.
I believe that though this Psalm has been fulfilled in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, involving the collusion of Pilate, Herod, and the corrupt high priests of Israel, (Acts 4:25-28) there is a further eschatological application of it as well. This Psalm is a prophecy of the geopolitical and cultural reality at the time of the coming of the Lord in Glory to Judge the world in Righteousness.
The nations are definitely in an uproar, indeed, “the heathen Rage“. Consider our times,
China rages, for it is awakening after two centuries of humiliating subjugation by western colonial powers,(the opium wars, etc), the harrowing World War 2 experience, a massive social upheaval , Communist revolution and the pragmatic decision to Capitalize their economy while remaining a totalitarian communist entity .
The perception is that it is time for China to take her place as a world power, increasing her presence in the competition for African resources, oil and gas, military dominance of the Pacific region , etc. China’s generals are bellicose in their pronouncements about their ability to reach cities like Los Angeles with their missiles. To the long remembering Chinese, there are definite scores to settle.
Russia also rages. The desire for the former glory as a world superpower has catapulted former KGB operative Vladimir Putin into a popular icon in Russia. The Russians have been newly empowered by oil money, they are re-arming at an alarming rate, and the brutal crushing of Georgia, in the final days of the Bush presidency was reminiscent of the worst of the old Soviet suppressions.
Russia also sees itself as a player in the middle east, arming Syria ,Hezbollah controlled Lebanon, and aiding Nuclear Iran in spite of world sanctions.
The Muslim World rages also, due to several converging factors. The rebirth of the State of Israel, and its successful repelling of invasions by combined Muslim armies has humiliated and inflamed the Moslem world. The existence of Israel, a modern, secular, western democracy in the very heart of the middle east is an affront to Muslim pride.
To make matters worse, the secularizing trend that swept the Moslem world after World War 1 has been seen as a failure in the Ummah, and perhaps even the cause of Islam’s failure to eradicate te Jewish state. As a consequence, Islamism has swept the world,in the form of Wahhabism, a puritanical Sunni version of Islam. It has been fueled by oceans of oil money , pouring out of Saudi Arabia, literally radicalizing once complacent Muslims from Indonesia to California, causing havoc.
When a Christian is revived and becomes more like Jesus, good things happen, people are helped, healed, encouraged, virtue is promoted and everyone benefits. When Muslims are revived to become more like the pirate and murderer that they consider to be ‘the perfect man’, bad things, terrible and even violent things happen.
The Nations of the World are in an uproar, Africa is turbulent, India and Pakistan are both Nuclear, and hate each other with a passion, Shia Islam has conducted the first successful modern Jihad, with the help of the Jimmy Carter administration, pulling the rug out from underneath the Shah of Iran. Europe is literally dying, due to birth control and abortion, and the Western democracies are going broke, thanks to the failed Socialistic policies that became widespread after World War 2.
This is the setting of Psalm 2, where the attention is turned to the leaders, the Kings of the earth, and the rulers.
There is a Book out..Not sure if anyone has interest..But it is a fascinating read and I am sure will cause much debate on the issue..
Lucifer’s Hidden Name
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
(Gen. 1:1)
Now the earth was formless, and void, darkness was over the surface of the deep.
(Gen. 1:2)
There are two primary theories concerning how the earth came to be in a formless, empty, dark, and fluid condition. The first is called the gap theory. The second is called the chaos theory. The simplest way to explain the chaos theory is that when God created the Earth in Genesis 1:1,
YIKES!!!!
It did not come out with a COPY and PASTER from the pdf..
Here is the Link..
http://www.bibleprophecyinthenews.com/lucifer_s_hidden_name__PDF_.pdf
Right here is where you can see Genesis 18 verified when Abrahm saw the LORD withe the 2 Angels...
Jesus said: Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’ ‘You are not yet fifty years old,’ the Jews said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’ ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I AM!’(John. 8:54-58)
This critical piece of evidence suggests that Y’shua is not only Israel’s Moshiach, but He is also the Great “I AM” from Exodus 3:14.
Yet, when we place the verb hayah or “I AM” with the words formless and void, or tohu, bohu from Genesis 2 the ancient past now becomes our future.
The Hebrew words tohu, bohu carry the translation of “a desolate, worthless thing.” Every occurrence of these words in the Scriptures is associated with God’s judgment.
It implies that God intervened and that some catastrophe took place on planet Earth as a result of His displeasure. In the book of the prophet Jeremiah, we have a perfect example of the words’ hayah and tohu, bohu.
Yes, yes. I understand you cling to the New Testament as a way of explaining the Torah, just as some cling to the Book of Mormon to explain the Christian Bible, and just as some cling to Islam to explain the Christian Bible.
But God told the Jewish people when he gave them the Torah to go to the Kohen or Levite or judge with their questions and then to heed their words exactly (Deut 17).
And God told the Jewish people to ask their ancestors and elders about the proper service of God (Deut 32). He didn’t tell them to ask the gentiles.
Zechariah 8 does not say the Jews will grab a gentile and ask about God, it says gentiles will ask Jews!
You do realize he was speaking about Gentile Pagans don’t you????
That really has nothing to do with my question anyway’s..
None of us born today are from the Ancient World, we are modern people that have the ability to read, research, understand and learn about anything, wether it is Science, Politics or Religion.
I don’t need to go to the President to understand the Constitution of the United States, and I don’t need to go to a Rabbi to learn about what is in the Torah.
I can read...
I don’t mean to be dis-respectful, but I was just asking a question about what Abrahm saw when he looked upon G-d who was outside of his tent.
What is the Christian Bible?
Isn’t the entire Holy Bible written by Jews?
With the exception of *luke* I don’t think a Christian or a Gentile had any say of what was written in the Holy Scriptures....
The question wasn’t about how smart and self-reliant you are, it is about what God said.
Abraham and the angels:
http://www.tachash.org/metsudah/b04r.html#ch18
Thanks for the Link.....
I know what G-d said..in reading your link, I see it is not much different in what is written in Genesis 18, however it does not say.What form the LORD had taken, unless I have *Missed* something in the verse...
I don’t see the *Physical Description* of G-d in front of Abraham.
Only the Angels that had the appearance of *Men* which makes sense, because when they left Abraham they went to *Sodom* and they were in the form of human males....
I guess if I could ask this question: Do you yourself believe G-d can take on the appearance of a *human Being*? and if you say no..then I would ask why not? and is there scripture validating that claim...
I would like to read on it....
If one accepts that God is infinite, that idea has consequences, and our words and thoughts can reach their limits of understanding.
An infinite God can communicate with us in a way that we can understand. We can know God’s communication, but not God’s essence. God’s communication can be in the form of a man, as in the case of Abraham in Genesis 18, but it is not God’s essence.
And God prohibits us from worshiping His communications.
This is where I dis-agree with you.....
As I have said several times to you is that Abraham in Genesis 18 was conversing with a person a *Man* a Physical being, do you know of some other kind of entity that can eat human food and have 2 human feet???
Abraham bowed to him, and like on that other post..No Angels would require us to bow before them....
There is a saying: Religion is Man’s attempt to please GOD..(Legalism and Spiritualism) Jesus Christ is G-d coming down to Mankind....
What I at least hope you consider, is that ABraham was speaking to a prson he knew was the *LORD*
Thanks Tarah! I will check it out.
Ok..Sorry about that long text! It would paste right!
Looking at it made me dizzy!
Me too. MY EYES!
Okay Tarah! They are three angels (angels do appear as men like the angel who wrestled with jacob) Each of the Angels has a specific mission. The first angel (man) tells Sarah of the news of her impending childbirth. His mission is then complete. He stays there as the other two angels go to Sodom and Gemorra. One Angel destroys the city. The other rescues Lot. Remember, when ever it comes to questioning whether or not it is G-d appearing as a person, think of this passage:
Deut 4:12 Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.
15 You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, 16 so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman,
Very clear! You saw NO FORM! G-d has NO FORM. So when G-d uses angels as men to convey His message, we are not to make them god-men!
You know what, instead of moving off to some book, why don’t you address #38 first.
Okay..A couple things here...Genesis 18..Abraham bows to the Angel of the LORD..Where is it that Man bows to any Angels in the Tanakh...
Further reading..The LORD sent 2 Angels to Sodom and then the conversation proceeds between Abraham and the Angel of the LORD....I find nothing in Genesis 18 that says Abraham was talking to someone with no form????
Abraham is asking the LORD how many will be spared in Sodom 50, 10 etc....
Now as I asked jjotto...G-d in his infinite nature is a Spirit being, where is it that says G-d cannot transform from a SPiritual being to a Physical being?
How can the Angels be greater than G-d if they can transform into Physical beings and G-d cannot??
I am not sure I know..
Will research on your question....
The New Testament is the Christian Bible. Notice they even have the nerve to call it New as if it somehow REPLACED the original.
Isn’t the entire Holy Bible written by Jews?
Only the Tanach, Old Testament. 72 Jews translated the first 5 books (The Torah) of the OT.
With the exception of *luke* I don’t think a Christian or a Gentile had any say of what was written in the Holy Scriptures....
The New Testament is NOT written by those they say. For instance.
According to Bishop Papias, (Papi/av), c. 125:
"Matthew compiled the reports in a Hebrew manner of speech, but each interpreted them as he could."
Matthew wrote in Hebrew, or more likely, in Aramaic which is a Hebrew dialect that was the language of Jesus' day. He did not write the original Gospel in Greek!
It is obvious that whoever wrote a book called Matthew, the book now known to Christianity and which opens the New Testament was obviously rewritten in Greek by some later person. (most likely written by a Gentile or heavily edited by one) It was probably at that time that the now-cherished traditions of the birth and death accounts were tacked onto the sayings of Jesus! This is also probably when they tried to de-judaize Jesus. jmo
This is what Papias says about Mark:
"And the presbyter would say this: Mark, who was indeed Peter's interpreter, accurately wrote as much as he remembered, yet not in order, about that which was either said or did by the Lord. For he neither heard the Lord nor followed him, but later, as I said, Peter, who as necessary would make his teachings but not exactly an arrangement of the Lord's reports, so that Mark did not fail by writing certain things as he recalled. For he had one purpose, not to omit what he heard or falsify them."
Begs the question. Just who is this Mark? And since this Mark, is an interpreter for Peter, that means that the Gospel of Mark (deceptively named), isn't even giving a first hand account. Also notice he wrote down the sayings and deeds of Jesus, which exclude the birth and death accounts as we now have them. Now if the "sayings or deeds" of Jesus were all that Mark wrote down, and if, as so many authorities now assert, the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are based on Mark, from where did the genealogies and the birth and death narratives in the Gospels come from? Even with these questions, keep in mind that this particular "Mark" wasn't personally present at the events and sayings he reports.
Why don’t you do that then instead of veering off into 50 different directions.
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