Retrobyter

Shalom, @WilliamL. Sorry to take so long. I get distracted by other threads, and forget where I was. I'll try to review what I started more consistently. No, see, the natural flow of the rulership of the Land in history was from the Seleucid dynasty of the Greek empire to the Hasmonean dynasty of priests, who conquered the Edomites (Idumea) and forced them to convert to Judaism. This was the origin of Herod the Great, who became Rome's client king over Judaea. Bryan T. Huie said, "Success in achieving and maintaining power also defined Herod the Great. History shows that Herod was an Idumean (the Edomites were forcibly converted to Judaism under the Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus about 130 BCE). His father Antipater II, a friend and advisor of Hasmonean ruler Hyrcanus II, was made procurator of Judea by Julius Caesar. In that position, Antipater II made Herod the governor of Galilee at the age of 25 in 47 BCE. Herod ingratiated himself with Rome following the assassination of Julius Caesar and eventually married Mariamne, a granddaughter of Hyrcanus II (even though he was already married with a young son). Due to a recommendation by Hyrcanus II (as well as a bribe paid to Roman ruler Mark Antony), Herod was appointed as a tetrarch over Judea in 41 BCE." So, the remaining verses of Daniel 11, verses 36 to 45, were ALL about Herod the Great until his death in verse 45. It's just that, as Rome's puppet, he was all about ingratiating himself to whoever was in charge at the time! At first, he sided with Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, but then, seeing the tides change, he flipped on Mark Anthony and gave allegiance to Octavius instead! Of verses 40 to 43, Mr. Huie said, "Remember, this prophecy is not primarily concerned with Syria, Egypt, Rome or any other foreign power, but with the fate of Daniel's people, the Jews. Verses 40-43 are a parenthetical insert describing the last major battle over the land of Israel before the Messiah appeared. "For the final time in this prophecy, we see the king of the South and the king of the North engage one another in battle. Here, the king of the South is Mark Antony and his ally Cleopatra (the last monarch to occupy the Egyptian throne). The king of the North is Octavius, who as the official representative of Rome, was ruler of the former Syrian empire of the Seleucids." (Emphasis mine.) If anything, the prophecy itself glossed over the time of the Hasmonean dynasty after Judas Maccabees, briefly mentioning it in verse 35. Actually, Yeeshuwa` was just describing a VERY ... LONG ... TIME! We're IN it! How long does it take for a nation to rise against another nation? At first, they might live peaceably alongside one another, even profitting from commerce between them. But then, some "inequality" comes to a head and a leader gets ambitious and negotiations between the nations breaks down, and one attacks the other. Sometimes, the attacker wins; sometimes, the attacked wins. Often such skirmishes draw in other nations into the fight, such as in the World Wars. In any case, THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN OVER NIGHT! He was implying that this would happen SEVERAL times before His Second Coming, indicating that it would be a long time.

Shalom, @JoeCanada and @Revelation Man. Gentlemen, you're "barking up the wrong tree." The prophecies of Daniel 10-12 are all FULFILLED, with the exception of a verse or two in Daniel 12! The writer of "HereALittleThereALittle.net," Bryan T. Huie (written December 30, 2005 and Revised: January 2, 2012), gave us this information from HISTORY, {DANIEL 11:40 "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through." (NKJV) Remember, this prophecy is not primarily concerned with Syria, Egypt, Rome or any other foreign power, but with the fate of Daniel's people, the Jews. Verses 40-43 are a parenthetical insert describing the last major battle over the land of Israel before the Messiah appeared. For the final time in this prophecy, we see the king of the South and the king of the North engage one another in battle. Here, the king of the South is Mark Antony and his ally Cleopatra (the last monarch to occupy the Egyptian throne). The king of the North is Octavius, who as the official representative of Rome, was ruler of the former Syrian empire of the Seleucids. Antony and Octavius made a pact with a third party (Marcus Aemilius Lepidus) to rule Rome after the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE. In the civil war that followed Caesar's death, they defeated the assassins' forces in 42 BCE. The next year, Antony fell in love with Egyptian queen Cleopatra. After Antony suffered a military defeat against the Parthians in 36 BCE, he and Octavius had a falling out. Worsening the situation was the fact that, in 32 BCE, Antony divorced his Roman wife, Octavia (the sister of Octavius) and ceded many of the eastern Roman territories to Cleopatra and their children. Finally, in 31 BCE, a new civil war broke out between the Roman Senate-supported Octavius and Antony/Cleopatra. The Roman historian Plutarch wrote that the first move in the war was made by Antony (at the insistence of Cleopatra). Thus we see that the "king of the South" indeed first attacked the "king of the North." The Roman Senate quickly pronounced Antony an outlaw and declared war on Cleopatra. In this war, Herod supported Antony and sent supplies to his forces. He wished to join Antony for a final showdown with Octavius, but fortunately Antony dispatched him (Herod) and his troops to fight the Nabatean king Malichus I. Amazingly, the prophecy was accurately fulfilled in regard to the composition of the forces engaged in the war. Despite the fact that each side had assembled large infantry forces, Plutarch records that these infantry were not engaged at all in the short war. Although his generals advised Antony to use his overwhelming infantry advantage to defeat Octavius, Antony decided to prosecute the war primarily with ships in order to satisfy the request of Cleopatra. Thus the conflict was decided by chariots, horsemen, and in a major naval battle, approximately 630 ships. After the navy of Antony and Cleopatra was routed off the promontory of Actium in Greece on September 2, 31 BCE, the infantry deserted and never saw battle. Seeing that Antony was all but defeated, Herod helped Quintus Didius, the Roman governor of Syria, prevent a troop of Antony's gladiators from reaching Egypt to aid Antony. Herod then undertook a dangerous sea voyage in winter 30 BCE to meet with Octavius on the Greek island of Rhodes. Herod came to him humbly and stated that he would be as loyal to Octavius as he had previously been to Antony. Octavius accepted Herod's pledge and promised him continued rule over Judea. DANIEL 11:41 "He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon." (NKJV) The course Octavius took after his victory over Antony and Cleopatra accurately follows the prophecy. He passed through Syria, Judea (the "glorious land"), and Egypt in his pursuit of the pair. However, the lands of Edom, Moab, and Ammon were not invaded during this excursion. A later expedition into these areas (about 25 BCE), under the command of Aelius Gallus along with 500 troops from Herod, was not successful and no further efforts were made against them. DANIEL 11:42 "He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape." (NKJV) Antony's plans to regroup their forces in Alexandria failed, since most of his soldiers had deserted to join Octavius. Based on a false report that Cleopatra had killed herself, Antony committed suicide with his own sword. Cleopatra actually lived for some weeks after Antony's death and met Octavius on at least one occasion to negotiate the best possible situation for her children. Realizing that Octavius was planning to publicly exhibit her as a captive in his victory parade in Rome, she too committed suicide, reportedly by allowing a venomous asp to bite her.} You're bickering about a prophecy that has ALREADY BEEN FULFILLED! When the Messiah returns, how much of the Millennium will you need to be RE-SCHOOLED in the truth? After the Resurrection of those who belong to the Messiah Yeeshuwa`, you can hear it from EYE-WITNESSES!

Shalom, @Revelation Man. Good. The way you said it almost made me think that one could be lost if He didn't keep God's commandments. We should still try, of course, because we can think of every sin we commit being "one more thorn in His crown, one more nail in His hands and feet, one more lash across His back." But, for THOSE sins - still in the future that we will commit - He DIED and paid for them, past, present, and future! Some traits of God are contingent upon the viewers. God is light, and that was true before the Creation; but, He could only be AWESOME when there was someone there who could be awed! Exodus 34:1-17 (KJV) 1 And the LORD said unto Moses, "Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon [these] tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. 2 And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. 3 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount." 4 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone. 5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, "The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation]." 8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. 9 And he said, "If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it [is] a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance." 10 And he said, "Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou [art] shall see the work of the LORD: for IT [IS] A TERRIBLE (Hebrew: נוֹרָא = NOWRAA' = TERRIFYING) THING THAT I WILL DO WITH THEE. 11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: 13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: 14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name [is] Jealous (Hebrew: קַנָּא = qannaa' = [used only of God] 'not bearing any rival'), [is] a jealous God: 15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and [one] call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; 16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. 17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. ..." Note that this foreshadows the alliance with the city of Gibeon in Joshua 9 and the downfall of Shlomoh ("Solomon"), seen in 1 Kings 11. So, YHWH God is MIGHTY in power, but He is also TERRIFYING which must be SEEN by people! Thus, we can apply this to the fact that "God is LIGHT and in Him is no darkness at all" and show that it is GLORY to observers of that LIGHT! For something to be "apparent," someone must be "observing." Those who don't learn from history are doomed to think that a prophecy is yet unfulfilled. Daniel 11:36 through 11:45 are about Daniel's people and how they experienced things prior to the Messiah's first coming. From verse 22 and up to verse 35 are all about Antiochus IV and the rebellion of Judah (the Maccabees, or the Hammer) and his men. The "KING" mentioned in verse 36 is NOT the "antichrist." He is HEROD the Great, the first "king" over Judaea who is known after the Rededication of the Temple. It was HE of whom it was said, "he shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all." Herod the Great was quite a character! He was INSANELY suspicious of potential usurpers to his throne. He was an Idumean, that is, he was from Edom, when Edom was conquered by the Hasmonean dynasty of priests, and they were forced to convert to Judaism. But, he was ambitious and had convinced the emperor of Rome to set HIM up as the client king of Judaea. It was HIS way of getting back at the Jews by ruling over them! But, he was a builder! He loved to build things! He felt it was his "mark on the world," and he was quite proud of his accomplishments and took pride in his work. Most of the rest of this chapter is about him as Judaea's king, while some of it is about Caesar Augustus of Rome and his dealings with Queen Cleopatra II of Egypt and her escort "king," Marcus Antonius (Mark Anthony), which involved Herod. The birth of the Messiah is seen in verse 44 for the "tidings out of the east and out of the north" was the announcement of a contender to his throne, a "king of the Jews" being born! The sentence, "he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many," was his attempt to kill the contender by destroying all the children in that area who could be this "king of the Jews!" He dies a horrible death in verse 45. The name "Michael" in Hebrew is "מִיכָאֵל" which is a composite of two prefixes and the word "אֵל" which means "God." The first prefix "מִי" is translated "who" and the second "כָ" is translated as "like." While the "who" portion MAY be an interrogative pronoun, implying a question, as in English, it also may be a RELATIVE pronoun, describing the person! This is NOT an "angel!" This is "Sar Shalom" - the "PRINCE OF PEACE!" He will be "the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people!" Daniel 12:1 (KJV) 1 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." It is after Him and THROUGH Him that "there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time!" It is the time of Jacob's trouble! It is the RESULT of their rejection of Him as their King, and His pronouncment upon them, leaving them "DESOLATE" until they can welcome Him back as YHWH'S Anointed (Matthew 23:38-39)!

Shalom, @Revelation Man. Brother, we have life eternal the moment that God JUSTIFIES us because of His Son's Sacrifice! "When thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin..." (Isa. 53:10). We can't be righteous enough; God must step in and DECLARE us "His righteousness" found within His Son, who was declared "our sin!" If God destroyed the WHOLE WORLD and not one soul was saved, who could appreciate His glory? Glory means FAME! How can He be famous without anyone to appreciate Him? The word "doxa" in Greek (translated as "glory") means to make someone or something apparent; to make him or it stand out from the background! For a rich man or a king, that might mean his opulence; for an object, it means to "GLOW," like a bright star against the black background of space! And, "glory" NEVER refers to a place! It's a CONDITION! For Yeeshuwa` ("Jesus"), it means to "GLOW" as is seen on the Mount of Transfiguration and in Revelation 1! Consider: G1391 δόξα dóxa, dox'-ah; from the base of G1380; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, objective or subjective): —dignity, glory(-ious), honour, praise, worship. The word is used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:40-41: 1 Corinthians 15:40-41 (KJV) 40 [There are] also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial [is] one, and the [glory] of the terrestrial [is] another. 41 [There is] one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for [one] star differeth from [another] star in glory. We would use the word "brightness" today. Daniel 11 is OVER! All of that chapter was PRE-Christ! It was B.C!

Shalom, @JoeCanada and @Revelation Man. Please remember not to attack the person, only address the problem. Work TOGETHER to find a solution. Cooperation, not competition. Thanks.

Shalom, @Triton57, and to ANYONE who is reading along (which I encourage). I'm REALLY starting to like and appreciate you, brother! And, note: This highlighted line in verse 38 is the partial FULFILLMENT of Daniel 9:27! AND, Yeeshuwa` ties it together with the phrase, "Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord," which is a quotation from Psalm 118:26: Psalm 118:26 (KJV) 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. The Hebrew of this is ... בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה בֵּרַכְנוּכֶם מִבֵּית יְהוָה׃ And, this is transliterated as ... 26 Baaruwkh habaa' b-sheem YHWH; beerakhnuwkhem mibeeyt YHWH: These first two words "Baaruwkh habaa'," are seen IN THEIR PLURAL forms, "Baaruwkhiym haabaa'iym," at all the airports and seaports in Israel! This is their "WELCOME, VISITORS" sign! This means that the Lord Yeeshuwa` was telling them that He wouldn't be back in His formal capacity until they could WELCOME HIM back! And, they must recognize that He is "habaa' b-sheem YHWH! " That is, they must recognize Him as "the-Comer in [the]-name (on the-authority) of-YHWH," our GOD, the "LORD'S ANOINTED!" I believe that we can also conclude that THIS is the "limiting reagent" in the "equation!" THIS is what determines the end of the "time of Jacob's trouble!" But, that time, which started with this pronouncement of "DESOLATION," has been going on for nearly TWO THOUSAND YEARS! Right! However, NONE of the four mentions of the "desolation" in the book of Daniel are within our future. The three passages of Daniel 8:11-12, 11:11-32, and 12:11 were about Daniel's people's future and is now in the past - the "desolation" that was brought on by Antiochus IV, which the "Hammer" ("Maccabees") crushed through God's intervention! And, the prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27 have been fulfilled UP TO THE OFFER OF THE KINGDOM BY THE MESSIAH, which is recorded in all four of the Gospels. All the same, the prophecy of the WHOLE TIME is summarized by Gabriel in Daniel 9:24-27, and he noted that "in the midst of the week he (the Messiah) shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease (through His OWN Sacrifice of His body), and for the overspreading of abominations (of the scribes and Pharisees) he (the Messiah) shall make it desolate!" which HE DID in Matthew 23:38! FORTY YEARS later, recognized as a "time of testing," the DESOLATION was fully realized, when Jerusalem was surrrounded by the Roman armies and the Temple was destroyed, and razed to the ground to get at the molten gold that flowed between the foundation stones after the Temple had been set on fire, as Yeeshuwa` predicted here in Luke 19:41-44; 21;6, 20-24 and in Matthew 24:2, 15-22, as well as in Mark 13:2, 14-20! People have been misreading and misunderstanding Daniel 9:26-27 so long that they've built MUCH around the idea that it was the "prince that should come" who is the antecedent of the word "he" found three times in verse 27. But, that's not true. However, in so saying, they've built up this idea of the "Antichrist" (the "prince that should come") making a 7-year peace treaty with Israel and then breaking that treaty in the middle of it (3.5 years after its signing). That's all I'll say on it, because the whole idea is based upon the faulty thinking that the "Antichrist" is the antecedent of the pronouns "he" in verse 27 when it was actually the MESSIAH - the CHRIST - of verse 26 who is the antecedent! So, in 30 A.D., the Messiah pronounced the Jews of Jerusalem "desolate." In 66 A.D., through another angel sent to the believing Jews of that time, the Jews were warned to flee from Jerusalem at the first sign of the abomination which derived FROM the pronouncement of "desolation," the raising of the Roman Legion Eagle in the Temple grounds. They DID flee Jerusalem at the time and regrouped in Pella on the east side of the Jordan River, which is now the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Then, in 70 A.D., came the destruction of the Temple. This is what Yeeshuwa` was talking about in the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21. See, instead, I see that verse 11 is a RECAP of what Antiochus IV was going to do in 167 B.C.. which was the nearer prophecy that the people of Daniel would encounter. Ah, but this BEGAN in 70 A.D. and has been going on ever since! THAT'S what makes this tribulation "great!" IT'S HUGE! It's also mentioned in Matthew 24:9! Matthew 24:9-14 (KJV) 9 "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel OF THE KINGDOM shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." The Greek of verse 9 is ... Κατα Ματθαιον 24:9 9 τότε παραδώσουσιν ὑμᾶς εἰς θλῖψιν, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν ὑμᾶς· καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου. This transliterates to ... 9 "Tote paradoosousin humas eis thlipsin, kai apoktenousin humas; kai esesthe misoumenoi hupo pantoon toon ethnoon dia to onoma mou." And, it translates word-for-word to ... 9 "Then they-shall-deliver you into tribulation, and they-shall-kill you; and ye-shall-be hated under all the nations through the name of-me." Now, I've done a study on the Olivet Discourse, taking the Greek of the three passages and harmonizing them first, and THEN translating the harmony into English. What I discovered is that the KEY to the Olivet Discourse is found in the usage of the Greek pronouns, particularly "humeis," "humoon," "humin," and "humas" which are ALL cases of the second-person plural pronoun, commonly translated as "you." humeis = subjective "ye" humoon = genitive "of you" humoon = ablative "from you" humin = locative "in you" or "at you" humin = instrumental "with you" or "by you" humin = dative "to you" or "for you" humas = directly objective "you" Also, if the endings of the verbs are "-te" or "-the" (-τε, tau-epsilon or -θε, theta-epsilon), they are the second-person, plural endings of the future tense. When Yeeshuwa` ("Jesus") was talking directly to His disciples right there in front of Him, talking to them about a future THEY would have the chance to experience, He would be translated as having used "humeis/humoon/humin/humas." But, when He would peer off into the distant future, He would use "many" (translated into Greek as πολλοὶ or πολλούς or πολλῶν) or verbs that have a "third-person, plural" ending (like ὄψονται, meaning "they shall see"), instead. We see then in verse 9, in the words "humas" (twice) and the word "esesthe," that He was speaking directly to His disciples about something they would have the chance (or misfortune) to see for themselves. Therefore, this tribulation began in the FIRST CENTURY A.D., and it began upon their generation! Yes, this persecution or tribulation is upon the children of Daniel's people, the children of Israel, and yes, this tribulation os unparalleled in all of history because it is the LONGEST tribulation that has EVER been upon a people! However, the time period is NOT cut short"; "those days" of the tribulation are cut short! Matthew 24:21-22 (KJV) 21 "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." What that means is that within the time period that is based upon the welcoming back of the Messiah, "those days" of tribulation will be curtailed into GROUPS that may then be individually named, with names like "the Spanish Inquisitions" or "the Holocaust," giving time in between to allow the people to repopulate! No, my friend. Yeeshuwa`s Kingdom is NOT "established in heaven." That is a fallacy that has been propagated on the ASSUMPTION that "sitting with the Father in His throne (or on His dais)" constitutes "reigning with Him!" However, that is neither claimed nor confirmed. Instead, we have statements by the Messiah Himself that says He won't be reigning UNTIL He has returned: Matthew 25:31 (KJV) (part of the Olivet Discourse, btw) 31 "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:..." Also, "glory," which is the Greek word "doxa," is a CONDITION, not a PLACE! It speaks of "being apparent" and may refer to "fame," as the opulence of a rich man or a king, or to "brightness," as that of the sun, the moon, or the stars. It's that which makes something or someone "stand out" as a person from the crowd or a star from the blackness of space. Yeeshuwa` is not "the king of glory" as the "King of a PLACE"; rather, He is "the king of glory" as a "FAMOUS King!" Also, Yeeshuwa` said, Luke 19:11-15 (KJV) 11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, "A certain nobleman went into a far country TO RECEIVE FOR HIMSELF A KINGDOM, AND TO RETURN. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, "'Occupy (Trade with this) till I come.' 14 "But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, "'We will not have this [man] to reign over us!' 15 "And it came to pass, that WHEN HE WAS RETURNED, HAVING RECEIVED THE KINGDOM, THEN HE COMMANDED these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading...." BEING ISRAEL'S KING WAS WHAT YEESHUWA` WAS SENT TO DO! When talking to Pilate, we read His discussion: John 18:33-40 (KJV) 33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered him, "Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?" 35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world (Greek: kosmos = 'world-system'): if my kingdom were of this world ('world-system'), then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence (from this [sort])." 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, "Art thou a king then?" Jesus answered, "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." 38 Pilate saith unto him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, "I find in him no fault [at all]. 39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?" 40 Then cried they all again, saying, "Not this man, but Barabbas." Now Barabbas was a robber. He didn't say that His Kingdom was "off of the earth!" He was saying that it was of a "DIFFERENT CALIBER of Kingdom!" Later we read: John 19:1-22 (KJV) 1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged [him]. 2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put [it] on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, 3 And said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and they smote him with their hands. 4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, "Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him." 5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And [Pilate] saith unto them, "Behold the man!" 6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify [him], crucify [him]!" Pilate saith unto them, "Take ye him, and crucify [him]: for I find no fault in him." 7 The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God!" 8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; 9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, "Whence art thou?" But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Then saith Pilate unto him, "Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?" 11 Jesus answered, "Thou couldest have no power [at all] against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." 12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar!" 13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, "Behold your King!" 15 But they cried out, "Away with [him], away with [him], crucify him!" Pilate saith unto them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!" 16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led [him] away. 17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called [the place] of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: 18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. 19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put [it] on the cross. And the writing was, "JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS." 20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, [and] Greek, [and] Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, "Write not, 'The King of the Jews'; but that 'he said, "I am King of the Jews."' " 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written." SO, PILATE WAS CONVINCED AND HE INDELIBLY WROTE IT! He either satisfied the requirement for Sacrifice or He didn't! One can slaughter all the animals one wishes but from the beginning a true sacrifice to God was ONLY acceptable to God if GOD ACCEPTS THE SACRIFICE! Genesis 4:3-7 (KJV) 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6 And the LORD said unto Cain, "Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." Read the Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 53! However, first understand what the word "soul" actually means: Genesis 2:7 (KJV) 7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. The Hebrew is this: וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן־הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה׃ So, the word for "soul" here is נֶפֶשׁ transliterated as "nefesh" with the "l-" prefix for "into a"; it is the noun form of the root verb נָפַשׁ or "naafash" meaning "to breathe," and "nefesh" itself means "an [air] breathing creature." H5315 נֶפֶשׁ nephesh (nefesh), neh'-fesh; from H5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental): —any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, × dead(-ly), desire, × (dis-) contented, × fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, × jeopardy of) life (× in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, slay, soul, tablet, they, thing, (× she) will, × would have it. So, use this info in the reading of Isaiah 53: Isaiah 53:5-11 (KJV) 5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither [was any] deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul (His "air-breathing creature") an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 HE SHALL SEE OF THE TRAVAIL OF HIS SOUL (HIS "AIR-BREATHING CREATURE"), [AND] SHALL BE SATISFIED: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. It doesn't matter WHAT a person may do after this! They continued to perform the rituals after the death of our Lord, the Messiah Yeeshuwa`, for the next FORTY YEARS - a TIME OF TESTING - and they REFUSED to accept Him as their Sacrifice! So, God REMOVED the Temple for further "sacrifices!" I can understand your take on this, but the Greek of the three accounts of the Olivet Discourse shows that ALL THREE accounts of the Synoptic Gospels are talking about the SAME THING! Why wouldn't Matthew and Mark talk about the part that Luke said, if they were different? Why wouldn't Luke be more explicit about the "abomination of desolation" occurring AFTER all this? Maybe I should publish my Greek harmony of the Olivet Discourse so all can see what I saw, but THEY ARE GRAMMATICALLY THE SAME EVENTS! The "tribulation" IS (=) the "time of the Gentiles!" The first 3.5 years of the Seventieth Week were the time of His FIRST OFFER of the Kingdom to the Jews, and the second 3.5 years HAVE BEEN DELAYED until His Second Coming when He will bring back His OFFER of the Kingdom and will once again, offer that Kingdom to His tribe, Judah! At that time, the Jews - a NEW generation - will FINALLY be ready to accept Him as the LORD'S Messiah!

Shalom, @Neighbor. LOL! "Duopoly" really does describe the USA's political vista. It's EITHER the Republican Party OR it's the Democratic Party. All other parties are SWAMPED by the two. I should add that it's becoming harder and harder to keep us out of a "MONOpoly!"

Shalom, @slave. Ishmaa`ee'l ("a male from God") was a descendant of AVraam, but so was Yitschaaq (Isaac), as well as several others through a second wife later. Ishmaa`ee'l was the son of a slave woman; she was the HANDMAID of Saaray, and she was an Egyptian. She came from the Pharaoh when Saaray was taken as a potential wife for Pharaoh, and AVraam was compensated: Genesis 12:15-16 (KJV) 15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. 16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and MAIDSERVANTS, and she asses, and camels. However, Yitschaq was the son of the FREE WOMAN and the half-sister of AVraham, and HE was the choice for AVraham's heir. The inheritance of a father usually went to his firstborn son, but not always, and in this particular case, the slave woman and her son were THROWN OUT of the household! Haagar and her son had MOCKED Sarah and her newborn son, and Sarah was not having ANY of that! And, AVraham agreed and sent them both away into the desert. But, God even SAID that Yitschaaq would receive the covenant: Genesis 16:19-21 (KJV) 19 And God said, "Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his seed after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year." The first son out of Sarah's womb was Yitschaq, and he was the rightful heir according to the promise of God. "... SARAH shall have a son ...." AVraham was NOT a "Jew." He was "the Hebrew," (הָעִבְרִי, Genesis 14:13) and that means "the one from beyond the water." Indeed, AVraham, Yitschaq, and Ya`aqoV ("Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob") were ALL wanderers or sojourners "from beyond the water"- the Euphrates River; they were Bedouins, following the herds of animals they owned, constantly needing new pasture! This word, "Hebrew," came from one of his ancestors, "`EeVer," the great, great grandson of Noach and great grandson of Sheem, sometimes translated into English as "Heber" and sometimes as "Eber," because English doesn't have an "`ayin" sound. Thus, Avraham was called "haa'IVriy," "the heir of `EeVer" who may have been the source of AVraham's first herds and the reason why the name now means "a wanderer from beyond the water." Paul also taught about this in his letter to the Galatians: Galatians 4:21-31 (KJV) 21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid (Genesis 16:15), the other by a freewoman (Genesis 21:1-7). 23 But he [who was] of the bondwoman (Haagaar) was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman (Saaraah) [was] by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai (the Mosaic Covenant), which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar (Haagaar). 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to (marches in the same row as) Jerusalem which now is, and (Agar) is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above (northward) is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, "'Rejoice, [thou] barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband,' (sayeth the LORD," Isaiah 54:1). 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him [that was born] after the Spirit, even so [it is] now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir" with the son of the freewoman (Genesis 21:10). 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Now, you asked, "What does 'Christian' mean?" Well, when we go back to the Scriptures where the word was first used, we find: Acts 11:26 (KJV) 26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called "Christians" first in Antioch. Here's the Greek: 11:26 καὶ εὑρὼν αὐτὸν ἤγαγεν αὐτόν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν ἐγένετο δὲ αὐτούς ἐνιαυτὸν ὅλον συναχθῆναι ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ διδάξαι ὄχλον ἱκανόν χρηματίσαι τε πρώτον ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τοὺς μαθητὰς Χριστιανούς. The transliteration into English letters is ... 11:26 Kai heuroon auton eegagen auton eis Antiocheian egeneto de autous eniauton holon sunachtheenai en tee ekkleesia kai didaxai ochlon hikanon chreematisai te prooton en Antiocheia tous matheetas Christianous. It's the plural diminutive of "Christos" which means "Anointed one." Thus, they are the "little-anointed-ones." 11:26 And having-found him he-brought him into Antioch it-happened but they a-year whole met-together in the called-out-[assembly] and taught people many they-were-called as first in Antioch the students/disciples "Christians." Strong's says, "The name was first given to the worshippers of Jesus by the Gentiles, but from the second century (Justin Martyr (e. g. Apology 1, 4, p. 55 a.; dialog contra Trypho, § 35; cf. 'Teaching etc. 12, 4 [ET])) onward accepted by them as a title of honor." It's not a bad title! We ARE, after all, anointed by the Holy Spirit when we are justified by God, and we are outdone by our Messiah! It's important that you understand that "by the works of the Law shall NO flesh be justified!" (Galatians 2:16) And, "following Yeeshuwa` (Jesus)" means that one is FOLLOWING HIS TEACHINGS! We are only instructed to keep the laws of Love! "Love God with all one's heart, soul, and mind by accepting the Messiah of God as His Son," and "loving our neighbors as ourselves," (Matthew 22:35-40; and 1 John 3:18-24). for "upon these two laws hang all the Law and the prophets!" Indeed, Yeeshuwa` ("Jesus") said, Matthew 22:35-40 (KJV) 35 Then one of them, [which was] a lawyer, asked [him a question], tempting him, and saying, 36 "Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law?" 37 Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind (Deuteronomy 6:5). 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Leviticus 19:18). 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." and John said, 1 John 3:18-24 (KJV) 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, [then] have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And THIS is his commandment, THAT WE SHOULD BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST (BELIEVE ON THE AUTHORITY OF HIS SON YEESHUWA` HIS MESSIAH), and LOVE ONE ANOTHER, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Shalom, @Triton57. I commend you for your ability to reason through a matter. That gives you a "leg up." HOWEVER, you've made some assumptions that mess up your reasoning: First, there's more than one "day of the LORD" in prophecy. Sometimes, the prophecy is speaking about "THE GREAT AND THE TERRIBLE" Day of the LORD, as in Joel 2:31, but other times the prophecy is about a nearer day of the LORD, such as in Isaiah 13:9-11, when Nebuchadnezzar invaded the Land of Israel. (Read the WHOLE chapter.) Sometimes the Hebrew word "הָאָרֶץ" or "haa'aarets" means "the earth" (as in "the dirt"), and sometimes it means "the land," particularly "THE Land" of Israel. Very seldom does the word actually mean "the whole planet!" Also, the Hebrew word "הַשָּׁמַיִם" or "hashshaamayim" means "the skies," even though it is translated as "the heaven" or even "the heavens." It is a DUAL word: In Hebrew, they have the singular number and the plural, but they also have the DUAL number. It is used for things that come in pairs. Here, it refers to the "day sky" and the "night sky," the pair for the atmosphere around this planet and what we may see in it. Prophecies MUST be read and interpreted within their contexts. One cannot just take a few verses that SOUND like they're talking about a particular subject, and expect it to be really talking about that subject! Second, who says that the "Tribulation" or even the "Great Tribulation" is associated with a seven-year period of time, whether 7 years or 1/2 x 7 years = 3.5 years? This has always fascinated me. There is NOTHING in Daniel 9:24-27 to suggest that the Seventieth Seven is about the JUDGMENT of God in a "Tribulation period!" Actually, according to Gabriel, the Seventy Weeks are for the following purposes: Daniel 9:24 (KJV) 24 "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, (1) to finish the transgression, and (2) to make an end of sins, and (3) to make reconciliation for iniquity, and (4) to bring in everlasting righteousness, and (5) to seal up the vision and prophecy, and (6) to anoint the most Holy." How does one find the "Tribulation" or even the "Great Tribulation" in these purposes? (Hint: One doesn't!) Now, there IS an association between the Seventieth Week and the Tribulation, and it's found in verses 26 and 27 and its fulfillment in Matthew 23:37-39: Daniel 9:26-27 (KJV) 26 "And [after threescore and two weeks] shall Messiah be cut off, but not [for himself]: and the people [of the prince that shall come] shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end [thereof] shall be [with a flood], and [unto the end] [of the war] desolations are determined, 27 And he shall confirm the covenant [with many] [for one week]: and [in the midst] [of the week] he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and [for the overspreading] [of abominations] he shall make it desolate, even [until the consummation], and that determined shall be poured [upon the desolate]." All of the square brackets are marking off the prepositional phrases within these two verses, which are actually one sentence in Hebrew. Pulling out the prepositional phrases and keeing the helping verbs close to the verbs, we get... 26 "And Messiah shall be cut off, but not: and the people shall destroy the city and the sanctuary and the end shall be, and desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant: and he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and he shall make it desolate, even, and that determined shall be poured." Now, without the prepositional phrases, about whom is verse 27 speaking? What is the antecedent for the word "he" in verse 27? It's the MESSIAH! (I can show how the Hebrew means the same thing.) So, (1) it is the MESSIAH who "shall confirm (shall strengthen) the covenant," and (2) it is the MESSIAH who "shall cause the sacrifice and the olbation to cease", and (3) it is the MESSIAH who "shall make it desolate!" And, each one of these are fulfilled in the New Testament! (1) Luke 1:30-33, compared to 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and 1 Chronicles 17:11-14; (2) Hebrews 10:1-18, compared to Isaiah 53:3-11; and (3) Matthew 23:37-39, compared to Psalm 118:22-26. Note: (1) is the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant; (2) is the satisfaction of the Final and Ultimate Sacrifice that is better than that of bulls and goats; and (3) is the BREAKING of the Seventieth Week in half, postponing the second half until the Messiah returns. The GREAT "Tribulation" is BETWEEN the two halves! It IS "GREAT"; it's HUGE! It's been going on for almost TWO THOUSAND YEARS! It is "the Time of Jacob's Trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7), introduced BECAUSE of their rejection of YHWH'S King for them! It is a time period simultaneous with the Gentile "Church Age," also called by Yeeshuwa` (Jesus) "the times of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24) which Paul said would last "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Romans 11:25). So, how are the "days of Tribulation" "shortened?" Matthew 24:15-22 (KJV) 15 "When YE therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then (YOU) let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 (YOU) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither (YOU) let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray YE that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." And, let's confirm this with the other two Gospels that speak of the Olivet Discourse: Mark 13:14-20 (KJV) 14 "But when YE shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then (YOU) let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: 15 And (YOU) let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter [therein], to take any thing out of his house: 16 And (YOU) let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. 17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 18 And pray YE that your flight be not in the winter. 19 For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. 20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days." Luke 21:20-24 (KJV) 20 "And when YE shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then (YOU) know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then (YOU) let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and (YOU) let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and (YOU) let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." The NUMBER OF DAYS WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD are shortened; NOT the TIME PERIOD itself!

Shabbat shalom, @missmuffet. Well said! I suppose it boils down to the company we keep. If God has called one to the folks who are into tattoos, who pay attention to those of others, it could be used as a tract of sorts, breaking the ice to talk about matters regarding the Lord Yeeshuwa` and one's future within Him. For others, however, the tattoo would simply be a distraction that detracts from what one is trying to tell them about the Messiah.

Shabbat shalom, @Neighbor. Thank you for this information. This makes sense, and it would answer several questions. However, wouldn't it be more ... diplomatic and conciliatory to just say something like that in nebulous terms? Without going into details, one could alleviate the conspiracy theories with a well-spoken word.

Shabbat shalom, @Michael37. Yes, but it does beg the question: What IS the purpose for this"housing facility" that is so hush-hush? Obviously, they're hiding something. I wonder what?

Yeshiva.co is talking about being an adherent to Judaism as a religion. However, the true name is Yhudah which means "Praise." Isaiah 51:2 simply confirms that Avraham = Ibrahim = Abraham = "most exalted father" was the ROOT of the Jews, for he was their ancestor. He was NOT technically the "first Jew!" And, Avraham was BEFORE the Law was given to the children of Israel by the hand of Mosheh (Moses). The Lineage by name meanings is ... Great grandfather: Most exalted father --> Laughter Grandfather: Laughter --> Heal-grabber/He-is-Prince-of-God Father: Heal-grabber/He-is-Prince-of-God --> Praise Son: Praise The first persons who were TRUE "Jews" were Praise's sons, Alert (`Eer), Strong ('Onaan), Request (Sheelaah), Break through (Peretz), and Rising (Zerah). No, sir. Genesis 15: says, Genesis 15:1-21 (KJV) 1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, "Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward." 2 And Abram said, "Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house [is] this Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir!" 4 And, behold, the word of the LORD [came] unto him, saying, "This shall NOT be thine heir; but he that shall come forth OUT OF THINE OWN BOWELS shall be thine heir." 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them": and he said unto him, "So shall thy seed be." 6 And he BELIEVED in the LORD; and HE COUNTED IT TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 And he said unto him, "I [am] the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it." 8 And he said, "Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?" 9 And he said unto him, "Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. 11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. 12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet full." 17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp [a representation of YHWH God that Avram could see] that passed between those pieces. 18 IN THE SAME DAY THE LORD MADE A COVENANT WITH ABRAM, saying, "Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites." The custom in his time was to strike a covenant - a contract - with each other by both parties passing between the halves of animals who were sacrificed for the covenant and cut in half. In Avram's = a Mighty-father's day, ONLY YHWH GOD passed between the pieces, making it a one-sided covenant - an UNCONDITIONAL COVENANT! This would be a PROMISE that the Infinite, Eternal, All-powerful God would perform for Avram. I agree. However, that is NOT what set him apart from others who also sacrificed and kept God's Law. No. The covenant was made OUTSIDE of the Law! It was a PROMISE! Avraham kept the Law of God by BELIEVING GOD, for YHWH GOD counted it to him for righteousness! It's not the particulars of the Law that were important; it was the STATE OF MIND behind the particulars! Yeeshuwa` the Messiah of God said, Matthew 22:34-40 (KJV) 34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 Jesus said unto him, "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' 40 ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS." This was such an important concept, that it was recorded in ALL FOUR of the Gospels! And, Yochanan ("John") learned it well and repeated it in His first letter: 1 John 3:11-24 (KJV) 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain (Qayin), who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother (Abel = Hevel). And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 HEREBY PERCEIVE WE THE LOVE OF GOD, BECAUSE HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name (on the authority) of his Son Jesus Christ (Yeeshuwa` the Messiah), and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, BY THE SPIRIT WHICH HE HATH GIVEN US. He equated rightly that "loving God with all one's heart, soul, and mind" was to "believe on the authority of His Son Yeeshuwa` His Messiah." YHWH GOD centered His authority in that of His SON! Oh, and Muslims shouldn't balk against God calling Yeeshuwa` His Son! It goes back to the prophecy He fulfilled in being named the Messiah and fulfilling the Davidic Covenant! 2 Samuel 7:1-17 (KJV) 1 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; 2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains!" 3 And Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee." 4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, 5 "Go and tell my servant David, "'Thus saith the LORD, "'"Shalt THOU build ME an house for me to dwell in? 6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, 'Why build ye not me an house of cedar?' "' 8 "Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, "'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, "'"I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: 9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great menthat are in the earth. 10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, 11 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies." "'Also the LORD telleth thee that HE will make THEE an house. 12 "'"And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I WILL BE HIS FATHER, AND HE SHALL BE MY SON. If he commit (be twisted into) iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men (This He did on the cross): 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever."'" 17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. I try to be consistent in this, but I use GREEN for narration, ROYAL PURPLE for the words of YHWH God, RED for the words of a Messiah, particularly the ULTIMATE Messiah, and BLUE for the words of everyone else. In this particular case, although it is not mentioned, prophets and priests were also anointed ones, but I've used blue here to keep the words of the prophet separate from the words of the messiah David. The "Seed" mentioned in verse 12 CANNOT refer to Shlomoh ("Solomon" = Peace) because David made him king BEFORE David died! No, it refers to the ULTIMATE Messiah, the One 'Anointed' by God with His Spirit who would reign FOREVER. And, verse 14 doesn't say "like" or "as" a Father or "like" or "as" a Son; it says "I WILL BE HIS FATHER, and HE SHALL BE MY SON!" So, it is no wonder that Messiah Yeeshuwa` would be called "the Son of God."

Shalom, @slave. Some are nebulous with this sentence: Do you mean that you really CANNOT say? or do you mean that you "WILL NOT say"? OR, do you mean that you're not ALLOWED to say?

Shalom, @slave. Not so. Avraham was BEFORE Yhudah came along! Indeed, Yhudah ("Judah") was one of his GREAT GRANDSONS! The term "Jew" comes from "yhudiy," meaning a "descendent of Yhudah," which was eventually translated into German as "Jude" where the "J" has a "Y" sound. "Judaism" comes from "Yhudah" for it was the tribe of the Kings who were the Anointed Ones of God, and God's Temple was there in Jerusalem where the Kings would live. And, NO, the reason why Avraham was chosen was because "he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness!" - Genesis 15:6. God justified Him for His FAITH, not because He did any righteous deeds of the Law! In fact, the Law didn't come until Moses led the children of Israel to Mount Sinai! I would recommend a verse-by-verse study of Romans 4.