RSEA.D. Notes Week 148

Torah Study Notes for Week 148 of the Torah Reading Cycle

Read
Aloud together to hear the Word (Leviticus 23:1-3; Nehemiah 8:1-4; Luke 4:16-17)

  • Torah (T): Devarim (Deuteronomy) 31:14 – 32:14
  • Prophets (P): 1 Kings 2:1-12
  • Apostolic (A): Revelation 5:1-14; Revelation 14:1-5
  • Additional (ADD): Judith 16:1-25

Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

  1. His death approaching, Moses states His final witness to Israel.
    1. “Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes, and your elders and your judges, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call the heavens and the land to witness against them. For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves (Lit. “go to ruin”), and turn away from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will happen to you in the latter days, because you will do that which is evil in YHWH’s sight, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.’ Moses spoke in the ears of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were finished” (Deut. 31:28-30) .
  2. The purpose of Moses’ song is to establish the foundation (i.e. “set the record straight”) for YHWH’s just judgment.
    1. It becomes the King’s scroll or record of the choice offered to His subjects, Israel
      1. Faithfulness or apostasy, life or death, blessing or cursing, etc.
    2. Moses is the first and greatest prophet to Israel…until the one like him comes at the fullness of times.
      1. “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen; to him you shall listen” (Deut. 18:15)
  3. “In the latter days” …the end of times?…the end of the age?
    1. Heb. – אַחֲרִית – acharith — “the after-part; end”
    2. Grk. (LXX) — ἔσχατος – eschatos – “last; extreme”

Exhortation
Counsel, comfort, and encouragement (Acts 13:14-15)

  1. Apostolic portion – The Scroll with the Seven Seals
    1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ
  2. What is the antecedent revelation?
    1. Antecedent – “go before, precede; an event upon which another follows”
    2. Revelation: Strong’s #602 – apokalupsis – “an unveiling, uncovering, revealing”
      1. 602 /apokálypsis (“revelation, unveiling”) is principally used of the revelation of Jesus Christ (the Word), especially a particular (spiritual) manifestation of Christ (His will) previously unknown to the extent (because “veiled, covered”).
  3. “The Great Expectation” = the reign of YHWH extending to all the earth.
    1. For 1500 years after Moses, the Kingdom of God on earth did not extend beyond Israel. David and then Solomon expanded the borders of the nation to its outermost boundary geographically, but the covenant of redemption went no farther than the borders of the Land.
    2. However, as we discussed in Week 127, the promise throughout scripture was that God’s rule and reign would extend from the river to the sea and even to the ends of the earth (Zec. 9:9-10). This was proclaimed through multiple prophets, from Moses to Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, etc. (ref. Num. 14:20-21; Ps. 2:8; Isa. 11:9)
      1. “The prophets, who spoke about the grace that was to be yours, searched for this salvation and investigated carefully” (1 Pet. 1:10).
  4. But how and when would His Kingdom come?
    1. “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look” (1 Pet. 1:12) 
  5. The antecedent revelation of Daniel chapter 7 (reference also chapter 2)
    1. Vision of the Four Beasts coming up out of the sea
      1. Describes pagan empires with dominion (authority, rule, reign) symbolized by “horns”
        1. Pagan kings serving the fallen sons of Elohim (angelic beings) described as the cosmic world powers (kosmokrator – see Eph. 6:12).
      2. Sea = Nations/Gentiles (ref. Isa. 17:12-13). 
    2. The Ancient of Days convenes the heavenly court, and the books are opened (vs. 28).
      1. Judgment by the One to whom all authority under heaven belongs.
    3. “One like a Son of Man” is presented before the throne (vs. 13-14).
      1. “And to Him was given dominion, honor, and a kingdom, so that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13-14).
    4. The Kingdom (dominion, rule, reign) of God was to be given to the saints.
      1. “But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and take possession of the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the empires will serve and obey Him’” (vs. 18,27).
  6. A corresponding witness in the Book of Enoch

“And at that hour that Son of Man was named in the presence of the Lord of Spirits, and his name before the Head of Days. Yea, before the sun and the signs were created, before the stars of the heavens were made, His name was named before the Lord of Spirits. He shall be a staff to the righteous whereon to stay themselves and not fall, and he shall be the light of the Gentiles (Nations), and the hope of those who are troubled of heart. Therefore, the Elect and the Concealed One existed in his presence, before the world was created, and forever. (Enoch 48:2-5)

KEY POINT:
The “Great Expectation” of Israel was that through this Son of Man, the Concealed One, YHWH Elohim would establish His reign throughout the whole earth. This event would represent the dominion of the pagan kings being taken away forever and the opening of the door for the souls in those nations to be brought into covenant with YHWH.

Expectation (n.) – “state or condition of waiting or awaiting with confident anticipation,” from Latin expectare/exspectare “await, look out for; desire, hope, long for, anticipate; look for with anticipation,” from ex- “thoroughly” (see ex-) + spectare “to look,”

 

  1. This Messianic hope/expectation is carried forward from Daniel to 1st-century Israel (550 B.C. to 30 A.D.).
  2. As Yeshua begins His public ministry, He announces the arrival of God’s Kingdom (dominion, reign) 
    1. “Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the reign of God has come near; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mar. 1:14).
      1. The signs and wonders that accompany Yeshua’s ministry confirm His message to the people (Jn. 10:37-38).
    2. His disciples (talmidim) are tasked with spreading the good news that God’s Kingdom had come.
      1. “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near” (Mat. 10:7)
    3. Yeshua tells His disciples that completing this mission of proclaiming the Kingdom to the Gentiles will coincide with the end of something.
      1. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the inhabited land as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Mat. 24:14).

KEY POINT:
The Reign of God = The Eternal Good News (Rev. 14:6-7) = “The Great Expectation”

  1. The arrival of the kingdom (i.e. rule and reign) of YHWH Elohim would coincide with judgment (Dan. 7:22). 
    1. The disciples expected that Yeshua would be “restoring the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6) and had heard Him pronounce impending judgment on the rulers and religious authorities in Israel.
      1. Parable of Two Sons (Mat. 21:28-32)
      2. Parable of the Landowners (Mat. 21:33-41)
        1. “‘Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will crush him’.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. and although they sought to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, since they considered Him to be a prophet” (vs. 43-46).
      3. Parable of the Marriage Feast (Mat. 22:1-14)
        1. “Now the king was angry, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. (vs. 7)
      4. Seven Woes (Mat. 23:13-39)
        1. “So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. You snakes, you seed of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?” (vs. 32-33)
        2. “Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you will fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation” (vs. 34-36).
        3. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
          1. “All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I will certainly fend them off. They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I will certainly fend them off. A stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This came about from the Lord; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made; Let’s rejoice and be glad in it. Please, O Lord, do save us; please, O Lord, do send prosperity! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; we have blessed you from the house of the Lord (Psa. 118:10,22-26)
  2. Yeshua foretold the signs that would accompany His return in judgment (Mat. 24)
    1. Throughout the Tanakh, the “the Day of the Lord” corresponds with YHWH “coming” in judgment of Israel and/or the nations.
      1. See Isa. 13:6-9; Eze. 30:3; Joel 1 & 2; Amos 5; Zep. 1 & 2; Mal. 3:5
    2. “Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. But He responded and said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.’ And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’” (vs. 1-3)
    3. The plain context of Matthew 24 is the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
      1. Recorded with great detail and historicity by Josephus in the Book of the Wars of the Jews. (https://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/josephus/war4.html) 
      2. He is addressing the disciples who asked Him the questions.
        1. The pronoun “you” is used 35 times.
      3. The setting He describes is the 1st-century, not the 21st-century.
      4. “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house. And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days! Moreover, pray that when you flee, it will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath” (vs. 16-20).

KEY POINT:
Like Moses, Yeshua was a prophetic witness to the impending just judgment of Israel. He fulfilled the promise spoken by Moses in Deuteronomy 31 of the end of days.

  1. Yeshua made it very clear His contemporaries that His return in judgment would happen in their lifetime.
    1. “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Mat. 16:28)
    2. “But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God” (Luk. 9:27)
    3. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the land will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (Mat. 24:30)
      1. “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him” (Dan. 7:13)

PREMISE:
Scripture teaches that the “revelation of Jesus Christ” refers to Messiah’s coming – first in a prophetic ministry announcing the arrival of the Kingdom, and then within that same generation for judgment to end the age of the earthly Temple and to fulfill Daniel’s vision of God’s reign being established over all the Gentile nations of the earth.

  1. How did the Apostles view the revelation of Messiah and the end of the age?
    1. “Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant (e.g. Shimon) depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all the peoples: A light for revelation for the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luk. 2:29-32)
    2. “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:5)
    3. “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now has been disclosed, and through the Scriptures of the prophets, in accordance with the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the Gentiles, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.” (Rom. 16:25-27)
    4. “Just as the testimony concerning the Messiah was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:6-8).
    5. “For this reason, I, Paul, am a prisoner of Messiah Yeshua for the sake of you Gentiles. Surely you have heard about the plan of God’s grace given to me for you— that the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote before briefly. When you read this, you can understand my insight into the mystery of Messiah— which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy emissaries and prophets. This mystery is that the Gentiles are joint heirs and fellow members of the same body and co-sharers of the promise in Messiah Yeshua through the Good News (Eph. 3:1-6)
    6. “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look. Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy. If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared at the end of the times for the sake of you” (1 Pet. 1:6-20).

“Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Cor. 10:11).

KEY POINT:
The Apostles viewed themselves as living at the end of the age in the interim between His ascension and His triumphant return in judgment to usher in the Messianic reign.

  1. The book of Revelation can only be properly interpreted through the lens of the prophets, the Apostles and the Messiah Himself.
    1. Revelation 1:1:
      1. “This is the Revelation (#602) of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show to his bondservants (Strong’s #1401) the things which must (#1163) happen soon, (or, “come quickly”) (#5034), and He signified it (#4591) having sent it through His angel to His servant, John.
    2. Word Definitions:
      1. Strong’s #602 – apokalupsis – “an unveiling, uncovering, revealing, revelation”.
        1. 602 /apokálypsis (“revelation, unveiling”) is principally used of the revelation of Jesus Christ (the Word), especially a particular (spiritual) manifestation of Christ (His will) previously unknown to the extent (because “veiled, covered”).
      2. Strong’s #1401 – doulos – “slave; bondslave”
        1. 1401 /doúlos (“bond-slave”) is used with the highest dignity in the NT – namely, of believers who willingly live under Christ’s authority as His devoted followers.
      3. Strong’s #1163 – dei – “it is necessary, inevitable”
        1. 1163 /deí – properly, what must happen, i.e. what is absolutely necessary
          1. “And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” (Mat. 17:10)
      4. Strong’s #5034 – tachos – “quickness, speed; hastily, immediately”.
        1. 5034 /táxos – swiftness (speed), i.e. done as quickly (speedily) as is appropriate to the particular situation
          1. “And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands” (Act. 12:7).
          2. “And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show His bond-servants the things which must take place quickly” (Rev. 22:6)
      5. Strong’s #4591 – sémainó – “signify, indicate, give a sign, make known”
        1. Signify – to use a mark, sign, or other symbol to communicate or represent something” 

PREMISE:

The purpose of the book of Revelation is to uncover the will and purpose of God in Messiah Yeshua to the 1st-century Believers using signs and symbols familiar to them. 

The particular events revealed in the book (e.g. scroll) describe the signs of His coming in judgment, the end of the Temple age and the sentence of Gehenna (e.g. hell) against apostate Israel via the armies of pagan kings (e.g, Rome). 

Because God’s judgment is always redemptive, even a tribulation of this magnitude – “such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again” (Mat. 24:21) – has a glorious purpose; namely, to usher in the eternal reign of YHWH throughout all creation, both in heaven and on earth, through the Lamb of God, our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

  1. Now to our Apostolic Portion:
    1. “I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’ And I saw between the throne with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.’” (Rev. 5:1-10)
      1. The scene is the heavenly throne (and court) room 
        1. “The court convened, and the books were opened” ( Dan. 7:10b)
      2. The scroll is the official record revealing the will of the Supreme Judge.
        1. “When I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. He spread it before me. It was written within and without; and lamentations, mourning, and woe were written in it” (Eze. 2:9-10).
        2.  “All vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is educated, saying, ‘Read this, please;’ and he says, “I can’t, for it is sealed;” and the book is delivered to one who is not educated, saying, “Read this, please;” and he says, “I can’t read.” (Isa. 29:9-12).
      3. If the scroll simply announces woe, destruction and judgment, why does John weep when it cannot be opened?
  2. The scroll, the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the seven bowls describe the judgment of YHWH on Jerusalem using prophetic imagery, signs and symbols from the Tanakh.

Additional study resources with the Preterist and Post-Millennialist perspectives:

Summary:

  • In our modern era, the book of Revelation is perhaps the most misunderstood and improperly taught book of the Bible. 
  • For the first 1,800 years of church history, Preterism was one of the most widely accepted and taught perspectives on both Matthew 24 and Revelation. It was not until the end of the 19th-century that our present-day Futurist Dispensationalist interpretation gained popularity, accelerated by the publishing of the Scofield Bible in 1909 and the rise of Zionism around the same time.
  • Well-meaning but misguided teachers of eschatology have used poor and inconsistent hermeneutics to support a doctrine that has fueled endless speculation and fear about the future. As a result, most Christians today are distracted by modern-day soothsayers and avoid studying the book of Revelation altogether. 
  • Much worse is that fact that Dispensationalism has obscured the plain-text, historically verifiable meaning of “the revelation of Jesus Christ”, and caused the Church to lose sight of the central fact that Christ’s victory on the cross was absolute, complete and eternal.
  • Messiah now reigns as King over all right now, making all His enemies a footstool for His feet as He advances His kingdom to the ends of the earth through us His saints.

Does anyone have specific questions or need any clarification from what was said during the Summary or Exhortation?

Application & Discussion
Living the Word and following Yeshua (Acts 2:37; Romans 2:13)
Questions, input, and sharpening (Proverbs 27:17; Luke 2:46)

Romans 2:13 For it isn’t the hearers of the Torah who are righteous before Elohim, but the doers of the Torah will be justified.

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

    1. What questions or comments came up during your family’s discussion of this week’s study?
    2. “What other related Scriptures did you find during your study of this week’s portion?”
    3. Have you ever experienced something from this study or something related to it?
    4. “What changes do you need to make in your life to align with what you learned during this week’s Torah Study?”
Additional Study Notes

Forever and Age

Most often translated, “forever,” עוֹלָם ‘olam literally means, “to a hidden time” as in a time hidden from the present; a distant time in the past or future. עוֹלָם ‘olam is equivalent to the Greek εις τον αιώνα (eis ton aióna) which means “in the age”. In modern Greek, αιώνα (aióna or eon) means “century” (a period of 100 years), but likely referred to a period of unspecified time in ancient Greek (cf. Strong’s G165).

Since the 1830s, theologians like Christian Friedrich Fritzsche, Franz Ferdinand Benary, Ferdinand Hitzig and Eduard Reuss pointed the number 666 to Nero, who was the first emperor to have persecuted Christians. Preterist theologians typically support the interpretation that 666 is the numerical equivalent of the name and title Nero Caesar (Roman Emperor 54–68 A.D.). Written in Aramaic, this can be valued at 666 using the Hebrew numerology of gematria, and was used to secretly speak against the emperor.

A common preterist view of the mark of the beast (focusing on the past) is the stamped image of the emperor’s head on every coin of the Roman Empire: the stamp on the hand or in the mind of all, without which no one could buy or sell.[58] New Testament scholar C.C. Hill notes, “It is far more probable that the mark symbolizes the all-embracing economic power of Rome, whose very coinage bore the emperor’s image and conveyed his claims to divinity (e.g., by including the sun’s rays in the ruler’s portrait). It had become increasingly difficult for Christians to function in a world in which public life, including the economic life of the trade guilds, required participation in idolatry.”[59]

Adela Yarbro Collins further denotes that the refusal to use Roman coins resulted in the condition where “no man might buy or sell”.[60][61] A similar view is offered by Craig R. Koester. “As sales were made, people used coins that bore the images of Rome’s gods and emperors. Thus each transaction that used such coins was a reminder that people were advancing themselves economically by relying on political powers that did not recognize the true God.”[62]

In 66 A.D., when Nero was emperor—about the time some scholars say Revelation was written—the Jews revolted against Rome and coined their own money.