TODAY we move forward in time from about 520 B.C. to around A.D. 100 and ‘a great cloud of witnesses’ from the New Testament book of Hebrews. This cloud of witnesses, however, goes back to the Old Covenant and continues until this day.
Previously in SHAKEN 2 “Think carefully about your ways we found political and religious leadership along with all the people once again turning back to the Lord their God who now proclaims HE IS with them.
“Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
* NOTE: Some commentators question if this epistle or letter to the Hebrews, who’s author is unidentified in its text, was written by Paul or possibly by other A.D. 1st century apostles.
Some excerpts from D-R Bible {pictured with Joseph Biden, a professing Roman Catholic, being sworn in as 46th President of the United States}
Most translations from NASB translation or versions as noted.
God spoke of old by the prophets, but now by his Son, who is incomparably greater than the angels.
The Prophets provided not only a cloud of witnesses to Israel but spoke the very admonitions of the LORD God to a disobedient and unfaithful people.
[1] God, who, at sundry times and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all,
[2] In these days hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world.
A List of Fathers of our founding
He again sets a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,
“Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”
Hebrews 4:7b CSB
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.
Melchizedek and Abraham – Heb. 7
Aaron & Moses – Heb. 7:11,14
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us.. Heb. 10:15
Now where there is forgiveness of these things, an offering for sin is no longer required.
Is this justice you demand finally for ones you judge (opponents to your own world view)?
Or do you seek judgment on your own sins, transgressions and trespasses (for which you ask forgiveness)?
The Apostles wrote to a1st century church persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ.
It was not faith in their failing leaders of government
OR was it faith in a zealous vision of their pastor.
Nor was it faith that their country would come under the LAW of God, their state under a mandate of morality and their community forced into the fellowship of love.
The CHURCH believed GOD in Christ Jesus and it was counted to them as righteousness.
These faithful saints suffered for their hope in the Lord and persevered by grace suffering for a higher community in a heavenly kingdom.
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
26 For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.
For we know Him who said,
“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:30-31 CSB
the cloud of Witnesses [Hebrews 11]
From the Douay-Rheims Bible [background of Biden Presidential oath pictured above]
What faith is. Its wonderful fruits and efficacy demonstrated in the fathers.
[1] Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not. [2] For by this the ancients obtained a testimony. [3] By faith we understand that the world was framed by the word of God…
Hebrews 11 continues, mentioning these witnesses of faith in the Lord God:
Abel
Enoch
Noah
Abraham
Sarah
Isaac
Jacob [Israel]
Joseph
Moses
Rahab
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets..
Hebrews 12 – surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses
Exhortation to constancy under their crosses. The danger of abusing the graces of the New Testament.
Hebrews 12 summary from the Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith..
I’d like to continue from what I told you last time. You need to know what happened after a rude awakening from my dream of when my wife and I were in Eden walking with God as if HE Who Created All was my friend!
You know of course that I awoke to this day and not a time before Abraham and you may have heard or read my story, but I wanted to tell you how I felt at the time.
A Knock at the Door
We lay intertwined embraced in warmth flowing from fingertips to toe. Our paradise shattered as I awoke to a loud knock on the door…
“David! . . . Lend me three loaves!”
Who is this at this late hour, I thought? Then as I recognized my neighbor’s outcry at our door,
“Shaul, is that you?” I inquired.
“Of course it’s me. Who else would it be at this hour?” my neighbor responded as he continued,
“A friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.”
We had just fallen asleep and I retorted,
“Do not bother me. As you can plainly see the door has already been shut and we are all in bed.”
“Come on, David, I have nothing to eat for my friends who have just arrived,” he replied.
“I cannot get up and give you anything,” I again said even though my wife and I were awake by now.
Shaul again began shamelessly knocking at our door as my wife looked toward me with that look.
“Alright, my friend,” I shouted over his knocks as I headed to the door.
“I will give you your bread.”
A Parable of Separation
You know this story.
Perhaps the characters are purely fictional as in most parables; but like many of Jesus’ parables, He probably retold it in many places to different crowds in various ways.
Can you identify with the family behind locked doors in the darkness, separated from friends and seeking peace?
Or perhaps you can imagine that you are the friend of Shaul, who has traveled a day’s journey and arrived unexpectedly late.
Your good friend didn’t even know that you were coming to him in person. And all of you were overjoyed for this personal reunion!
Friends — no longer separated by distance.
AND your friend is even willing to go to his friend and neighbor for something to eat while rejoined in communion with each other.
Picture Paradise when Heaven’s Door | of Separation | is Opened
I have just illustrated Jesus’ parable with names of appropriate symbolism as the Lord occasionally does. [i.e. Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham]
Jesus, of course, is talking about prayer – petitions of a sinful man to a Father God | separated from man | by holiness.
Here is a man alone secure in his home praying – spirit to Spirit.
Perhaps he does dream of Paradise | personal relationship with the Lord God | as it was in the beginning.
Jesus invites His followers to a place | separated and distanced from others in this world.
The call to prayer is to the Father of His beloved children.
a friend at the door | to a Friend inside
I’ve told you this parable from a perspective of the FRIEND INSIDE.
The Lord Jesus speaks to each SINNER as a friend knocking | adam knocking repeatedly on the DOOR | of Heaven through prayer.
Jesus says of the FRIEND inside who I have just described in this parable:
8 I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet because of his shamelessness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
You and I are Shaul, the borrower of bread.
Our Heavenly Father is David | our beloved friend with the bread of Heaven, which He now has given to us after having answered a knock at His door.
It is His story I have just told!
Our beloved Heavenly Father and Friend invites you to share the Bread that came down from Heaven – the Bread of Life, Christ Jesus Who IS the Son and | Door to eternal life.
Jesus answers disciples asking about prayer with a parable of the Father | who once again desires the Personal Face-to-face fellowship of Eden.
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives,
and the one who seeks finds,
and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.
The Good News of Luke 11:9-10 NASB | Jesus on prayer to the Father
NEXT: A look at Social Distancing of the Church in a 1st century world of violent upheaval.
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
_gac_
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
