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Tag: solomon

Advent 2 of Christmas Evangelicalism
Advent

‘Advent of what’ we ask?
a Nativity Scene on the mantle for Advent and our annual Christmas feast?

A COVID Christmas – Shall we take Jesus out of the box includes history of Christmas in the U.S. December 1, 2020 C.E.
“Before what?”

Last time in our ADVENT 1 post from this 2024 Common Era series, we asked:

Can we comprehend a time Before the first Christmas?

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

Genesis 6:11-12 KJV

Command of the LORD & promise of a Covenant

“But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark.. Genesis 6

“I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” – Genesis 9

READ MORE about God’s covenant with Noah

IMAGINE the historical NOAH preaching to a corrupt church about this ADVENT of the Last Days when JESUS will return to judge creation with fire and fellow sinners sitting right beside you at this year’s Christmas program.

The chosen Before Christ

A PERSONAL interaction between the Creator and Living God of timeless eternity and a created son of Adam and NOAH.

Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died; whom dost thou make thyself?’

Jesus said to them,

‘Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham’s coming — I am;’

excerpt from Gospel of John 8: Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

AFTER this unique time of ABRAHAM Before Christ,
- Judah (and Israel) had yet to be conquered, named, lost, regained and renamed over centuries of the chosen sons of Abraham.
Chosen for Covenant and Curse
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FROM the LAW of Moses 
for the generations of the LORD's chosen; 
administered by Levite priests (sons of Jacob, Isaac and Abraham:
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Additional Blessings of Obedience
- “You must not make idols for yourselves..
- You must keep My Sabbaths
- and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD.
- .. and I will establish My covenant with you.
How are you doing with your obedience:
- youthful christian Swifty?
- Sunday morning NFL evangelist?
- Latte listeners of amplified praise?
Punishments for Disobedience

If, however, you fail to obey Me and to carry out all these commandments, and if you reject My statutes, despise My ordinances, and neglect to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, then this is what I will do to you: … Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.

18 And if after all this you will not obey Me, I will proceed to punish you sevenfold for your sins. 19 I will break down your stubborn pride…

And YES,

(You know some of the long history of God’s chosen)

it gets worse from here even BEFORE Christ.

YET could the LORD’s prophesy apply even to US?

Our sin and disobedience continue into these Common Evangelical post-Christian times — (notably by some adopted in Christ Jesus).

The Advent of Defeat

You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.

Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. “For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.

Deuteronomy 7:2b-4 NKJV
- But if your heart turns away and you do not listen.. – Deuteronomy 30:17a
- Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” – Joshua 24:22
Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. – 1 Kings 11:11-12 NKJV

King Solomon (the Preacher) & Sin

But King Solomon loved many foreign women.. from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.

.. his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.

א מְלָכִיםא (1 Kings) 11:1-3 excerpt

All this took place a millennium BEFORE the Common Era centered around the very incarnation of JESUS CHRIST.

Failed Kings Before Christ

Saul, as most of us know, failed in disobedience to the Lord’s word through His Prophet Samuel.

Even David was a failed king, but he repented of his sin before the Lord and publically in sight of Israel.

To name just one king of Israel or Judah who did evil in the sight of the Lord, Ahab (and Jezebel) come to mind due to their zeal to destroy God’s Prophet Elijah.

Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.

Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

1 Kings 16:30,32 NKJV

So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
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READ the compelling contest for your own clarity of faith.
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And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions?
If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”

But the people answered him not a word.
1 Kings 18:21

Advent of a Common Era

“How long will you falter between two opinions, twenty-first century C.E. christian?
Roger@TalkofJesus.com

In this traditional Advent season of these last days we anticipate more than simply celebrating Christmas in the year of our Lord (A.D.) 2024.

For the similarities of centuries of evil times Before Christ bring to mind our own disobedience to God’s will.

Our incarnate redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man: And NOW celebrate Him in a manger, though our Savior was sacrificed on a Cross for repentant sinners – sinners who love babies and good gifts, even while we fear DEATH and judgment.

SO what does Advent mean to YOU? And how will YOU evangelize Christ our Lord in these brief days before our ever-popular CHRISTmas celebration?

Talk of JESUS .com

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
December 11, 2024
Preaching from Herod’s Porch
You’ve never heard it called ‘HEROD’S PORCH,’ but certainly that must have been the inferred imagery when Herod the Great named it, ‘Solomon’s Porch,’ (porticum Salomonis, in the Latin of Herod’s Roman friends).

Now while Kefa and Yochanan were being held by him, all the people ran together to them at the Portico which is called Ulam Sh’lomo, and the people were utterly astonished.
Gevurot 3:11 Orthodox Jewish Bible – Peter & John, with a healed beggar clinging to them, enter the temple’s Portico of Solomon.

A growing gathering of worshipers

We recognize signs of the Holy Spirit burning in the witness of a NEW growing gathering who are part of God’s plan of worship for the JEWS.

Luke, so far, has numbered followers of the Apostles growing from:
- at least seventy-two (72) disciples of Jesus among the multitudes
- thousands [4000 & 5000 & many more] who witnessed Jesus’ miracles
- multitudes [10,000’s] who entered Jerusalem greeting their Messiah Jesus with palms,
- many who remained faithful even after Christ’s crucifixion in Jerusalem just two months ago
Saul of Tarsus (who may possibly have been present along with so many important Jewish officials) later writes to the Church at Corinth: [1 Corinthians 15:6]
- After that He appeared to more than five hundred [500] brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep..
No doubt MANY of these faithful have come here to Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost and they gather to hear Peter preach at the Temple and to hear more witness by the Apostles of their risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Herod’s Week-long Festival in Jerusalem
- one-hundred twenty (120) who received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost
  - [Peter’s first sermon] and
- that day there were added about three thousand [3000] souls.
The Apostle John and a lame beggar who can now walk stand here with Peter on Solomon’s Porch.

Building a New Synagogue of Simon – שִׁמְעוֹן

(Just one problem though — THIS is HEROD’S TEMPLE (and not the house of the LORD built by Solomon)

Herod’s Rebuilt Temple

The Jews loved to recall the greatness of David and Solomon. Several successors to Herod the Great knew the drawing power of Herod’s great building projects, infrastructure successes under the political power of Rome. Political and religious leaders conspired with each other and Rome for their own piece of power in first century Jerusalem.

A Herod attempted to murder a baby Jesus & a Herod had Him crucified.

Source: The Herod family

Peter and John certainly knew some of the dangers at the hands of religious and political leaders lurking about near this place where Peter would preach.

As you may recall, it has only been about two months since young John and a terrified Peter had witnessed the frenzied trials and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus here, as well as a manipulated mania of the multitudes incited by the politically powerful.

Renovation began ~20/19 BC. In 9 BC. the temple was dedicated. But even at the time of the Lord Jesus the renovation was not completely finished.

Source: (includes several drawings & detailed descriptions)

The Magnificence of Herod’s Temple
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Source New Testament History Special Study 1 - Temple of Herod.pdf NOT secure
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This building project begun by Herod the Great renovated the second temple of Zerubbabel, but it differed so greatly from it and the first Temple of Solomon that the Jews referred to it as Herod’s temple.
The Temple itself had the same dimensions as Solomon’s, but it stood 60 cubits high – about 90 feet [9-12 stories].
Each of four square public courtyards were about 233 feet square – about like 70 yards of a football field with 10 yards added on each sideline, room for very large crowds
Behind the 60 cubit towering Temple the long Western Wall of the Temple Mount was 1590 feet long (the length of about 4.5 football fields) – source
The Royal Porch [Solomon’s Portico] overhung the southern wall
It had a central open area (nave) of about 41 feet
and two side aisles 30 feet from the center
the center aisle was 100 feet long
the whole structure was supported by 162 Greek Corinthian style columns
Acts 3:

9 And all the people saw him walking and shouting, “Baruch Hashem!”
10 And they recognized him, that he was the one sitting at the Sha’ar Hatiferet (Beautiful Gate) of the Beis Hamikdash begging for tzedakah; and they were mishpoyel (standing in awe) and amazement at what had happened to him.
Gevurot 3:9-10 Orthodox Jewish Bible

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s.

And when Peter saw it he addressed the people:

“Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this,
or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?
Acts 3:12b English Standard Version

NEXT: Peter’s Sermon from Solomon’s Portico

To be continued…
November 8, 2021
COVID – the Affliction of Social Distancing
Solomon’s Jerusalem – the end of an era

Until the death of Solomon in 931 B.C., a glorious city of Jerusalem overlooked a great empire blessed by the LORD God, but then the politics of Israel divided the great land.

In just a few generations Israel (Samaria) succumbed in 722 B.C. and Judah when Jerusalem was sieged and the Temple burned in ~586 B.C.

Prophesy: Affliction Now!

אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָדָד הָעִיר רַבָּתִי עָם הָיְתָה כְּאַלְמָנָה רַּבָּתִי בַגּוֹיִם שָׂרָתִי בַּמְּדִינוֹת הָיְתָה לָמַֽס׃ ס
Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah Eicha 1:1 WLC

Our Loud Cries, “HOW?”

Jerusalem falls [~586 B.C.]. Three years later the Jews and Jeremiah are forced to depart to Egypt. For forty years from (ca. 645–605 B.C.) Jeremiah had preached to Judah of the LORD’s judgment against it.

The Septuagint [Greek O.T.] introduces the crying out loud of Lamentations:

“And it came to pass, after Israel had been carried away captive…Jeremiah sat weeping [cf. 3:48, 49, etc.]…lamented…and said…”
Introduction to Eicha (Lamentations) 1 :: Septuagint (LXX)

How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
She has become like a widow
Who was once great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
Has become a forced laborer!
Lamentations 1:1 NASB

Lamentations for the lonely cities

You may have felt that recently for a virtually empty NYC New Year’s Eve broadcast. Or perhaps the closed shops of your town caused anxiety that maybe you should where a mask in public.

What we knew as home and comfort, security and blessing — all those things have changed until God knows when.

The affliction of our hearts in this year of our Lord 2021 still struggles with COVID and countless crowds of displaced people have NO place to work. Some will be evicted from their meager subsistence in cold rooms rented from the rich princes of our darkness.

All the world suffers a great loss of normalcy as we cry out, “HOW?”

Will we find hope in our despair?

For in A.D. 2021, we feel just as lonely and afflicted as those forced from Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and also in A.D. 70, Jews and Christians into a crumbling Roman Empire.

Our journey into this unknown world of COVID doesn’t look so hopeful just now.

excerpts from Lamentations

She weeps bitterly in the night,
And her tears are on her cheeks;
She has no one to comfort her..
3 Judah has gone into exile out of affliction..

All her gates are deserted..

Her little ones have gone away
As captives led by the enemy.
6 All of her splendor
Is gone from the daughter of Zion;
Her leaders have become like deer
That have found no pasture,
And they have fled without strength
From the pursuer.

Social Distancing

Fleeing from the world’s uncleanness

It was never just the Jews fleeing Jerusalem or multi-ethnic victims of a holocaust perpetrated by a 20th century thousand-year empire who suffered affliction.

Solomon suggested that there is nothing new under the sun.

Sieges of our empty cities of our empires in the time of Assyria or Rome, the U.S. or China, and even current afflictions of our political princes and their followers or victims do not surprise Almighty God.

In every era some in all nations some will succumb to war and hunger. Souls suffering by circumstance must flee from the wrath that is to come.

A pandemic of sin forces social distancing from the love of the LORD and each other. Throughout the self-idolatrous nations of their ‘mother earth,’ a covert COVID infested world will do what is right in their own eyes.

Wail out from the depths of your soul

The funeral dirge of your affliction
For it is not only for the sins of Jerusalem
But for the afflictions of the world
Fleeing from the Lord God.
Roger@ talkofJesus.com Jan. A.D. 2021
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to be continued...

NEXT: in COVID - the Affliction of Social Distancing - part 2
we will define affliction & look to Scripture for our cure.
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January 4, 2021