Pursuit - Issue 50, Winter 2023

PURSUIT

Issue 50 Winter 2022

Hungry Hearts: A Ministry of Spirit & Truth

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

2 From Pastor Bill Pastor Bill Shults

3 Light of the World Pastor Bill Shults

5 Antiochus Epiphanes: Foreshadowing the Man of Lawlessness

Evangelist Kelly McDonald, Jr.

12 Abundant Chesed

Eldress Kasey Perry

14 Victory in Jesus Deaconess Sarah Raynor

16 Biblical Archeological Corner: Time of the Judges Part VI Elder Joe Perry

18 Commonly Misunderstood Verses: I Timothy 4:1-5

Evangelist Kelly McDonald, Jr.

World Mission Partners

Looking

Look no further than Hungry Hearts Ministries Congregations of Kenya and India. When you support our overseas missions, 100% of your contribution goes to the mission of your choice.

Payments can be made securely online using PayPal through our website or by mailing your contribution to Hungry Hearts Ministries PO Box 10334 Jackson, TN 38308.

For more information, contact Pastor Bill Shults by telephone at (731) 736-1055 or by email at hungryheartsmin@aol.com.

From Pastor Bill

I am optimistic about my future. In my last article, I talked about the blessings and curses in the Old Testament. In this article, I am going to apply them directly to myself. These blessings will work for you, in your life-where you live. I invite you to join me in the pursuit of personal prosperity from the Word of God. You also can be optimistic about your prospects and confident in your future.

I am writing for this Winter Issue in late summer. I do not know the outcome of an election which will take place before this issue gets distributed. Either way, things will turn out well for me. If you take this little adventure with me, things will turn out well for you. Set up your priorities. God must come first. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2-3). What do I mean by put God first? Obey Him by keeping His Commandments. This is the single greatest thing any of us can to for a prosperous life.

God promises blessing for those who obey Him. “These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you” (Deuteronomy 6:1-3). When God has your back, it is much easier to have success. Put God first, everything else will work out. (You will still have to work.) The rules in the first five books of the Bible are easy; so easy a “cave man” could do it. Compare them with the thousands of nonsensical rules coming out of our government. Go with God.

We find ourselves in the richest, most prosperous, most successful country on planet earth, and likely for all of time. It is time for the righteous of God to participate in that prosperity. “When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you--a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant-then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:10-12). We must remember that this great USA was built by people who feared the Lord. We need to start a revival in this country; we do that by praising God for the suc-

cess with which He has blessed us. Praising God makes it more likely that we will continue in His blessing.

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today” (Deuteronomy 8:10-14, 18). Many in these United States have forgotten the Lord God of Israel. Our founding Fathers called our country God’s great American Israel. They modeled our country on the Holy Bible. I wrote about that in previous issues. We have inherited all of this from them. If we want to keep it, then we must return to God and praise Him for what we have.

Many of our great American Presidents have said that God has given us the best land on earth; and He has. “However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you” (Deuteronomy 15:4-6). Our land is rich with every possible mineral resource. We are possessed of the best farm land on the planet. We get abundant rain, we have pleasant weather; we are truly blessed.

I am optimistic about my prospects. You can be, also. Put God first in your life by obeying Him. His rules are easy and his burden is light, especially when you consider the manmade rules which we have to live under. God promised you long life and good health. He promised that you will increase. God promised you a good life, if you will obey Him. What is not to like?

God Bless, Bill Shults

Pastor Bill Shults is the Pastor of Hungry Hearts Ministries and Publisher of Pursuit. He also oversees the churches in Jackson, Murfreesboro and Cookeville TN and Corinth MS. Bill has also written eleven books on how to have a closer walk with Jesus Christ.

Hanukah is the Jewish festival of lights. Jesus Christ was born on Rosh ha Shannah in September. Jewish legend has it that Adam was created on Rosh ha Shannah. It seems that the second man Adam came into the world on the same day as the first man Adam. When you take a pregnancy calendar and set the birth date on Rosh ha Shannah the conception date is Hanukah. The Light of the World came into a woman during the festival of lights.

So much in modern science is trying to explain the creation without a creator. Scientists use closed systems called models. Scientists think out, then define the parameters of a model and then run complex mathematics to see how closely it resembles observed behavior. That is, do the observable numbers from experimentation work within their mathematic formulas? Scientists keep on coming up with errors in their formulas. Scientists need numbers called constants, to plug into their formulas to make them work.

Within an atom, electrons move around the nucleus in stationary patterns called orbitals. Light, a photon, is absorbed or released when an atomic electron moves between stationary orbitals. A photon is absorbed when it moves further away from the nucleus and a photon is released when it moves closer to the nucleus. It seems that light permeates this creation.

“The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him” (John 1:9-10). The person of the God family, who we know as Jesus, manifests all light within this creation. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3). He is the radiance of the Father’s unapproachable light. He sustains the entire creation with a word. He uses what we call light to do that.

Light is the electro-magnetic spectrum. We call it a wave, and it demonstrates many wave characteristics. In 1672 Isaac Newton published a paper in which he

By Pastor Bill Shults

described light as a vibration in the “ether.” We don’t like talking about the “ether.” That idea was supposed to be finished back in the 1800’s. The reason it keeps coming back is because we keep finding inconsistencies with our models. When light interacts with atomic and subatomic particles it behaves like a particle, which we call a photon. On closer examination, we find out that matter, particulate matter, can behave like a wave. Electrons and neutrons can demonstrate refractive spectra through a prism. How can something demonstrate separate types of behaviors? Now we’re getting into really deep quantum physics.

One hundred years later we’re having the same debates. First of all the creation is not a closed system. Matter can be created and destroyed and so can energy. Not only so, but matter and energy can be transferred back and forth by the Creator. Burn a log of wood. Look how much energy is released in the form of light and heat. Look at how few ashes are left. Why is light released from the wood? Did the tree really absorb all of that light and hold it? Some of us know better. The tree used light to make sugar. So why is light emitted in a fire? Burning a log is neither electric, nor magnetic (electromagnetic spectrum). Light is the primary energy holding together atoms and molecules forming the substances we call matter in this creation. Yeshua manifests His word in this creation with light, sustaining the whole creation by His power. His power, His energy, used to sustain the creation manifests in this cosmos as light.

Jesus Christ taught that He is not from this cosmos. “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23). The Greek word for “world” is kosmos. That means there are at least two cosmos: this one and the one He is from. The human spirit is a piece of His cosmos placed within our flesh making us able to contact Him. The Holy Spirit is a piece of Divinity which we receive when we accept Jesus’ death as payment for our sin. “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, Continued on Page 4

The Light of the World, continued who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age” (Hebrews 6:4-5). The Holy Spirit gives us a small experience with the powers of the coming age. It pours into us the light from Jesus Christ.

Unlike the tree, we don’t produce sugar from His light; we store it up within our spirit. The spirit of man and the Holy Spirit combine to form the new creature in Christ, which can store up an unlimited amount of Jesus’ Light. Our new creature can fill with Light from Jesus. Breaking into a thought in Ephesians 5:27: “and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” “Radiant” comes from the Greek word doxa and means that light is coming out of you. Two ways this can happen, first is you absorb light from Jesus and later release it. Second, you receive from Yeshua the ability to produce your own light from the Morning Star rising within your heart.

This process takes place in your new creation. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23). In the gospel of Luke it is recorded with a little more detail. “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you” (Luke 11:33-36). Visible light is a very small slice of the electromagnetic spectrum. Modern Science has also discovered “dark” light. Imagine that, Jesus already knew that. Light light is what we call the electromagnetic spectrum. Those waves are in the form known as standing waves, which means the wavelengths are in phase. Dark light is light waves out of phase. It is the same light energy, one is in phase and manifested in this creation; the other is out of phase and not manifested in our creation.

Light is not from this cosmos. Light is from His cosmos. What we call light, or the electromagnetic spectrum, is how His power and energy manifests in this creation. Because light energy is what holds together the particulate nature of atoms and molecules, which we call substance, He permeates His creation. His

powerful Word is the “ether.” This power from His cosmos interacts with the substance of this cosmos in ways that reveal both the particulate and wave nature of both matter and energy.

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). The Hebrew word for light is OR which consists of an aleph, vav-o and resh. Aleph represents Elohim and originally was a pictograph of an ox head, because oxen were sacrificed to Elohim. Vav represents a person with their head bent in prayer. A dot, also called a dagesh, above the vav makes it a vav-o. We have discovered that the dagesh represents the morning star rising. The resh represents the Prince, or in this case Jesus Christ. Another way to put it could be that Elohim raises the morning star within those who know the prince. Right in the very beginning God, or Jesus, revealed many things concerning light.

“God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars” (Genesis 1:14). The Hebrew for “greater light” is M’OR. Adding a mem to OR, which can often mean spring, or fountain. Could this be a way of explaining to humanity that Jesus pours His light energy into our solar system from the sun? That would seem rather obvious. Even when Jesus resets planet earth after the Angelic flood, it would seem that He gives a revelation of light as a part of His cosmos, coming into this cosmos.

The new creation within a human being can be regarded as a vessel to hold God’s light, or it can become a torch of God’s light. We call this torch the morning star. We can absorb the light of God on a passive basis in worship. Or, we can receive the light of God on our own directly from Jesus. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created” (James 1:17-18). The Father is a God of Light, no wonder; Jesus is His express image and the radiance of His glory. The phrase “firstfruits of all he created” can also be rendered “the firstfruits of His kind of creatures.” Was mankind created to radiate the light of God because of the morning star rising in our hearts?

“I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him” (Ezekiel 1:27-28). If we are the first fruits of His

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Daniel 11 is among the most important prophetic chapters in the Bible. One major reason is due to the amount of historical detail it contains. Daniel lived from the late seventh century into the sixth century BC, yet the events he wrote about happened hundreds of years later. The chapter’s central focus are two kingdoms: the Greek Seleucid Kingdom, based out of modern-day Syria, and the Greek Ptolemaic Kingdom, based out of modern-day Egypt.

Many of the events described in this chapter form the background for the Hanukkah story. The key antagonist from Hanukkah story is Antiochus IV, who is also called Epiphanes. He ruled the Seleucid Kingdom from 175-164 BC. He tried to force the Greek religion and culture on the Jewish people. He defiled God’s temple and committed the abomination which makes desolate (Daniel 11:31). They fought back and won their religious freedom.

What many people may not realize is that Antiochus foreshadows a future figure called the man of lawlessness. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, the Apostle Paul wrote: “…for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God…” (NIV).

In verse 3, the Greek word translated as lawlessness is anomias, and it means one who transgresses God’s law. Paul described a future time where a leader will appear who mandates lawlessness worldwide. This means that the commandments of God will be outlawed, including the Sabbath. It is prophesied that this man will sit in God’s Temple and proclaim himself to be ‘god.’ The rest of the chapter describes the false signs and wonders that will accompany his appearance.

In this article, we will examine the family and life of Antiochus. What factors contributed to him being the ancient model for the man of lawlessness? What did ancient writers say about him? This study will provide

fascinating corroboration between the Biblical and historical records. It will also provide clues for us to identify characteristics of the future man of lawlessness.

To understand the reign of Antiochus IV, it is first necessary for us to revisit the exploits of his father, Antiochus III, who is referenced in Daniel 11:10-19. Antiochus III inherited a disorganized and weakened kingdom at the young age of 18. Early in his reign, he tried to take Jerusalem and Judea by force. He was defeated by the King of the South.

After this disappointment, the king turned his attention towards the east, where he hoped to have better fortunes. Within 20 years, he forced the submission of rulers from Armenia, Bactria, Lesser Media, and Parthia. He conquered all the way to the Kabul Valley in modern-day Afghanistan. One of the kings of India paid him homage. His military actions mirrored that of Alexander the Great and thus earned him the title “the Great.”

After these events, Antiochus the Great made a major policy shift which helped him counter the Ptolemies. He made an alliance with Philip of Macedonia to take territory from the Kingdom of the South. The two kings invaded from different directions; Antiochus conquered all the way to the border of Egypt. Finally, Judea was under his control. No previous ruler in the Seleucid dynasty had succeeded in this venture. These events are described in Daniel 11:13-16.

Antiochus III was considered so formidable that even the Romans were concerned about his prowess. The Roman historian Cassius Dio said that “…he was regarded as a mighty ruler even by virtue of his own power, by which he had subjugated Media among other exploits…” (Roman History, 19.18).

While Antiochus had a mostly successful career, his last years did not fare so well. In 192, he invaded Greece. His campaign started well, but the Romans soon took notice (ibid). Roman generals defeated Antiochus in Greece and then Asia Minor.

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Evangelist Kelly McDonald, Jr.

Antiochus, continued. His downfall is described in Daniel 11:18-19: “18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back on him. 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.”

The war was costly on both sides. The Seleucid Kingdom was placed under a heavy tribute by the Romans to pay for its expenses. As a part of the terms of surrender, Antiochus III agreed to send his son, Antiochus IV, to Rome as a hostage.

“…he made additional demands upon the king, besides requiring him to give hostages, one of whom should be his son Antiochus [IV]…On these conditions Antiochus [III] sent envoys to Rome and secured peace…” (ibid, 19.20).

Antiochus III did not live very much longer after these events. He died while plundering a temple around 188; this concluded the prophecy about his life from Daniel 11:19. The heavy Roman tax was passed on to his son and successor, Seleucus IV.

After coming to the throne, Seleucus sent out his treasurer Heliodorus to collect money to satisfy this debt. Unfortunately for this king, his father’s failures limited him to an ineffective and unproductive reign. The ancient historian Appian wrote: “The former [Seleucus IV] reigned twelve years, but feebly and without success by reason of his father’s misfortune” (Roman History, 11.66).

Seleucus IV was murdered by Heliodorus. Just before this occurred, the king triggered a provision from his father’s treaty with the Romans. It allowed a hostage exchange. His son Demetrius was sent to Rome, likely for protection, in exchange for his brother Antiochus IV.

Appian described it this way: “He gave his son Demetrius as a hostage in place of his brother Antiochus. When the latter arrived at Athens on his way home, Seleucus was assassinated as the result of a conspiracy of a certain Heliodorus, one of the court officers. When Heliodorus sought to possess himself of the government he was driven out by Eumenes and Attalus, who installed Antiochus therein in order to secure his good-will; for, by reason of certain bickerings, they had already grown suspicious of the Romans. Thus Antiochus, the son of Antiochus the Great, ascended the throne of Syria. He was called Epiphanes, ‘the Illustri-

ous’, by the Syrians…” (ibid, 11.45).

While Antiochus was en route to Syria, his brother was murdered. Even though he was of royal blood, Antiochus was not the rightful heir. His friends Eumenes and Attalus assured that he would be king. Instead of putting the rightful heir, Demetrius, on the throne, he kept it for himself. Because he suddenly appeared to take the throne instead of the usurper Heliodorus, he was given the title Epiphanes, which means the illustrious, manifest, or even rising star.

The Roman historian Titus Livius (also called Livy) wrote: “Eumenes and Attalus expelled him aiming at the crown, and put Antiochus in possession of it…Antiochus, having gained the kingdom by their aid, was received by the people with such transports of joy, that they gave him the surname of Epiphanes, or Rising Star, because when aliens to the royal blood were about to seize the throne, he appeared like a propitious star, to assert his hereditary right” (Roman History, 41.19).

Centuries before, God foretold the fall of Seleucus IV and the rise of Antiochus IV. “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle. He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue” (Daniel 11:20-21).

The intrigue that allowed Antiochus IV to seize the Kingdom was the murder of his brother and the power grab by Heliodorus. His two friends helped him secure the throne. They hoped to control him and receive favors.

In Daniel 11:21, Antiochus Epiphanes was described as a contemptible person. This can also be translated as a person who is disdained, vile, or despised. One way he fulfilled this prophecy was unlawfully taking the throne.

However, the historical record provides more depth to confirm this description. There are many other ways in which ancient peoples thought Antiochus acted contrary to the behavior of a king. Below, we will provide primary sources from Livy, Polybius, and Diodorus of Sicily that describe his erratic and inexplicable behavior.

“…He was not deficient in capacity or vigour of mind to make figure in war; but he was so perverse and indiscreet in the whole tenor of his conduct and behaviour, that they soon changed the surname which they had

given him, and instead of Epiphanes, called him Epimanes or Madman…” (Livy, Roman History, 41.19).

“For often having gone forth from the palace without the knowledge of his servants, with one or two attendants, crowned with roses, and dressed in robes embroidered with gold, he used to go through the city, sometimes striking those that he met with stones that he carried under his arms; sometimes, on the other hand, throwing money among the mob, and shouting out, ‘Let him take to whom fortune shall give.’ But at another time he used to go through the workshops of the goldsmiths, and engravers and other artisans, arguing vainly concerning the art of each: at another time he engaged in conversation in public with any of the plebeians he met: again, wandering around the common taverns, he indulged in potations [drinking] with foreigners and strangers of the lowest grade…” (ibid).

“In consequence all respectable men were entirely puzzled about him, some looking upon him as a plain simple man and others as a madman. His conduct too was very similar as regards the presents he made…To some people he used to give gazelles’ knucklebones, to others dates, and to others money. Occasionally he used to address people he had never seen before when he met them, and make them the most unexpected kind of presents” (Polybius, The Histories, 26.1.7-9).

“Certain of the enterprises and acts of Antiochus were kingly and altogether admirable, while others again were so cheap and so tawdry as to bring upon him the utter scorn of all mankind…but for the diadem, no one who did not already know him would have believed that this person was the king, lord of the whole domain, seeing that his appearance was not even that of an average subordinate. At the drinking parties, stationing himself at the entrance he would lead some of the guests in, seat others at their places, and assign to their posts the attendants who were serving food…when, however, he [a visitor] focused his attention on the king himself and his unacceptable behaviour, he could not believe that it was possible for such excellence and such baseness to exist in one and the same character” (Diodorus of Sicily, The Library of History, 31.16.1-3).

These quotes help us to understand some of the behaviors that would earn him the description of ‘contemptible.’ He often acted in a manner which was inappropriate for kings. He engaged with other people concerning their trades while he let matters of the kingdom fall by the wayside. Some people simply found it hard to take him seriously. He was so erratic and unpredictable that some mocked him with the title ‘Epimanes’ or madman instead of Epiphanes.

His first major military campaign was against the Kingdom of the South. This was foretold by God in Daniel 11:22-28. Ancient writers also described this attack (Diodorus of Sicily, 30.14-18; Polybius, 28). Several years before these events, the ruler of the Kingdom of the South died, leaving two sons. As foretold by God, poor advisors led to the swift defeat of their army.

Antiochus then took advantage of one orphan and used him as a pawn to gain control over much of the country. This was yet another way in which Antiochus showed himself to be contemptable. He nearly conquered the entire country and gained much wealth during his brief occupation.

Daniel 11:29-30, we learn about a second planned invasion of the Kingdom of the South. This expedition ended much differently. The Romans opposed him because they thought he was gaining too much influence. Compare Daniel 11:29-30 with Appian’s Roman History.

“29 At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant” (Daniel 11:29-30).

“…While he [Antiochus] was encamped near Alexandria, Popilius came to him as Roman ambassador, bringing an order in writing that he should not attack the Ptolemies. When he had read it he replied that he would think about it. Popilius drew a circle around him with a stick and said, ‘Think about it here.’ He was terrified and withdrew from the country…” (idem, 11.66).

The ships of the western coastlands in Daniel 11:29 refers to the Romans. Their representative dissuaded Antiochus from going forward with his campaign. According to Daniel 11, this setback motivated Antiochus to attack Jerusalem and commit the abomination which commits desolation (verses 30-35).

The ancient writer Diodorus Siculus described Antiochus’ mistreatment of the Jewish people. The quote is a summary and does not provide the full details of all his activities, but it corroborates with the Biblical record and other historical records (such as I Maccabees and Josephus).

“Antiochus, called Epiphanes, on defeating the Jews had entered the innermost sanctuary of the god’s temple, where it was lawful for the priest alone to enter…

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Antiochus, continued And since Epiphanes was shocked by such hatred directed against all humanity, he had set himself to break down their traditional practices…Accordingly, he sacrificed before the founder’s image and the open-air altar of the god a great sow and poured its blood over them. Then, having prepared its flesh, he ordered that their holy books, containing the xenophobic laws, should be sprinkled with the broth of the meat; that the lamp, which they call undying and which burns continually in the temple, should be extinguished; and that the high priest and the rest of the Jews should be compelled to partake of the meat [of swine]…” (The Library of History, 34.1-4).

One detail needs to be clarified from this account. There was never an image of any human or animal in the Temple (some ancient writers mistakenly thought this). As foretold by God in Daniel 11, Antiochus IV committed the abomination that makes desolate. He sacrificed a swine on God’s holy altar and sprinkled the blood on Torah scrolls. He defiled God’s Temple and profaned His holy place.

I Maccabees is another historical account of these events from a Jewish perspective. When Antiochus invaded their country, he also banned Biblical practices. In the first chapter of this work, we learn:

“41 Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, 42 and that each should give up his customs…Many even from Israel gladly adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath. 44 And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, 45 to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane sabbaths and feasts, 46 to defile the sanctuary and the priests, 47 to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, 48 and to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, 49 so that they should forget the law and change all the ordinances. 50 “And whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die.” (I Macc. 1:41-50, RSV).

Antiochus also declared himself to be ‘god manifest.’ Josephus mentions this detail, and a coin from his reign seems to confirm this detail (see picture below).

This coin was minted during the time that Antiochus committed these awful atrocities. On the left side, we see the face of Antiochus IV. On the other side Zeus is depicted. He is seated on a throne with a scepter in one

hand and the goddess Nike on the other hand. The English translation of the Greek letters on this side of the coin read as follows: “King Antiochus, god Manifest, Bringer of Victory.”

While he seemed successful in his initial efforts against the Jewish people, we learn from I Maccabees and Josephus that God’s people resisted this invasion and defeated his forces. They founded what would become known as the Hasmonean dynasty.

When we read I Maccabees and Josephus, we learn that Antiochus was absent from Judea after the initial abomination set up in Jerusalem. What was he doing?

I Maccabees 3:27-31 informs us that the repeated losses of his forces in Judea angered him. He then wanted to amass an even larger army to completely end their resistance efforts. However, he realized that his treasury was empty because of his lavish gifts. He traveled to the eastern provinces to gather more money for the campaign. He hoped to pillage other temples for their treasures. Remember that this was his father’s downfall.

Other ancient writers also share that he was known for throwing lavish games. Most monarchs were known for hiding their wealth and true strength. Not so with Antiochus! Polybius described one instance where he held a thirty-day period of games in Antioch (idem, 30.26.1-9). It involved thousands of men dressed in military garb. Shields and other items made of precious metals such as gold, silver, and bronze were displayed with great opulence. Just after it, he provided gold jars of the most expensive ointments such as saffron and spikenard for those who worked out in the gymnasium. The opulence was unheard of among ancient monarchs (Diodorus of Sicily, The Library of History, 31.16.1).

He used the treasure from the first Egyptian campaign and possibly the pillage of Jerusalem to fund these extravaganzas. These parades also appeared to give great honor to other gods. This corroborates with the description given in Maccabees and Josephus of Antiochus’

zeal for the Greek gods. The ‘abomination that makes desolate’ described by God in Daniel 11:31 was set up in God’s Temple because Antiochus wanted to honor these gods.

“13 The vast quantity of images it is impossible to enumerate. For representations of all the gods and spirits mentioned or worshipped by men and of all the heroes were carried along, some gilded and others draped in garments embroidered with gold, and they were all accompanied by representations executed in precious materials of the myths relating to them as traditionally narrated. 15 Behind them came images of Night and Day, of Earth and Heaven, and of Dawn and Midday” (The Histories, 30.25.13-15).

“10 But in the sacrifices he furnished to cities and in the honours he paid to the gods he far surpassed all his predecessors, 11 as we can tell from the temple of Olympian Zeus at Athens and the statues round the altar at Delos” (ibid, 26.1.10-11).

In two archeological findings from Babylon, we find a little bit more about Antiochus. One is called the Politai Chronicle and the other is Greek Community Chronicle. First, it appears that Antiochus founded a Greek community in Babylon. This was a city God said should never be rebuilt (Jeremiah 25:12-14). This shows a further defiance of God on his part. Secondly, we learn that Antiochus’ victories in Egypt were celebrated in Babylon with a procession and Greek ritual.

Eventually, Antiochus died of madness and disease. Diodorus claimed that he received this punishment after looting the temple of Artemis (idem, 31.18a.1). However, we know this end came because of his actions against the God of Israel. I Maccabees 6:1-13 mentions his final visit to Babylon towards the end of his life.

Conclusion

Truly, Antiochus IV foreshadows the future man of lawlessness. He seized the throne of a kingdom through intrigue after the death of his brother; he had a disregard for all holy things connected to the God of Israel; he trampled on God’s people; he banned the commandments of God; he took advantage of orphans; and he declared himself to be god. He was a man who looked at every situation for how it could benefit him rather than how he could help others. Truly, he exercised the opposite of the first and second greatest commandments.

Perhaps this opportunistic attitude came from his youth. He was reared without his father in a strange land. He was a hostage of the Romans while his brother ruled their homeland. At times, he seemed like an aimless

person who went about his kingdom without purpose or drive. He was extremely unpredictable. At other times, he seemed very focused and driven, but usually for selfgain. His insatiable desire for wealth likely came from his expensive habits.

Antiochus was a ruler who wielded great power, but he had a lack of moral compass. Self was the center of his focus. This is the type of character one would expect from the future man of lawlessness – a vessel Satan can use to promote his lawless agenda.

The historical record only confirms what was revealed by God in Daniel 11. Truly, prophecy is history in advance.

References

Appian of Alexandria. Roman History, 11.45, 11.66. Translated by Horace White. vol. 1. London, 1899. pp 308, 322-323.

Cassius Dio. Roman History. 19.18, 19.20. Translated by Earnest Cary. Vol. 2. Harvard University Press, 1970. pp 303, 321.

Diodorus of Sicily, The Library of History, 30.14-18, 31.16.1-3, 31.18a.1, Translated by Francis Walton. vol. 11 Harvard University Press, 1980. pp 297-303, 351-353, 361.

Diodorus of Sicily, The Library of History, 34.1-4. Translated by Francis Walton. vol. 12. Harvard University Press, 1984. p 55. Greek Community Chronicle. Taken from: https://www.livius.org/sources/content/mesopotamian-chronicles-content/bchp-14-greek-community-chronicle/

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Jewish Encyclopedia: Antiochus IV, Seleucid Dynasty Politai Chronicle. Taken from: https://www.livius.org/sources/content/mesopotamian-chronicles-content/bchp-13-politai-chronicle/

Polybius, The Histories, 26.1.7-11. Translated by W. R. Paton. Vol. 5. Harvard University Press, 1973. p 483.

Polybius, The Histories, 28, 30.26.1-9,13-15. Translated by W. R. Paton. Vol. 6. Harvard University Press, 1963. Pp 2-48, 145-149. Titus Livius (Livy). The History of Rome, 41.19. Translated by William A. M’Devitte. London, 1900. pp 1942, 1943.

Materials & Media

One of the purposes of Hungry Hearts Ministries is to provide resources for believers to learn more about Jesus (or Yeshua, in Hebrew), and His word, the Bible.

We believe that the Bible is truth and that living according to Torah is the beginning of this truth, which allows us to grow spiritually These resources are designed to facilitate this growth.

Do You Know God?

God created you for a very special, intimate, personal relationship. He made you just the way you are, because He loves you. He is calling you today to return to Him, to enjoy that close relationship that comes from knowing Him. Come learn how to get acquainted with the Living God. Learn how to walk in true holiness that will draw the manifest Presence of Jesus Christ. Come and take a journey to know your God in a most intimate and personal way.

Pastor Bill Shults has been serving the Lord as a Sabbath-keeper for 34 years. He is the Founder of Hungry Hearts Ministries with three churches statestide and missions in Kenya and India. The ministry hosts a variety of feast celebrations in Tennessee. He is also a gifted author of books, articles, and pamphlets.

In addition to our quarterly Pursuit magazine, we offer:

• Books and CDs available through our website and Amazon

• Free Booklets available through our website in PDF format or in print, by request

• Sabbath Sermons available live on RevMedia every Saturday at 3pm/4pm Central/Eastern and later on Youtube

God’s Plan of Salvation in the Holy Days

The Feast Days of Leviticus 23 reveal to us God plan of salvation. These Feasts have been honored for centuries by the Jewish people. They are times of tremendous revelation and celebration! They have prophetic meanings in Jesus Christ, many of which have yet to be fulfilled. Discover the significance of Christ as our Passover Lamb, which Feast represents the Lord return to rule and reign, and God plan to save the lost. You will learn how to celebrate these days with their full meaning!

Evangelist Kelly McDonald, Jr. currently serves at the President of the Bible Sab bath Association (BSA) in addition to a variety of roles at Hungry Hearts Ministries. He is a prolific author of books, articles, and blogs. He has been preaching for 13 years and is available to speak at your church upon request.

Eldress Kasey Perry

In my humble opinion, chesed is one of the most beautiful Hebrew words. It is defined as goodness, kindness, and faithfulness. We see the word used in scripture when there are acts of benefit or favor shown from man to man and when it is a divine gift from Adonai.

Abraham’s servant recognized that God would bestow such kindness on us when he prayed in Genesis 24:12. He was not even asking for himself but for Abraham. He was petitioning for success in the search for the appropriate wife for Isaac. And he said, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.” The word interpreted as kindness here is chesed.

When the request is coming to fruition, he is not shy about acknowledging the source of the successful outcome. We see the servant bowing to the ground and worshipping when Rebekah relates her family information to him (vs 23-26) and again when her family agrees to the arrangement after hearing his story (vs 50-52).

In another account, we see chesed demonstrated when Joseph was in dire need of it. Potiphar’s wife flung herself upon Joseph, but he separated himself from that sinful circumstance. While Joseph obeyed God, he still landed in prison because Potiphar’s wife twisted the events into a lie. Joseph seemed condemned, but Adonai knew what He was going to do. He was watching over Joseph’s life. In Genesis 39:21, we are told, “But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison.”

Again, chesed is translated as kindness. Even in what would have been seen as an unjust and more than difficult circumstance, Adonai’s chesed was not out of reach. It was demonstrated in an extravagant manner to be sure. We see in the following verses, “And the warden of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it. The warden of the prison did not supervise anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and, the Lord

made whatever he did prosper.” What do you think is the likelihood that, as a normal course of events, this kind of trust was given to a prisoner? The trust was so great that the warden did not supervise anything Joseph did! Wow! This helps us see the great impact of Adonai’s reach!

We see demonstrations of Adonai’s goodness and kindness in our lives every day. Do we acknowledge them? Do we bow down and worship? Joseph’s account reinforces that regardless of our circumstance, His chesed is ready for those who love and obey Him. He extends this to us every day in both big and small ways. We must train ourselves to be watchful, to acknowledge, and to raise our worship to Him—even from a prostrate position.

The word chesed is spelled with three Hebrew letters: chet-samech-dalet. Chet is pronounced with a guttural sound. It is similar to a k sound but it is made farther back in the throat. It is not pronounced using your breath with the front teeth together—not like chair. It is interesting that Chet is the first letter of the Hebrew words for both life (chai) and sin (chata). It shows us both sides, the two choices we have been given—life or the way that leads to death. This is the choice we’ve been given; isn’t it?

Samech is the second letter in the word chesed, and it has the sound of an s. The root of this letter’s name means support, lean upon, and uphold. The letter itself looks like a shield. How appropriate is this?

King David pours out his heart in Psalm 3, written as he is running from his son, Absalom. David must have had words echoing in his mind. The consequence of his own sin was that “…the sword shall never depart from your house…Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household…” (2 Samuel 12:10-11). And we see here, he trusts in God. Even in the distress David brought on himself, Adonai hears him, because David had repented. David recognizes Adonai as his Deliverer. “But Thou, O LORD, art a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head” (Psalm 3:3).

The third letter in Chesed is dalet. We know dalet to represent a door, and it is sounded like a d. Yeshua referred to himself as the door in John 10. In this passage, he makes it clear that, those who are his, know His voice and can differentiate between himself and the enemy.

There is a stark contrast noted in this passage between the enemy and our Savior Adonai Yeshua. Yeshua identifies the enemy as a thief and states, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Yeshua came to this earthly, human existence to provide a way for us to have life. Real LIFE…this brings us back to the beginning of chesed, where life is represented in the letter chet.

Chet reminds us that we have a choice, life or sin and death. If we choose life, samech keeps us mindful of the One who is our shield and lifts our head. Dalet tells us Who the Door is and points us to the source of abundance in our lives.

We see this idea of abundance in another passage – one of speechless beauty. In Exodus 34:6-8, we read how the LORD came to Moses. “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship.

Adonai describes Himself in this captivating passage, and in doing so, He emphasized His abundance of both lovingkindness and truth. Chesed is the word found in this Hebrew text, translated as lovingkindness. In His abundant lovingkindness, He wants to give us the abundant life we read in John 10. Too, once more, we see Adonai’s Majesty being worshipped from a bowed position.

It is His chesed that makes eternal life possible for us. Offering Him our worship is a must. We should be so humbled by His acts of love for us that we follow the examples given to us and make haste to bow low toward the earth and worship!

References

“Genesis 24 (NASB20) - Now Abraham was old, advanced.” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 13 Aug, 2022. <https://www.blueletterbible. org/nasb20/gen/24/1/s_24001>.

“Genesis 39 (NASB20) - Now Joseph had been taken.” Blue Let-

ter Bible. Web. 13 Aug, 2022. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/ nasb20/gen/39/1/s_39001>.

Parsons, John J. “The Letter Chet.” Hebrew For Christians, www. hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Chet/chet. html. Accessed 14 Aug. 2022.

Parsons, John J. “The Letter Samekh.” Hebrew For Christians, www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/ Samekh/samekh.html. Accessed 24 May 2022.

Parsons, John J. “The Letter Dalet.” Hebrew For Christians, www. hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Dalet/ dalet.html. Accessed 14 Aug. 2022.

The Light of the World, continued kind of creatures we should start to have radiance from the morning star rising in our hearts. Or, maybe we should aspire to that radiance.

In the quote from Hebrews 6:4 above the writer uses the term “enlightened.” Could Jesus Christ mean that we are supposed to be “enlightened” from the Holy Spirit with the morning star? The apostle John would agree. “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7). The Apostle John continues: “because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8). And, “Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble” (! John 2:10). The true light should already sine within our hearts, which means the basis of the new creature in Christ; that combination of our human spirit with the Holy Spirit. God’s light within our person will motivate us to live righteously, thereby eliminating sin.

When you have been enlightened, the Bible should make sense. No more stumbling over disputable passages, no more grumbling about God’s Law. You can not do away with the Sabbath anymore than you can do away with the electromagnetic spectrum. Once enlightened, obedience under duress makes perfect sense and even becomes desirable. Worship becomes an enlightening experience, one to seek out. Fellowship becomes a way to spur one another on to good works, especially an intense time with Yeshua in both Word and Worship. “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn” (Isaiah 8:20). Morning Star rising anyone?

Deaconess Sarah Raynor

Victory is a major Hannukah theme since the celebration commemorates the surprising triumph of the Maccabees over 2,000 years ago. The Maccabee brothers led a small band of untrained men who fought and won multiple battles against the much larger and better trained Greek army during the reign of Antiochus IV (175-164 BC).

While Maccabee is the family name of the leaders in this infamous war, the word Maccabee is also an acronym in Hebrew for the words meaning, “Who is like You among all powers, God” (Maccabees). This is an amazing physical example of the eternal victory available to each of us. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

When Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden and sinned, two things happened. First, death entered this age and world. While Adam and Eve were then appointed to die a physical death, the first death that happened was the animal that The LORD killed to make clothes for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1). Second, this act established that blood was necessary to cover sin.

Under Moses, The LORD codified the sacrificial system as a means for the Israelites to seek redemption each time they broke the law, the Ten Commandments. The LORD also established the Tabernacle as a location for the sacrifices, and the Aaronic priesthood to perform the sacrifices as well as manage their distribution.

While the sacrificial system in the Old Testament provided a means for a person to be forgiven for their sin, the sin was still remembered by God. It was only after Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross that a person could have both their sin forgiven and forgotten (Hebrews chapter 10).

During His earthly ministry, Jesus taught basic principles that are foundational in Christian doctrine. During His public ministry, Jesus explained that you need to have faith in Him to be saved. He said, “Most certain-

ly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life” (John 6:47). We can understand that this eternal life is not going to be in our earthly bodies because Jesus further explained, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies” (John 11:25).

Since people’s physical, earthly bodies have died before, during, and after Jesus’ life on earth, we can conclude that eternal life is different. There are many references to the kingdom of heaven that is coming, especially in Jesus’ parables (Matthew 3:2, 4:17, 5:3, 10, 19-21, 7:21, 8:11, 10:7, 11:11-12, 13:11, 14, 31, 33, 44-45, 47, 52, 16:19, 18:1, 3-4, 23, 19:12, 14, 23, 10:1, 22:2, 23:13, 25:1). Eventually, we learn that the Father will rule His Kingdom from the New Jerusalem in the New Heavens and New Earth (I Corinthians 15:14; Revelation 3:12, 21:1-27).

For us to understand why and how Jesus can offer salvation, we need to first be clear on who Jesus was and is. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus is a transliteration of the Hebrew name, Yeshua. Yeshua literally means salvation (Yeshua).

Forgiveness is connected to salvation, and the shedding of blood was necessary for forgiveness. “According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).

Jesus prophesied that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in His name, and that the disciples would have the power to preach that once they received a helper (Luke 24:45-49). That helper is the Holy Spirit. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you” (John 14:26).

The Holy Spirit, then, empowers us to remember Jesus’ teachings, and to walk in His ways. Ultimately, if more we live as Jesus did and taught, we will have a changed

life (Ephesians 4:17-32).

Some Christians and Jews choose to say a prayer known as The Shema to declare their faith. The Shema starts with words from the Bible, “Hear, Israel: The LORD is our God. The LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The Hebrew in this statement can also be translated that we can be one with the LORD. When we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, that could not be truer.

As our relationship with Jesus increases, we are transformed by His love, and then desire to do His will. While obedience is required of us, our love for Him should motivate us to desire obedience. We should want to obey. The continuation of our love for The LORD moving us into obedience is captured in another prayer said by Christians and Jews: The V’ahavta.

This prayer is a continuation of the verse that begins the Shema, “You shall love The LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:5-9).

This sentiment captures both the idea of circumcising our hearts (Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Romans 2:29) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), both traditionally taught as New Testament teachings. However, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). And because He is the same, the result of us being in a relationship with him is the same: obedience. This is why “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).

Jesus taught, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience does not earn us forgiveness or salvation—those are from faith alone in Jesus Christ. Instead, obedience is the result of our love of Jesus (Romans 3:21-31). As Christ’s followers, we want to obey Jesus’ commandments to walk in His ways, but there remains our humanness, or flesh that causes us to stumble and sin.

When we become aware of our sin, we feel bad and should immediately repent (2 Corinthians 7:10-12). While we should constantly repent when we sin, it is helpful if we occasionally set aside some time to take an inventory of our lives, and ask the Holy Spirit to

convict us of our sins that are not so obvious, or those “pet” sins that we try to excuse away (John 16:7-15).

It is traditional to go through a period of repentance before the fall holy days (Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot). The Hebrew word for this process of repentance is Teshuvah. Teshuvah means returning to the path of righteousness. The end result of this is a true victory.

John summarizes this well: “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:3-4, NIV).

If we would like to experience this victory in Jesus, then we just need to keep our focus on Jesus in all things. The word gospel literally means good news, and this is good news! Jesus is ready and available 24/7 to hear our prayers! And then He gives us a helper, the Holy Spirit, to help us during our journey.

With all of this available to us, we can truly rejoice as in the hymn, “Victory in Jesus”:

“O victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever, He sought me and bought me With His redeeming blood; He loved me ere I knew Him, He plunged me to victory, Beneath the cleansing flood.”

(Bartlett)

References

All Bible verses are from Kingdom Life Version: Old and New Testaments with Text Notes and Words of Jesus in Red Letters, 1st Edition, Public Domain.

Bartlett, E.M. “Victory in Jesus.” BMI Work #1803360. 1939. “Jesus or Yeshua?” https://yeshua.org. Web. 17 August 2022. “The Maccabees: The Jewish Freedom Fighters.” https://www. chabad.org. Web. 14 August 2022.

Strong, James. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. Hendrickson Publishers, 2009.

Elder Joe Perry

In our last article, we saw how Samson broke part of his Nazirite vow and also married a Philistine woman. To cover a lost bet in which he had been cheated, Samson killed thirty Philistines and appropriated their clothing to pay his debt. The Bible implies that he did not immediately return to Timnah to dwell with his bride. “But after a while, in the time of the wheat harvest, it came about that Samson visited his wife...” (Judg. 15:1). His father-in-law greeted Samson with some unexpected news. “I really thought that you hated her intensely so I gave her to your companion” (verse 2). Not at all amused by this turn of events Samson, in a fit of anger, struck back at the Philistines.

What followed constitutes one of the more amazing miracles of the Bible. He gathered three hundred foxes, tied them in pairs by their tails, and placed a lit torch in between them. The foxes ran into the Philistine grain fields; “thus burning up both the shocks and the standing grain, along with the vineyards and groves” (verse 5). When the Philistines found out that it was Sampson who was responsible for the destruction of their crops because of his father-in-law, they burned the man and his daughter. This further angered Samson against the Philistines “and he struck them ruthlessly with a great slaughter” (verse 8). Afterward, Samson fled to a rocky area called Etam. Local lore associates Etam with a tunnel that leads to a spring near the village of Bayt ‘Itab, but this cannot be confirmed at this time.

This incident stirred the Philistines to action, and they marched into Judah and camped at Lehi. Unnerved by this threat, the men of Judah sought out Samson to turn him over to the invaders. He agreed to go quietly and so his captors bound him and took him to Lehi; unfortunately another unknown site.

What happens next is another awesome miracle. “When he came into Lehi...the Spirit of Adonai came mightily upon him, and the ropes that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and the bands dropped from off his hands. And he found a fresh jawbone of an ass and took it and smote a thousand men therewith” (verses 14-15).

VII

Time of the Judges

Quite a miracle, though questions doubting its reality have been raised. Let’s take a closer look. While these actions seem fantastic, it was doable considering all the factors. The Bible makes plain that the Spirit of the Lord gave Samson superhuman strength, so he had the power. Questions have also been raised as to the ability of a donkey’s jawbone to remain intact through all that clubbing. It would have come from either the domesticated version of the African Wild Donkey or the Onager which is an Asiatic wild ass. The Onager is the larger of the two.

Was the jawbone actually a plausible weapon? Verse 15 states it was “fresh.” That means it may still have had some skin and flesh on it as well as teeth. While a dry jawbone would have made for a poor club, a fresh one would have been durable and elastic enough to be combat effective. The jaws of the equine family are strong and thick and have a natural handhold between the front teeth and the cheek teeth. A superb weapon indeed!

We must also address the misconception that’s out there that Samson “killed” one thousand Philistines. The Hebrew word naka can mean, to strike smite, hit, beat, slay, or kill. The KJV translates naka as slew, while the ASV prefers smote. Many of them were probably simply rendered unable to fight or disabled. There were probably far more than one thousand Philistines there that day as it would have been foolhardy to have gone to where three thousand Israelites had gathered with so small a number. Also, the Biblical text does not state that Samson killed all the Philistines who were present.

Another point in Samson’s favor is that he had the advantage of terrain. The Philistines had marched east from the coastal plain which meant they were moving into the Judean highlands. Their forces would have been downslope from Samson and the men who brought him to Lehi.

To attack Samson, the Philistines would have to trudge uphill while the Israelite judge would have an easier time of it if he moved downhill toward the Philistine

horde. A lot of Philistines were willing to face a stamina filled Samson and his jawbone. You don’t drop a thousand men in a short period of time. Eventually, discretion became the better part of valor, and the remainder of Samson’s foes must have fled. The three thousand Israelite onlookers probably provided some distraction.

In honor of Samson’s feat, the place became known as Ramath-Lehi which means height of a jawbone. Samson’s thirst led to a further miracle as Adonai provided water for Samson by opening a hollow place in the rock at Lehi. In honor of this benevolence, Samson named the location En-hakkore which means, “spring of One calling” (verse 19).

It is at this point in the narrative that the author of Judges credits Samson with attaining the rank of Judge. “So he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines” (verse 20). Sampson’s impressive victory over Israel’s foes and the favor he received from Adonai had not gone unnoticed by his people.

If Samson’s twenty-year judgeship starts here, then there is little of that period that is delineated in the Book of Judges, at least regards him. We do, however, have the story of the greatest of all his miracles. This occurred because Samson was once again consorting with a Philistine woman; this time a harlot in Gaza.

The Philistines, aware of Samson’s tryst, sought to entrap the Israelite but Samson thwarted their efforts. He “…took hold of the doors of the city gate and the two posts and and pulled them up along with the bars; then he put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain which is opposite Hebron” (Judg. 16:3).

This is a monumental feat! The tremendous size and weight of doors and posts he had to lift was an awesome miracle in itself. But then the Bible says he carried this massive weight all the way to Hebron.

Now Gaza is a city on the Mediterranean coastal plain. To travel to Hebron, a distance of, gasp, forty miles, is a long uphill climb. To top it all off, Hebron is one of the highest cities in all of Israel. This was an incredible display of strength and stamina! Here is one instance where Israel did indeed control the gate of its enemies! People could see the Gaza gate sitting on the mountainside for miles around. That must really have stuck in the craw of the Philistines for they continued to plot Samson’s demise.

He provided them with an opportunity to strike back when he took up with a woman named Delilah in the

valley of Sorek. At least he was now spending time with a woman from the area of his hometown, Zorah. It’s a rather sad situation, though, especially if in fact it is an Israelite woman who betrays Samson.

For the Philistines were able to bribe Delilah to inform on Samson and the Israelite had apparently not learned his lesson about not divulging things that best remained secret. As with the solution to his wedding riddle, Samson got tired of being nagged and gave away the reason for his supernatural strength. “A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I shall become weak and be like any other man” (verse 17).

Cutting Samson’s hair did indeed deprive him of his strength. This act was the culmination of his abandonment of the Nazirite vow which he had first begun to break years before when he turned aside into a vineyard and touched the body of the dead lion (Judg. 14:8). As a result of these actions “The Lord had departed from him” (verse 20).

The Philistines gouged out Samson’s eyes and took him back to Gaza. After a time, his hair grew back and he was called on to entertain his captors at a feast for their god, Dagon. There the Israelite judge got to perform his last and most memorable miracle.

After praying to the Lord that he might be avenged “Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested...and he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life” (verse 29-30).

Samson’s last words were “let me die with the Philistines” (verse 29). His family took the body and buried him with his father. His twenty-year judgeship was at an end. Though he performed several astounding miracles, his life seems to be one of unrealized potential.

Judges were set up to free the Israelite people. While Samson scored notable victories, he ultimately failed in his assignment. It would be left for another to complete the task of throwing off the yoke of Philistine suppression.

A lot of Samson’s story takes place in the Philistine city of Gaza. This settlement is part of the Philistine Pentapolis, the five major cities of their inhabited area along the Mediterranean coast. While the other four Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath have all been the

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I Timothy 4:1-5

Evangelist Kelly McDonald, Jr.

“1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed” (I Timothy 4:1-6, NIV).

Common Arguments: It is commonly thought that I Timothy 4:1-6 was written to anyone who follows the distinction between clean and unclean animals. These verses are also used to claim that we can pray over any animal meat, and it will be clean.

Think it Through: If the first argument is true, then Jesus, Peter, and Paul were all hypocrites because they never ate anything unclean. We know that Jesus lived a perfect life (I John 3:1-6). If the second argument is true, then our prayers should be able to change the biology of an unclean animal to make it clean. Since this has never been done, then this argument is also not true. Also consider the following: Why would God allow us to pray over something and change what He said in the Bible? What else can we change to pray? This is very problematic. Unclean animals are still mentioned in 2 Cor. 6:17 and Rev 18:2, so they can’t be done away with by these verses.

Short Answer: The heresy involves people who do two things: 1) forbid marriage AND 2) forbid people from eating clean animal meat.

Longer Answer: Paul, speaking about the times after him, mentions those who will depart from the faith and follow the teachings of demons. These ‘hypocritical liars’ will teach people to abstain from marriage AND

“from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.”

Some people have tried to apply these verses to Leviticus 11, which explains the difference between clean and unclean animals. This interpretation is problematic. First, Paul said in verse 1 that this false teaching comes from demons. Did a demon speak Leviticus 11? Absolutely not! The LORD spoke in this chapter (see Lev. 11:1).

Paul also speaks about this teaching with future implications, meaning it is a teaching which would come forth after him. Leviticus 11 was given by God many centuries before. These two points alone eliminate the possibility that I Timothy 4:1-6 refers to the dietary instructions on clean and unclean!

What foods did God create to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth? The Greek word translated as food in verse 3 is bromaton. It is translated as ‘certain foods.’ This word refers that which God created to be eaten according to Leviticus 11. In that chapter, we learn that God made clean animals as food. The other animals are simply unclean. They are not considered food.

The false teaching mentioned in I Timothy 4 prohibits people from eating clean animals. He also referenced ‘the truth’ in verse 3. Jesus said that the Word is Truth (John 17:17). Since the New Testament was not yet compiled at that time, this is a reference to the Old Testament.

Paul then said that everything we eat should be consecrated or made holy by two things: the word of God AND prayer. In the word of God, pigs, shellfish, and other unclean animals were never set apart for humans to eat. From the beginning, unclean animals were made for certain purposes like cleaning up the earth, but never for human consumption! Prayer will not make a pig chew the cud or a shrimp grow fins and scales because God did not make those animals with those character-

istics. Since the word of God consecrates clean animals for food or broma, then this confirms the interpretation provided in this article.

For even more confirmation, consider verse 6. In it, Paul mentioned that Timothy was brought up in this vital truth. This is an interesting statement based on two facts about Timothy. First, Paul said that Timothy has known the Scriptures since infancy (2 Tim. 3:15). As aforementioned, this is a reference to the Old Testament Scriptures. Secondly, Timothy’s mother was a Jewess (Acts 16:1). What truth was Timothy reared into? The dietary distinction between clean and unclean animals. No one would be able to convince Timothy, a person who knows the truth of God’s Word, that clean animal meat can be forbidden by God.

To learn more about how God views food, download the free booklet Does God Care What You Eat? from www. hungryheartsministry.com (Free Resources page).

Historical Understanding

What is the false teaching? When did it manifest in history? There are two things to consider. In verse 1, Paul said that this teaching would come after him. In verse 3, he wrote that these false teachers will instruct people to abstain from the clean animals and to abstain from marriage. The word ‘and’ is critical in understanding these verses.

The first historical fulfillment of these verses started to occur in the second century AD. This is among the proofs that the Pastoral epistles were written in the first century by Paul. If this heresy started while he was alive, then he would have described it as existing in his day.

In the second century, several false teachers rose to prominence in Christian circles. Many of them were Gnostics. The word Gnostic comes from Greek word gnosis; it means knowledge. While it was not a unified belief system, there were beliefs commonly found among those given this label.

Most Gnostics viewed the material world as evil and the spiritual world as good. This is called dualism. To this end, they rejected marriage because reproduction generated more material beings. They focused on obtaining special knowledge (gnosis) so that they could leave the bondage of this material world and ascend into the good, spiritual world.

However, they neglected Biblical precepts relating to lifestyle (after all, the material world was considered evil). They adhered to heretical beliefs such as the de-

nial of Jesus’ bodily birth and suffering. This explains why Paul warned Timothy in the same letter to: “Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge…” (I Timothy 6:20).

Among the false teachers of this time were Basilides, Saturninus (sometimes listed as Saturnilus), and Marcion. Below we have quotes from Christian authors who were contemporaries to them and combated their heresies.

“…They declare also, that marriage and generation are from Satan. Many of those, too, who belong to his school, abstain from animal food, and draw away multitudes by a feigned temperance of this kind…” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1.24.2).

“But one Saturnilus, who flourished about the same period with Basilides, but spent his time in Antioch…And he affirms that marriage and procreation are from Satan. The majority, however, of those who belong to this (heretic’s school) abstain from animal food likewise, (and) by this affectation of asceticism (make many their dupes)…” (Pseudo-Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies, 7.16).

“49. There are some who say outright that marriage is fornication and teach that it was introduced by the devil…60. But those who from a hatred for the flesh ungratefully long to have nothing to do with the marriage union and the eating of reasonable food, are both blockheads and atheists, and exercise an irrational chastity like the other heathen…102…They say: Man became like the beasts when he came to practice martial relations…And if the serpent took the use of marital relations from the irrational animals and persuaded Adam to agree to have union with Eve, as though the couple first created did not have such union by nature, as some think, this again is blasphemy against the creation. For it makes human nature weaker than that of the brute beasts if in this matter those who were first created by God copied them….104. Furthermore they wish to maintain that the relations of man and wife in marriage, which is called knowledge, is a sin; this sin is referred to as eating of the tree of good and evil, and the phrase ‘he knew’ signifies transgression of the commandment….” (Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, 3.17.49, 60, 102, 104).

“We must now encounter the subject of marriage, which Marcion, more continent than the apostle, prohibits. For the apostle, although preferring the grace of continence, yet permits the contraction of marriage and the enjoyment of it, and advises the continuance therein

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Commonly Misunderstood Verses, continued rather than the dissolution thereof” (Tertullian, Against Marcion, 5.7).

In these quotes, the influence of Gnostic dualism is evident. Because they considered the material world to be evil, they rejected the eating of meat and marriage. Some of them thought that the serpent beguiled Adam and Eve to have relations with each other; they claimed that this was eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They went so far as to call marital relations a sin!

The Gnostic claim is totally inaccurate and contradicts the plain text of Genesis chapter 3 (as well as many other Scriptures!) As you can tell, they relied heavily on allegory to explain away the literal meaning of the text. God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply in Genesis 1:27-28.

While this heresy started in the second century, it would manifest itself again over the centuries in groups such as the Messalians, Bogomils, and Cathari. Some ‘mainstream’ churches, such as that in Rome, accepted variations of this teaching such as forbidding priests from marrying and forbidding food on certain days of the week (such as Friday and Saturday).

Biblical Archeological Corner, continued subjects of extensive archaeological excavations, this has not occurred at Gaza.

In 1997, a French team of archaeologists managed to identify the ruins of the ancient port, but their efforts ended abruptly. Gaza is still a thriving city, and a major dig would have been highly disruptive. Also, this city, unlike the others, is under Palestinian control and they were not willing to allow operations to continue.

The remainder of the book of Judges concerns not judges themselves, but rather incidents of lawlessness and recklessness that cause harm to the Chosen People’s relationship with their Adonai. We will mention these in passing as they do not involve judges per se. The first incident recounts an abuse of the Torah as to the laws governing the priesthood and the use of idols. The second incident is of great consequence to the well-being of the Israelite tribal confederation. It chronicles the near destruction of the tribe of Benjamin at the hands of the other tribes.

After reading these final chapters of the book, it becomes easy to understand why Adonai so often had to punish His set-apart people! The writer of Judges includes these incidents as part of his own agenda. The

Once we examine I Timothy 4:1-5 very carefully, we can see that Paul did not contradict any practices from the Old Testament. He was speaking prophetically by the Holy Spirit about a false teaching which would come after his time. It led people away from the faith by convincing them to abstain from clean animal meat and to forbid marriage. History confirms the people and groups which were seduced by these teachings.

Now that we know the truth about these verses, we can avoid this false doctrine!

References

Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, 3.17.49, 60, 102, 104. The Library of Christian Classics, vol. 2. Selected Translations of Clement and Origin with Introduction and Notes by John Ernest Leonard Oulton, D.D., Henry Chadwick, B.D. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1954. pp 48, 62-63, 68, 88, 89.

Irenaeus. Against Heresies, 1.24.2-4, Translated by Alexander Roberts and William Rambaut. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1899. pp 349.

Pseudo-Hippolytus. Refutation of all Heresies, 7.16. Translated by J.H. MacMahon. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. Buffalo, NY: The Christian Literature Company, 1886. p 109.

Tertullian. Against Marcion, 5.7. Translated by Peter Holmes. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. Buffalo, NY: The Christian Literature Publishing Company,1885. p 443.

book ends with the sentence, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 21:25). The writer clearly felt it was time for a king to rule this unruly people.

Yet the advent of the earthly Israelite monarchy would have to wait a little longer. There was still one more judge to come; arguably the greatest of them all. He will be the topic of our next article as well as we look at the Archaeological site of Shiloh.

References

http://hermeneutics.kulikovskyonline.net accessed Aug 13, 2022. Lacey, Troy. Feedback: How Could Samson Kill 1,000 Men with the Jawbone of a Donkey? www.answersingenesis.org accessed Aug 12, 2022.

Merrill, Eugene H. Kingdom Of Priests: A History Of Old Testament Israel. 2nd Edition. Grand Rapids, MI, 2008.

New American Standard Bible. Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible. Chattanooga, 2008.

Shanks, Hershel. Gaza Report. Biblical Archaeological Review. Mar/Apr 1997. Washington, D. C. Strong’s Interlinear Concordance.

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