John 7:14-31 ~ Marvel †

 

John 7:14-31

14 About the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the Temple and began teaching. 

Flavius Josephus (37 - 100 AD) Jewish general and member of the Jewish priestly aristocracy, turned to the Roman Empire during the destruction of Jerusalem 70 AD. Josephus moved to Rome as historian to three Caesars.

Josephus records the High Holy Days saw 2 million pilgrims

The sacrifices made had accounting work, Josephus goes into intricate detail.

15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” 

16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but His Who sent me. 17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 

20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 

21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

  

  25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 

28 So Jesus proclaimed, as He taught in the temple, 

“You know me, and you know where I come from. 

But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and He sent me.” 

30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 

31 Yet many of the people believed in Him. 

They said, “When the Christ appears, will He do more signs than this man has done?”

In my life, I've believed, when you have trouble, Jesus is going to give us something in Scriptures to assure us He has seen the trouble before and will give us His answers. And as I realized this to be true, I found Scriptures don't just tell us once, the answers and situations repeat - for one great reason - Our Father is a loving parent. His Word, His Work, His Promise, His Love tells us again, and again and again, to reassure us of the Steadfast Love of God, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

God's Word supports God's nature. 

Hosea 6:6

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God 

rather than burnt offerings.

Psalms 51:1

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; 

according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.

Psalms 5:7

But I, by your great love, 

can come into your house; 

in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple.

1 Kings 3:6

Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, 

because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. 

You have continued this great kindness to him 

and have given him a son to sit on his throne 

this very day."

Solomon didn't have an abundance of children, he had one son and

two daughters, this 1 Kings 3:6, was probably important to Solomon.

Deuteronomy 5:10

But showing love to a thousand generations 

of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Deuteronomy 7:12

If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, 

then the LORD your God 

will keep His

 covenant of love 

with you, 

as He swore to your ancestors. 

Nehemiah 9:17

They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them.

 They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion 

appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. 

But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, 

slow to anger and abounding in love. 

Therefore you did not desert them

Deuteronomy 7:9

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; 

he is the faithful God, 

keeping his covenant of love 

to a thousand generations of those 

who love him 

and keep his commandments.

Ezra 7:28

And who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king's powerful officials. 

Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, 

I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me. 

Psalms 6:4

Turn, LORD, and deliver me; 

save me because of 

Your unfailing love.

From the first day of Jesus ministry, huge, large crowds gathered to see Jesus easily heal. To understand the wisdom of Jesus. The ease Jesus had with His Father. Beloved. 

Solomon and David named the Pillars of the Temple doors Boaz.

David's father Jesse, Jesse's father Boaz married a gentile. Ruth.

When The Sanhedrin Talmud of the time of Jesus' ministry is examined in Scotland, we see each person is identified as Matthew 1. Their ancestry and Tribe. Luke 3, the same.

John 7 tells us a detail of the Life of Jesus.

28 So Jesus proclaimed, as He taught in the temple, 

"You know me, and you know where I come from."

28 So Jesus proclaimed, as He taught in the temple, 

"You know me, and you know where I come from."

Luke 1 

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.

 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 

59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 

61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 

63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” 

And they all wondered. 

64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.

 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. 
And all these things 

were talked about 

through all the hill country of Judea, 

 

and all 

who heard them

 laid them up in their hearts

Luke 2

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 

42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 

43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 

46 After three days 
they found Him in the temple, 

sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 

47 And all 

who heard Him

 were amazed 

at His understanding 

and His answers. 

48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 

49 And He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? 

Did you not know that 

I must be in my Father's house?”

50 And they did not understand the saying that He spoke to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. 

And his mother 

treasured up all these things 

in her heart.

14 About the middle of the feast, 

Jesus went up into the Temple and began teaching. 

 Hebrews 13:8 

“Jesus Christ is the same 

yesterday, 

and today, 

and forever.”

28 So Jesus proclaimed, as He taught in the temple, 

"You know me, and you know where I come from."

Suppose, we want to know more about the Shepherds

 - all we have to do is look to the facts. 

1. Today in Bethlehem, Israel we know the grazing was 30,000 Hectare Acres.

2. If we want to know more about the Shepherds - all we have to do is look to facts. Today in Bethlehem, Israel we know the grazing was 30,000 Hectare Acres. And some of this land is available and set aside, today, as the Shepherd's Field.

Bethlehem 1847

Christmas 

Today, the Shepherd's field of the first Christmas is still there.

The number of acres is known, then and today.

3. Then we find the number of sheep will be entirely up to the amount of rainfall. Isaiah 7 tells us times are good for crops. So, in a normal year, the number of sheep per acre is 1.5 sheep. 

So 20,000 sheep.

Do we know in the Bible this is an acceptable, relevant number of sheep?

Job 42:12

12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys.

4. The 1596 A.D. Ottoman Tax Record and Census indicates Bethlehem's population of 1,435 - the 13th largest village. Populations didn't change much until this last century in most of Israel. Vintage Photography of Israel is very interesting. When vintage photography of Israel is discussed, people remark the population of the villages don't change a lot in 2 millenniums until this computer, modern age we live in.


All we need now is to figure out how many shepherds there were.



Jacob was described as an exceedingly rich man because he:

Genesis 30:43

Jacob possessed large flocks, 

maidservants and menservants, and camels and asses 

In the case of the rich man, Nabal we find statistics:

1 Samuel 25:2

He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats

Animals were cared for and were: milk, meat, and fabrics (Isaiah 7:21-22; Proverbs 27:27; Deuteronomy 14:4; Leviticus 13:47; Exodus 25:4). The sheep provided wool for garments to keep out chilly nights and windy days. The goat skins provided bottles in which to store liquids. The uncut hide of either animal, might have been the wineskins of Jesus’ parable (Mark 2:22 = Matthew 9:17 = Luke 5:37-38).

 The Number of Shepherds

5. How many shepherds were there for 20,000 Sheep? We know how many acres there are and how many sheep based on rainfall... what about Shepherds?

6. Now, we find out about the Shepherds. We don't know the number of the Shepherds. This explains the social status of the Shepherds.

Shepherding - It depends on this: how profitable has ranching been? Rain again. The New Testament records about 100 to 1. But we can see Bethlehem might fall in the category of 1 to 1000 sheep because Bethlehem doesn't have many sheep hiding places. Both David and Samson provide lonely, animal wildlife threatens lone shepherds in the day. Lions.

We know some families have small flocks and the children shepherd. While other Biblical families only Shepherd.  

7. 1400 people. Women do Shepherd like Rachael and Leah. Moses's Wife. Good to know.

1400 people. Aged people. Children. Farmers. An easy terrain.
About 4 to 9 human births a month. Herod would find 40 innocents.

8. Labor force would be about 500. Sufficient small farming. And Household chores for gathering, cooking and cleaning.

And then you'd have farmers, lots of Farming in Israel on the terraces of hills.

9. So suppose... 250 shepherds. And possibly even 25,000 sheep.

 Then you'd have day Shepherds, and then more Night Time Safety from Predators Shepherds. 

10.250 nighttime Shepherds 

Looking over a large, easy field. Spread out in military precision, with some usual campfires.  A field is easy to view in daylight, you can use children, like David had been asked during the day.

Bethlehem in winter

250 Shepherds at night, not standing in one crowd, watching over 20,000 Sheep

However...

Luke 2

And suddenly

 there was with the angel 

a multitude of the heavenly host 

praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven... 

the shepherds said to one another, 

“Let us go over to Bethlehem 

and SEE this thing that has happened, 

which the Lord has made known to us.” 

16 And they went with haste 

and found Mary and Joseph, 

and the baby lying in a manger. 

17 And when they saw it, 

they made known the saying that had been told them 

concerning this child. 

18 And all 

who heard it wondered 

at what the shepherds told them.

Recently discovered

Roman Road 

to

Bethlehem

28 So Jesus proclaimed, as He taught in the temple, 

"You know me, 

and you know 

where I come from."

Capernaum was about 3,000 people when Jesus moved here as an adult

The First Day of Jesus' Ministry

"Everyone is looking for You"

Mark One, 

The First Chapter in Mark's Gospel

21 And they went into Capernaum, 

and immediately 

on the Sabbath Ge entered the synagogue and was teaching. 

22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 

27 And they were all amazed, 

so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 

28 And at once 

His fame spread everywhere

 throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

29 And immediately

He left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening at sundown 

they brought to Him ALL who were sick or oppressed by demons. 

33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door.

 34 And He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed. 

36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him, 

37 and they found Him and said to Him, 

“Everyone is looking for you.” 

38 And He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 

28 So Jesus proclaimed, as He taught in the temple, 

"You know me, and you know where I come from."

Abba, Father,

You see all of us. All of us.

You know, no secrets are hid,

all desires known.

Turn to us with Your Love

and Mercy

and we are Renewed.

Awakened to the Hope in Your Glory.

Bless us please

with gentle rain

and good weather,

we pray for Maui to recover

and to be safe from storm damaged land grabbers

and Florida to be safe.

Texas and the middle of the USA

and the Borders and Gulf

to have rain, gently, please.

Give to Maui

if you'd like an Email Link to do so:

https://abundant.co/stmartinsepiscopalch/give

and click on the upper right MAUI

all funds will be given to the Maui people

none to administration.

Dwell in us.

Dwell in those we Love.

Bless our Families with Jesus Christ.

Help us to seek You first.

And in Jesus, we will finish well.

Thank You for the Blessings 

You have given us to count

this year. 

Thank You, You create a new path

with new hopes

and new expectations.

We are renewed in Our Love

You Place in Us.

In Jesus Christ,

We pray for Your Good Creation.

This Nation

and all Nations seeking Your Son.

We Thank You for the good health and 

good new year for Damar Hamlin

as Damar proclaims Jesus in

his recovery.

Thank You, You Hear our Prayers.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Jesus perseverance 

Daniel 1 ~ And God gave Daniel favor and compassion

King Jehoiachin Ration Tablets from the massive Babylonian Chronicles. Jehoiachin was thrown over by Nebuchadnezzar II by his uncle. Jehoakim - who was killed by Nebuchadnezzar eventually, for ... of all things... double-dealing.

 

Daniel 1

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. 

And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 

5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs 

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, 

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Centuries later, Nebuchadnezzar II's palace would be sought out by Alexander the Great as he was dying as a young man, on a military campaign. Alexander the Great felt he had been given Biblical Prophecy. Nebuchadnezzar did as well.  So, Alexander the Great set his sights to die among those who had killed many in battle and, yet, might be given favor in God The Almighty's eyes.

Ezekiel 26:1-6, Tyre became mainland

26 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,’ 3 therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 4 They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock. 5 She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. And she shall become plunder for the nations, 6 and her daughters on the mainland shall be killed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Tyre was an Island - Before Alexander the Great decided to make more mainland.

Tyre is still the ruin Ezekiel said it would remain.

Then, says Josephus, Jaddua had a dream as to how to entreat the Macedonian king. He and the other priests dressed in their priestly robes and, accompanied by others dressed in white garments, formed a procession going out of the city to a carefully chosen place to meet the Alexander the Great.

Alexander then did the unexpected. 

Alone, he approached the high priest and members of the procession and greeted them. 

He bowed down.

Alexander said: "I did not adore him, but that God who hath honoured him with his high priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit [garment], when I was at Dios in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with myself how I might obtain the dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly to pass over the sea thither, for that he would conduct my army, and would give me the dominion over the Persians; whence it is, that having seen no other in that habit, and now seeing this person in it, and remembering that vision, and the exhortation which I had in my dream, I believe that I bring this army under the divine conduct, and shall therewith conquer Darius, and destroy the power of the Persians, and that all things will succeed according to what is in my own mind" (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 11, chap. 8, sec. 5, William Whiston translation, 1981).

Josephus records Alexander accompanied the priest into Jerusalem and Temple, where he "offered sacrifice to God, according to the high priest's direction, and magnificently treated both the high priest and the priests."

The meeting of Alexander the Great and the Jewish priests of Jerusalem is an old story that would have been very familiar to 5th century AD Jews in Huqoq. (Josephus! You kind of can’t escape him in this part of the world.) The mosaic shows a procession of soldiers and elephants following a warrior in battle dress and a purple cape. “Battle elephants were associated with Greek armies beginning with Alexander the Great,” explains Dr. Magness.

Pompeii's Alexander the Great at the Battle of Darius III, owned by the House of the Faun in Pompeii

Now consider 

the familiar photo of the Huqoq Synagogue which is basic, 

a little crass looking, basically a very bad photo:

The two mosaics look different in artistic style.

Now Compare

The Comparison depends on the distance of the Photograph.

This is much, much closer art identification Alexander Pompeii Mosaic to Alexander Huqoq, Israel Mosaic, far closer than the portraits of Pierre-Auguste Renoir to the photos of the individual clients.

And we will jump ahead 600 years, when Matthew wrote Jesus spoke of Daniel. A favor of God that continues from 567 BC to 33 AD to 2023 AD as we consider the Word of God.

Matthew 24:15

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place…” 

THE WRITING ON THE WALL

Daniel 5

5 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.

2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.

10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14 I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

24 “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31  And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

We find as we look at the Babylonian Chronicles, Cuneiform, the History of Biblical Daniel has the archeology to uphold Daniel's 6 King history. 

We began today's Post by seeing God honored Daniel for 2600 Years. In Daniel 1, Daniel sought to uphold God's honor in his life.  And God gave Daniel his favor. Evidently, to serve 6 kings, this favor went a long, long way.

And then in Daniel 5, Daniel blatantly tells King Belshazzar of his doom, (probably not his given name, Belshazzar,  Daniel he called Belteshazzar, because just like  And he brought them to the land of Shinar, this is one of the many gods they served.  And in using the Temple tools made by Moses

King Belshazzar has sought to take golden vessels reserved for worship and have a loud dinner party with his compatriots. When told by Daniel of his doom, he honors his word of promise to the wise Daniel, but does not seek to remove the golden vessels of worship. Living large, living lavishly, without seeking God's honor instead of his own. Bam. 

Being provided the insight, the wisdom and failure to have the brakes, the U Turn, the ability to say and on to the port and cigars to swiftly clear and clean the table, returning the items.

Failure to heed the writing on the wall.

Matthew 24:15

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place…” 

The Writing on the Wall

Many argued King Belshazzar never existed for millenniums. Archeology proves King Belshazzar to be the valid Biblical History.

Many argued, The Book of Daniel was composed during the second century BC and not during the sixth century BC by the prophet himself. 

This theory, Daniel, was written to encourage the Jewish people during the Maccabean wars. This late date is assumed on the presupposition of modern scholars supernatural fore-telling of events is not possible. For example, Sibley Towner stated, “We need to assume that the vision [of Daniel 8] as a whole is a prophecy after the fact. Why? Because human beings are unable accurately to predict future events centuries in advance and to say that Daniel could do so, even on the basis of symbolic revelation vouchsafed to him by God and interpreted by an angel, is to fly in the face of the certainties of human nature.” 

These Dead Sea Scroll Fragments (4Q114 –  4Q Danc) contain parts of Daniel 10:5-9; 13-16. Photo: Courtesy of the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library, IAA Photo / https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive/image/B-284883

The writing on the walls and in pottery tells a different and reliable history:

The discoveries of copies of the book of Daniel dating to the second century BC among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Nine copies of Daniel, represented by 22 fragments, were discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls, which proclaim and attest to most of the chapters in the Biblical Book, and citations to Daniel in other Qumran scrolls, such as the Florilegium (4Q174). A certainty, the Qumran community viewed the book of Daniel as canonical. Moreover, the earliest of Dead Sea Scroll copy of Daniel has been dated to the second century BC, within 50 years of the "supposed composition suggested by the late-date theory." Simply is not enough time for the book to have been composed, circulated and accepted as canonical in such a short period of time. 

Abba, Father,

Your Word in Luke 18 begins the Chapter telling us 

Jesus said pray and do not give up.

,

Jesus continues in Luke's Gospel, Chapter 18,

 about prayer saying,

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 

10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, 

extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 

12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 

But the tax collector, standing far off, 

would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 

‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Daniel is exalted.

The man styling himself as King god does not unbend.

The man, exalting himself, does not say to You,

"I'm not sure if I understand, please help me to see

the writing on the wall."

Help us Father,

we ask in the Highest Name of Jesus,

as Your Children

asking for mercy, grace and forgiveness. 

We ask in Jesus Christ for

Help, Comfort and Comforter,

that we have Your favor

in our choices, daily.

Let Jesus Reign

in me

with Strength

and those I love.

Your favor, please, Father.

Help Rain to Prevail, please,

Gently,

Rain

we ask in Jesus' Holy Name.

I will not fear, but trust You as life unfolds, You dwell with me. 

When my life requires me to be bold for you, be brave, 

let Your unfailing Love and Steadfast Mercy 

lead me in the paths of righteousness for Your name's sake. 

I so acknowledge each day, 

I need Your Salvation.  

In Jesus, we ask

Dwell in us, Father

Send Your Holy Spirit as Helper

Dwell in those we love,

our family,

and 

Help us to seek You first

And in Jesus,

we will finish well.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Jesus