S T U D Y I N G . . .

T H E   T E S T I M O N Y

AND THIS IS THE TESTIMONY: GOD GAVE US ETERNAL LIFE, AND THIS LIFE IS IN HIS SON.

—1 JOHN 5:11

Studying … The Testimony

Deidre D Havrelock

Copyright © 2013 by Deidre D Havrelock

Published by Etcetera Press LLC

Richland, WA

www.etcpress.net

ISBN: 978-1-936824-30-4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013943862

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of the copyright owner. Scanning, uploading, or distributing this book by Internet or any other means without permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and don't participate or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials.

Book series one:

S T U D Y I N G . . .

T H E   T E S T I M O N Y

D E I D R E   D   H A V R E L O C K

ETCETERA PRESS

Richland, WA

2013

PERMISSIONS

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Excerpt taken from Eusebius: The Church History © copyright 1999 translated by: Paul L. Maier. Published by Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

FOR MY GOOD FRIEND PASTOR GARY BELLAMY AND MY UNCLE GLEN CARLSON.

WE WHO ARE DEDICATED TO HIM HONOR HIM NOT ONLY WITH VOICE AND WORD, BUT ALSO WITH ALL OF OUR SOUL, SO THAT WE VALUE TESTIMONY TO HIM MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF.

—EUSEBIUS: THE CHURCH HISTORY

CONTENTS

Gratitude

HOW TO BEST UTILIZE THIS SERIES

Introduction

A Note From Deidre

CHAPTER ONE

Why Do We Testify?

CHAPTER TWO

Testimony and Testament: What Do These Terms Mean?!

CHAPTER THREE

The Judges and The Judicial System

CHAPTER FOUR

For Further Study: A New and Corrupt System

CHAPTER FIVE

Jesus' Trial … and His Testimony

CHAPTER SIX

The Seven Witnesses of Christ

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Spirit of Revelation and Testimony

CHAPTER EIGHT

The Beginning of The Testimony of Jesus: The Kingdom of Heaven is Near!

CHAPTER NINE

The Fulfillment of Testimony: The Spirit and The Kingdom Are Here!

Introduction to Book Two

Living … The Testimony

Introduction to Book Three

Preparing … The Testimony

Appendix

A Short Description of Hell: Warning! It May Not Be What You Think!

Bibliography

About the Author

GRATITUDE

This book wouldn't have been possible without those friends who helped shape the material inside. Thank you Becky J., Lori M., Joan M., and Courtney Kasian for the time you spent reading over chapters and for all the phone calls and emails of debate and discovery. Thank you also to Jodi Kozan of Women's Journey of Faith (www.wjof.com) and Pastor Gary Bellamy, whose intense encouragement helped me believe I could finish. A big "Thanks!" to Dr. Darrell Puls who helped with the final edit. And finally, thank you to Auntie Myrna and Uncle Glen Carlson, for taking the time to make the tape recording of Glen's experience in hell.

HOW TO BEST UTILIZE THIS SERIES

Introduction

By Courtney Kasian, Editor

When Deidre asked me to write the introduction to her book, Studying … The Testimony, I was completely honored and a bit shocked. As an inexperienced Christian, I wasn't sure that my opinions would add any value to Mrs. Havrelock's subject. However, I now understand what I can offer, my testimony. Who better to tell the readers the value of a book on testimony than someone who read this book, only to come away with the knowledge and belief of Jesus? I was not prepared for the lessons that I learned and the knowledge I gleaned from reading Deidre's magnificent book. I can honestly say that I learned exponentially more, from reading Studying … The Testimony, than I ever did from faithfully attending church on Sunday, being part of church youth groups, and attending Catholic schools the majority of my young life. Studying … The Testimony, in actuality, is a study of the history of testimony in the Bible, but it is not mired in boring and inconsequential details. Deidre has such a command of biblical knowledge and a way of conveying that history, that she seamlessly weaves the scripture like an ornate pattern, leading the reader to the incontrovertible conclusion of Jesus, Son of God.

Before I started reading The Testimony series, I believed Jesus to be a man with supernatural powers, sent to earth to perform the works of God. However, I never truly understood the purpose of Jesus as the Son of God, as I believed they were two entirely independent entities. I also never knew about testimonies … apart from what I had seen on evening television legal dramas. I had no idea ordinary people had testimonies, let alone that they wrote them down and shared them with each other. As I was editing the entirety of the book (be it scriptures, footnotes, all of its content) it became crystal clear to me that Deidre's book was leading me to an astonishing conclusion … Jesus was real! Is real!

It wasn't long after I had my revelation of a (real) Jesus, that I began to receive confirmation of Jesus and the existence of the Holy Spirit. My good friend Deidre had put out a call to prayer on a personal matter regarding a difficult choice she had to make, between two options. One option was new and uncomfortable for her and the other was familiar and most desirable. Even though my Christian experience was immature, I asked the Holy Spirit to please give me a message for Deidre. I had a very cryptic dream in which the Holy Spirit (a disembodied female voice) repeatedly relayed to me a message that I was to tell Deidre to "walk away." So I immediately passed the message along. In order for Deidre to understand this message, she put in a call for clarity of my dream. Then Deidre had her own dream in which Jesus appeared, telling her to "walk away" from the old (and comfortable) choice, because he was doing something new. Not only did Deidre get her answer, but I received confirmation that the Holy Spirit hears our prayers and she works in unity with Jesus. I felt euphoric for days because the Jesus that I knew and trusted wholeheartedly as a child is still here for all of us and all we have to do is look! Study the Bible, the proof of his existence is there and I can now testify to that!

Thanks to Deidre, I Can Testify to The Following:

- Jesus hears and answers our prayers.

- Jesus is a supernatural being—the Son of God—who became flesh and gave his life to honor the New Covenant between God and all people.

- Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are a triune; each one in a collaborative relationship together creating one Godhead.

- Not only did Jesus rise from the dead, but his Spirit still exists on this plane.

- I have a testimony and at last I can extol to the world the actuality of Jesus, the Son of God!

For The Reader to Best Utilize this Series, I Suggest the Following:

Read through Chapter One of Studying … The Testimony. The margins have been widened so that you, the reader, can insert any comments, questions, and ideas that you may come up with while reading. When you complete each chapter, you will see a note stating, "For a review of this chapter and to answer reflective questions, see the companion guide." This note refers to Preparing … The Testimony, the third book in The Testimony series. Each chapter in the first book has a corresponding chapter in the companion guide, in which you will answer reflective questions and find further readings to study. Also, as you read through each chapter be sure to peruse the footnotes, for they compliment the written material and previously quoted biblical passages. When you have completed reading the first chapter, have answered the questions and completed the readings in the guide, proceed to the next chapters, following the same formula.

When you have completed part one, Studying … The Testimony, purchase part two in The Testimony series, Living … The Testimony. This book is a collection of testimonies compiled by the author, designed to raise your faith (by reading stories of faith) and to help you understand the content required to write your own testimony. As you read through book two, Living … The Testimony, be sure to follow along with the companion guide as well. Do this, not only for the reflective questions and further study, but to also build your very own testimony.

Book three, Preparing … The Testimony, is of course the companion/study guide in which you will answer questions, while it prepares you in the writing of your own testimony. It is designed for individual use or as a group Bible study.

Appendix: Hell

In Chapter One of Studying … The Testimony, the reader will experience the first testimony in this series. A very significant testimony, for its content encouraged Deidre to delve into and write an appendix on the fiery depths of hell. You could never imagine the history that she uncovers and how she will change your thoughts on this subject and others. So please, I implore you to read the appendix and further study this extraordinary subject, as it will leave an enduring mark on your heart and soul.

I hope you, the reader, put your faith in Jesus and learn from the work that my dear friend Deidre has composed in The Testimony series. Not only so that we can all understand the history behind testimony, but so that we can record our own testimonies to share with family, friends, and fellow churchgoers. Whoever reads this book will be left with an indelible urge to compose his or her own testimony and, as a bonus, will gain an in-depth understanding of the Bible. Having said this, I hope that you enjoy The Testimony series as much as I have and all that it has to offer.

Love and Light,

—Courtney Kasian, Editor

A NOTE FROM DEIDRE

I have predominantly used the New Revised Standard Version for this study. Because some Christians may be a bit unfamiliar with this particular Bible translation, I thought it beneficial to describe its advantages.

The NRSV is considered a literal translation (as opposed to an interpretive translation). A literal translation, like the New King James Version, is a translation that seeks to relay original words and phrases as written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, leaving in wonderful things such as metaphor and cultural context. Whereas an interpretive translation, the New International Version, for example, focuses more on communicating a straightforward message, so as to avoid any possible confusion ("thought for thought" as opposed to "word for word"). The NRSV with Apocrypha includes the Old Testament Apocrypha (Jewish writings not seen as canonical, but widely read as devotional literature), which many Christians are unfamiliar with but are beneficial to Bible study in regard to history and Jewish life.[1] Ultimately, for Bible study, numerous translations are crucial—both literal and interpretive versions—so as to gain insight and clarity.

It is my hope that after finishing this book readers will take on the challenge of reading the book of Mark as well as Acts 1-2, in order to study testimony firsthand.

Book series one:

S T U D Y I N G . . .

T H E   T E S T I M O N Y

AND THIS IS THE TESTIMONY: GOD GAVE US ETERNAL LIFE, AND THIS LIFE IS IN HIS SON.

—1 JOHN 5:11

CHAPTER ONE

Why Do We Testify?

Love one another deeply from the heart.

—1 Peter 1:22

Throughout my Christian journey I've met numerous people who struggle with their personal faith story, otherwise known as their Christian testimony. Questions and comments I have heard include: What the heck is a testimony?! Does everyone have a testimony? Should I write out my personal testimony? What exactly goes into a testimony? My testimony seems weak; after all, I don't have any tragedy in my life. Does this mean I don't actually have a testimony? My testimony is far too boring—I couldn't possibly share it! I never give my testimony … do Christians have to give a testimony? I think I have a great testimony about surviving (divorce, an illness, a death). Is this what a testimony is all about?

This book series delves deeply into the subject of testimony. After all, the testimony of Jesus is the very foundation of both evangelism and our personal faith. If our foundation is weak, then our attempts to share the gospel—or even live the gospel—may prove to be unfruitful. Whether we are seasoned evangelists or brand new Christians, The Testimony series is intended to strengthen our foundation so we can better share and live the gospel message.

So where do we begin? In this book, Studying … The Testimony, we will first examine the meaning of both "testimony" and "testament." Next, we will study the Old Testament's judicial system to see how God intended testimony to be used. We will also investigate Jesus' trial, as described in the New Testament, to understand how false testimony can overshadow truth. We will explore the seven different witnesses of Jesus, exposing the very source of testimony. We will then follow the apostles as Jesus testifies to them, preparing them to testify to others.

In book two: Living … The Testimony, we will learn what a testimony is not, study the definition of a strong biblical testimony, read examples of personal testimonies; and lastly, just to say we've done it all, we will weigh the dangers of giving testimony. In book three: Preparing … The Testimony: A Companion Guide For Individual or Group Study, we will review all prior chapters; plus, we will learn how to strengthen, prepare, and share our own personal testimonies. But before we dive into all this, I think it may be beneficial to explain why we should want to testify about Jesus.

Love

Unfortunately, the world we live in is not perfect or fair. Bad things often happen to good people. Conversely, good things happen to bad people. And to convolute matters even more, good people can turn into bad people, and bad people can transform into good. Everyone struggles in one way or another within this confusing realm of good and bad. Concerning myself, as a child I was sexually molested numerous times by an uncle (bad things happening to innocent people). These experiences made me, an eight-year-old girl, feel dirty, scared, and confused. As I grew older, my self-esteem plummeted as I became both drawn toward men and, at the same time, frightened and untrusting of them. I also began to fervently hate the uncle who had caused me such pain. Later in life—after I became a Christian—I felt an overwhelming need to forgive my uncle. I wrote this uncle a letter in which I explained how deeply his actions had hurt me and how I wanted to completely forgive him. I told him my journey with Jesus was going to help me do this. (At least I hoped my journey with Jesus would help me do this.)

A few years later, I was asked by my aunt Myrna, a Christian, to pray for this very same uncle—his name is Glen. She wanted to pray for her younger brother because she loved him; therefore, she wanted him to experience what she had already come to know: the joy and peace that comes from knowing Jesus. I, however, if I am going to be totally honest, still felt like Glen deserved to be severely punished for his past actions toward me. But since my aunt Myrna was so intent on helping Glen, I didn't want to disappoint her. Plus, I knew (somewhere deep in my heart) that my uncle was God's child too. God loved him and wanted him home and in His care, forgiven and renewed. So, somewhat halfheartedly, I agreed to pray that Glen would come to know Jesus.

Myrna and I prayed for Glen twice a week. Our prayers had to be conducted over the phone because I lived in the southern hot spot of Brooks, Alberta, while my aunt Myrna lived further north in my hometown of Edmonton, where my uncle also lived. We prayed over the phone asking God to have mercy towards Glen for the things he had done wrong, to draw Glen toward Jesus, and also for God to help Myrna find time to meet with Glen in order to deliver testimony. You see, both my aunt and I understood, by this time, that testimony was a powerful spiritual weapon. After all, it is the death and resurrection of Jesus—paired with our testimony—that overcomes the enemy: "But they have conquered him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony" (Rev 12:11).

But what is a Christian testimony? Is it the story of our lives? Is it a description about the moment we first came to believe in Jesus? Is it preaching about Jesus? Or is testifying more about focusing on benevolent actions? Such as the saying goes, "Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary." Testimony is all of this … and more.

St. Francis, who is said to be the source of the aforementioned saying, is right in reminding us that actions speak rather loudly. Our actions reveal what we believe. However, Christians are also required to speak the gospel. It is not a one or the other scenario. And if we shrink back, relying solely on our actions to reveal Jesus, we perhaps should remind ourselves that St. Francis was primarily a preacher of the gospel.

The fact is works alone are not always clear enough to reveal exactly who Jesus is, so preaching or, more simply put, speaking is necessary. However, having said this, don't forget to add works to your faith. After all, what does a spoken belief amount to without substantial actions to confirm the depth of its truth? As James 2:17 points out, "So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead."

So then, if we are to testify, what exactly are we to speak about? And what kind of works are we to add to our faith? What exactly is the complete Christian testimony made up of? In essence, a biblical testimony is a revelatory account (a discovery, a personal disclosure) of who Jesus is followed by a life of good works that fervently supports this belief; and our testimonies, when shared with others—through a myriad of often creative ways—reveals Christ to the world. A Christian's spirituality then is highly personal; however, it is not meant to be private. After all, if we shrink back from testifying about Jesus because of fear or indifference then are we not doing those who do not know Jesus a terrible disservice by keeping the reality of Jesus selfishly to ourselves? For myself, I cannot stop speaking about who Jesus is and what I have seen him do and say because knowing who he is offers so much more: more hope, more life, more love, more spirituality, more growth. If someone has not experienced the joy of a living Jesus who both speaks and acts, I feel totally compelled to share what I know, so that through my experience they might also experience Jesus and begin a supernatural faith journey of their own—a journey of discovery with that amazing being we all call God.

It is the Christian testimony, our testimonies, that bring to light, explain, authenticate, and confirm—not only the message of the Bible but also the events of the Bible—revealing to the world Jesus' true nature, his purpose of restoration, his unending existence, and God's loving character and plan. When it comes to testimony, exemplifying Jesus—in both deeds and words—is the key that opens all hearts.

Trusting that a testimony of Jesus was needed to bring Glen into everlasting life and unity with God, my aunt and I began praying for opportunities. Within weeks my aunt Myrna met Glen for coffee, and she told him her testimony—her personal discovery of Jesus.[2] She then met him again, telling him more about what she knew about Jesus. Then one night she took Glen to a Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship dinner. There, Glen heard the testimony of a man who had a near-death experience. Unbeknownst to Myrna, Glen also had a near-death experience.

Glen had become an alcoholic early on in life, but to his family he was simply Glen—the youngest, cutest boy in a family of eleven. One day, on July 27, 1995, at the age of 32, while intoxicated and riding a bike, a truck slammed into him.[3] He awoke one hour and forty minutes later in the hospital alone and in the dark, strapped into a hospital gurney, a hospital band around his wrist. It was shortly after the Full Gospel dinner, that Glen told Myrna this story: that he had died and in death had found himself in hell.[4]

In hell, Glen witnessed numerous large, human-like creatures torturing the souls of humans—all done for sport. He described hell as expansive and filled with many caverns, most of which he did not enter. He said hell was dark, barren, hot, fiery in places, terrifying, and utterly hopeless. God then lifted Glen out of hell; and in a room that Glen called "The Perfect Room," because it was perfectly square and seemed to be made of diamonds, he saw his own dead body, now dressed in a white robe and filled with light.[5] While staring at his body, Glen peered toward his wrist. Years earlier, when Glen was sixteen and high on acid, a friend had etched a tattoo there. It was a small, crude tattoo of a word written in Punjabi: "God is love." Glen then walked over to a staircase where God showed him the events of his life,[6] most of which disgusted Glen, making him respond, "Give me an axe; I'll chop that body to a million pieces!" God then literally pulled the anger and hate out of Glen's soul.[7]

God then told Glen he would be given a choice: he could choose death—and go back to hell—or he could choose life and return to earth. Glen wasn't excited about having to go back to his life on earth; he wanted to stay with God. But he also knew life on earth would be far better than going to hell. God said to Glen, "Do you want to go back there … to that other place, or do you want to live?"

Glen shouted, "I wanna live!"

God's response was solemn and heartfelt, "Thank you," He said, "you have made a good choice."

Before Glen went back to earth two guardian angels gave him, what he called, a "tough-love pep talk," saying how brave he was for agreeing to go back and telling Glen that they knew he'd smarten up. They also told him that there was "a plan," and they said that Glen knew the plan and would follow it. However, upon waking from death in the hospital Glen couldn't remember anything about the plan or how he was to supposed to follow it. Thankfully, he did have a newfound desire to want to be a better person.[8]

During the dinner at the Full Gospel meeting, the speaker described his own terrifying experience in hell and how he too had been suddenly pulled out. He then described how he lived his life with this dark secret hanging over him—he was destined for hell. His life changed when he met a person who told him the sure way out of hell was to ask God for forgiveness for the wrong things he had done and then to have faith in God's Son, Jesus, who gives eternal life. Glen, having heard this testimony, turned to Myrna and said, "This is it. This is what I need to do: believe in Jesus and ask for forgiveness."

Glen died two weeks later at the age of 39.

Immediately after becoming a Christian, Glen asked his sister, Myrna, if he could stay at her house. He seemed to sense comfort with her. He seemed to need her. She took him in and she prayed with him during the nights that he stayed in her guest room; then one tragic night his liver, due to years of alcohol abuse, ruptured.

Glen was taken to the hospital. He seemed to know he would die shortly, and he was ready—to the point of looking forward to death. Glen accepted his sickness with alarming grace. He kept encouraging his family not to worry because he would not be going to hell. He would be in heaven. He asked Myrna numerous times to sit by his bedside and pray for him. He said goodbye to everyone and passed away quietly.[9] Can you imagine what death for Glen might have been like without a revelation of Jesus? With Jesus, Glen had the joy of knowing he had found God's plan—Glen had found life:

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live." —Jn 11:25

Going out of your way to sincerely tell a person about Jesus does not mean you must act like an extremist, a radical bent on converting the world. It does not mean you must hate every other religion in order to push your own agenda, and it certainly doesn't mean you must fulfill a certain quota of "saved lives" to feel worthy as a Christian. It simply means you value who Jesus is and you trust that what you know about Jesus will be helpful—even essential—to others. For myself, I found solace in the fact that after my mom and my aunts had gone through Glen's belongings, the letter I had written him (my first attempt at forgiveness) had been kept in his bottom drawer. I knew then that Glen had thought about me and my journey; this was extremely comforting. I also realized that—through the experience of praying for Glen—I had come to the point of completely forgiving him. The Father and the Son's forgiving heart, as well as the Holy Spirit's nurturing desire to rescue Glen, had transferred to me. In fact, I can say today that I love Glen, and I look forward to getting to know him in eternity. His memorial card read:

This life for me has truly passed, I have loved you all to the very last. Weep not for me, but courage take And love one another for my sake.

I hold these words dear to my heart because I truly believe these are the words Glen would have spoken to us, his family, as he left this world for heaven: "Love one another for my sake." Love, it is both actions and words. It is the gospel of Jesus. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It should be the basis for all Christian testimony. We testify because we love.

You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. —Matthew 5:43-44 (NKJV)

* For a review of this chapter and to answer reflective questions, see the companion guide: Preparing … The Testimony.

CHAPTER TWO

Testimony and Testament:

What Do These Terms Mean?!

Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples.

—Isaiah 8:16

I know very few people whose favorite activity is studying. For instance, there was that one strange girl in my high school who every year scooped up all the awards (except the drama award), but that was a long time ago, and I'm sure by now she's moved on to more exciting things. Studying is, after all, tedious work. Of course, I'm not talking about studying for a biology test on photosynthesis. I'm talking about studying the Bible: biblical history, biblical themes … prophecy. Definitely hard work. Trying to remember crazy names and moldy dates, keeping rulers and prophets and their decrees all in order, understanding metaphor and symbol, it all seems just a bit too heavy. But it doesn't have to be, not if we keep our goal simple and focused. Take the following two chapters for example. They focus on merely two aspects of the Old Testament: a short study of the Old Testament's definition of "testimony" and "testament," and a look into the judicial process. And though these chapters may be a slow plod through mud for some, let me assure you of their importance in understanding the Christian testimony.

A testimony is a statement about truth, a solemn declaration made by persons in court regarding events they have witnessed: they have seen or heard something pertinent—perhaps even essential—to the subject at hand. A testimony provides a judge and jury with important information, information that will be carefully considered before a just ruling can be made. A false testimony undermines the whole judicial process by subverting or distorting truth. Testimony, both true and false, was given during Jesus' trial. Jesus was sentenced to death because the false testimony overwhelmed the true.

A testimony or testament is also a written document of promise between individuals, such as a Will. In the case of a Will, the promises (or the inheritance) contained within the Will only come into effect once the person who has made the testament dies and if the heir has fulfilled any obligations outlined in that Will. God, in the Old Testament, provided the Israelites with a testament of promise—the Ten Commandments—which contained both a promise and contractual obligations. This testament came into effect not on the death of a person but on the death of animals.[10] It is in this way that the Old Testament worked more like a pseudo Will, an example Will that foreshadowed an upcoming genuine Will. When this first testament was broken by the Israelites because they failed to fulfill their contractual obligations, God, instead of abandoning them, instituted another testament. This new testament was a true Will, and it contained an even better inheritance than the first one did. But since a genuine Will can only come into effect upon the death of the one who made it, Jesus (who is one with God) came to die so the promises laid out by God would take effect.

The Old Testament Israelites were extremely familiar with both the testimony and the testament, and because much of their spiritual history depended upon both—as does ours—we should take time to understand both of them ourselves.

The Old Testament

God's Ten Commandments as found in Exodus 20[11] were the words God personally spoke to His people from Mount Sinai, which He then wrote on two stone tablets:

Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the covenant in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, written on the front and on the back. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tablets. —Ex 32:15-16[12]

The Ten Commandments, as a whole document, including the statutes and ordinances,[13] were also known as The Covenant, The Testament, and The Testimony. Covenant because it contained a formal and binding agreement, Testament because it contained a promise (an inheritance), and Testimony because the two stone tablets were kept as a testimony (proof) to the agreement between God and the Israelites.[14]

He declared to you his covenant, which he charged you to observe, that is, the ten commandments; and he wrote them on two stone tablets. And the LORD charged me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy. —Deut 4:13-14

The Ten Commandments (literally the "ten utterances") were the regulations the Israelite people were formally bound to in order to fulfill their part of the agreement that God had made with them:

Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he dashed against the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient." Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, "See the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." —Ex 24:6-8 [15]

If the Israelites—as a nation—adhered to all of the Ten Commandments that God both spoke and wrote on stone for them, then the following blessing would be carried out by God:

Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. —Ex 19:5-6

However, if the Israelite nation did not adhere to God's covenant—if instead they broke it—then the following curse would be released upon them:

See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn from the way that I am commanding you today, to follow other gods that you have not known. —Deut 11.26-28[16]

Fortunately though, God had previously made an unbreakable covenant with Israel's patriarchs, promising to turn Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's descendants into a great and faithful nation and promising to give to them the land of Canaan. Therefore, God would not destroy all the Israelites that broke, spurned, or abhorred His Ten Commandments:

He is mindful of his covenant forever, of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance." —Ps 105:8-11

Because of this promise, even if the covenant of the Ten Commandments were to be broken, a remnant of Israel's people would always endure. Thankfully, this prior covenant with Abraham provided much needed mercy to the Israelites. After all, the Israelites were about to break God's covenant—they were about to choose other gods—and God's curse was about to be released.

The Instructions (teachings) of the Covenant

The instructions, also known as the "statutes and ordinances," found throughout Exodus, Deuteronomy, Numbers, and Leviticus, although inseparable from the Ten Commandments, were slightly different than the Ten Commandments. These teachings were given to Moses as additional guidance for worship, everyday life, and for administering justice. The instructions dealing with administering justice, instead of reading like a commandment, read more like, "If this kind of scenario should happen, then do this … " For example, "You shall not murder" was part of the Ten Commandments; the penalty for transgressing this commandment was death. However, sometimes death resulted from negligence and was not a premeditated murder. When such an unfortunate (and yet serious) incidence occurred, there was a teaching that accompanied the commandment in order to ensure justice:

Suppose someone goes into the forest with another to cut wood, and when one of them swings the ax to cut down a tree, the head slips from the handle and strikes the other person who then dies; the killer may flee to one of these cities[17] and live. —Deut 19:5

If an Israelite came before a judge with a unique or complex issue that was not covered within the Ten Commandments, nor was it clearly defined within the teachings, then the following was done:

If a judicial decision is too difficult for you to make between one kind of bloodshed and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another—any such matters of dispute in your towns—then you shall immediately go up to the place that the LORD your God will choose, where you shall consult with the levitical priests and the judge who is in office in those days; they shall announce to you the decision in the case. —Deut 17:8-9[18]

Also, if anyone were to break a commandment or teaching unintentionally then, in order to maintain fairness and justice, the following teaching was applied and a guilt offering was made:

If anyone of the ordinary people[19] among you sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the LORD'S commandments ought not to be done and incurs guilt, when the sin that you have committed is made known to you, you shall bring a female goat without blemish as your offering, for the sin that you have committed. —Lev 4:27-28[20]

As the above teachings reveal, God was greatly concerned with fairness and justice. Israelites were not unhesitatingly punished for breaking a commandment. If it was an accident, or was done without knowledge, then concessions were made. God was (and is) merciful and fair.

Both the commandments and the instructions were given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai after the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. Like the book of Exodus, the book of Deuteronomy also contains statutes and instructions, reiterating the Ten Commandments, adding slightly new teachings[21] and more persuasive speeches from Moses, all imploring the Israelites to remain in covenant relationship with God. After all, a whole new generation of Israelites was about to enter into a new season in their journey with God—they were about to enter the Promised Land of Canaan:

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. —Deut 6:5-7

The Curse

In the end, the nation of Israel broke the covenant God had made with them; as promised, God's curse quickly followed. (This happened after King Solomon died and after the deportation to Babylon.) The curse was released as prophesied by Zechariah:

Again I looked up and saw a flying scroll. And he [the angel] said to me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits."[22] Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land; for everyone who steals[23] shall be cut off according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely[24] shall be cut off according to the writing on the other side."[25] —Zech 5:1-3[26]

However, before the official breaking of the covenant of the Ten Commandments, God in his mercy had already planned a "new" covenant. This New Covenant was decidedly unique. God's people would now, instead of obeying the Ten Commandments, obey the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would, shockingly, enter into their very hearts and dwell within them—a true spiritual inheritance. It was Jesus who brought to earth this amazing New Covenant, redeeming everyone from the curse of the Ten Commandments:

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law."[27] Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for "The one who is righteous will live by faith." But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, "Whoever does the works of the law will live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"[28]—in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. —Gal 3:10-14

Also, the blessing (or inheritance) contained within this New Covenant was radically better than the Old Covenant. Instead of just promising His people that they would be "a priestly kingdom and a holy nation," God now promised His people eternal life and an eternal priestly kingdom. Additionally, this New Covenant would be offered not just to the Israelite people, but to all nations—both men and women, whomever God would call. Astonishingly, the Ten Commandments, also known as The Testament or The Testimony, were about to become truly spiritual and deeply personal.

* For a review of this chapter and to answer reflective questions, see the companion guide: Preparing … The Testimony.

CHAPTER THREE

The Judges and The Judicial System

You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.

—Matthew 10:18 (NLT)

The New Testament paints the picture of a courthouse when dealing with Christian testimony simply because presenting issues before a God-appointed judge (a mediator between God and His people) was the way God initially instructed the Israelites to deal with disagreements and transgressions of His commandments, statutes, and ordinances. The Israelites' whole judicial process began with Moses, Israel's first God-appointed mediator and judge:

The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?" Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God." —Ex 18:13-16

Moses, as suggested by his father-in-law Jethro, then appointed other trustworthy (secondary) judges to help with minor cases:

Moses chose able men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any minor case they decided themselves. —Ex 18:25-26[29]

Moses, because he was God's prophet and appointed judge, could go directly to God for help in matters of judgment; therefore, the tough cases were brought to him.[30] The other judges judged the more straightforward cases, following God's covenantal commandments, statutes, and ordinances.

Maintaining Integrity, Fairness, and Justice

The execution of justice, making sure the commandments and teachings were understood and adhered to so the people would stay in covenant relationship with God, and making sure fairness and truth won out in court, was of great concern to Moses. However, not only was Moses concerned with justice and fairness, God was also completely concerned with these issues. After all, God not only wanted His people to stay in relationship with Him, but God also wanted to protect the persecuted and the oppressed. Because of this, God required His own appointed judges to act as He would act—with complete integrity and impartiality. It was God who said:

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. —Deut 10:17-18

Because of God's concern regarding integrity, fairness, and justice, Moses laid the following foundation for other Israelite judges:

You shall appoint judges and officials throughout your tribes, in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, and they shall render just decisions for the people. You must not distort justice; you must not show partiality; and you must not accept bribes, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, so that you may live and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you. —Deut 16:18-20

For the nation of Israel, having a judge was not a terrible thing, nor was a judge a person to be necessarily feared. Punishment was not a judge's primary motive—justice, fairness, and impartiality were. A Hebrew judge was more like a superhero: one who would stand up for those who were in the right, one who would defend those who were being bullied, mistreated, harassed, marginalized, or cheated. The judge was often a person's last hope. A biblical judge meant hope for the widow, the orphan, and the oppressed. And a righteous judge was Israel's savior and glory. After all, a judge kept the people in covenant relationship, as long as he or she stayed true to God and did not become corrupt through greed, partiality, lust, or pride.

The Testimony

Since many of God's commandments and instructions held the penalty of death if transgressed, making sure a person was in fact guilty of breaking a commandment or instruction was top priority.[31] People were not to be condemned without significant proof. To ensure justice was served, God gave this commandment to His people: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."[32] As well, numerous teachings were given by Moses for those who provided testimony before a judge:

A single witness shall not suffice to convict a person of any crime or wrongdoing in connection with any offense that may be committed. only on the evidence of two or three witnesses[33] shall a charge be sustained. —Deut 19:15[34]

You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness. You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing; when you bear witness in a lawsuit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice; nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit. —Ex 23:1-3

When any of you sin in that you have heard a public adjuration to testify and—though able to testify as one who has seen or learned of the matter—do not speak up, you are subject to punishment. —Lev 5:1[35]

Besides teaching the people about their obligation to come forward to give testimony when asked, Moses also taught the people and the secondary judges what to do if a witness's testimony proved to be intentionally false:

If a malicious witness comes forward to accuse someone of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days, and the judges shall make a thorough inquiry. If the witness is a false witness, having testified falsely against another, then you shall do to the false witness just as the false witness had meant to do to the other. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. —Deut 19:16-19

With this method of executing justice in place, the Israelite people (all twelve tribes) wandered for many, many years from Mount Sinai, where they received God's testament, through the desert, finally ending up at the edge of the Promised Land where Moses delivered his final victory/warning speech, as spoken in Deuteronomy. Moses' final speech, however, was delivered not to the people of the Exodus, but rather to the children of the Exodus. After all, the original generation—the one that escaped slavery in Egypt, saw God's miracles, and received God's covenant—had by now all died, except Moses, Caleb, and Joshua.[36] Now a new generation stood before Moses. Moses reminded this new generation of God's testament, emphasizing the importance of God's Ten Commandments and of following the teachings. Moses then commissioned Joshua as their new leader. After Moses did this, he died (at 120 years old) and was buried, without ever stepping foot into the Promised Land himself.[37] The new generation then crossed over into the land God had promised where they grew and became a prominent nation—God's holy nation. Their God-appointed method of judging continued on in their new land, without Moses.

Other Judges (saviors)

After Moses, God raised up other judges. The book of Judges and 1 Samuel lists all of Israel's God-appointed judges such as: Othni-el, Ehud, Shamgar, and Deborah … all the way up to Eli and Samuel.[38]

It is extremely important to notice that God appointed and anointed these judges not just to settle disputes between His people, but also to deliver Israel from their enemies in much the same way Moses rescued the Israelites from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh. It is in this way that the God-appointed judges became not just decision makers, mediators, and leaders but also saviors (the superheroes of the Old Testament):

Then the LORD raised up judges, who delivered them out of the power of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen even to their judges; for they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD; they did not follow their example. —Judg 2:16-17

Israel's fourth Judge was named Deborah. She held court under the tree of Deborah:

At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah[39] between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. —Judg 4:4-5

Deborah, united with Barak the warrior, led the Israelite army into battle against Sisera, their Canaanite enemy, and won. Thereby illustrating how a judge was both mediator and savior to God's people—for as long as that judge lived. However, there was a slight catch. Whenever a judge died, the Israelite people always relapsed into sin—always! For example, when Deborah died, "The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian seven years" (Judg 6:1). In this respect, the Old Testament judges continually reinforced the need for a better savior and judge—a judge who would not die. The soon to be prophesied "Messiah" was an anointed judge and savior who would never die; therefore, he would be able to keep his people from continually falling back into sin. God's Messiah would be a miraculous judge.[40] It was through the establishment of judges (also the high priest) and later the kings, that God revealed to His Israelite people the character and purpose of this coming miraculous Messiah. However, before the official perfect, spiritual Messiah could appear to Israel, God began with the natural judges:

But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. —1 Cor 15:46

Justice Becomes Perverted

Although the natural judges started off as righteous leaders and just judges, over the years their ability to judge, as happens with all natural things, began to break down. Eventually, justice became perverted as partiality and greed, lust and pride began to slip in.

Samuel was Israel's last official God-appointed judge. 1 Samuel 7:15 says, "Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life." However, when Samuel became old he made his sons judges. Samuel's partiality toward his sons unfortunately opened the door to greed: "His sons did not follow in his ways, but turned aside after gain; they took bribes and perverted justice" (1 Sam 8:3).[41] It was only then—when the judges' ability to judge with righteousness broke down—that the people of Israel demanded a king to rule over them, just like the other nations had:

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations." But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to govern us." Samuel prayed to the LORD, and the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them." —1 Sam 8:4-7[42]

The Kings

It was during Samuel's lifetime that the time of the kings began.[43] The kings, beginning with King Saul, then King David, and lastly King Solomon, took over the duties of the judge.[44] For example, we all know the story of King Solomon judging between the two women and the baby.[45] The time of the kings was short lived because "the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice" (1 Kings 11:9):

So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD,[46] and did not completely follow the LORD, as his father David had done.[47] Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab,[48] and for Molech[49] the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. —1 Kings 11:6-7

Because of Solomon's great sin in turning his heart away from God (and breaking commandment #1), God judged Solomon according to that commandment:

You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God,[50] punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. —Ex 20:3-6

Because of this commandment Solomon's punishment would fall, not upon Solomon himself, but rather upon his son—Rehoboam. Gods punishment included the following: the kingdom of Israel, consisting of twelve tribes, would be divided into two countries during Rehoboam's reign; eventually, both countries would be viciously conquered. This devastating ruling of almost complete annihilation of the people of Israel was based upon the Mount Sinai Covenant (Ten Commandments) that God had made with the Israelites through Moses, which He then re-affirmed through Solomon after Solomon had built God's temple:

If you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut Israel off from the land that I have given them; and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight; and Israel will become a proverb and a taunt among all peoples. —1 Kings 9:6-7

Ultimately, King Solomon's adulterous actions represented the official breaking of God's Covenant; the agreement the Israelites had committed their very lives to was shattered. And now with corruption reaching throughout the land and into the heart of Israel's anointed king and judge, God would have to act:[51]

Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this has been your mind and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant. Yet for the sake of your father David I will not do it in your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.[52] I will not, however, tear away the entire kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of my servant David[53] and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen." —1 Kings 11:11-13

Israel and its Judicial System Breaks Down

The dividing of Israel came through the hand of Jeroboam, a servant of Solomon, who led a rebellion against Solomon's son, Rehoboam.[54] From that time on, ten of the original twelve tribes of Israel broke away from the House of David, gathering under the leadership of Jeroboam.[55] The ten tribes that broke away were Asher, Dan, Naphtali, Issachar, Zebulun, Simeon, Reuben, Gad, Manasseh, and Ephraim; this new nation stationed itself in the northern part of Israel. Israel-north was called "Israel" (made up of the ten tribes); its (final) capital was at Samaria. Thus, the people in that region became known as "Samaritans."[56]

The southern country, made up of the tribe of Judah and the remnant tribe of Benjamin,[57] was called "Judah." The people in this nation became known as "Jews." Its capital remained at Jerusalem where the Jews continued to worship at the grand temple built by Solomon. Because the Jews were still able to worship at the place that God Himself had chosen and in the temple where God "placed his name,"[58] the Jews grew rather uppity. Considering themselves to be the legitimate worshipers, the Jews soon began to look down upon the Samaritans. This division between Judah and Samaria lasted into Jesus' time. See, for example, John 4:9: "The Samaritan woman said to him [Jesus], 'How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?' (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)"[59]

In 722-720 BC, Israel/Samaria fell to its enemy, Assyria. After the war, the Samaritan people were exiled and scattered throughout other Assyrian-held territories; many more foreigners were allowed to move in. Surprisingly, the king of Assyria allowed a priest to return to Samaria in order to teach the people how to worship the LORD. In the end, "They worshiped the LORD but also served their own gods" (2 Kings 17:33).

Later, in 589-586, Judah was destroyed by its enemy, Babylonia. Most of these Jews were deported to Babylon. After the city of Jerusalem fell, the prophet Isaiah, who was also deported to Babylon, began to prophesy that God's perfect judge, both appointed by God and anointed by God, was coming. This coming judge would not only descend from the tribe of Judah of the House of David, but the Spirit of God would also be with him—all this was extremely good news. A new judge was coming to save the people:

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.[60] The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,[61] and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. —Isa 11:1-4

This coming judge would be established as both judge and king of Israel for eternity. Meaning, unlike the judges of the past, this special judge and savior would live forever. A true spiritual Messiah was coming who would both save the Israelites (and the world) and mediate between them with perfect justice. This final judge is Jesus:

Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. —Heb 7:23-25

However, Jesus first came to us as the mediator of the New Covenant. Like Moses—who mediated the Old Covenant of the Ten Commandments to the Israelites—Jesus delivered to all peoples the New Covenant: eternal life through the indwelling of the Spirit. When Jesus returns to earth, he will then act as judge:

He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he [Jesus] is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. —Acts 10:42[62]

Jesus will then, just as Moses did in his day, appoint other trustworthy people to act as secondary judges and judge alongside him. Concerning this, Isaiah prophesied the following:

And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. —Isa 1:26-27

Paul and John also spoke about our role as secondary judges:

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels—to say nothing of ordinary matters? —1 Cor 6:2-3[63]

However, during the prophet Isaiah's time, after the deportation to Babylon, the people of Judah, no longer having their own country and no longer having their own God-appointed judge or king, depended solely upon their chief priests, scribes, and elders to judge matters. In effect, the Israelites were left to judge matters without God's anointing, and the honest judicial system God established completely broke down.

* For a review of this chapter and to answer reflective questions, see the companion guide: Preparing … The Testimony.

CHAPTER FOUR

For Further Study:

A New and Corrupt System

Wickedness came forth from Babylon, from elders who were judges, who were supposed to govern the people.

—Susanna 1:5

For an excellent example of how corrupt the judicial system had become and how a court case might have played out during the Israelite's time in Babylon, we can read the story of Susanna found in the Old Testament Apocrypha, book of Susanna:

That year two elders from the people were appointed as judges. Concerning them the Lord had said: "Wickedness came forth from Babylon, from elders who were judges, who were supposed to govern the people." These men were frequently at Joakim's house, and all who had a case to be tried came to them there. When the people left at noon, Susanna would go into her husband's garden to walk. Every day the two elders used to see her, going in and walking about, and they began to lust for her. They suppressed their consciences and turned away their eyes from looking to Heaven or remembering their duty to administer justice. —Sus 1:5-9

As the story goes, the two elders eventually conspired together in order to blackmail Susanna into sleeping with them. While she was alone in the garden, they approached her:

They said, "Look, the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us. We are burning with desire for you; so give your consent, and lie with us. If you refuse, we will testify against you that a young man was with you, and this was why you sent your maids away." —Sus 1:20-21

Susanna was indeed in dire straits because as we already know, according to Deuteronomy 19:15, it takes two agreeing witnesses to condemn a person of a crime. Susanna's crime—according to her two false witnesses—would be adultery. The two judges would give witness to the people that they saw Susanna lie with an unknown man. Unfortunately the man got away, but luckily Susanna was caught. Susanna would have been well aware that these two agreeing (though false) witnesses were all that were needed to put her to death on the charge of adultery, as laid out in the Ten Commandments and the teachings:

You shall not commit adultery. —Ex 20:14

If a man is caught lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman as well as the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. —Deut 22:22

Proving her innocence against these judges would have seemed impossible. However, all was not lost. As the story goes, the Spirit of God stirred up Daniel at her trial. Daniel then cross-examined the two witnesses, just as God commands in Deuteronomy 19:18. Through Daniel's inquiry, it was proven that the two witnesses' testimonies didn't agree and were, in fact, completely fabricated. Consequently, the two elders were then put on trial for transgressing God's instruction regarding providing testimony:

If the witness is a false witness, having testified falsely against another, then you shall do to the false witness just as the false witness had meant to do to the other. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. —Deut 19:18-19

The two elders broke commandment number nine of God's Ten Commandments; they gave false testimony against their neighbor. And since the instruction for bearing false witness was, "You shall do to the false witness just as the false witness had meant to do to the other," the two elders were sentenced to death and justice prevailed.

This weakened method of justice—appointing, often times, corrupted chief priests, scribes, and elders to judge and mediate matters, without a God-appointed judge—continued in Judah long after the Babylonians allowed the Jewish people to return to their land, and even as Jesus came upon the scene.

* For a review of this chapter and to answer reflective questions, see the companion guide: Preparing … The Testimony.

BEFORE WE CONTINUE ON ...

Whew, we made it through what's commonly called the "old" testament. But we're not quite done yet. Now that we have a basic gist of what the Old Testament is about, it's time to merge that information with the events that are described in the New Testament. After all, it is the Old Testament that both sets the mood and establishes the religious structure prior to the introduction of Jesus … all this building toward something as seemingly unpretentious as testimony. But before we continue on to Jesus' trial, let's take a moment to appreciate the mood and the religious structure of Jerusalem just before Jesus is introduced.

First of all, feel for the Jewish people. Once again they are under the rule of an aggressive foreign power. Instead of the Babylonians, now it's the Romans who rule them. North of Judah is Samaria, a constant and stark reminder that more than half of their people have been carried away because of their sin against God … and still they hope. They hope for the promised judge who will save them—a prophetic judge like Deborah, a faithful judge like Gideon, a miraculous judge like Moses. They wait for a judge who won't ever die. They hope also for God to establish a new covenant with them, a covenant of renewal, where the words of the prophet Ezekiel can be established: "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezek 36:25-26). And so they wait for a new heart, a heart that can worship God without their own self-seeking desires constantly drawing them away. Ultimately, their hope is for their God to completely forgive them, gathering them close like a mother does her beloved children. After all, they cannot simply forgive each other; they have sinned against their God, and only their God can reach down and pardon them and heal them from death.

Despite all that has happened (the destruction of Israel and of Judah, the deportation to Babylon, the loss of their anointed judges and kings, the release of the curse), the Jewish people understand that the mercy of God's kindness will eventually triumph over the condemnation of the law's judgment.[64] And so the Jewish people wait for all things to be set right. They wait humbly like the trusting woman at the well (a Samaritan) who said, "'I know that Messiah is coming' (who is called Christ). 'When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us'" (Jn 4:25). But not everybody waited with the humble expectation of the Samaritan woman. Some of the people got comfortable with the way things were.

Now imagine the established religious and judicial structure—the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Add to this the Pharisees, a relatively new breed of teacher, whose efforts centered on interpreting the law. Their love of studying the Mosaic Law (the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) and of teaching Oral Law and tradition[65] was meant to keep the people's hearts centered on the LORD. After all, hadn't the people run after other gods in the past? Focusing on the law was sure to keep the people on the straight and narrow. But the Pharisees' teachings became burdens; they mistakenly turned the love of God into empty rules and traditions and a hierarchy of status. As Jesus said, "They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi" (Mt 23:6-7). Ultimately, even with the concentrated efforts of the educated Pharisees, the peoples' hearts were still hard and unable to completely love God; more rules just couldn't change that. And so, as the religious structure kept busy with keeping up with the business of religion, they forgot they were supposed to be humbly awaiting the Messiah. They weren't like the prophet Anna, who fasted and prayed eagerly waiting for her Messiah to appear.[66] Tragically, the Pharisees became blind guides. But for the Jewish people, a new judge was about to be introduced, a new king was about to be established, a new way of relating to God was about to gain a place on earth. As Jesus entered the scene, everything the Jewish nation expected—a judge who would save them, a king who would protect them, a kingdom with a temple glorious and renewed—was about to be delivered. However, it would be delivered in a new and highly unexpected way. In fact, so much of what God was about to do was so out of the realm of the Jewish expectation, that many people missed it. So many people were looking for the old, and God was about to do something completely new:

Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? —Isa 43:18-19

God was not going to simply put a new spin on an old system. He was about to do something new, as in completely different, original, and fresh. What the Israelites had was a natural system of relating to God (rules and sacrifices); now God would introduce the spiritual way of relating to Him (as a loving and forgiving family). The idea of temple would change. The idea of the Levite priesthood would change. The idea of sacrifice would change, and the idea of covenant would change. Out with the old and in with the new … but, if one was in love with the old law, then adapting to the new would definitely be a problem. As Jesus said, "New wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'The old is good'" (Lk 5:38—39).

But before the new could come, the old had to be dealt with. It would be Jesus who would deal with the old. First Jesus would go up against the religious structure. In order to dismantle it, he would prove it to be corrupted by sin and woefully blind, and then he would do what he was born to do: he would fulfill the requirement of the old law by offering himself as a sacrifice. In doing so, Jesus would forgive the sin of all people. It would be just like in the Garden of Eden, when Christ first killed the animal in order to make clothing of hides to cover the shame of both Adam and Eve: "And the LORD God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife, and clothed them" (Gen 3:21). Except now, as God's Christ again stepped upon the world's stage—this time as a man of dust—clothed in weakness, but tested by the Spirit and found to be trustful and in accord with God, he would be killed. God's son would be sacrificed so that all shame and sin could be covered—not by the skins of mere animals as in former times—but by the very nature of the perfect Christ himself: "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Gal 3:27).[67] The mercy that God the Father had planned for His people was coming, and it would be delivered by God's own son. The Son of God would be sent, and in person he would deal with sin by laying down his life so that in his death all might die and … in his resurrection all might live. This moment was miraculous; it was momentous. The children of God would be born again, "born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God" (Jn 1:13).[68] But … for the people of Israel, the trial and death of Jesus would be a time of great confusion, sorrow, and a testing of their hard hearts. In the end, only a handful of people would accept God's New Covenant and His gift of life.

But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities. I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Accuse me, let us go to trial; set forth your case, so that you may be proved right. —Isaiah 43:24-26

CHAPTER FIVE

Jesus' Trial … and His Testimony

The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony.

—John 3:31-32

It was God who first established the practice of presenting disputes and matters of covenant teaching before a judge. Because of this, Jesus—once he had been accused of the crime of blasphemy—had to go through the judicial process. Blasphemy is violating God's third commandment: "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD [YHWH] your God, for the LORD [YHWH] will not acquit anyone who misuses his name" (Ex 20:7).

Why Blasphemy?

The proper name of God is YHWH[69] as given to Moses in Exodus 3:14, and it means "I AM."[70] In most Old Testament translations, including the NRSV this holy name is signified by another name: Adonai, taken from the Hebrew word for "Lord." Spelled in all caps, "LORD," this word represents God's holy name. This decoy name is meant not only to protect the reader from speaking God's name in a wrongful way, but it is also meant to honor the original name by keeping it private and unspoken. Blasphemy, however, is not just about speaking God's holy name with disrespect. According to the Bible, we can also blaspheme God through our actions. To better understand this aspect of blasphemy, take a look at the aforementioned verse in another translation:

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. —Ex 20:7, NKJV

This perhaps is a better translation since the word "vain" gives us a hint toward the profound meaning of "blasphemy." Vain means to do something in a useless, unfruitful, lacking substance, futile, foolish way. Therefore, if you use the holy name in an "unfruitful way" then you are blaspheming God. For instance, in the Old Testament the Israelites often took oaths or vows "in God's name."[71] Such oaths had to be carried out. If an oath made in God's name wasn't carried out, then the one who made the oath had used the holy name in vain.[72] An Israelite who made a vain oath was subject to punishment (death, in the case of blasphemy). In this respect, you didn't want to speak any type of rash oath like Jephthah—he ended up having to sacrifice his daughter as a burnt offering because of his impulsive oath.[73] The issue of uttering foolish vows was such a problem for the Israelite people that this proverb was written: "It is a snare for one to say rashly, 'It is holy,' and begin to reflect only after making a vow" (Prov 20:25).[74] The danger of the rash vow is why Deuteronomy 23:22 states, "But if you refrain from vowing, you will not incur guilt." The rash vow is also why Ecclesiastes 5:5 states, "It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it." Ultimately, the rash vow/oath caused Jesus to teach:

Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord." But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. … Let your word be "Yes, Yes" or "No, No"; anything more than this comes from the evil one. —Mt 5:33-35, 37[75]

But if we study blasphemy a bit more, we will notice that blasphemy had even deeper consequences for the Israelite people. Take for instance an Israelite prophet who prophesied "in the name of the LORD" (Deut 18:22), or a Levite priest who ministered "in the name of the LORD" (Deut 18:5), and then keep in mind all the Israelite people who were/are called "by the name of the LORD" (Deut 28:10).[76] All these people represented the holy name of God—a huge responsibility! Consequently, a prophet who prophesied a lie "in the name of the LORD" had suddenly blasphemed the holy name—he or she had used the holy name in an unfruitful manner. In such a case God, Himself, often executed the death penalty:

And the LORD said to me: The prophets are prophesying lies in my name; I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name though I did not send them, and who say, "Sword and famine shall not come on this land": By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. —Jer 14:14-15[77]

Since blasphemy includes speech as well as action, all the Israelites' sin falls under this one umbrella charge. After all, if an Israelite did or said anything unfruitful "in the name of the LORD" (and everything they did was done in the name of LORD) by their very (imperfect) nature, they could not escape blaspheming their God—their fallen nature guaranteed a charge of blasphemy. In order to escape a charge of blasphemy, complete mercy was needed.

Acting or speaking contrary (opposite in character) to the God whom we serve and willingly represent—because we've entered into covenant with Him—disrespects the name of God and the very person of God.[78]And so, in order to deal with the Israelites' sin of blasphemy, this same charge was brought against Jesus. However, this does not leave other nations innocent. Unfortunately, all people are guilty under the charge of blasphemy since acting contrary to the God in whom we are made in the "image and likeness" of also disrespects the holy name of God.[79] God's plan to forgive humankind's sin of blasphemy against His holy name came through the prophet Ezekiel:

I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. —Ezek 36:23-26

In the end, Jesus had to be charged with blasphemy simply because this is the charge directed against humankind: we have blasphemed the holy name of God by acting in ways that go against God's nature of love. We have failed in representing the God who created us. Disrespecting or slandering God's name/person, through unfruitful/vain words or deeds, is blasphemy. The penalty for blaspheming God is death (stoning), as laid out by Moses in Leviticus 24:16.[80] When Jesus was accused of profaning the holy name of God, the chief priests, scribes, and elders were the ones who held his trial:

Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them [a Pharisee[81]], asked, "Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?" —Jn 7:50-51

I have taken the following description of Jesus' trial for blasphemy primarily from the book of John. Although Jesus' trial is described in Matthew and Mark, as well as in the book of Luke, the book of John, in most cases, provides greater detail.

The Problem with Jesus

Jesus was a genuine threat to the Jewish nation. His popularity was growing so radically that many people now believed Jesus to be the actual Jewish Messiah, the God-ordained judge and king of Israel—and here lay the problem. The council of chief priests, scribes, and elders knew the aggressive Romans who ruled over them would not tolerate a Jewish revolt—a crowning of one of their own as a serious king (the Romans appointed Jewish puppet kings over Jerusalem[82]). And so, with the sense of rebellion mounting, panic spread within the council: Would the Romans soon view all Jews as possible rebels and, therefore, a threat to the Roman Empire? Would the Romans seek to destroy God's holy temple?[83] Caiaphas, the high priest, planned to save the Jewish people and their holy temple from Roman retaliation by simply getting rid of Jesus:

So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, "What are we to do? This man [Jesus] is performing many signs.[84] If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation." But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed." —Jn 11:47-50[85]

Caiaphas' words rang true to the council. It did seem wiser to kill one man in order to save a whole nation from the aggressive Roman army. However, not only did Jesus give the chief priests, scribes, and elders anxiety over possible rebellion, but he also caused other more envious aggravations as well. For example, when Jesus healed people on the Sabbath, the council considered his actions work and a breaking of God's fourth commandment. But when Jesus refuted the council with words of wisdom, stating it is right to do good works—even on the Sabbath—the council, instead of becoming enlightened, became enraged. Who did this man think he was, interpreting the law to the very people who were entrusted to teach the law? And again, when Jesus spoke freely about God being his Father, the council was quick with an accusation of blasphemy only to be silenced once again by Jesus' clear understanding of the scriptures.[86] Consequently, the envious council of teachers became all the more interested in killing Jesus:

Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father is still working, and I also am working."[87] For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God. —Jn 5:16-18

Ultimately, Caiaphas deduced that it would be far better to kill Jesus—letting only one man die—rather than let events play out to the point where the whole Jewish nation, driven to senseless, idealistic rebellion, was in danger of being destroyed by the Romans.[88] Caiaphas, when approached by Judas Iscariot,[89] gladly paid this disciple thirty pieces of silver to betray and lead them to Jesus:

Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me if I betray him to you?" They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. —Mt 26:14-16[90]

Why Judas decided to betray Jesus is not completely clear. Was Judas expecting a revolutionary Messiah and when Jesus turned out to be merely a sympathetic and compassionate one, seemingly distracted with helping the poor and the sick, did he become resentful? Or was Judas' issue deeper than this? Perhaps Judas didn't actually believe Jesus was the Messiah at all:

"But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." —Jn 6:64-65[91]

What we do know for sure was Judas had a secret, a secret that didn't have anything to do with messianic expectations. Judas had a deep, desperate love for money, one that resulted in theft and selfishness:

Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) —Jn 12:3-6

It was just after this incident with Mary and the perfume that Judas decidedly turned away from Jesus to betray him for the thirty pieces of silver. Ultimately, Judas' desire to be with Jesus (perhaps to be seen with Jesus or to remain accessible to the "common purse") without taking Jesus' messages to heart, made Judas an easy target for Satan to work through, and Jesus was well aware of this.[92] Satan's plan may have been to use Judas to kill Jesus, but God's plan was to not only resurrect Jesus but also accept his death as a sacrifice for all sin. In the end, Judas was close enough to hurt Jesus, but he was not nearly powerful enough to destroy Jesus:

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. —Jn 13:1-2[93]

The Arrest

The arrest of Jesus took place at night in the garden of Gethsemane. The council had decided that night would be best. After all, because so many people now believed that Jesus was, at the very least, a prophet, the arrest of an esteemed prophet would be sure to cause an uproar and perhaps even a riot. The council wanted to give the Romans no cause for any sort of retaliation:

After Jesus had spoken these words [at the last supper], he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. —Jn 18:1-3

Jesus' Disciples Follow—Sort Of

Once Jesus was arrested, his disciples filled with fear and they ran and scattered. But two disciples made the decision to follow Jesus—from a safe distance away:

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. —Jn 18:15-16 [94]

Annas' House—an Informal Trial

Jesus was taken first to Annas' house. Annas was ousted as high priest by the Romans. His son-in-law Caiaphas then became high priest, but because high priests were supposed to serve for life, Annas still held influence with the Israelites.[95] Annas questioned Jesus about his teachings, searching for some hint of blasphemy that could be used against him in order to put him to death:

Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. Jesus answered, "I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said. … "[96] Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. —Jn 18:19-21, 24

Caiaphas' House

Because Annas couldn't find anything to condemn Jesus with, he sent Jesus to the high priest, Caiaphas:

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, in whose house the scribes and the elders had gathered. But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest; and going inside, he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end. —Mt 26:57-58[97]

The Charges

As mentioned before, according to the Old Testament, it takes two or more agreeing witnesses to condemn a man. Because of this teaching, the council of priests, scribes, and elders needed to find two witnesses whose agreeing testimony could condemn Jesus to death. In accordance with Jewish law, a public adjuration requesting witnesses to step forward was given.[98] Many people who had heard Jesus teach stepped forward out of obligation.[99]

Even though it was required by law, the apostles (at this point) did not come forward to stand with Jesus and testify. In the end, it took the Jewish leaders some time before they found two appropriate witnesses whose testimony agreed. This search reveals that the leaders did not tell the witnesses what to say. Rather, the council interviewed many potential witnesses, most likely ex-disciples of Jesus and those who had heard his teachings,[100] looking for words that could possibly condemn Jesus, thus fulfilling their plan:

Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'" The high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?" —Mt 26:59-62

What was it the two false witnesses were testifying about? At first glance their testimony seems rather mundane. So what if Jesus said he could destroy the temple? What does destroying the temple have to do with blasphemy? Actually, the testimony the two false witnesses gave was brutally damaging, and it had everything to do with blasphemy.

Since the two witnesses were considered false, the question must be asked: What was it Jesus actually said regarding the temple? We find the answer in John 2:19. Though the two witnesses testified that Jesus said he was able to "destroy the temple," what Jesus actually said was, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Obviously, Jesus was not suggesting that he was, himself, planning on destroying the temple, but others would destroy it and he would raise it up.

Destroying the temple was considered serious blasphemy. Blasphemy is breaking the third commandment: treating God's name, and therefore His person, with disrespect, either through our words or our actions. Now since the temple was, "the place of the name of the LORD of hosts" (Isa 18:7) because God had entered the temple—placing His holy name (YHWH) there—the temple was considered holy:

The LORD said to him [Solomon], "I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you made before me; I have consecrated this house that you have built, and put my name there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there for all time." —1 Kings 9:3

To demolish the place in which God's holy name resided—especially if a dedicated Jewish man were to do it—was to treat God's name with utter contempt. If the Jewish council could prove Jesus' intentions against the temple were detestable, then they would have him on a clear charge of blaspheming the holy name of God.

The false witnesses simply distorted Jesus' original meaning in order to make it sound like Jesus was blaspheming God's name.[101] In reality, Jesus was speaking not about the Jewish temple being obliterated, but rather about his body being destroyed. After all, Jesus' body is where God's Spirit and God's holy name reside; therefore, Jesus is the true temple. We can be certain that Jesus contains God's holy name because scripture teaches it:

Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me [Jesus], so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. —Jn 17:11-12

I [Jesus] tell you, something greater than the temple is here. —Mt 12:6[102]

Jesus is the true temple of God. By speaking about the Jewish temple in metaphoric terms, Jesus was foretelling his own death, the release of the Holy Spirit (who dwells in him), and his resurrection that would take place exactly three days after his death. The high priest, however, was not interested in who Jesus really was. He simply wanted to obtain a solid charge of blasphemy, so he could legitimately have Jesus put to death, thereby quelling threats of rebellion and restoring religious control back to the council. The high priest pushed Jesus for a more complete confession:

But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus said, "I am;[103] and 'you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,' and 'coming with the clouds of heaven.'" Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses?[104] You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?" All of them condemned him as deserving death. —Mk 14:61-64 [105]

Jesus' statement infuriated the high priest, provoking him to such fury that he tore his own robe as a sign of grief. In the end, the high priest and the council members were so opposed to Jesus that they unanimously agreed to a charge of blasphemy. After all, not only did Jesus describe himself as the prophesied Jewish Messiah ("seated at the right hand of the Power" and "coming with the clouds of heaven," is the way, according to Psalms 110:1 and Daniel 7:13, that the Messiah was expected to be revealed), but he also spoke the holy name of God ("I AM") in reference to himself.[106]And as mentioned earlier, the punishment for speaking God's name in a disrespectful or wrongful way, violating the third commandment, was death:

One who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall be put to death; the whole congregation shall stone the blasphemer. Aliens as well as citizens, when they blaspheme the Name, shall be put to death. —Lev 24:16

Court

Jesus was charged with blaspheming God because he described himself as the Messiah; and according to Mark 14:62, he outright said he was the "I AM." Insulting God's name or slandering/damaging what contains God's name, such as the temple, was considered blasphemy. According to Old Testament teaching, the court could stone someone for such a crime. However, under Roman rule the council could not carry out their own death penalty—they had little actual power. Therefore, the priests, scribes, and elders had to seek permission from Roman rule:

Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate's headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover.[107] So Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" They answered, "If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you." Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law." The Jews replied, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death." (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.[108])

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here."[109] Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." Pilate asked him, "What is truth?"[110]

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, "I find no case against him." —Jn 18:28-38[111]

This was Jesus' trial. At this trial, false witnesses spoke against Jesus and true witnesses fled the scene, refusing to share what they had seen and heard. At this trial, Jesus gave his own bold testimony, while on-lookers gawked, wondering if this mysterious man was actually who he claimed to be. In the end, Jesus was condemned to die for blaspheming the holy name of the Jewish God. However, even though this courtroom battle took place two thousand years ago, it continues to play out even now.

The world continues to argue over who Jesus is: Is he a threat? Does he blaspheme our current definition of God? Or, is he who he claimed to be: the Son of God, the King of Heaven, and God's Messiah? Of course, Jesus no longer sits in the defendant s chair. He has long since died, has risen, and has proceeded to heaven. In fact, now Jesus himself has been made judge and king, chosen and anointed by God, the eternal judge and savior to the people—a true miraculous Messiah. This judge will stand up to the bullies of the world. This judge hears, even now, the cries of anyone being mistreated or oppressed, and if you've ever been wrongly accused or too harshly punished—this judge will set things straight.

Despite this, the accuser (Satan) still opposes Jesus by planting seeds of mistrust and doubt into people's minds; the courtroom still buzzes with whispers of wonder, annoyance, and skepticism, but—and here's the difference between that first trial, so many years ago, and Jesus' ongoing trial today. Today, Jesus' friends are stepping forward in order to stand with him. They are sharing exactly what they have seen and heard regarding who Jesus is and what he teaches; and, in fact, it is the Holy Spirit who is urging and empowering us all to step forward to give clear, bold testimony as to the person and purpose of Jesus.

* For a review of this chapter and to answer reflective questions, see the companion guide: Preparing … The Testimony.

CHAPTER SIX

The Seven Witnesses of Christ

A truthful witness saves lives, but one who utters lies is a betrayer.

—Proverbs 14:25

According to the Old Testament there must be two or more agreeing testimonies given in court in order for a witness' statement to be allowed as valid evidence. Two people had to explain exactly what they had seen and heard—and these two testimonies had to match. During Jesus' trial, two (false) witnesses stepped forward to testify that they heard Jesus blaspheme the Jewish God. No witness came forward to validate Jesus' own testimony (that he was indeed the Son of God and the Messiah). Had John the Baptist been alive he probably would have tried to testify on behalf of Jesus, but he had been beheaded by this time.[112] Even though none of Jesus' apostles stood up to testify on his behalf during his trial (fear held them back[113]), there were still—even back then—a total of six agreeing witnesses: Jesus' own witness, the past witness of John the Baptist, the witness of the miracles Jesus had done, the witness of the Old Testament, and the witness of both the Father and the Holy Spirit.[114] These six witnesses continue to testify to the truth of who Jesus is: Jesus is not a blasphemer; He is the Son of God, the everlasting king, sent by God on a profound mission—to redeem the world from sin through his sacrificial death. Today, however, we also have an extremely powerful seventh witness—you.

Witness #1—Jesus

Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." —Jn 18:37

But he [Jesus] was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus said, "I am; and 'you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,' and 'coming with the clouds of heaven.'" —Mk 14:61-62

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."[115] Then the Pharisees said to him, "You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid." Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going." —Jn 8:12-14

Witnesses #2—John the Baptist and All the Prophets[116]

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." And they asked him [John], "What then? Are you Elijah?"[117] He said, "I am not."[118] "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No. … "[119] The next day he [John] saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'" —Jn 1:19-21, 29-30

Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." —Lk 2:27-32

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child [Jesus] to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. —Lk 2:36-38

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed." He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. —Jn 11:49-52

All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.[120] —Acts 10:43

Witness #3—Miracles and Signs

The Old Testament described the coming Messiah as being one who would be anointed with the powerful Spirit of God. Because of this, the Jewish leaders expected Jesus to provide them with significant signs to prove he was anointed with the power of God, just as past prophets such as Elijah were, and also to prove he was indeed "the prophet"—the one whom God promised was coming—the prophet like Moses.[121] The works and miracles that Jesus did (healing, teaching with wisdom, prophesying, and raising the dead) along with works that current believers continue to do—through faith in Jesus' name—provides evidence (signs) of who Jesus is.[122]

But I [Jesus] have a testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. —Jn 5:36

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. —Jn 20:30-31

Evidence is a legal term given to facts that confirm a testimony. If, as Christians, we are testifying that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world—as Jesus says he is—then we can also submit evidence, backing up our claim. Evidence strengthens a testimony. Evidence is gained through "active faith" in Jesus:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it [faith] the elders obtained a good testimony. —Heb 11:1-2, NKJV

Faith is a mixture of hope, trust, and belief combined with action. For example, we who believe in Christ have our hope set in Christ, both in who he is and in his return; therefore, we act in faith, not when Christ returns, but now. We act in ways that speak to our belief of his return, such as feeding the poor or tending to the broken-hearted. Our Christ-like actions speak to our deep belief that Christ may come back at any time. When he does come back, he will find us busy with the work he left for us to do. Our works become evidence of our faith.

Supernatural healing is also evidence of faith in Jesus. However, so is baptism. Many Christians choose to be baptized because of their belief in Christ. A water Baptism (in whatever form chosen) declares our internal and unseen repentance to God, as well as our decision to follow the living Christ. Our baptism becomes evidence of things not seen. Likewise, we teach the good news of the gospel because we believe Jesus saved and restored all things. Our preaching and teaching (actions done in faith) results in the evidence of tangible, transformed lives. Though we cannot see Jesus, transformed lives are a sign and a confirmation that Jesus is indeed alive and his Gospel is true. Faith—when acted upon—results in "substance" or "evidence of things not seen," and by this evidence we obtain a good testimony, or a good report. This is why faith without action or "works" is considered dead. Even John the Baptist expected evidence of Jesus' true identity:

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them." —Mt 11:2-5

Witness #4 and #5—The Father and the Spirit's Testimony

And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.[123] And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." —Mt 3:16-17

Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" —Mt 17:4-5

In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I [Jesus] testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf. —Jn 8:17-18

If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. —1 Jn 5:9-12

When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. —Jn 15:26

Witness #6—Old Testament

You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my [Jesus'] behalf. —Jn 5:39

If you believed Moses, you would believe me [Jesus], for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say? —Jn 5:46-47

The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet [Isaiah] say this, about himself or about someone else?" Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. —Acts 8:34-35

The 7th Witness—You

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. —Heb 12:1-2

In the two thousand years since Christ walked the earth, Jesus' great cloud of witnesses has grown exponentially. The last witness—which includes all believers both past and present—is meant to finish the process of spreading the message regarding who Jesus is and what he has accomplished and taught, thereby helping to redeem the world. The apostles' testimonies are essential, but so are ours. Who do you believe Jesus to be? And what have you seen and heard that makes you believe this? Are you willing to stand up and testify?

* For a review of this chapter and to answer reflective questions, see the companion guide: Preparing … The Testimony.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Spirit of Revelation

and Testimony

And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.

—1 John 5:6

The New Testament records six God-inspired sources constantly collaborating Jesus' own testimony: the Father's testimony, the Spirit's testimony, the miracles (done through the power of the Spirit), all the Spirit-filled prophets,[124] and the Old Testament scriptures (writings that were inspired by God's Spirit[125]). Lastly, we have every Spirit-filled believer's testimony, both past and present. However, during Jesus' trial not one of the apostles stepped up to testify, or even plead, on Jesus' behalf, even though all the disciples had previously stated they would be willing to die with Jesus: "Peter said to him, 'Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.' And so said all the disciples" (Mt 26:35).

Surprisingly, it was not until after Pentecost—after the Holy Spirit was released to Jesus' followers—that the apostles and disciples were given the boldness and the directive to openly testify. From this we can conclude two significant truths. First, it takes the internal persuasion and power of the Holy Spirit working directly inside us in order for us to overcome the fear that accompanies speaking about Jesus. Second, a true testimony about Jesus can come only from Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit:

So there are three witnesses in heaven: the Father, the Word[126] and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One; and there are three witnesses on the earth: the Spirit, the water and the blood: and these three agree [ are in unison; their testimony coincides]. - 7 Jn 5:7-8, Amplified Bible[127]

Of course, Jesus and the Father have already given their testimonies as recorded in the New Testament, which leaves us here on earth with the continuing testimony of the Holy Spirit. After all, Jesus purposefully sent the Spirit to us at Pentecost so testimony could continue:

When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. —Jn 15:26-27

The following study of Matthew and Mark traces the disciples' journey with Jesus as he not only testifies to them, planting in them revelation after revelation about his purpose and nature, but also as he teaches them about the power of testimony. Ultimately, Jesus teaches us through the lives of his apostles that our ability to testify rests not in our capability to tell an exciting or emotional tale, but in our earnest desire to "listen" and "be filled" with the Spirit of God.

The Revelation of Peter—Who is Jesus?

In Matthew 16, we are shown Simon Peter as he comes to terms with and verbalizes his own revelation (understanding) of Jesus. Peter's faith is verbalized just after Jesus asks him this simple question:

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" —Mt 16:13-15

It's important to note here that Peter, by this time, had already heard Jesus teach with astonishing wisdom. He had watched as Jesus rebuked and calmed a storm; he saw Jesus heal every sort of illness, including restoring life to a young girl. As well, Peter, along with the other eleven apostles, had themselves received from Jesus "authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness" (Mt 10:1). After all this, Peter also saw Jesus miraculously feed the five thousand with the five loaves of bread and two fish; he watched and participated as Jesus walked on water; and later, he again witnessed Jesus feed the four thousand. Through seeing and experiencing all of this, which is far more than most Christians ever get to witness, the Father was testifying about Jesus through the power of His Spirit, in order to reveal to Peter exactly who this astonishing man was. And eventually, Peter began to understand:

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." —Mt 16:16-18

Peter received his revelation of Jesus directly from the Father. The miracles, the teaching with wisdom, all these had testified to him, and as the evidence stirred inside his heart and mind, Peter embraced the revelation: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Through Peter's revelation, Jesus was then able to reveal two important truths regarding testimony to his disciples.

The Church is Built Upon Those Who Accept The Revelation of Jesus

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter [petros], and on this rock [petra] I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." —Mt 16:16-18

In the above, notice the play on words concerning the name "Peter" and the word "rock." In the Aramaic language (the language spoken by Jesus and Peter at the time) the two words are simply the same word: cephas, meaning "rock." This pun signifies that Peter (whose name is actually Simon) has just been prophesied to by Jesus. Jesus tells Simon that he will be known as "rock"—a rock upon which Jesus will build his church.[128] In the Greek written translation, the words are petros and petra which mean respectively, "rock" and "foundational rock." This helps us to envision Peter (the rock) as being called for the purpose of "foundational support":

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.[129] In him [Jesus] the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God. —Eph 2:19-22

From the above, we realize the "spiritual church" (also known as the "holy temple") that Jesus is about to build is not going to be built just upon Peter, the person, but it will be built upon Peter and his revelation of Jesus. In essence, Jesus was saying, "You are Peter, a builder's rock quarried from me—the Christ and Son of God—and on this foundational bedrock (the testimony of who I truly am) I will build all believers into my church. And hell will not prevail against those, such as you Peter, who embrace this revelation: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."[130]

However, even though Peter now grasped the knowledge of Jesus, he was not yet entrusted to go out and give testimony to Jesus. He was instructed to keep his revelation of Jesus hidden. In fact, no disciple or apostle of Jesus was entrusted to present the full gospel message until after Pentecost, after Jesus had finished teaching and after the Holy Spirit was released. For example, it is immediately after Peter states his revelation that Jesus "sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah" (Mt 16:20). Likewise, throughout the books of Matthew and Mark, Jesus instructs many people not to testify about him:

After sternly warning him [the man healed from leprosy] he sent him away at once, saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. —Mk 1:43-45

And immediately the [dead] girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. —Mk 5:42-43

And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. —Mk 7:35-36

As they were coming down the mountain [where Jesus had transfigured before them], he [Jesus] ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean. —Mk 9:9-10[131]

In contrast to Jesus sternly telling numerous people not to talk about him or his works, Jesus, in Mark 5, tells a once possessed man to go home and tell his family all about him:

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you." And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. —Mk 5:18-20

However, it is apparent in the verses above that the man's home was nowhere near where Jesus was headed—back across the Sea of Galilee. Rather, this man's home was in the Decapolis, a land that lies in the opposite direction. This reveals that Jesus was concerned about the crowds of people who might obstruct his way toward the synagogues where he wanted to preach. We can conclude, through each of the aforementioned verses and the following verses below, that Jesus did not want people to openly testify about him (at this point) for four reasons.

Four Reasons Jesus Did Not Want People to Testify

1.   Jesus does not require our testimony. He requires, by Torah law, a minimum of two testimonies: he already has his own testimony and his Father's testimony. In other words, who Jesus is does not rest on who we say he is. It rests completely on who God says he is:

You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. —Jn 5:33-34[132]

2.   The massive crowds, when they were stirred up, hindered Jesus from entering freely into the cities where the synagogues were. Jesus was obligated to teach in the synagogues for two reasons. First, the synagogues were the culturally appropriate place to reveal the word of God, and Jesus wanted to be completely open and honest about his teachings so that no one could condemn him:

Jesus answered, "I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret." —Jn 18:20

Second, part of Jesus' mission was to testify to the priests, scribes, and elders (they were found in the synagogues) so that they, as leaders of the people, would be provoked to initiate his upcoming sacrificial death:

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. —Heb 5:1

3.   Jesus did not, at this point, trust the testimony of people. His followers were not yet filled with the Holy Spirit of Truth, and so their testimonies were errant. For instance, many believed the Messiah would overtake the Roman Empire. They viewed the kingdom of heaven as an earthly institution that would solve their problems with the Romans:

When he [Jesus] was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone. —Jn 2:23-25

When the people saw the sign that he [Jesus] had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world." When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. —Jn 6:14-15

The issue here was that many people throughout Judah, Samaria, and Galilee were beginning to believe Jesus was the expected Jewish Messiah. However, they were still expecting a Messiah not unlike the judges of old: someone from the lineage of David who would come and destroy their natural enemy, the Roman Empire. Jesus would hopefully set the Israelites free to reestablish Jerusalem as a kingdom ruled by God. Many people, including the disciples, believed that Jesus would, at any time, begin a final journey towards Jerusalem to (like David) forcibly establish his kingdom there.[133] Ironically, the true kingdom of heaven Jesus was about to reveal to his disciples was far from this Jewish expectation.

Jesus' kingdom was not an end to Roman rule; rather, it was an end to Satan's spiritual rule in people's hearts. And it was not merely a placing of an ancestor of David on Israel's throne, but an establishment of a spiritual temple, a kingdom that would be birthed on earth—and in our hearts—by the Holy Spirit. It would be a fortress, a living temple of spiritually renewed people, built on an indestructible foundation—the testimony of Jesus. Ultimately, when the powerful kingdom of God finally arrived on earth at Pentecost, only a few fortunate people were chosen to experience the event. This momentous occasion went unnoticed by most everyone:

Now when He [Jesus] was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." —Lk 17:20-21, NKJV

Despite the expectations of the people, Jesus was clearly focused. He knew his mission was not to overtake the Romans and become an earthly king. After all, in Matthew 4:8-10 Satan had already offered him all the kingdoms of the world, and he had turned them down. Rather, Jesus' mission was to die as a sacrifice for sin, be raised from the dead, and become humankind's everlasting High Priest, Prophet, Judge, and King who would then pour out God's Spirit into the hearts of those people who had come to believe in him. The indwelling of the Spirit would allow people to enjoy a relationship directly with God, and the guidance of the Spirit would help humankind to stop blaspheming the God who created them. Jesus' spiritual kingdom would be birthed through the Spirit:

Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' " —Jn 3:5-7

4.   The fourth reason Jesus did not want people to testify about him was repentance had to precede the release of the Spirit. Therefore, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" was the primary message Jesus preached.

Although Peter was now aware that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and the Son of God, his take on the "kingdom of heaven" and what that kingdom would look like was still slightly skewed. The spiritual teaching regarding the kingdom of heaven was a primary focus of Jesus, one the disciples and apostles would have to experience before Jesus would entrust the full gospel message to them.

* For a review of this chapter and to answer reflective questions, see the companion guide: Preparing … The Testimony.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The Beginning of

The Testimony of Jesus:

The Kingdom of Heaven is Near!

Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

—Matthew 18:3-4

The book of Mark highlights, "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mk 1:1) as well as the importance of "hearing." Ultimately, Mark's words indicate that more about the good news is to come—this is only the beginning. The "more" becomes evident in the book of Acts as the reality of the kingdom of heaven and the Holy Spirit are finally entrusted to Jesus' disciples. The book of John speaks about the absence of the Spirit prior to this point:

"Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water." Now he [Jesus] said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. —Jn 7.38-39[134]

In the meantime, however, the good news was comprised of John the Baptist's preaching. John came upon the scene preaching a water baptism of repentance: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Mt 3:2, italics mine). The word repent means to "think differently" or "change your mind," so that a new direction can be taken.[135] In other words, John was saying, "Hey everyone, it's time to change your mind and begin to think differently—come and be washed—because the kingdom of heaven is near!"[136] John was simply asking the people to turn their hearts and minds toward God,[137] so that God could take them in a new direction, a direction of healing and forgiveness:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. —Rom 8:5-6

Many of the ordinary citizens did just what John asked: they turned their hearts and minds toward God, thereby humbling themselves so that life (and Spirit) might eventually be imparted to them. But many of the religious leaders did not—they could not accept the things of the Spirit:

For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him. —Mt 21:32[138]

Despite those who refused to "repent," many others came to John as he proclaimed God's baptism of water. However, John also prophesied that someone much more significant than himself was coming; this person would baptize, not with water, but with fire:

I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. —Mt 3:11

Jesus then shows up on the scene traveling from Nazareth, in the region of Galilee (where he was raised), over to the river Jordan where John was baptizing. Upon meeting Jesus, John testifies, "This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel" (Jn 1:30-31). Jesus, however, instead of baptizing John surprisingly asks John to baptize him:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. —Mt 3:13-15

John baptized Jesus. Immediately after this water baptism of repentance, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven and baptized (fully enveloped and anointed) Jesus. At this point, the Father's testimony is given: "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased" (Mk 1:11). However, Jesus did not go through water baptism because he had sinned, nor was this the first time the Spirit had come upon him (the Spirit dwells within Jesus, just as the Spirit dwells within the Father[139]). Both baptisms were done for our benefit.

Repentance = Humility

First notice how Jesus' carefully executed scenario of water baptism elicited the profound response of the Father: "With you I am well pleased." From this we realize that Jesus' participation in water baptism was done to fulfill the will of the Father. As well, Jesus' baptism revealed the Father's will to the Jewish people, in the sense that God requires repentance, humility in the heart—a heart that is turned completely toward Him—to precede Jesus' baptism of the Holy Spirit.[140] Humility makes the heart fertile and ready to receive new life and instruction. Jesus' willingness to be baptized reveals his heart: Jesus' heart is wholly humble and turned toward his heavenly family.[141] Humility in the heart restores us to a child-like state, a state where we can be "born again," not from the flesh, but from the Holy Spirit.[142]

Repentance = Purification

Through the act of water baptism, Jesus also taught about purification: repentance of the heart that is signified by immersion in water (the washing of the whole body). After all, to the Jews, the washing of the whole body was required by the Old Testament law when one became unclean. Not surprisingly, the terms "clean" and "unclean" have nothing to do with cleanliness or dirt; they represent the conditions of the heart. As Mark 7:21, 23 says, "For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come. … And they defile a person." The heart can be in a state of "life" or "death"—it can be "clean" or "unclean." Which is why Jesus stated, "Blessed are the pure [meaning clean] in heart, for they will see God" (Mt 5:8). Consequently, if an Israelite became unclean (metaphorically in a state of death) then immersion in water was needed to transfer them to a state of clean (metaphorically restored to a state of life).[143]

Because the whole nation of Israel was called to be "set apart" and "holy" (Ex 19:6) as opposed to "common" or "unclean," this meant when they did defile themselves through any of the various ways (such as touching a corpse[144]) they had to purify themselves through full body immersion:

Any who are unclean but do not purify themselves, those persons shall be cut off from the assembly, for they have defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. Since the water for cleansing has not been dashed on them, they are unclean. —Num 19:20

But, of course, if the Jewish people had not defiled themselves then immersion was completely unnecessary. Most Jews—especially the Jewish leaders and teachers—kept themselves ceremonially clean. Jesus and John, however, were declaring the need for absolutely everyone to be immersed in water; thus, they were declaring everyone unclean.[145] God considered the whole nation of Judah (and all Israelites) to be unclean because they had broken covenant with Him. They had become common by choosing death—the curse of the Ten Commandments. In this sense, they didn't just break a commandment; they let their very hearts turn away from God by choosing to worship other gods (or idols). And once their hearts had turned, their actions followed. Therefore, as their law dictated, bathing was absolutely necessary for the Jewish people:

Thus they became unclean by their acts, and prostituted themselves in their doings. Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage; he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them. —Ps 106:39-41

Since Jesus was Jewish, he also fulfilled the requirements of the law. As Matthew 5:17 says, "Do not think that I [Jesus] have come to do away with or undo the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to do away with or undo but to complete and fulfill them" (Amplified Bible). It was Jesus who fulfilled (in the spiritual sense) the words written in Ezekiel:

I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. —Ezek 36:25-27

Jesus' plan was to completely destroy uncleanliness (the state of death) by immersing people in the Holy Spirit; after all, the Holy Spirit is life itself—the ultimate state of clean. It was after Jesus' two baptisms (immersion by water and by Spirit) at the river Jordan that Jesus was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by Satan.[146] A while later John the Baptist was arrested.[147] After Jesus returned from the wilderness, and after he heard about John's arrest, he withdrew to Galilee, making his new home in Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee. It was here in Galilee where Jesus began to gather his disciples together, and it was here where he started to preach:

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.[148] He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. … From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." —Mt 4:12-13, 17

Notice how Jesus begins not by telling the world he is the Messiah. Instead, Jesus preaches the same message John preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."[149] Jesus then proves the kingdom of heaven has drawn near by teaching with wisdom, healing people, and casting out demons. By doing this, Jesus teaches us that the kingdom of God has to do with the arrival of the Spirit of God. In other words, wherever the Spirit dwells there you will find the kingdom of God:

If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. —Mt 12:27-28

After Jesus chose his twelve apostles, he then instructed each of them to preach the same message:

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment." —Mt 10:5-8

So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. —Mk 6:12-13

Not surprisingly, at this point, people were still not completely sure Jesus was the expected Jewish Messiah. The question on everyone's lips was, "Who is this man?" In Matthew 11:3 even John the Baptist, during his imprisonment and just before his execution, questions, despite the fact that he had already testified that Jesus was the Messiah, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" Jesus reassures John that he is indeed the expected Messiah precisely because of the works he is doing. Likewise, in the verses below, the disciples and people in general are shown struggling with the same question:

Then he [Jesus] got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?" —Mt 8:26-27

All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." —Mt 12:23-24

King Herod was also caught up in the excitement and confusion of the crowds. After having John beheaded, Herod thought Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead:[150]

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him." But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." —Mk 6:14-16

Strangely enough, the only ones completely sure of Jesus' identity besides Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit—at this point[151]—were the demons:

Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" —Mk 1:23-25

And he [Jesus] cured 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. —Mk 1:34

Whenever the unclean spirits saw him [Jesus], they fell down before him and shouted, "You are the Son of God!" But he sternly ordered them not to make him known. —Mk 3:11-12

When he [the unclean spirit] saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me." For he [Jesus] had said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" —Mk 5:6-8

The unclean spirits recognized that the kingdom of God was near—and they were terrified.[152] It was during these times of ministry, as the power of God moved to cure and while repentance was being preached, that Jesus explained to his disciples a foundational parable, one about the value of hearing:

And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?[153] The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold." —Mk 4:13-20

The parable of the sower tells us those who "hear" about Jesus, and "accept" who Jesus is, and then "act" on what they hear (bearing good fruit) are those who will ultimately grow dramatically in faith. In the end, it is these types of people (those who hear, accept, and bear fruit) who will receive further revelations about Jesus:

They who have my [Jesus'] commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them. —Jn 14:21

The Kingdom of God Comes to Those Who Hear, Accept, and Bear Fruit

Hearing, accepting, and acting are three separate necessities to receiving revelation and learning about Jesus. Hearing is when one is told or taught about Jesus (through any of the different sources of testimony), accepting both seeks to understand and holds to what was learned, and acting means to become an involved disciple of Jesus, producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit.[154] Those who hear, accept, and act (again and again) will receive more revelations of the Christ. Through this process, the kingdom of God grows within us, and as we begin to reach out to others, serving others while sharing what we know and have experienced regarding Jesus, the kingdom of God expands on earth.

The apostle Judas, because he had been testified to, through the miracles and the teachings of Jesus, just like the other apostles had been, would have been made aware of who Jesus was. But perhaps in Judas' case other things preoccupied his mind and the word was "sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing" (Mk 4:18-19). Consequently, Judas did not grow in faith. On the other hand, the other apostles (especially Peter, James, and John) all went on to receive amazing revelations of the Christ. For example, remember how Peter along with James and John were chosen to receive this revelation—the spoken testimony of the Father:

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. … Suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" —Mt 17:1, 5

A revelation is a deeper or more concrete understanding, usually caused by an external stimulus. In the above verses, the Father confirms Peter's faith through an unforgettable supernatural experience. As well, the apostles receive further validation that listening to Jesus is crucial to pleasing God. Faith begins with hearing: "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ" (Rom 10:17). Determined and focused hearing (the beginning of revelation) is so imperative that Jesus continually spoke about it:

"Let anyone with ears to hear listen!" And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away." —Mk 4:23-25

It may seem unfair by our standards that those who have more, even more will be added to them, and those people whose portion of faith is small, even what they have may possibly be taken from them, but faith is like currency … or like a tiny seed. Faith has the ability to grow huge if we invest it or nurture it.[155] By studying the verses in Mark 4 (above) and in conjunction with Matthew 13 (below), it becomes evident that Peter, James, and John represent "those people to whom more will be given":

Then the disciples came and asked him [Jesus], "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away." —Mt 13:10-12

For those disciples who decidedly held fast to Jesus, clinging to his teachings and persevering through his death, they were about to experience a revelation they would never forget. They were about to enter the kingdom of heaven.

* For a review of this chapter and to answer reflective questions, see the companion guide: Preparing … The Testimony.

CHAPTER NINE

The Fulfillment of Testimony:

The Spirit and The Kingdom

Are Here!

But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

—Matthew 6:33

The fulfillment of the good news—and of testimony—finally comes forty days after Jesus' death.[156] If the message Jesus and his disciples preached while Jesus was alive was, "Repent, the kingdom of heaven is near!" then the fulfillment of that message is, "Hooray, the kingdom of heaven is here!" However, before the truth of this message could materialize, Jesus had to die. This is because Jesus had to first fulfill the requirement of the Old Covenant.

Under the Old Covenant Israel had to remain loyal to God and His Ten Commandments, and this was something they pledged their very lives to doing. The punishment for breaking this covenant agreement was that God would draw away from Israel, allowing them to be conquered and killed. When the nation of Israel failed to remain faithful to God and His covenant, and instead began worshiping idols (turning their hearts and minds away from God and blaspheming Him), they chose death (became unclean) and the covenant agreement was broken. God's punishment (the curse) came in the form of war and deportation. However, all was not lost. A remnant of Israel was allowed to survive, thanks to the prior covenant God made with Abraham. Eventually, this remnant returned to Israel to rebuild and reestablish Jerusalem. This repentant remnant was to wait patiently for God to send another prophet, one like Moses, who would then establish a new covenant:

For this reason he [Jesus] is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant. —Heb 9:15

However, because the Old Covenant had been broken, two things had to be done. First, the Jewish people had to be ceremonially washed—John the Baptist took care of this. Second, the Jewish high priest had to offer a sacrifice—a guilt offering on behalf of the entire nation for the terrible sin of blasphemy. But what possible blood offering could the high priest make to cover a nation's sin of spiritual adultery? After all, blasphemy required the death of the people themselves.

The sin offering the high priest made on behalf of the people during Jesus' time was not the standard animal sacrifice; rather, it was Jesus himself. God's beloved son became the "Passover lamb."[157] This superior sacrifice (Jesus never fell short of God's Ten Commandments) was the perfect sacrifice (perfectly suited to the law); and being perfect, it put an end to all blood sacrifices, thus satisfying the Old Covenant. As a message to all people and as an act of self-sacrificing love, God's son allowed himself to be charged with blasphemy so he could spare humankind the penalty of death that the law demanded.[158] Ultimately, all sin was completely covered by the death of Jesus: "For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes" (Rom 10:4). Christ obviously changed things. His death not only ended all Old Covenant animal sacrifices, but it also established a new and better covenant, one in which all nations were enabled to enter in. It was Jeremiah, the prophet, who prophesied the coming of this New Covenant that Jesus was so focused on establishing:

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, "Know the LORD," for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. —Jer 31:31-34, NKJV

In His mercy, God had laid aside an extremely valuable inheritance for His people: eternal life.This inheritance would be delivered by Jesus through a new covenant—or a new Will. The requirement needed to receive this fabulous inheritance was the same that exists for all Wills and Testaments—blood was needed to establish it. After all, a Will requires that the one who made it die in order that the promises contained within it can be carried out. In other words, a Will is of no use to anyone until the one who made it is dead. Jesus laid out a will, promising that after his death his followers would receive all that was his—including his authority and even … his resurrection:

Where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. —Heb 9:16-17

Jesus Dies to Release the Promised Inheritance

It was just after Peter's spoken revelation of faith in Jesus that the disciples and Jesus left the region of Galilee to begin their final journey towards Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover. This final journey would be the climax of Jesus' mission. It would be in Jerusalem where Jesus would be charged with blasphemy and be killed, thereby redeeming all people from the curse; and a new covenant, mediated by a new high priest (Jesus)[159] with a better inheritance (eternal life), would finally be established on earth:

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. —Mt 16:21

It is here, after Jesus declares that he must now go to Jerusalem—and be killed—that Peter takes Jesus aside to rebuke him, "God forbid it, Lord!" he says. "This must never happen to you" (Mt 16:22). Surprisingly, Peter, at this point, despite his faith in Jesus, still does not understand the coming kingdom of heaven. He believes Jesus will immediately set up his kingdom in Jerusalem—which cannot happen if the Messiah happens to be dead! Jesus' reply is the well-known, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things" (Mk 8:33).

As Jesus neared Jerusalem, and because all of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee had by now heard about him, and scores of people now believed he just might be the expected Messiah (the prophet like Moses), much excitement and anticipation was in the air:

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee." —Mt 21:8-11

Ultimately, Jesus' death left many Israelites confused and discouraged. The person they thought was their king and savior was dead. The hearts of the apostles filled with fear and confusion—they ran and scattered. Peter even denied knowing Jesus three times. No apostle dared to come forward at Jesus' trial to testify or even acknowledge that they knew Jesus. However, Jesus' inner circle of scared, yet, committed disciples, all 120 of them, including Peter and the other ten apostles (excluding Judas), were not left in the dark for long.[160] They received this amazing revelation:

After his suffering he [Jesus] presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." —Acts 1:3-5

Finally, after Jesus' death and after his resurrection—and after the Holy Spirit was released upon his disciples and apostles—a full, accurate testimony could be offered. Finally, the apostles and disciples understood who Jesus was and why he had died. They understood that forgiveness had come, and they understood that a new and totally different covenant had been made. Now the apostles would preach the truth … without fear:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. —Acts: 1:8

The testimonies of the disciples and apostles at this point became complete. They had learned to listen to Jesus and they had been baptized by the Spirit of God. No longer would they just preach, "Repent, the kingdom of heaven is near." Now they preached with power and boldness: "Repent, the kingdom of heaven is here!" It was Peter, the disciple who had first voiced the revelation of Jesus, who gave the first public, Spirit-filled believer's testimony:

You that are Israelites, listen to what I [Peter] have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know—this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. … This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.'" Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified. —Acts 2:22-24, 32-36

Ultimately, two things Jesus had spoken about came true at this point in time. First of all, Jesus' promise to his disciples regarding God's kingdom of heaven came true:

And he said to them, "Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power." —Mk 9:1[161]

Secondly, the spiritual Church, the one founded on the apostles who hold the revelation of Jesus, was suddenly and miraculously built on Peter's bold, Spirit-filled testimony—just as Jesus had prophesied:

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. —Mt 16:18

So those who welcomed his [Peter's] message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. —Acts 2:41-42[162]

At this point, the disciples and apostles no longer referred to Jesus as simply teacher or prophet. Now Jesus was Messiah. And each one of them—thanks to listening, accepting, and acting on Jesus' many teachings and thanks to the indwelling of the powerful Spirit of God—could explain why he was Messiah and why they personally believed he was God's actual son. They had stories to tell, powerful experiences to describe, and teachings to impart. They were testifying about Jesus. And the Holy Spirit was there both leading and helping them to make sense of it all. The fullness of the gospel had come. The Holy Spirit had been released as promised, and once the Spirit of eternal life, revelation, and power was here—the kingdom of God was here:

For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. —Rom 14:17

For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power. —1 Cor 4:20

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God." —Rev 12:10[163]

A testimony is more than just a story, more than mere words. A testimony is powerful because it contains revelations of Jesus. A testimony is living and active; it is the Holy Spirit setting up residence in our hearts, wanting to speak and move in love through us to tell and exemplify, to the world, exactly who Jesus is. Our testimony is our life merged with the life of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Spirit) … whose nature is love, compassion, and relationship. And so "whatever [we] do, in word or deed, [let us] do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Col 3:17, additions mine). And by doing so, we will learn not to blaspheme the God whom we represent and live for. As Eusebius said over one thousand years ago, "We who are dedicated to him honor him not only with voice and word, but also with all of our soul, so that we value testimony to him more than life itself." It is time for all of us to truly live the testimony, so that the whole world can experience and learn about Jesus through us.

* For a review of this chapter and to answer reflective questions, see the companion guide: Preparing … The Testimony.

INTRODUCTION TO BOOK TWO

Living … The Testimony

We cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.

—Acts 4:20

In 2005 my husband DJ and I, along with our three children, moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It was here I realized the Christian testimony was in great danger—danger of becoming lukewarm and even irrelevant. What I noticed was, somehow, over the years, our testimonies about Jesus had worn away. No longer were testimonies about Jesus: what he said/still says, what he taught/still teaches, what he did/still does. Instead, our testimonies consisted mostly of tragedy, sin, humble beginnings, even human fortitude. Essentially, the miraculous testimony of Jesus had become emotional stories about us.

Book two in The Testimony series is about giving Jesus more than average thought. Who is Jesus? How do I know who Jesus is? How have Jesus' teachings affected me? And what aspect of Jesus (no matter how seemingly trivial) has been revealed to me, personally? The early disciples and apostles always testified about who Jesus is and what he had done or said. However, in our day and age we are experiencing a growing cultural trend of testifying about: ourselves, God/church, or sometimes we speak about faith in general terms. Our lack of clarity—when we specifically want to share or are asked to give our Christian testimony—is causing our Christian testimonies to become weak and even irrelevant. Do you desire the testimony of Jesus to be relevant in your life? If so, I encourage you to continue on your journey by reading the next book in this thought-provoking series. Living … The Testimony will help you reveal Jesus in all areas of your life. This book provides numerous personal testimonies that will help nurture your own faith in Christ.

Purchase this title at www.deidrehavrelock.com

INTRODUCTION TO BOOK THREE

Preparing … The Testimony

But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.

—Revelation 12:11

This companion guide is not your typical Bible study. It is not a simple guide meant to help you prepare a story about how you came to believe in Christ. This book goes even further. It will help you discover, examine, understand, and value your own personal faith. As well, the chapter by chapter overview and discussion questions will help readers to focus on key aspects of both Studying … The Testimony and Living … The Testimony, so that the material can be thoroughly understood and discussed.

Whatever state of growth your faith is currently in be encouraged, because it is your faith … it is invaluable, precious, and it has the ability to destroy the enemy.

Preparing … The Testimony:

A Companion Guide For Individual or Group Study

* This book includes numerous questions meant to guide readers as they write their own personal testimony.

Purchase this title at www.deidrehavrelock.com

APPENDIX

A Short Description of Hell:

Warning! It May Not Be What

You Think!

It occurred to me as I was listening to my uncle Glen's experience of having died—and his description of a bleak and horrific hell—that it might be important to include a further study of this place. After all, how can I ask readers to believe my uncle's story (or at least take it seriously) without first really asking myself what I know about hell? As a follower of Jesus, how does "the dark pit of hell" fit within my own personal faith? In the end, I was surprised by how much I didn't know about hell. Therefore, this short description of hell is meant to help expand our current definition regarding the biblical identity of this highly uncomfortable and seemingly mythical place. The surprising truth is, the place that we have all come to know simply as "hell" is actually a much more complex and fascinating subject than we typically give it credit for. As you may imagine, understanding the biblical hell helps us to further understand the Bible as a whole. Will hell fit within your faith? I guess that depends if you believe in demons and angels. One thing is for sure, according to the Bible, Jesus believed in both.

First of all, take note that our English word "hell" stems from the Norse goddess Hel, who ruled the netherworld. However, biblically, hell is much more than just the "netherworld," since it originates from a much more worldly place. In English hell is Gehenna; in Greek it is Gĕĕnna, and in Hebrew it's Gē'Hinnōm, which means literally, "valley of (the son of) Hinnom." According to the Old Testament, the valley of Hinnom is the place where the people of Judah sacrificed their children by fire to the gods Molech and Baal:

They built the high places of Baal in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I [God] did not command them, nor did it enter my mind that they should do this abomination, causing Judah to sin. —Jer 32:35

This valley is located in a narrow ravine at the southwest base of Jerusalem, and it was considered cursed because the people chose to worship other gods there. The fire pit area where the children were sacrificed was known as "Topheth" (from the word "to burn").[164] After Judah broke covenant with God, the prophet Jeremiah was sent by God to Topheth, in the valley of Hinnom, to prophesy about the coming destruction of Judah. In this sense, Jeremiah was sent to hell in order to prophesy God’s judgment—that for those who break covenant with God, destruction and death would follow:[165]

Thus said the LORD: Go [Jeremiah] and buy a potter's earthenware jug.[166] Take with you some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests, and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you. You shall say: Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to bring such disaster upon this place that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. Because the people have forsaken me, and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah have known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent, and gone on building the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it enter my mind; therefore the days are surely coming, says the LORD, when this place shall no more be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of Slaughter. —Jer 19:1-6

Because "hell" actually existed on earth, one way to view this place is to see it as a state that exists in the here and now, since those of us who choose to worship other things in place of God will experience a lack of life, joy, and well-being. In essence, people build their own hell on earth by choosing to worship idols over a life lived with a heart and mind turned toward the God who created them.

Although the geographical place of hell actually existed, it also became a supernatural place of damnation. The Old Testament apocryphal book of 2 Esdras describes it in this fashion:

The pit of torment shall appear, and opposite it shall be the place of rest; and the furnace of hell shall be disclosed, and opposite it the paradise of delight. Then the Most High will say to the nations that have been raised from the dead, "Look now, and understand whom you have denied, whom you have not served, whose commandments you have despised. Look on this side and on that; here are delight and rest, and there are fire and torments." —2 Esd 7:36-38

Surprisingly, Esdras' description is much like Jesus' description, in his parable regarding the rich man, Lazarus, and the place called Hades,[167] as given in the book of Luke:

The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames." But Abraham said, "Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us." —Lk 16:22-26

The obvious moral message that is derived from Jesus' parable of Hades is that people unwittingly choose to go to this place of fire and death because during their lifetime they turned away from God, trusting in other things like wealth, eventually becoming self-seeking and ultimately disregarding the well-being of others. In this sense, the hell we create on earth (which in the rich man's case was luxurious and self-gratifying, but in the end was empty of good deeds) gets transferred to the spiritual realm, where we experience the actual barrenness of what we have already created.[168]

Much like the rich man who ended up in Hades because he chose to be self-seeking, the nation of Judah also chose the valley of Hinnom over the one true God—remember how King Solomon started to worship Baal and Molech, joining in on the sacrifice of children? By the time Jesus came upon the scene, it was the Pharisees who were teaching that this historical, geographical location was a real purgatory-like place where people suffered for their sins for up to a year, depending on how evil they were.[169] Or, they might also be placed in the underworld to simply wait until the time of God's salvation.[170] Because of this, the valley of Hinnom became the chosen metaphor Jesus used when he spoke about what could possibly happen to those who live without mercy and love, and instead follow their own selfish desires.

In Luke 11:42-43 Jesus says, "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others." And in Matthew 23:33 Jesus further says to the Pharisees, "You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell [the valley of Hinnom]?" From Jesus' words we can conclude two things: obeying the works of the law does not gain us entrance into heaven; abiding in love and faith does. Perhaps if the Pharisees had walked in love (all while obeying their law—and no doubt, some of them did do this), then they would have recognized and accepted the one whom God had sent, and Jesus would have praised their newfound faith instead of condemning their vain works. As the apostle Paul said, "We have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law" (Gal 2:16).

But Is There a Real Hell? And, Are We in Danger of Being Sent There For Eternity?

The answer is surprising. Below are verses that speak about a real place, a place that originally was meant to hold—not humans—but the angels who have sinned. The reason the angels are in hell, however, may surprise you:

God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell[171] and committed them to chains of deepest darkness to be kept until the judgment. —2 Pet 2:4

And the angels who did not keep their own position, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deepest darkness for the judgment of the great day. Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which, in the same manner as they [the angels], indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural lust,[172] serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. —Jude 1:6-7

When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. … The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown. —Gen 6:1-2, 4

Do you not know that we are to judge angels—to say nothing of ordinary matters? —1 Cor 6:3

These four Bible verses (which, for the most part, you won't hear about in Sunday school) hold the mystery of the spiritual hell. In light of these verses we can conclude that:

1. God originally created hell—not for people—but for the fallen angels. (Satan was the first fallen angel; he will eventually be placed in hell.[173])

2. These eternal beings initially left God because of sexual immorality; in this case, lust for earthly women. (Satan, however, left because of pride and a desire to rule.)

3. These angels must wait in hell until the judgment time of Christ.[174]

4. These angels have fathered children referred to as Nephilim.[175]

5. At judgment time, humans will judge these angels because they sinned against us.

6. Women—and their beauty—seem to be the cause of the angels' sin.[176] (Although, desiring to take something that did not belong to them was the actual cause of their sin.[177])

Surprisingly, it is the New Testament's book of Jude that—while speaking about the sin of the angels—quotes directly from The Book of Enoch (Jewish writings that date to the third century before Christ).[178] Who was Enoch? He was a man who lived by faith, meaning he walked with God and trusted and obeyed: "By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death" (Heb 11:5).[179] Enoch's faith tells us that salvation comes through trusting God and not through obeying the works of the Old Testament law (which hadn't even been introduced yet); it also tells us that people operated by faith—even before Christ was revealed to the world—and their faith saved them.[180]

The Book of Enoch, that Jude quotes from, explains the situation of the angelic race to descriptive degrees. The most notable issue is that in exploiting the human race, by indulging in sexual relations with the women, the angels created a hybrid species—the Nephilim.[181] Part flesh and part supernatural powerhouse, according to the Bible, these are giant warriors that early tales speak about: think of stories regarding Greek gods/goddesses, East Indian gods/goddesses, and/or other giants of Mesopotamian mythology;[182] also think of David and Goliath.[183]

The destructive visitation of some two hundred angels began in the sixth generation from Adam, the year Jared was born (as listed in Genesis 5:15) and continued until the flood of Noah. According to The Book of Enoch, the angels taught the humans things they were too young to handle (such as how to make weapons and wage war); and the giants (the children of angels and women) began to ravage the world. They began fighting each other, ruling over humans, killing humans—eventually eating the humans when food became scarce. Their fathers (the male angels[184]) indulged their children, allowing them to do what they desired—without punishment. This story with its theme of a severe "lack of discipline" is reminiscent of King David and Amnon. When Amnon raped his sister Tamar, David refused to punish his son: "When King David heard of all these things, he became very angry, but he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn" (2 Sam 13:21). Not surprisingly, in clear opposition to this, God disciplines those whom He loves:

For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts. … If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. —Heb 12:6, 8

Because of the angels' sin, eventually the human race was in danger of destroying themselves and/or being destroyed by the Nephilim. As humans cried out to God for help, God's decree was that the Nephilim and their numerous offspring, known throughout the Bible as the Anakites,[185] the Emim, the Rephaim,[186] and the Zamzumins,[187] would be destroyed. Surprisingly, all of this resembles the error of King David who upon watching Bathsheba bathe lusted after her, took her, and impregnated her (despite the fact that she had a husband). God's punishment was that the child would die.[188]

In the case of the angels' many children, God also decreed that they would die. Then, after the destruction of their flesh—which happened in various stages over the course of many generations—their spirits would be allowed to roam the earth as unclean spirits because their deeds were evil.[189] These disembodied spirits of the giants are the demons that possess people throughout the pages of the NewTestament.[190] According to The Book of Enoch, when the time of judgment comes, the Nephilim will be gathered together by Jesus to be destroyed, since to them eternal life has not been granted. As Jesus (who has always existed) said, "Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned" (Jn 15:6). From this, we can conclude that the giants did not "abide in Christ" even though they understood that God was indeed real. As the apostle James explained:

You believe that God is one [a unit bound by love]; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? —Jas 2:19-20

In other words, the faith of the demons is barren because they do not abide in love. They believe, but their belief produces no good thing—their faith is vain. In light of the angels and demons, the question becomes not simply, Do you know God is one [one unit that abides together in love] and that Jesus is God's child who abides perfectly in love? But rather, the question is, Are you abiding in the oneness of God, just as Jesus abides? To the demons, their knowledge of God—and His unity—only fuels their fear because they do not abide in that unity; after all, their parents, the fallen angels, chose to leave the love of God. Abiding means stay, walk with, live, be in relationship with. In regard to abiding, Jesus said, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love" (Jn 15:10). Additionally he said, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 15:12).[191] The sin of the angels was to leave that place of abiding. No longer abiding in the love of God, they could scarcely teach their children, the Nephilim, to abide. We can view the interaction of the fearful, disembodied spirits of the giants with Jesus (who abides perfectly in the love of God) in the New Testament:

When he [Jesus] came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" —Mt 8:28-29

In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, "Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." —Lk 4:33-34

According to The Book of Enoch, the angels that originally fathered the Nephilim asked Enoch to intercede for forgiveness on their behalf to God—to spare their children from death, since those children weren't eternal beings. However, God decreed that the angelic beings should have been the ones interceding and caring for humans[192]—instead they took advantage of God's new and extremely young children. Regarding the angels' offspring, the state of the people, and the angels that sinned, Enoch explained God's decision: God would put strife between the Nephilim so they would begin destroying each other, then God would send a flood and save one human family, allowing most of the Nephilim to perish.[193] He would then imprison the angels (as punishment) in a place previously prepared for them—hell. The cleansing waters of the flood would sweep across the earth and then God would begin again, raising the human race to learn to love both God and each other. According to The Book of Enoch, at the judgment time, those who are not God's children—the Nephilim—will be completely destroyed in the abyss of fire:

And, when their sons have slain one another, and they [the angels] have seen the destruction of their beloved ones, bind them fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, till the day of their judgment and of their consummation, till the judgment that is for ever and ever is consummated. In those days they shall be led off to the abyss of fire: and to the torment and the prison in which they shall be confined forever. And whosoever shall be condemned and destroyed will from thenceforth be bound together with them to the end of all generations. And destroy all the spirits of the reprobate and the children of the Watchers [the angels], because they have wronged mankind. —1 Enoch 10:12-15[194]

However, although the angels were now imprisoned, the disembodied offspring of the angels were allowed to roam the earth.[195] Eventually, these demons convinced Judah to worship them as spirit-gods (think of King Solomon worshiping Baal and Molech). In a horrific play of irony, the disembodied spirits of the giants influenced and eventually led Judah away from God toward the "valley of the son of Hinnom" where Judah then sacrificed their children in worship to them—the very ones who had oppressed and abused them.[196] Consequently, the nation of Judah broke the covenant that God had made with them. Ultimately, they too left the place of abiding and God's curse was released:

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they became unclean by their acts, and prostituted themselves in their doings. —Ps 106:37-39

It is in this way that we come to understand that the desires of our hearts to do evil is what draws us away from abiding in the love of God—drawing us instead, into the fires of hell:

Then he [Jesus] will say to those at his left hand, "You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me." Then they also will answer, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?" Then he will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me." And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. —Mt 25:41-46

Thankfully, however, to the human race, eternal life has been promised. And this life is in Jesus, whom God has revealed in these last days. Jesus is God's revelation of His abiding love. Through Jesus, the faith, hope, and love of humanity has become perfected—and the greatest of these is love.[197] Also, it is precisely because of Jesus that it becomes impossible for any of us to say—with any confidence—which humans should be in hell. After all, to Jesus, every person has been redeemed—but not all choose to walk in that redemption and love. Thankfully, in the end, it is Jesus who is the coming judge. At judgment time Jesus will bring to light everyone's testimony (everything we have done and said). Our jobs, as followers of Jesus, is to live a life of love, all while being fully prepared to speak about who—exactly—the abiding love is. Our job is to "preach" (through both deeds and words) about the abundance of life that God has for us. When it comes to hell, it is Jesus who knows how to judge people rightly; our trust is in his mercy, redemptive nature, and understanding of the human heart:

Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God. —1 Cor 4:5

Despite everything that has happened, we were originally created to become fully adopted children of God—eternal children living in the presence and love of God. This has been God's plan from the very beginning; this is why the testimony is, "God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 Jn 5:11-12). Sometimes we abide in love first—we abide in Christ—even though we don't formally know Christ (like Cornelius in Acts 10:1-2[198]), and sometimes we come to believe in Jesus and his resurrection of life while in a mess of horrific sin (like the apostle Paul) to be redeemed by love. Either way we come to the place of abiding, as we abide in the life and love of Jesus, we become like the angels in heaven: "Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection" (Lk 20:36).

Love and Light,

—Deidre Havrelock

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brown, Ronald K., ed. The Book of Enoch. 2nd ed.

San Antonio: Guadalupe Baptist Theological Seminary Press, 2000.

deSilva, David A. Introducing the Apocrypha: Message, Context, and Significance.

Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002.

Friedlander, Gerald, trans. Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer.

Skokie: Varda Books, 2004.

Kolatch, Alfred J. The Second Jewish Book of Why.

Middle Village: Jonathan David Publishers, 1985.

Kurzweil, Arthur. The Torah For Dummies.

Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing, 2008.

Lumpkin, Joseph B., trans. The Book of Jubilees: The Little Genesis, The Apocalypse of Moses.

Blountsville: Fifth Estate, 2006.

Maier, Paul L., trans. Eusebius: The Church History.

Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1999.

Robinson, George. Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs, and Rituals.

New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000.

Steinsaltz, Adin. The Essential Talmud.

New York: Basic Books, 2006.

Whiston, William, trans. The New Complete Works of Josephus.

Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1999.

Young, Robert. Young's Literal Translation.

Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1898.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deidre's goal as both a writer and a teacher is to introduce people to a deeply spiritual kind of Christianity while encouraging both men and women to live the testimony with radical love. In pursuit of this goal, Deidre teaches on numerous subjects including the importance of developing a clearly focused testimony. She often shares her own spiritual journey (which is included in book two of The Testimony series) so that others may experience Jesus through her life story.

Deidre's testimony is also available as both an ebook and paperback. It is a spiritual memoir told in two books. Saving Mary: The Possession is currently available; see www.deidrehavrelock.com for details.

We've all seen the horror of The Exorcist; we've experienced the drama of Emily Rose. We've watched heads spin, bodies contort, and we've seen holy water sprayed as young girls scream and thrash about. But what we haven't been offered is a candid account of possession from a first-person perspective. What does the road to possession look like? What role does "faith"play in deliverance? Travel with Deidre into the mysterious world of the supernatural. Awaken yourself to a world that isn't supposed to exist, a world that's as sinister as it is intriguing, and then emerge as a new person—invigorated, aware, and intent on living in the light.

Saving Mary:

Not Just Another Story About a Girl and Her Exorcist.

Saving Mary: The Deliverance, coming soon.

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www.deidrehavrelock.com

1. For more information on these writings, see Introducing the Apocrypha by David A … deSilva.

2. Myrna's personal testimony is shared in book two: Living … The Testimony.

3. Glen was not completely sure it was a truck; something slammed into him.

4. Glen's experience was documented on tape by my aunt Myrna not long after the Full Gospel dinner. She gave me a copy of the tape.

5. Glen later explained that the light had healed his body from major injuries caused by the accident.

6. God did not appear to Glen. Glen only heard God's voice.

7. Glen was disgusted by the way he had lived his life. He said he hated everyone, including his family. God said he had been in over a thousand fist fights. He was only eight years old when he got into his first fight.

8. Glen was profoundly affected by hell; he wanted desperately to speak about his experience. He tried to speak to family members, but talk of a real hell scared most everyone. Glen went to therapists to talk about his experience. Myrna's listening ear gave Glen encouragement. He seemed quite excited to share his experience on tape. The tape ends with Glen's desire to spread the message that a real hell exists. He explained on the tape that he always believed in God, but never in hell. For a biblical perspective on hell see the Appendix, "A Short Description of Hell" at the end of this book.

9. I did not visit Glen in the hospital. I did, however, receive many phone calls during that time from my mother and a few of my aunts, including Myrna.

10. See Ex 24:3-8.

11. See also Ex 34:11-28; Deut 5:6-21; Lev 19. Each contains a slightly different listing of the commandments.

12. Moses smashed the original Ten Commandments because the Israelites made for themselves an idol to worship. Moses' action symbolized how the Israelites' idolatry broke God's covenant. Moses, however, interceded for the people and another copy of the covenant was made; thus, the covenant was reestablished by God. For the story see Ex 32; 34; also see Deut 9:25-29; 10:4.

13. These are teachings and instructions that accompany the Ten Commandments.

14. God commanded Moses to write everything down in a book. This Book of the Law also stood as a testimony, and it was placed beside the ark; see Deut 31:26. The stone tablets were put into the Ark of the Covenant. Both God and Moses recorded a copy of the covenant. The ark represents the throne of God; see Ex 25:21-22.

15. This first covenant was established by the death of animals. Blood represents life in the Old Testament; see Lev 17:11. Such a ritual signifies that both parties willingly commit their very lives to fulfilling the covenant. For those who break the covenant, life must be forfeited and the sin purged. "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Heb 9:22). The original shedding of blood to cover sin took place in The Garden of Eden when God covered Adam and Eve with the skins of animals; see Gen 3:21.

16. See also Deut 28:15 for the effects of the curse.

17. A city established to protect a person from retaliation.

18. For an example of a difficult case see Num 15:32-36.

19. An ordinary citizen—not the anointed priest or a clan leader.

20. Numerous sacrifices and offerings were done throughout the year for various reasons such as "unintentional sin." See Lev 7:37 for a list of offerings. Unintentional sin still required a blood sacrifice because sin was still committed.

21. For example, Deut 5:21 adds "field" to the commandment regarding coveting because the Israelites were about to inherit the land of Canaan.

22. This measurement is the length and depth of the entrance to Solomon's temple where the Ten Commandments were kept. See 1 Kings 6:3.

23. "Do not steal," the 8th Commandment.

24. "Do not bear false witness," the 9th Commandment.

25. The Ten Commandments were written on both sides of the stone tablets. See Ex 32:15.

26. The curse went out upon all peoples, not just the Israelites. See Deut 30:7: "The LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on the adversaries who took advantage of you."

27. There are 613 commandments/teachings given by God in the book of the law. For a list of all 613 commandments, see: Robinson, Essential Judaism, 202-219.

28. See Deut 21:22-23. A person who is "hung on a tree" is one who has been condemned under the law and the death penalty has been carried out; this person is cursed.

29. See also Deut 16:18.

30. See Num 27:1-8 for a difficult case. A new statute is introduced here.

31. Not all the commandments carry the death penalty. Stealing requires restitution; see Ex 22 and Lk 19:8. See also "giving false testimony" in Deut 19:16-19.

32. This commandment is sometimes shortened to "Do not lie." However, this particular commandment deals with intentionally misleading a judge with false testimony (a lie) in order to harm or extort an innocent person. The commandments listed in Lev 19:11-18 include, "you shall not lie" and "love your neighbor as yourself."

33. Because Deut 19:17 refers to the two witnesses as "two men," it was eventually taught that women could not act as witnesses; although, under certain circumstances they were allowed. See Kolatch, The Second Jewish Book of Why, 304. The judges eventually became partial to men.

34. In requiring two witnesses, God made it difficult for the death penalty to be carried out.

35. Joseph, Mary's husband, in the New Testament, would have been able to take Mary to court for suspected adultery (she was found pregnant while they were legally married) on the basis that two witnesses might come forward after a public adjuration was announced. However, under the teaching in Num 5:11-31, a woman suspected of adultery could be brought before the court without witnesses under the "law of jealousy." Joseph, however, did not do either of these things: "Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly" (Mt 1:19). Joseph loved Mary and had mercy on her. The suspected crime of adultery was against Joseph; therefore, he could forgive her. "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets" (Mt 7:12). Not every suspected trespass has to go to court. Although, there are some crimes, that for the safety of others, should go to court.

36. See Num 26:65; Heb 3:16-17.

37. Moses broke faith with God at the waters of Meribath-kadesh because God told him to speak to the rock, and instead Moses hit the rock. Consequently, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. See Num 20:8-13; 27:12-14.

38. There are fifteen Old Testament people identified as judges before the time of the kings: Moses, Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, and finally there is Eli (see 1 Sam 4:18) and Samuel (see 1 Sam 7:15). Although Joshua is not described as a "judge," when Moses was told by God that he could not enter the Promised Land he asked that another leader be chosen to carry his authority. Joshua was chosen to receive some of his authority. This suggests Joshua was indeed a judge. See Num 27:18-20; Deut 31:14.

39. The palm of Deborah may not be named after Deborah the judge. It may be named after Rebekah's nurse: "And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So it was called Allon-bacuth" (Gen 35:8). Allon-bacuth means "oak of weeping."

40. See Jn 12:34 where God's Messiah is expected to live forever.

41. Honoring sons above God became a problem with the Israelites. Eli the priest also honored his sons with privileged positions, despite sins they committed in the temple; see 1 Sam 2:29. David honored his son Amnon by ignoring his rape of Tamar; see 2 Sam 13:21.

42. The judge's role and judicial duties are merely symbols of God's protection over the people. Samuel's error has made the people question God's ability to protect them. They now wanted a lofty and strong king, like other nations had.

43. God warned the people about the nature of an earthly king: a king would take and take and take. See 1 Sam 8:10-18.

44. However, King Jehoshaphat of Judah did start a judicial reformation that lasted a short period. See 2 Chr 19:4-7. Shaphat means "to judge."

45. See 1 Kings 3:16-28 for the story.

46. In Deut 17:14-20, God made a list of limitations for a king: a king must not be a foreigner, a king must not acquire many horses, must not return the people to Egypt, must not acquire wives, must not acquire quantities of gold, must read a copy of the law all the days of his life. Solomon was first known for his wisdom, later for his many horses and numerous wives. He had forty thousand stalls of horses; he married seven hundred princesses. See 1 Kings 4:26; 11:3.

47. Though David was not perfect, David's heart still loved God. In contrast to David, Solomon's heart turned away from God.

48. The Moabites carried out child sacrifice. See 2 Kings 3:26-27.

49. Child sacrifice also took place with the worship of Molech. See Lev 18:21; Jer 32:35.

50. The God of the Israelites is a jealous God. Jealousy has to do with matters of the heart and is not the same as envy. We are envious over what others have, but we are jealous over someone's attention. God is jealous because He desires the Israelites' love and affections that they so easily give away to idols.

51. God spoke to Joshua and Moses, telling them His covenant would be broken in the Promised Land through the worshiping of idols. God gave Joshua a song for the people to memorize as a witness against them. See Deut 31:16-20; 32:1-44.

52. Punishing Solomon would mean that King David was the one who broke the first commandment: "punishing children for the iniquity of parents … " (Ex 20:5).

53. God had made a promise to David, saying that "the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever" (1 Kings 2:45). See also 2 Kings 8:19.

54. Read 1 Kings 11:26-43 for the story. A prophet tells Jeroboam God will make him king over Israel. Solomon then tries to kill Jeroboam.

55. The twelve tribes of Israel originate from the twelve sons of Jacob. God changed Jacob's name to "Israel." Moses then saved and led the descendants of Israel's twelve sons out of Egypt toward the Promised Land. The land was then divided into twelve parcels, according to the twelve tribes. The tribe of Levi was not included in the division because God had set them apart to be priests; therefore, they were scattered throughout all the land. In order to replace the tribe of Levi, the tribe of Joseph was divided in two, according to Joseph's two sons: Ephraim and Manasseh. This established, once again, twelve tribes of Israel. See Num 26.

56. Both the northern country and the southern country continued to ordain kings until they were conquered. Judah had a queen named Athaliah; see 2 Kings 11:3. She was daughter to Ahab, granddaughter of King Omri, and possibly the daughter of Jezebel.

57. The tribe of Benjamin had been almost decimated; see Judg 20, 21 for the story. Those Benjaminites who remained alive stood with Judah; see 1 Kings 12:21-24. Also see 2 Chr 15:9: a great number of people from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon deserted to Judah from Israel. The apostle Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin; see Phil 3:5.

58. God placed His holy name in the temple built by Solomon. See Deut 12:5; 1 Kings 9:3.

59. See also Lk 9:51-55 where the disciples seek revenge on the Samaritans and are then rebuked by Jesus.

60. Jesse is King David's father. The "stump of Jesse" is King David's conquered throne that, though conquered, is not dead. Jesus comes from this lineage and is God's appointed judge, high priest, and king.

61. Being God's appointed judge means Jesus can go straight to God for direction in matters of judgment. See Jn 5:30.

62. See also Jn 5:22.

63. See also Rev 20:4.

64. See Jas 2:13: "For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment."

65. The Oral Law was the interpretation of the Mosaic Law. For example, the Mosaic Law does not tell people what to do on the Sabbath (only what not to do), but the Oral Law sets out Sabbath rituals.

66. See Lk 2:36-38.

67. What does it mean to be clothed in Christ? See Col 3:12-14: "As Gods chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."

68. See Lk 20:36: "Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection."

69. The exact pronunciation of YHWH is unknown. God's four-letter name in Hebrew is, "Yud-Hay-Vav-Hay."

70. "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' He said further, 'Thus you shall say to the Israelites, I AM has sent me to you'" (Ex 3:14).

71. Even God swore oaths by His own holy name. See Jer 44:26.

72. See Num 30:2: "When a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth."

73. See Judg 11:30-35 for the story. In the case of Jonathan and Saul's rash oath, Jonathan was released from his father's oath because the people "ransomed" him. See 1 Sam 14:24-45.

74. The phrase "it is holy" signifies that something has been dedicated to God through a vow.

75. The apostle Paul made a vow: "When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles'" (Acts 18:6). The action "shook the dust from his clothes" denotes a vow has been spoken; see Neh 5:13.The promise is that from now on Paul will go to the Gentiles. Under the Old Testament law, when one speaks a vow, they then become a nazirite and must grow their hair, cutting it when the vow is fulfilled; see Num 6:1-5. Paul became a nazirite; see Acts 18:18.

76. See also Num 6:24-27.

77. See also Deut 18:20.

78. For an example charge of blasphemy against Judah see Jer 34:15-17. The issue here was that the people had repented and then promised to set all slaves free—they then changed their minds. Subsequently, the promise done "in the name of the LORD" was done in vain.

79. Genesis 1:26 tells us all people are made in God's "image and likeness." The word "image" means "representation;" therefore, all people represent God on earth. We are all God's children. In this respect, Christianity is not a religion—it is a state of being in unity with the God who created us. All are made to represent God, but we fail by treating others without love. Jesus has come to reveal the love of God. See also Isa 43:7: " … everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

80. See Lev 24:10-16 for an example trial on blasphemy.

81.See Jn 3:1.

82. Herod Antipas (son of Herod the Great) was set up as ruler over the area of Galilee.

83. The temple was the most important aspect of Jewish life.

84. The raising of Lazarus from the dead was the final straw that led the religious authorities to plot to kill Jesus. See Jn 11:43-47.

85. They also planned to kill Lazarus. See Jn 12:10-11.

86. Jesus called God his Father; the teachers of the law considered this blasphemy. Jesus did not consider this to be blasphemy. Jesus, instead, described all people as God's children. See Ps 82:6; Jn 10:34-36; also Lk 3:38.

87. Notice how Jesus admits to working on the Sabbath. Jesus' work is to do good works. Technically, he is not breaking the Sabbath, but he is revealing the hearts of those around him (they lack mercy).

88. Pilate discerns in Mt 27:18 that the council has condemned Jesus primarily because of envy.

89. The chief priests and the Pharisees had already given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was they should turn him in to the council; see Jn 11:57. There are two apostles named Judas; see Lk 6:13-16.

90. This is the price for a female slave. The male slave price was fifty pieces of silver; see Lev 27:3-4.The council agreed to pay Judas only thirty pieces of silver—a small amount of money. This reveals the council may have been privy to Judas' desperate need for money, as anyone else might have been offended by the offer.

91. Judas Iscariot was referred to by Jesus as the "son of destruction" and "devil" or "false accuser." See Jn 17:12 and Jn 6:70.

92. Reminiscent of 1 Tim 6:10 and Mt 6:24: warnings against the love of money. Judas' heart was turned toward his idol—money.

93. Reminiscent of Ps 41:8-9: "They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me, that I will not rise again from where I lie. Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me."

94. Some conclude that it was John who was the "other disciple," suggesting John may have been a Levite priest; therefore, known to the high priest. Acts 4:13 tells us John was "unlearned" and "ordinary"— consequently, not likely a priest. The disciple with Peter could also be Judas Iscariot. Judas was already known to the high priest; the woman at the gate would have recognized him and let him in. Also, Galileans were known as being disciples of Jesus, and Galileans had accents; see Mt 26:73. Therefore, in Lk 22:59 when Peter is singled out in the courtyard for being Galilean (and therefore a disciple of Jesus) but the other disciple goes unnoticed, we can conclude the other disciple was not Galilean. Most of the apostles were Galilean, but not Judas. Judas was the son of Simon Iscariot. "Iscariot" is Hebrew for "a man of Kerioth" or Carioth, which is a city in Judah; see Josh 15:20-25. If Jesus' disciples were known for being from Galilee, then a man from Judah would have easily blended into the Judean crowd.

95. Valerius Gratus, procurator of Judea, removed Annas from the high priesthood, making three more changes before appointing Joseph Caiaphas to office. See Whiston, Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, 18.2.2 33-35. Pontius Pilate succeeded Gratus as governor.

96. Jesus is asking Annas to call in witnesses, but all of Jesus' true disciples are too scared to speak on his behalf.

97. Judas also saw how it all ended, and then he returned the money to the council, repented, and died; see Mt 27:3. The word "repented" in this case means, "to care afterwards." Judas may not have expected things to go as far as they did.

98. See Lev 5:1.

99. Women were not allowed to give testimony in court during this period. This is why no faithful women are seen struggling with wanting to stand with Jesus; they remained on-lookers. From a spiritual standpoint, Satan silenced the voices of the women as their testimonies were made invalid prior to the trial. Numerous people were ineligible to testify. For example, a slave, a professional gambler. However, Jesus allowed for testimony to come from women, and he proved it by first appearing (after his resurrection) to Mary Magdalene and the other women, who then testified to the apostles. Only one out of the eleven apostles believed the women's testimony; see Lk 24:8-12. Jesus rebuked the others for their lack of faith; see Mk 16:14.

100. Many of Jesus' disciples left him after having taken offense toward him because of his teachings. See Jn 6:66.

101. The false witnesses may not have been maliciously lying. Maybe they failed to understand what Jesus had been teaching.

102. Because Jesus is God's temple, the place where God's name lives, anyone who disrespects Jesus in word or deed is, in effect, committing blasphemy. Under the New Testament blasphemy against Jesus is forgivable; however, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable sin. See Mt 12:31.

103. "I AM," the name of God.

104. According to Lev 10:6, the high priest is not allowed to tear his priestly robe or "wrath will strike all the congregation." But Talmudic tradition (at the time) was to rend the garment as a sign of mourning when blasphemy (or another atrocity) was heard or seen. This teaching was based on Gen 37:29; 2 Kings 18:37.

105. An account of Caiaphas and the false witnesses is not found in the book of John; this is from Mark.

106. In reference to the name "I AM" existing in Jesus, see also Jn 8:28; Jn 18:6.

107. Entering into a gentile's house would defile them. Ironically, they were already defiled. Reminiscent of: "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others" (Lk 11:42).

108. The teachings dictate that anyone convicted of a crime punishable by death was to be stoned. In Jn 3:14 and 12:32 Jesus tells his disciples, in regards to death, he would be "lifted up" (not stoned). In Deut 21:22-23 a person after stoning is to be hung from a wooden stake (tree)— a stark reminder to the people that the punishment of sin is death. Such a person was considered cursed and was only to remain on the stake until evening. See Josh 8:29 for an example; see Acts 5:30 and Gal 3:13 for Jesus' fulfillment.

109. Jesus is letting Pilate know he is not a threat to the Roman Empire.

110. A rhetorical question that acknowledges the difficulty of discerning truth.

111. Pilate also sent Jesus to see Herod, since Herod was the ruler of Galilee. Herod released Jesus back to Pilate. See Lk 23:7.

112. John was an Old Testament prophet. He knew and followed the law, and would have stepped forward to testify out of obligation in accordance with the teaching in Lev 5:1.

113. Although fear did hold the apostles back from standing with Jesus, in all fairness, Jesus had already instructed them not to testify about him. See Mt 16:20.

114. The demons also knew who Jesus was, but Jesus denied them the right to speak. Therefore, I have not listed them as witnesses. See Chapter Eight for more information.

115. Jesus is testifying about himself being God's light, as in Gen 1:3-5; Isa 9:1-2, and Jn 1:1-5.

116. The Old Testament prophets could also be included here; though I have not listed them. I have only listed the prophets that are mentioned in the New Testament.

117. According to Mal 4:5, Elijah was supposed to return before the LORD comes to the people.

118. John actually is Elijah, meaning John carries the ministry of Elijah. Jesus said to the people, "If you are willing to accept it, he [John] is Elijah who is to come" (Mt 11:14). See also Mt 17:10-13.

119. God promised to send the people a prophet like Moses; see Deut 18:15; Jn 6:14. God knew Moses "face to face," meaning "as a friend;" see Deut 34:10. Moses was also God's judge and God's covenant mediator. The prophet like Moses is Jesus.

120. These prophets really bring to light the truth in Rev 19:10: "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

121. Jesus refused to perform a specific sign for the Jewish leaders; although, he performed many signs that they discounted. They expected significant signs like those Moses performed. The only sign Jesus gave them was the sign of Jonah; see Mt 16:4. What is the sign of Jonah? It is being swallowed by death for three days and then coming back to life. See also Mt 12:38-41 and compare to Jn 2:18-21.

122. The religious leaders convinced themselves that Jesus did his miracles through Beelzebul, ruler of demons. See Mt 12:24.

123. The word translated "alighting" means "arriving and staying."

124. All God's prophets spoke by the Spirit. The prophet John the Baptist received the Holy Spirit in his mother's womb. See Lk 1:15.

125. See 2 Pet 1:20-21.

126. Jesus is the word that became flesh, as in Jn 1:14.

127. "The Spirit, the water and the blood" most likely refers to the Holy Spirit's testimony of miraculous deeds, Jesus' water baptism (where the Father testified about him), and Jesus' death (where Jesus testified about himself). Jesus' death was also recognized through "blood and water." See Jn 19:34.

128. Jesus names Peter "Cephas" when he first calls his apostles. See Jn 1:42.

129. Jesus is the petra, the cornerstone that the whole temple is built upon. See 1 Cor 10:4: "For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ." See also Mt 7:24-25; Rom 9:33.

130. Like Peter, we are all called to be built into this "spiritual temple"—a dwelling place for God: "Come to him [Jesus], a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet 2:4-5).

131. Notice how the disciples (Peter, James, and John) obey Jesus by keeping the revelation to themselves … until the right time, that is.

132. Jesus did not really want—nor did he need—his disciples to step up and testify on his behalf during his trial.

133. See 1 Chr 12:38: "All these, warriors arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with full intent to make David king over all Israel; likewise all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king."

134. Although God's Spirit gives "the breath of life" to all who live, and even rested upon Israel's prophets to speak the words of God, still the fullness of God's Spirit—including eternal life—was not yet released to the general public.

135. This type of repentance is not a listing out of our sins before we come to believe in Jesus. We come to Jesus with all our baggage and all our sins; we come "as is," willing to accept what God has for us. The Holy Spirit then deals with our baggage and our sin, one step at a time. In other words, once a heart and mind are redirected, God can then begin to direct that person and sin will eventually fall away.

136. Reminiscent of Ezek 14:6: "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Repent and turn away from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations."

137. Reminiscent of Mal 4:6, where Elijah is supposed to come first (before God's Messiah appears to the people) in order to turn the hearts of parents toward their children and the hearts of children toward their parents. John the Baptist is Elijah; see Mt 11:13-14.

138. Reminiscent of Acts 7:51: "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do."

139. "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily" (Col 2:9).

140. The sorcerer Simon—although he was a disciple of Jesus and was even baptized in water—was denied the Holy Spirit because of his unrepentant heart. See Acts 8:13-23.

141. See Mt 11:29: "Take my [Jesus'] yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

142. See Acts 11:18: "God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life."

143. See also Col 2:22-23 and 2 Tim 2:20-22 on purification.

144. Touching a corpse was considered the greatest state of unclean, since the dead body represented death itself. The Israelites could become "ceremonially" unclean through various ways. For example: contact with a dead body, Num 19:11; semen, Lev 15:16; childbirth, Lev 12; eating unclean animals, Deut 14:7-8; various skin diseases, Lev 13. However, "spiritual" uncleanness is a matter of the heart.

145. God considers all people to be unclean (not just the Israelites) because everyone—except Jesus—has blasphemed God by their actions. See Chapter Five for this topic.

146. Jesus' temptations are the same temptations the Israelites experienced in the desert. See Ex 16:1-4 (hunger); Ex 17:1-2 (testing God); Ex 32:1-4 (worshiping other gods), and compare to Mt 4:1-11. The wilderness reveals to us what lies in our heart; see Deut 8:2-5. What is in Jesus' heart?

147. Two of John's disciples become Jesus' disciples. See Jn 1:35-37.

148. Jesus does not rescue John because the Father's will is for John's status to decrease and Jesus' to increase. See Jn 3:30.

149. Jesus' disciples continued to baptize the Israelites with water for repentance; Jesus did not perform the water baptisms himself. See Jn 4:2.

150. John the Baptist was killed because he condemned Herod Antipas regarding his marriage to his brother's wife. According to Old Testament law it is unlawful to marry your brother's wife, unless your brother has died. See Lev 20:21.

151. This is before Peter's revelation.

152. How did the demons know who Jesus was? Who exactly are these "demons"? See the Appendix, "A Short Description of Hell" at the end of this book.

153. This parable is foundational to understanding all of Jesus' parables.

154. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love. See Gal 5:22.

155. Everyone is given a measure of faith; see Rom 12:3. Even the smallest amount of faith can grow large; see Mt 13:31-32.

156. See Acts 1:3 where Jesus appears to his disciples for a period of forty days before Pentecost takes place.

157. Passover celebrates the Israelites' release from slavery in Egypt and entry into covenant relationship. See Ex 12:1-14.

158. "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord" (Jn 10:17-18).

159. The old priesthood consisted of Levites (Israelite men from the tribe of Levi). The new priesthood stems from Judah (Jesus is from the tribe of Judah), and consists of men and women, gentile and Jew. See Heb 7:11-16.

160. See Acts 1:15, about 120 followers of Christ waited in Jerusalem, in the upper room, for the baptism of the Spirit.

161. Judas Iscariot was the only apostle who did not live to see the kingdom come with power.

162. As the church grew, they were later persecuted by Saul, who became the apostle Paul. See Acts 8:1-3.

163. Satan uses the Ten Commandments to accuse us, but with Jesus there is now forgiveness.

164. See Isa 30:33: "For his burning place [topheth] has long been prepared; truly it is made ready for the king, its pyre made deep and wide, with fire and wood in abundance; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it."

165. Reminiscent of Heb 10:26-31. Aimed toward Christians, this is a New Testament description of what could happen to those who break covenant with God; one of the most frightening scriptures in the Bible.

166. The earthenware jug represents the people, whom God formed from dirt.

167. Hades is the Greek’s "place of the dead" and is much like Sheol, which is the Old Testament's "assembly of the dead." See Prov 21:16; also Prov 30:16: "Sheol, the barren womb, the earth ever thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, 'Enough.'"

168. 1 Tim 6:18-19 explains how a rich person should act: "They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life."

169. Robinson, Essential Judaism, 191.

170. When the prophet Samuel died, he went to the underworld. But Saul called him back up because he was desperate for advice: "Then Samuel said to Saul, 'Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?'" (1 Sam 28:15). In this respect, the underworld (Sheol and Hades) also contained (for lack of a better word) "storage" compartments to hold and protect the souls of the righteous dead … where they waited for God to defeat death. See Ps 49:15: "But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me." Jesus was the one who provided the ransom price—his death; see Rev 5:9. Jesus is also said to have descended into the underworld when he died, but death could not hold him in its power; see Acts 2:24-27. Also see Eph 4:9; Rom 10:7; 1 Pet 3:18-19.

171. In this instance the word translated as "hell" is tartarus, which seems to be an area in hell, the deepest place where the angels are locked up.

172. The men of Sodom wanted to engage in sexual relations with the angels who were staying with Lot. Lot, in an attempt to seemingly lessen the sin, offered up his daughters. Read the story in Gen 19:1.

173. See Rev 20:2-3.

174. Being eternal, it seems to reason that if they are sentenced to destruction they will remain tormented forever since they cannot die. According to Rev 20:14, Death and Hades will eventually be destroyed by being placed into the "lake of fire," which is considered "the second death."

175. Nephilim (meaning: giant, bully, tyrant) is the name given to the offspring of angels and women in the Old Testament.

176. The women did not tempt the angels to sin. The angels' desires led them astray: "One is tempted by one's own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death" (Jas 1:14-15).

177. Taking what is not yours was the cause of Eve's sin (she took the fruit; Gen 3:6), Cain's sin (he took Abel's life; Gen 4:8), King David's sin (he took Bathsheba; 2 Sam 11:3-4), Shechem's sin (he took Dinah; Gen 34:2), Sodom and Gomorrah's sin (they attempted to take angels; Gen 19:4-5), Korah's sin (he attempted to take the priesthood; Num 16:1-33), the angels' sin (they took women), and finally, Satan's sin (he took humankind's dominion). We take things that are not ours because of lust, greed, pride, and envy. Reminiscent of Jas 4:2: "You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts." When we become self-centered, we ignore the needs of those around us. We take for our own pleasure, as opposed to giving from the love of God. Therefore, God says of Sodom: "This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty, and did abominable things before me" (Ezek 16:49-50).

178. See Jude 14-15 which quotes 1 Enoch 1:9. The Book of Enoch is available on-line.

179. Read about Enoch in Gen 5:21.

180. Similar to the faith of Abraham; see Rom 4:9-11. Faith begins by turning the heart and mind toward God.

181. Angels have spiritual bodies. Meaning, their bodies are not merely made from dust like ours—they are eternal and are made from something else, perhaps light. See 1 Cor 15:44.

182. In the story The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh was considered to be a Mesopotamian demi-god, one part human and two parts god. The Epic of Gilgamesh is available on-line.

183. The giant known as Goliath was a Philistine; see 1 Sam 21:9. How big was a giant? According to Deut 3:11-12, one of their beds was approximately 13.5 feet long: "Now only King Og of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. In fact his bed, an iron bed, can still be seen in Rabbah of the Ammonites. By the common cubit it is nine cubits long and four cubits wide."

184. Yes, there are female angels. See Zech 5:9.

185. See Num 13:33: "There we saw the Nephilim (the Anakites come from the Nephilim); and to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them."

186. In reference to the giants known as Rephaim, see Isa 26:13-14: "O Jehovah our God, lords have ruled us besides Thee, Only, by Thee we make mention of Thy name. Dead—they live not, Rephaim, they rise not, Therefore Thou hast inspected and dost destroy them,Yea, thou destroyest all their memory." (YLT, I used this translation because it kept in the name "Rephaim." Whereas other translations use the word "shadows" or "shades," meaning the "spirits of the Rephaim will not live.")

187. See Deut 2:11; 2:20-21.

188. Read 2 Sam 11:2-12:24 for the story. In David's situation, the prophet Nathan compared David's act to a rich man stealing a poor man's sheep. The penalty for theft of a sheep (according to Ex 22:1) is restitution: four sheep for every one sheep stolen. David knew the law; he told Nathan that the person who stole the sheep ought to pay: "He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity" (2 Sam 12:6). God's judgment toward David was according to David's words. God allowed David's wives to be taken: " I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor" (2 Sam 12:11), and also David's illegitimate child would die (2 Sam 12:14).

189. These are the illegitimate children who have not received God's discipline.

190. For a personal testimony regarding demon possession see book two in this series, Living … The Testimony.

191. Similar to 1 Jn 3:23: "And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us."

192. Reminiscent of Heb 1:14: "Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?"

193. Not all the giants perished in the flood. They later occupied the land of Canaan, the land of milk and honey that God eventually promised to give to Moses and the Israelites. It was Joshua and Caleb who believed God—that they could overcome the remaining giants—and take the land. See Num 13:17-28 for the story. Joshua killed the Anakim; see Josh 11:21. Caleb drove out three giants (sons of Anak) from Hebron; see Josh 15:14. How did the giants survive the flood? Some believe the giant known in the Bible as Og hitched a ride on the exterior of Noah's ark; see Friedlander, Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer, 192. However, perhaps the ark held two giants (a male and female), possibly the pair of "unclean animals" that were brought into the ark; see Gen 7:2.

194. Brown, The Book of Enoch, 9-10.

195. According to The Book of Jubilees, Noah eventually asked God to place all the demons in hell. However, Satan stepped in and asked that some demons remain on earth under his rule. God gave Satan 10 percent of the demonic hoard; the rest were placed in hell. This perhaps explains why so many people who have had near-death experiences of hell report seeing numerous demons there. See Book of Jubilees 10:5-9. Available on-line.

196. In this sense, it is the demons who entice people to enter hell; as opposed to God sending people to hell.

197. "And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:13).

198. Cornelius was a "devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God" (Acts 10:2). This man's prayers and alms rose as a memorial to God, and yet he was not a Christian, though he later came to believe in Jesus. The question arises: If Cornelius had not had the opportunity to hear about Jesus, would God have sent him to hell? Not likely. However, God obviously worked to reveal Jesus to Cornelius, and Cornelius eagerly responded.