YES, HE is Talking to YOU! (continued)
Love is the Fulfilling of the Law
Having looked at this teaching by the Master on resurrection and the question asked of Him as to the state of marriage in this time or place, we should have a somewhat better idea of the depth to which Jesus teaching can go. Through His answering the question we are given insight and understanding regarding angels and the resurrection and we have seen the relative confusion of both of these concepts in the church today. It should be clear that the Master spoke to us in parables and that He knew that much would be misunderstood, even by those who should understand. Jesus tells us that “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Matthew 13:13) and it seems that many today still think that He was speaking this way only to them and that they are clear on His meanings. If this were so, then there would not be the diversity of opinion regarding His teaching. Both Matthew and Mark tell us in commenting on the Master’s words that “without a parable spake he not unto them” (Mark 4:34, Matthew 13:34) and this should ever tell us that there is so much more meaning in His sayings than what we have taken from them heretofore.
The church teachings on angels is a classic example. We discussed in previous posts how the Jews and the early Christians had a common belief angels; how they believe that angels were present in their worship assemblies**** and how the idea of guardian angels crossed from the Jewish to the Christian belief system**^. Add to this the ideas of the fallen angels and the archangels which word is used but twice in bible and with no reference to its meaning. In one place it is said that the Lord will come with the “voice of the archangel” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and in the other there is reference to Michael as an archangel in the Epistle of Jude which reference is said to have been taken from apocryphal Old Testament writings and tradition. Despite the lack of scriptural certainty, parts of the church have erected entire doctrines on angels, archangels, guardian angels and the like. Jesus makes several statements regarding angels in His teachings and it appears that most all of them are interpreted according to the traditions and the legends rather than the teaching that they may reveal. Add to the fact of the confusion and the uncertainty regarding the nature of purpose of angels the idea that they have wings; a notion that appears nowhere in scripture except in relation to the seraphim and the cherubim which, as we know, have no human form as does the popular conception of angels.
That angels are depicted as messengers of God in both the Old and the New testaments is clear but beyond this little is. Some believe that they are superior to man based on the saying in Psalms and repeated in Hebrews that: “Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands” (Hebrews 2:7). Others believe that angels are our servants, some even that they are at our command, based on the same scripture version from Psalms: “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour” (Psalm 8:5) where the word translated as angels is the Hebrew word elohiym which is alternatively translated as God and god**. Does this not fit in, in either understanding of the words, with our proposition of the general idea of angels? Looking at and addressing man as the physical appearance that we make here on Earth, we are “a little lower” than our Souls until such time as we bring that Light of the Soul to bear on the life of the form. It is interesting to note that the translation of the words “a little lower than the angels” should have been rendered as thou didst for some little time make him lower than the angels**** (this is also the way that the Septuagint translated the verse from the Psalm) which lends still more credence to our thought.
The idea here is to show that there is meaning regarding angels in the teaching of the Master that is beyond the traditions and the legends and if we were to stay on this topic we could see this through Jesus other references to them. We will come across more of the Masters teaching and reference to angels as we continue to move through His Words in this series. Today, we should have sufficient information to develop ideas and concepts that better fit His words on angels than do the traditions and the legends of old. Even if we choose not to look at them as we have proposed, we should see the sheer uncertainty regarding this subject and in this know that there is a Truer and a better answer.
Moving on to our closing thoughts on the concept of the resurrection, we find a similar state of confusion. Here again we rely on tradition and on legend from the Jewish culture and the early Christian Church. Here again there is nothing that can even give us some idea of why there was a controversy between sects of the Jews as the concept is not taught in the Jewish Bible except in the individual resurrections of persons; Elijah raising a dead boy (1 Kings 17:19-22), Elisha raising the Shunammite woman’s son ((2 Kings 4:33-36), and the dead man’s body that came to life after it was thrown into a tomb containing the bones of Elisha (2 Kings 13:21). This apparently is not the resurrection disputed by the Sadducees and one would have to guess that it is also not the resurrections done by the Master as these are done in their presence or knowledge. These include the little girl, the daughter of Jairus, who is raised from the dead (Mark 5:41), the only son of a widow who is raised from the dead because the Master felt compassion for her (Luke 7:14) and Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43). All of these, according to chronological accounts of Jesus ministry, occurred before the time of the Sadducees question.
Based on this the issue must have been the general raising of the dead, the final resurrection which is still predicted in the churches today. That there is a resurrection of some kind should be apparent from Jesus willingness to discuss the matter at the time. They apparently believe that it is a final resurrection and we do not know what the nature of it is except to know that what they think it is not from this observation made by Luke: “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both” (Acts 23:8). How do we go to the idea of the resurrection being the raising of the dead bodies of men from this statement is found again in taking legend and tradition and compounding them with scripture thereby coming away with a doctrine and a belief. What is the scriptural basis of this belief?
- “The men of Nineveh shall risein judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold , a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold , a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:41-42). In both of these sayings by the Master we can find that the idea conveyed by the word rise, which can range from raise as from the dead to come forward as witnesses****, determines one’s belief. Of course if one leans toward belief in this final resurrection of the body he will choose the former.
- “And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14). This is an isolated saying in regard to doing things for persons that cannot do things for you in return. Is this a message of a resurrection of dead bodies or is the Master saying that your reward will be in your own resurrection which, as we have posited, is akin to our entry into His Presence; this is our blessing, to be “accounted worthy“. The word just here is translated from the Greek word dikaios which is also translated as righteous**, which is one of the ‘requirements‘ for the Kingdom of God.
- “Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead , yet shall he live” (John 11:24-25). We can see here the basic belief in this resurrection by the Jews for which there is no real biblical reference. We should also see that the Master is addressing Martha’s question, again confirming that there is some sort of resurrection but He does not explain. Jesus statement, as we have discussed in a previous post (In the Words of Jesus part 112), is an affirmation that resurrection and Life can be viewed as synonymous words when looked at from every perspective except that of the mortal man. Here, in this physical world, we see life and we see death but what of the spiritual worlds? Recognizing and remembering that we are Spirit, we should see that we do not die when this body dies. If the resurrection is as we posit, then we are freed from this death in form and resurrected into Life; we too can be seen then as the resurrection and the Life when we are “accounted worthy“.
The above accounts are from the words of the Master. He references the resurrection but never says nor even implies that this is a resurrection of the dead bodies. We will devote one more post to completing our thoughts on this and the parable teaching that we took this from. There is much confusion and there are many differing interpretations which abound concerning resurrection and which are from the minds and traditions of men.
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that equal unto the angels;may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily equal unto the angels; and will notequal unto the angels;store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
Tomorrow is United Nations Day. This is our opportunity to support this world body which is humanities best hope for lasting peace and for the uplifting of millions upon millions of our brothers and sisters from poverty and hopelessness to a sense of value and of worth. There is a tab at top, Peace In Our Time, which provides additional insight and information. If nothing else, we can pray for the future success of the United Nations. We will leave this banner up as the Quote of the Day until the end of United Nations Week but will try to change the attached scripture frequently.
This scripture by the Apostle Peter is another testimony to the Unity of Man, all men, with God. Through any religion, with any creed and in any nation man can approach God and will be accepted without any prejudice. According to Peter only respect and righteousness are required!
One World, One Humanity, One God
United Nations Day
In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly declared 24 October, the anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, as which “shall be devoted to making known to the peoples of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations and to gaining their support for” its work.
In 1971 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a further resolution(Resolution 2782) declaring that United Nations Day shall be an international holiday and recommended that it should be observed as a public holiday by allUnited Nations member states.
United Nations Day is devoted to making known to peoples of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations Organization. United Nations Day is part of United Nations Week, which runs from 20 to 26 October.
Wikipedia contributors. “United Nations Day.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 10 Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.
Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him (Acts 10:34-35).
- **^ Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
- ** from New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
- **** Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
