prophecy of the end times 2 Esdras 5:1

2 Esdras - prophecy of the end times

Before we begin this study I would ask that you read 2 Esdras 5:1 and 6

"Now concerning the signs (Signs of the END TIMES): behold, the days are coming when those who dwell on earth shall be seized with great terror (or fear see Rev. 18:10,15), and the way of truth (The Gospel message) shall be hidden (by governments; politicians and priests), and the land shall be barren of faith. (Luke 18:8)

[2] And unrighteousness shall be increased beyond what you yourself see, and beyond what you heard of formerly.

[3] And the land which you now see ruling shall be waste and untrodden, and men shall see it desolate. (The picture presented in this verse before us, therefore, is that of a desolated system, "the ten horns hated the whore, and made her desolate and naked" (Rev. 17:16).)

[4] But if the Most High grants that you live, you shall see it (after 1986) thrown into confusion after the third period (the Third Trumpet (Revelation/Apocalypse 8:10-11 - CHERNOBYL [1986] means Wormwood in Ukrainian ) and the sun shall suddenly shine forth at night, and the moon during the day. (The sun [and] moon stood still in their habitation. Habakkuk 3:11 It shall come to pass, [that] at evening time it shall be light. Zechariah 14:7) This will be fulfilled on 2/8/2027,

[5] Blood shall drip from wood, (the process by which fertile land becomes desert caused by deforestation and DROUGHT through CLIMATE CHANGE and WASTED by pollution from heavy-metals; toxins; agent-orange; radiation; anti-personnel LAND-MINES; forest-fires and the general effects of global warming and warfare; etc.; etc.). and the stone shall utter its voice; (Stones formed by man’s spirit (the ignorance of ego) are deceptive and can cause a person to be “stoned to death,” that is spiritual death and they build temples that will not stand the test of time. )

the peoples shall be troubled, and the stars shall fall. (In symbology, "stars" represent prominent rulers (cp. Dan. 12:3). The stars falling to the earth would represent the overthrow or a revolution of world leaders being ejected from their positions of authority. The heavenly bodies are commonly used as denoting governments and leaders (see Ezek. 32:6-8; Isa. 1:1,10; Luke 21:25, etc.).

[6] And one shall reign (The Antichrist) whom those who dwell on earth do not expect, and the birds shall fly away together;

[7] and the sea (of the people) of Sodom (Sodom stands for pride and abomination;) shall cast up fish; (the coming judgement on Babylon the great Rev 18:7,8 - Rev 17:5- just as the sea casts out dead fish*)  and one whom the many do not know shall make his voice heard by night, and all shall hear his voice. (the voice of the son of man)

(Luke **17:29* But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.)*

8] There shall be chaos also in many places (THE CONSTANT CONFUSION OF OUR TIME), and fire (a symbol of war) shall often break out, and the wild beasts shall roam beyond their haunts (world wide terrorism deportations mass relocations, refugees wandering from place to place), and child-bearing women shall bring forth monsters. (in God's Opinion, speaking metaphorically):


chapter 6

6:[20] and when the seal is placed upon the age which is about to pass away, then I will show these signs (the Sign of the son of man which will take place on 2/8/2027): the books shall be opened before Heaven (Revelation 5 and 6), and all shall see it together.

21] Infants a year old shall speak with their voices, and women with child shall give birth to premature children at three and four months, and these shall live and be raised up (in incubators).

[22] Sown places shall suddenly appear unsown, and full storehouses shall suddenly be found to be empty; (of food, including the seas from over-fishing):

[23] and the trumpet shall sound aloud (the Sixth - WW3 - Phase Two), and when all hear it, they shall suddenly be terrified. (The Twin Towers attack on Septmeber 11th is the Fifth Trumpet which was Phase One of WW3 - the Invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan ).

[24] At that time friends shall make war on friends like enemies ((for food, etc.)), and the earth and those who inhabit it shall be terrified, and the springs of the fountains shall stand still, so that for three hours they shall not flow.

[25] "And it shall be that whoever remains after all that I have foretold to you shall himself be saved and shall see my salvation and the end of your world.

What is the Great Image of Daniel Chapter 2

What is the great image of Daniel chapter 2. The great image is the same as Nebuchadnezzar’s golden Image of chapter 3 whose height was sixty cubits and its width was six cubits and 6 musical instruments are used in its worship this adds up to 666 the number of the beast which is a man’s number because man was made on the 6th day

So the great image represents the entire body a collective consciousness or a society It is society as an organism.  It is "a mortal god" - a gigantic human figure composed of a multitude of human figures  a society which is against the will of God  The different materials  represent different stages of human consciousness and development of world history  they are  called ages (Greek aeons) because they rule for a limited time.  The Golden Age is the time of high human consciousness. however every age that follows human society has gone from bad to worst. the Stone that struck the image, becomes a large mountain and fills the whole earth. That is the spiritual kingdom becomes established in the whole consciousness, and the Christ Mind is enthroned in the twelve centers of consciousness, 

The “image” represents the entire body. What are the other metals which make up the image they are kingdoms which for a time, rule over the consciousness.  They are states of consciousness that have established themselves in the human brain that forms a collective consciousness or a society. It is society as an organism.  It is "a mortal god" - a gigantic human figure composed of a multitude of human figures.  The different materials  represent different stages of human consciousness and development of world history  they are  called ages (Greek aeons) because they rule for a limited time.  The Golden Age is the time of high human consciousness. however every age that follows human society has gone from bad to worst. 

the different stages of world history are called ages theses are the lower aeons. The High aeons or ages are those of God the age of the law which lasted for around 2000 years ending in 70AD. Around 29 or 33 AD Jesus started the gospel age which is to be followed be the Kingdom age these ages are sometimes called Heavens the gospel age is itself made up of 12 aeons  1 faith, 2 hope, 3 love, 4 promises, 5 grace, 6 repentance, 7 forgiveness, 8 baptism, 9 anointing,, 10 wisdom, 11 Eucharist 12 logos 

Why do not these various minor kingdoms endure? They do not endure because of the lack of coalition or unification.

How shall all these kingdoms be unified? They shall be unified by the acknowledgement of the good news as stated by Jesus: John 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

When this acknowledgement is made by a believer, what is the result? the Stone that struck the image, becomes a large mountain and fills the whole earth. That is the spiritual kingdom becomes established in the whole consciousness, and the Christ Mind through its attributes of 1 light 2 fire 3 love 4 Beloved 5 Grace 6 Truth 7 Wisdom 8 understanding 9 perception 10 perfection 11 peace 12 logos these attributes are the 12 aeons which are enthroned at the twelve centers of consciousness, and there come to pass the words of Jesus : Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration: when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

So the great image represents the entire body a collective consciousness or a society It is society as an organism.  It is "a mortal god" - a gigantic human figure composed of a multitude of human figures  a society which is against the will of God  The different materials  represent different stages of human consciousness and development of world history  they are  called ages (Greek aeons) because they rule for a limited time.  The Golden Age is the time of high human consciousness. however every age that follows human society has gone from bad to worst. the Stone that struck the image, becomes a large mountain and fills the whole earth. That is the spiritual kingdom becomes established in the whole consciousness, and the Christ Mind is enthroned in the twelve centers of consciousness, 

Desposyni

There is therefore little doubt that these 'Bishops' of Jerusalem were in fact a dynastic bloodline, a dynasty claiming sacred legitimacy because of a blood relationship to Jesus, a relationship which an Apostle like Peter could not claim.

From Pella the Jewish Christians remnant is thought to have moved north-eastward, eventually making their way to the Tigris-Euphrates basin. In this relatively safe area they preserved their traditions for centuries. Eusebius and Epiphanius bear witness to the fact that the Jewish Christians survived and that numbers of Jews joined them. And from the historian Julius Africanus (160-240 CE) we learn that the Jewish Christians heirs took pride in their Davidic descent and circulated the genealogy which now stands at the head of Matthew's gospel.

According to this gospel, and to the Apostle Paul, Jesus was the first born of many brothers, and had at least two sisters. In his Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius of Caesaria (340 CE) speaks of grandchildren of Jesus' brother Jude who were living in Galilee during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian (81-96 CE). (Eusebius, History, 1:7.)


According to Eusebius, the descendants of Jesus' family (termed Desposyni) became dynastic leaders of various Christian Churches, and continued so up until the time of the Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE).

Jewish Christians communities were apparently still active in north and east Palestine right up until the fifth century, the name of Jesus being used by both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians in the interest of policy.

Further and further magnified by the Roman Christians, however, Jesus became progressively more symbolic and representative of ecclesiastical concerns. In Nazoraean eyes Jesus continued to be a naturally generated man.

According to the Jesuit historian Malachi Martin, a meeting took place in Rome between Pope Sylvester 1 and what is termed in Greek desposyni - the blood relatives of Jesus - in 318 CE. (Martin, Malachi, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Church, G P Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1981, p. 43). Eight in number, these Desposyni leaders (otherwise known as ‘Nazoraeans’ or 'Nazarenes') made the following demands: (1) that the confirmation of the Christian bishops of Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus and Alexandria be revoked; (2) that these bishoprics be conferred on members of the Desposyni; and (3) that Christian Churches resume sending money to the Desposyni Church in Jerusalem, which was to be regarded as the Mother Church. Having provided sea travel for these Nazoraean leaders as far as the Roman port of Ostia, Sylvester must surely have recognised them as important, but such a barefaced claim to superiority over the Roman Church by these relatives of Jesus must have come as something of a surprise.

What is important here is the fact that Sylvester felt it necessary to consult with these Nazoraean heirs of Jesus. Everything suggests that it was he who initiated the meeting, and that what he thought of as a straightforward exercise in pontifical authority sorely backfired. This suggests, in turn, a certain naivety on Sylvester's part, for from the nature of the demands made it can be deduced that his estimation of the Nazoraean Community was sadly inadequate. Facing up to Sylvester, these church leaders from the East bluntly refused to recognise the Roman Church as the central authority for the whole Christian world. Due to Constantine’s largesse, the Roman Church was certainly in a priviledged position, but as far as these Nazoraeans were concerned, that in no way changed the underlying fact that the Nazoraean Church was the Mother Church. (Ode 38:9-13)

The Apostolic Church of the Nazoraeans was virtually ignored by the early Greek-oriented Church at Rome. Dismissed in 318 with regal curtness, the representatives of this Church were informed that the centre of influence had long since shifted to Rome, that St Peter's bones were not in Jerusalem, but in Rome, and that the admittedly once powerful family dynasty of Jesus was no longer considered apostolically important.

Quite a slap in the face to those of Jesus' own family who, since the time of James the Righteous, had faithfully carried their message of Jesus as God's chosen Messiah to anyone who would listen. And this was the point, their Jesus was not Pope Sylvester's Jesus, or the Jesus of the Nicean Council which would meet with such dire consequences seven years later. Their Jesus was not divine in his own right, he was divine by way of being anointed by God’s Spirit to be the Christ, a quite different proposition from that developed by the Roman Christians.

Jewish Bishops of Jerusalem

Hebrew Bishops of Jerusalem

In first century Jerusalem, Jesus of Nazareth was crucified as a heretic.

He had no wife and no children, but he did leave behind a family – one that can be traced for more than a century after his death.

It is very well known that the very first Bishop (Episkopos, Greek for ‘overseer’) of the Church in Jerusalem, in charge of the ‘administration’ of the believers in that city was James the Just or James the righteous , the brother of the Lord Jesus, of course.


“James, of course, did not believe his brother during his lifetime, but believed -- after the resurrection, Jesus appears to him, that’s the end of any doubts, he becomes a leader in the church, and writes one of the books in the New Testament.”

James was a devout man who was well known in the Jewish temple.

“James was the head of the first Christian community in Jerusalem, and so he was the first Christian bishop.

“According to a Christian chronicler of the early Church, James was cast from the pinnacle of the Temple in c.A.D. 66, and when the fall did not kill him, he was stoned to death”


This is confirmed in The (Second) Apocalypse of James form the from The Nag Hammadi Library


On that day all the people and the crowd were disturbed, and they showed that they had not been persuaded. And he arose and went forth speaking in this manner. And he entered (again) on that same day and spoke a few hours. And I was with the priests and revealed nothing of the relationship, since all of them were saying with one voice, 'Come, let us stone the Just One.' And they arose, saying, 'Yes, let us kill this man, that he may be taken from our midst. For he will be of no use to us.'

And they were there and found him standing beside the columns of the temple beside the mighty corner stone. And they decided to throw him down from the height, and they cast him down.

They seized him and struck him as they dragged him upon the ground. They stretched him out and placed a stone on his abdomen. They all placed their feet on him, saying 'You have erred!'

Again they raised him up, since he was alive, and made him dig a hole. They made him stand in it. After having covered him up to his abdomen, they stoned him in this manner.

When James died, he left the church in Jerusalem without a leader. The local believers got together to elect a new bishop and once again, they decided to keep it in the family.

“The second bishop of the church was Simeon of Jerusalem,, who also was Jesus' brother. In Matthew 13:55, people ask concerning Jesus, "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?" while in Mark 6:3 they ask, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joseph, Judas and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?"

Simeon became the bishop of Jerusalem at a dangerous time. In A.D. 66, the Jewish War with Rome had just begun, and the city was under siege, just as Jesus had prophesied three decades earlier:

"When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Let those in Jerusalem escape." (Luke 21:20-21)

Simeon remembered the words of his brother and waited for the right moment to leave the city.

In November, the Roman army unexpectedly retreated from Jerusalem for a few weeks, a military blunder.” But to Simeon, this so-called “blunder” was a miracle. He persuaded his congregation to flee Jerusalem, and they escaped with just the clothes on their backs. Simeon led them to safety in a gentile city called Pella in the hills of modern-day Jordan.


Simeon and his congregation spent the next four years safely in Pella, while back in Jerusalem, the Romans murdered more than a million Jews and took another 97 thousand as slaves.

When the war was over, many of the believers returned to Jerusalem and settled on Mount Zion, near the upper room where they had first received the Holy Spirit and where Jesus had celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples. They built a new Judeo-Christian synagogue on the site where the upper room had once stood.

Simeon served as the bishop of Jerusalem until A.D. 106, when he was arrested and tortured by the Romans. Then, like his brother, Simeon was crucified. He was 120 years old.

According to the early Church historian, Eusebius, himself a Gentile Bishop of a Church in the Holy Land, from 314 to c..338, he provides a surprisingly long list of 13 successive Bishops of Jerusalem between the death of Simeon in 107 A.D. and the second Roman destruction of the Holy City at the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 A.D. and, interestingly, remarks that “they were all Jewish-Christians. But from Mark of Caesarea (135-136) on, all the Bishops of the rebuilt city (Aelia Capitolina) were of non-Jewish origin.”

It is certainly less well known, or better still, hardly known at all that the next thirteen Bishops of Jerusalem, right up to 135 A.D. were also Jews, or as we may prefer to call them in Jewish Christians.

For the next few decades, members of Jesus' family continued to lead the church in Jerusalem.

Nothing is known of them, except their names, which were preserved in early church records.The last known relative of Jesus was Judah Kyriakos, a Greek name that means "Judah of the Christ."

He was the great grandson of Jesus' brother Jude, and the last Jewish bishop of Jerusalem.In A.D. 135, the Roman emperor Hadrian leveled the city of Jerusalem. On its ruins, he built a new city dedicated to the Roman god Jupiter. The records of Jesus' family disappeared, along with the old city of Jerusalem.


The legacy of Jesus' family lives on today.


Two of his brothers wrote books of the Bible, and at least five of his relatives were martyred. They served as the first Christian bishops in history and kept the early church alive in Jerusalem. From there, the message of Jesus- their brother spread to the ends of the earth.

Priscilla and Lydia the Book of Acts

Those who've carefully read the Book of Acts must admit it refers in a number of places to women teaching, leading, and speaking in early ecclesias.

The case of Priscilla (the distaff side of a preaching couple) and Aquilla (her husband) was covered in an earlier post. Also covered was Acts 2:17–18, in which Peter identifies the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost as a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy (2:28-29) that Yahweh would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, but what - just guy flesh, not girl? Wouldn't “all flesh” include women (specifically mentioned are “daughters” in Verse 28 and “handmaids” in Verse 29) some of whom would then have the gift prophesy along with others?

In Acts 16:14–15, we're told after Lydia responded to the Gospel and she and her whole household were baptized, she urged Paul and Barnabas to stay at her house. One would think her “household” must have contained men who benefited from her teaching – unless, of course, she was running a shelter for abused wives and wayward girls. One would also think she'd have to have spoken to teach the gospel to her household. If she wasn't allowed to speak when teaching, how did she convey knowledge of the Gospel? Sit them all down and play 'Charades' until they got it?

Acts 21:9 tells us a certain Phillip the Evangelist who lived in Caesarea “had four unmarried daughters who also proclaimed God's Word.” Imagine how amazed Paul and those with him must have been to observe these young ladies pull this off without speaking!

Reflections On 1 Corinthians 14:34-40

Let Your Women Be Silent In Church 

Reflections On 1 Corinthians 14:34-40 

From the King James Version: “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law (nomos). And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? … Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.” 

It's always profitable to examine verses more closely than we may have previously. To gain a proper understanding in this case it's vital. Following are thoughts on various phrases from the passage above. The Greek word 'ecclesia' (a body of called out ones) will replace "church" in this file. “What? Came The Word Of God Out From You?” Paul is asking if the Corinthians thought their ecclesia was the "mother” ecclesia. Was it established first? Was it the only ecclesia sending forth the Word of God? He may have said, “You've adopted some very unusual customs. You allow women to speak in a manner unknown in other ecclesias. 

You also allow irregularity and confusion unknown in all the others. You allow many to speak at the same time, and you tolerate confusion and disorder. Do you have a right to be different from others? Do you have authority to dictate to them and teach them to allow these disorders that are strictly opposed to their standard practice? Shouldn't you conform instead and observe rules that are older than yours?” Paul's main point here is that the ecclesia at Corinth wasn't established first. Really, it was one of the last ecclesias. Therefore, it had no right to differ from others or dictate to them. “Came (The Word Of God) Unto You Only?” Paul is reminding them they weren't the first to believe, nor were they the only ones to receive the Word. He likely added, “God has sent the same Gospel to others and it's traveling all over the world. 

Therefore, others have the same right as you to originate customs and special practices, but since this would create confusion and disorder you should all follow the same rules. Customs that aren't allowed in other ecclesias shouldn't be allowed in yours.” “Let Your Women Keep Silence In The Churches.” This was a Jewish ordinance. Women weren't allowed to teach in their assemblies, or even ask questions. Rabbis taught that “a woman should know nothing but the use of her spindle.” And the following saying of Rabbi Eliezer is worthy of nothing but disgust: “Let the words of the law be burned rather than be given to women.” This was the standard until the time of the Gospel when, according to the prediction of Joel, the Spirit of God would be poured out on women as well as men so they could both prophesy and teach.

 This is obvious from what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:5 when laying down rules to regulate this part of their conduct while ministering in the church. Some might wonder if this doesn't contradict what he said in Chapter 14. Or should one of these passages be understood differently? It's clearly stated in Chapter 14 that women should remain silent while in the ecclesia since there was a rule against them speaking. Yet there's no contradiction if both places are carefully examined. It's clear from the context that Paul is referring to asking questions and what might be called attempting to exercise dominion during meetings. Men were allowed to ask questions, object, argue, and attempt to rebut in the synagogues, but women weren't afforded the privilege. Paul confirms the same regarding Christian ecclesias when he orders sisters to remain silent, stating if they wanted to learn something they should ask their husbands at home because it was improper for them to contend with men on points of doctrine and matters of conscience in public. However, this certainly couldn't mean when a woman received an influence from God enabling her to teach she shouldn't obey it. On the contrary, she was encouraged to obey it, and (as stated above) Paul gave instructions in Chapter 11 regulating her personal appearance while doing it. The only thing he opposes here is questioning, fault-finding, and arguing during ecclesial meetings. He felt this would appear as an attempt to usurp authority over men by pitting their judgment against them. He also claimed allowing it would lead to acts of disobedience and arrogance, something no woman under the influence of God's Spirit would be guilty of. “Your Women Are Commanded To Be Under Obedience, As Also Saith The Law (nomos).” This could be a reference to Genesis 3:16. “I will increase your trouble during pregnancy and your pain while giving birth. In spite of this, you will still desire your husband but will be subject to him." If so, Paul must have been comparing the disorderly and disobedient women of his day with Eve. He sure wasn't talking about sisters on whom God had poured his Spirit. As for the Greek word 'nomos,' a reliable Dictionary will define it as: “That which is assigned, a practice, or a law.” It's used of law: in the NT of law in general; of a force or influence impelling one to action; of the Mosaic law or the Old Testament Scriptures in general; a custom or practice. There's no place in the Law of Moses commanding wives to be subject to their husbands. Yes, there are several examples of wives throughout the Bible doing just that, but the Law itself doesn't say it. However, as seen above, Jewish customs and practices did say it. Thus, it's best to translate the phrase in 1 Corinthians 14:34 as “Your wives are commanded to be obedient (in submission) according to Jewish custom.” Below are two verses often used to support barring sisters from public preaching and teaching, but see how they read when translated closer to the Greek and further from the thinking prevalent in the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth centuries … 1 Tim 2:12 - “I won't allow a wife ('gune' - “a woman, specifically a wife”_Strong) to teach or assume authority over her husband ('aner' – a man, husband). Instead, she must remain quiet.” 1 Cor 13:34-40 - “Wives ('gune') should remain silent in the ecclesias. They aren't allowed to speak, but must be submissive as custom says. If they want to ask about something, they should ask their husbands at home, for it's disgraceful for a woman to speak in the ecclesia. Did God's Word originate with you? Are you the only ones it's reached? … If anyone ignores what I've said, they'll be ignored. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy and don't forbid speaking in tongues, just make sure everything is done in a fitting and orderly way.” No comment is required when it's seen how little the verses support the view of barring sisters from prophesying or teaching when rendered this way. The verse below deals with a couple seemingly involved in a joint preaching and teaching effort. It's been translated to reflect two different mindsets. Which do you suppose correctly represents what happened? Acts 18:26 Enlightened Version: “Apollos began speaking boldly in the synagogue. When Aquilla and Priscilla heard, they invited him to their home and explained God's Way more accurately.” Traditional Version: “Apollos began speaking boldly in the synagogue. When Aquilla heard, he invited him to his home and explained God's Way more accurately, while Priscilla served the cocoa and cookies she'd picked up shopping while Aquilla attended worship service.” There's no indication in the Greek that Priscilla wasn't involved in teaching Apollos the Truth. Nor does it seem likely she spent her time in the kitchen or fluttering about the house dusting shelves and straightening nick-knacks. Actually, it's unlikely Luke would even include her in the manuscript if she hadn't taken an equal part in the effort. Paul appears to feel the same way judging by the fact he calls Priscilla and Aquila “my co-workers in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 16:3) Before mentioning the pair, he spoke of a sister named Phoebe from Cenchrea, said to have been the port city serving the Corinth area. After praising Phoebe, he informs the Romans she's a deaconess ('diakonos') in her ecclesia. She must have been high on Paul's trust list since the context of the passage clearly states he trusted her enough to deliver the letter to the Romans. As you surely know, Paul's letter to believers in Rome was quite lengthy and must have made a fairly large parcel. If Phoebe traveled from the Corinth area to Rome, she'd have logged 617 miles overland (or 536 nautical miles) before reaching her destination. Of course, one can always accept the interpretation that Phoebe was a mere servant girl like Rhoda over in Jerusalem. (Acts 12:13) In that case, one wonders what kind of help Paul urged the Romans to render to Phobe when he said “Assist her in whatever business she needs your help.” Could it be carrying trays of food to and from tables? Cleaning up after Ecclesial functions? Probably neither. It's more likely he's urging them to help her complete her mission and return home safely after she has. As for the word 'diakonos,' Mr Strong claims it signifies: “An attendant, that is, (generally) a waiter (at table or in other menial duties); or specifically a Christian teacher and pastor, technically a deacon or deaconess.” A decent Lexicon will provide information on 'diakonos' similar to the following: “One who executes the commands of another, especially of a master; a servant, attendant, or minister; the servant of a king; a deacon, one who by virtue of the office assigned to him or her by the church, cares for the poor and is charged with collecting and distributing money for their use; a waiter, one who serves food and drink.” It's obvious translators choose English words that fit their view of the status and role of sisters in the early ecclesias. Many versions translate 'diakonos' with “servant.

” Only a few dare render Romans 16:1 thus: “With this letter I'm introducing Phoebe to you. She's our sister in the Christian faith and a deacon of the church in the city of Cenchrea.” In Verse 2 Paul urges the Romans to “Receive her in the Lord's name, as God's people should, and provide any help she may need, for she herself has been a good friend to many, including me.” It seems from the evidence examined here that the ban on sisters taking part in public preaching and teaching is based on a misinterpretation of verses commonly thought to support it. Of course, there may be other verses that do support it. I'd be pleased if anyone knowing of such verses would reveal them in the Comments section below. If there are no other verses, it would be to the advantage of ecclesias in general and sisters specifically to reexamine the issue, for until we do we're all missing out on the unique viewpoint of half the body of Christ.

The Birth of the Christ Consciousness Revelation 12

The Birth of the Christ Consciousness Revelation 12

12:1 And a great sign was seen in heaven, a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon was beneath her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars, 2 and she was pregnant. And she cries out in her pains and in her agony to give birth.3 And another sign was seen in heaven, and, look! a great fiery-colored dragon, with seven heads and ten horns and upon its heads seven diadems; 4 and its tail drags a third of the stars of heaven, and it hurled them down to the earth. And the dragon kept standing before the woman who was about to give birth, that, when she did give birth, it might devour her child. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was caught away to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days. 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled 8 but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. 9 So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him


John is shown a picture of the Church in its victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. The woman symbolizes the Church she is crowned with twelve stars, the twelve stars are the twelve attributes of the Christian faith which are the 12 aeons 1faith, 2hope, 3love, 4promises, 5grace, 6repentance, 7forgiveness, 8baptism, 9anointing,, 10wisdom, 11Eucharist 12logos

The child she bears is the Christ consciousness.

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you-- Galatians 4:19

The Dragon is Satan The outward senses of self-centeredness, self-gratification, self-indulgence, self-importance, self-righteousness, self-glorification, self-delusion, self, ego, the "false god," the "beast"

As the Christ consciousness is born, a rival force of the old self occurs, which brings about recurring periods of rebellion in a believer. Through divine intervention (daily readings of the scriptures the spirit-word), the Christ consciousness is protected while the carnal mind, is withdrawn below the conscious level.

Heaven is the realm of conscious harmony, a consciousness of peace in mind, body, and soul. Since man is free to think what he will, conflicting thoughts may enter heaven. When this takes place, man's harmony is disrupted and there is "war in heaven."?

War in heaven this represents the struggle that goes on in the believers mind while the believer tries to adjust his sinful nature to the requirements of Christ consciousness. It is a war which leads to Armageddon

What is symbolized by the "great voice in Heaven" acknowledging the salvation, power, and kingdom of God and the authority of his Christ? The "great voice" from Heaven symbolizes the beginning of the reign of Christ, through whom comes salvation. When we free the mind from Sin, salvation from the earth, or the carnal mind starts to takes place and the Christ consciousness comes into being a new life follows for Christ is "the resurrection and the life."

Why has the "Devil" but a short time in the earth”? In a literal sense the time is relatively short compared with eternity. Allegorically, man soon tires of disharmony, and longs for peace, that he may have by claiming his inheritance as a son of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. When he submits to the will of God, the Devil's reign over him is soon at an end.

Satan also came among the sons of God Job 1:6

Satan also came among the sons of God Job 1:6

Job 1:6"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan came also among them."

Problem: Satan in Job is an angel who came among the angels in heaven and criticized Job, whom he had been watching whilst walking around in the earth seeing what trouble he could make. He then brings lots of problems upon Job to try and turn him away from God.

Solution:

Nowhere in the book of Job is Satan clearly stated to be a fallen angel. The argument that Satan is a fallen angel is an assumed one, and involves the following assumptions:


That the "sons of God" refers to angels. The expression is possibly identified with angels in Job 38:7, but is used of humans elsewhere in Scripture: Deut. 14:1 R.S.V.; Psa. 82:6, R.S.V.; Hosea 1:10, Luke 3:38; John 1:12; 1 John 3:1. that the phrase “sons of God” can refer to those who have the true understanding of God (Rom. 8:14; 2 Cor. 6:17-18; 1 Jn. 3:7). Angels do not bring false accusations against believers “before the Lord” (2 Pet. 2:11)

That Satan was a "son of God". The passage only states that he "came among them", but not that he was himself a "son of God" It cannot be conclusively proved that Satan was a son of God - he “came among them”.

It is assumed that "a conference" took place in heaven from the following two references: "To present themselves before Yahweh" (Job 1:6); "so Satan went forth from the presence of Yahweh" (Job 2:7).

But note the following:

The "conference" need not to have taken place in heaven. When men came before Yahweh's accredited representatives on earth (e.g., the judges), they were said to be standing "before Yahweh".

The following are two examples:

"Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days." (Deut. 19:17).

". . . Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for Yahweh who is with you in the judgment." (2 Chron. 19:6).

To leave the presence of Yahweh (Job 1:12) does not require Satan ("adversary", A.V. mg., Job 1:6) to have had access to the dwelling place of God in heaven. Cain "went out from the presence of Yahweh" (Gen. 4:16) and he certainly was not in heaven. The adversary was well travelled on the earth: "going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." (Job 1:7 R.S.V.). (Is walking the usual mode of locomotion for a mighty angel?)

It is impossible that a rebel angel could have had access to the dwelling place of God in heaven for the following reasons:


God does not tolerate evil: "Evil may not sojourn with thee." (Psa. 5:4, 5, R.S.V.); "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity . . ." (Hab. 1:13).


How then could a rebel angel have access to heaven from before the creation of Adam and Eve until 1914? Or if, as it is sometimes asserted that Satan was cast out of heaven before the creation of Adam and Eve, how did he manage to regain access to heaven?


If Satan were a rebel angel with access to heaven until 1914 (as J.W.'s assert), this would invalidate the Lord's prayer. Jesus prayed: "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matt. 6:10). Did Jesus believe that heaven was the seat of revolution, intrigue, and disorder, and later to be the scene of a great war?

Job never attributed his afflictions to a rebel angel. His declaration was simply: "The hand of God hath touched me". (Job 19:21 cf. 2:10). Even Job's brethren, sisters and acquaintances acknowledged that the evil was brought upon Job by Yahweh: "they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that Yahweh had brought upon him." (Job 42:11).

Satan in the Book of Job

Prologue (chapters 1-2, prose): God invites a character termed "the Satan" to consider the piety of his servant Job. The Satan counters that God fails to realize Job is only pious because he is well blessed in riches and, were he deprived, he would curse Him. God meets the Satan's demands by Himself destroying Job's fortunes, children and ultimately health. Yet Job does not curse God; the Satan loses the barter.

In the Hebrew Bible, as in mainstream Judaism to this day,
Satan never appears as Western Christendom has come to know
him, as the leader of an “evil empire,” an army of hostile spirits
who make war on God and humankind alike.7 As he first appears
in the Hebrew Bible, Satan is not necessarily evil, much less
opposed to God. On the contrary, he appears in the book of
Numbers and in Job as one of God's obedient servants—a
messenger, or angel, a word that translates the Hebrew term for
messenger (ma’lak) into Greek (angelos). In Hebrew, the angels
were often called “sons of God” (bene ‘elohim), and were
envisioned as the hierarchical ranks of a great army, or the staff
of a royal court

The Story of Mary Magdalene and the First Easter Egg

The Story of Mary Magdalene and the First Easter Egg

Jehovah's Witnesses claim that the Easter egg is a pagan symbol

The Easter egg in Christian tradition has a much humbler origin, and nothing to do with ancient pagan practices

One tradition concerning Mary Magdalene says that following the death and resurrection of Jesus, she used her position to gain an invitation to a banquet given by the Roman Emperor Tiberius.

Her purpose was to protest to him that his governor in Judea, Pontius Pilate, and the two high priests, had conspired and executed an innocent man, namely our Lord Jesus Christ.

According to this tradition, after the Ascension of Jesus, Mary went to the Emperor of Rome and greeted him with "Christ has risen," whereupon he pointed to an egg on his table and stated, "Christ has no more risen than that egg is red." After making this statement it is said the egg immediately turned blood red

This tradition of Mary Magdalene visiting Caesar Tiberius can be found in the Gospel of Nicodemus but it does not mention eggs:

Mary Magdalene said, weeping: Hear, O peoples, tribes, and tongues, and learn to what death the lawless Jews have delivered Him Who did them ten thousand good deeds. Hear, and be astonished. Who will let these things be heard by all the world? I shall go alone to Rome, to the Caesar. I shall show him what evil Pilate hath done in obeying the lawless Jews. (the Gospel of Nicodemus)

This she did. Going to Tiberius, she handed him an egg, saying: “Christ is risen.” It was the custom to give gifts to Caesar, but usually not something like an egg! Tiberius would not take the egg, but asked to know why she had offered it to him. Saint Mary explained that just as life is in an egg, so Christ the Life lay in the tomb. And as the chick breaks out of the “stone” of the shell, so Jesus came forth from the stone tomb in triumph over death. Taken aback, Tiberius demanded a sign that her words were true. Instantly the egg turned scarlet in Saint Mary’s hand, and she then spoke of Christ granting life through the shedding of His blood. It is from this incident that we have the custom of Easter eggs, which in the Eastern Churches are always bright red.

Learning of this offering by Mary Magdalene, the early Christians imitated her, presenting each other with eggs. Hence, eggs began to be used by Christians in the earliest centuries as a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ and of the regeneration of Christians for a new and a better life along with it.

For Orthodox Christians, the egg symbolizes the empty rock tomb from which Jesus Christ arose after Ηis Crucifixion.

Consider the following words from the Catholic Encyclopedia: “Because the use of eggs was forbidden during Lent, they were brought to the table on Easter Day, colored red to symbolize the Easter joy. This custom is found not only in the Latin but also in the Oriental Churches.”

Traditionally, Easter eggs are dyed throughout the Orthodox Christian world on Holy Thursday, and they are dyed red to represent the redeeming blood of Christ that was shed on the Cross, the white egg (before being dyed) represents the white marble tomb were Christ's body was laid after He was taken down from the Cross, and the hard shell of the egg symbolises the sealed tomb of Christ

Easter--The awakening and raising to spiritual consciousness of the divine mind in man, which has been dead in trespasses and sins and buried in the tomb of materiality.

An Examination of the "Secret Book of James"

An Examination of the "Secret Book of James"

A reply to Hal Flemings
http://jehovah.to/exe/general/james.htm

SECRET BOOK OF JAMES


According to Secret Book of James 4:4, the Lord Jesus offered Peter and James this advice: "But if you are oppressed by Satan and are persecuted and you do the Father's will, I say that he will love you and will make you equal with me and will consider that you have become beloved through his providence according to your free choice.."

The notion of being made equal with Christ is a NT teaching

Col 2:9 For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus bodily and it will also dwell within us has well:

Eph 3:19 and to know the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge, that YOU may be filled with all the fullness of the Deity.

We like Jesus are to be filled with God fullness

2Peter 1:4 Through these things he has freely given us the precious and very grand promises, that through these YOU may become sharers in divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world through lust.

we will share God's divine nature

2Th 2:14 He called you to this through the good news we declare, so that you may acquire the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We shall share Jesus' glory

John 17:20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will[a] believe in Me through their word;
21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

In John 17 we are told that we are to be made perfect in one Christ in us and the Father in Christ
in the Age to come we shall be one with God by sharing his divine nature and being filled with his fullness.

1john 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

And, at philp 3:20 Of us for the commonwealth in heavens begins, out of which also a saviour we look for Lord Jesus Anointed, 21 who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself.

Our position is that the Secret Book of James is in harmony with the "New Testament" on this issue.

In another place, we read: "Become seekers of death, therefore, like the dead who are seeking life, for what they seek is manifest to them. So what can be of concern to them? When you inquire into the subject of death, it will teach about election. I swear to you, none will be saved who are afraid of death; for God’s domain belongs to those who are dead. Become better than I; be like the son of the holy spirit!" --Secret Book of James 5:3-6

Here Jesus is speaking about those who are dead to sin and alive to God at the same time

Rom 6:2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it??

Rom 6:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Ga 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death

dying unto self and the world which Paul shows in self-denials of his holy life: he was "crucified with Christ"

Believers must die to sin, and live to God.

True believers are dead to sin, therefore they ought not to follow it. No man can at the same time be both dead and alive. He is a fool who, desiring to be dead to sin, thinks he may live in it.

son of the holy spirit that is to be born from above born of the spirit being a son of Deity by being made consubstantial with the father


Secret Book of James 6:27 reports that Jesus said to Peter and James: "Pay attention to instruction, understand knowledge, love life. And no one will persecute you, nor will any one oppress you, other than you yourselves."

That is no one will tempt you, nor will any one beguile you, other than you yourselves. For temptation comes from within Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

We will consider one more excerpt. This one comes from Secret Book of James 9:5,6 where Jesus tells Peter and James: "Accordingly, disregard rejection when you hear [it], but when you hear about the promise, exult all the more. I swear to you, whoever receives life and believes in the domain will never leave it - not even if the Father wishes to banish him!"

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and[a] cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.

Then Peter replied, "Lo, three times you have told us, 'Become full'; but we are full."
The Savior answered and said, "For this cause I have said to you, 'Become full,' that you may not be in want. They who are in want, however, will not be saved. For it is good to be full, and bad to be in want. Hence, just as it is good that you be in want and, conversely, bad that you be full, so he who is full is in want, and he who is in want does not become full as he who is in want becomes full, and he who has been filled, in turn attains due perfection. Therefore, you must be in want while it is possible to fill you, and be full while it is possible for you to be in want, so that you may be able to fill yourselves the more. Hence, become full of the Spirit, but be in want of reason, for reason <belongs to> the soul; in turn, it is (of the nature of) soul."
And when we had heard these words, we became glad, for we had been grieved at the words we have mentioned before. But when he saw us rejoicing, he said, "Woe to you who lack an advocate! Woe to you who stand in need of grace! Blessed will they be who have spoken out and obtained grace for themselves. Liken yourselves to foreigners; of what sort are they in the eyes of your city? Why are you disturbed when you cast yourselves away of your own accord and separate yourselves from your city? Why do you abandon your dwelling place of your own accord, making it ready for those who want to dwell in it? O you outcasts and fugitives, woe to you, for you will be caught! Or do you perhaps think that the Father is a lover of mankind, or that he is won over without prayers, or that he grants remission to one on another's behalf, or that he bears with one who asks? - For he knows the desire, and also what it is that the flesh needs! - (Or do you think) that it is not this (flesh) that desires the soul? For without the soul, the body does not sin, just as the soul is not saved without the spirit. But if the soul is saved (when it is) without evil, and the spirit is also saved, then the body becomes free from sin. For it is the spirit that raises the soul, but the body that kills it; that is, it is it (the soul) which kills itself. Verily, I say unto you, he will not forgive the soul the sin by any means, nor the flesh the guilt; for none of those who have worn the flesh will be saved. For do you think that many have found the kingdom of heaven? Blessed is he who has seen himself as a fourth one in heaven!"

Ezekiel 18:4 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

There for Jehovah’s Witnesses are wrong about rejecting the Secret Book of James. Perhaps they should look at it again?

Revelation 4 A Vision of the Pleroma Revelation 4 and the Pleroma

A Vision of the Pleroma


Revelation 4 and the Pleroma

First of all the Pleroma did not always exist it was produced and formed by the Eternal Spirit this we call the emanation.
(He created the holy Pleroma in this way The Untitled Text in the Bruce Codex)

The word Pleroma means "fullness". It refers to all existence beyond visible universe. In other words it is the world of the Aeons, the heavens or spiritual universe. Bythos is the spiritual source of everything which emanates the pleroma,

The Pleroma is both the abode of and the essential nature of the True Ultimate Deity or Bythos.
The Pleroma as well as being the dwellings place of the Aeons is also a a state of consciousness

4:1 After these things I looked (when we are spiritually attuned), and behold, a door (a level of heightened awareness. It is only as the Lord, who holds the key, opens the door to the understanding of Heavenly things, that we are able to comprehend them. — Matt. 3:16; Ezek. 1:1; Rev. 19:11. ) standing open in heaven (an opening in the Firmament a way to the Pleroma). And the first voice (the still small voice) which I heard was like a trumpet (which is the seat of our deep intuitive knowing) speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, (raising into our awarneness to the super-conscious heaven that is the Pleroma. the Pleroma is has two different meanings the first the dwellings place of the Aeons the abode of and the essential nature of the True Ultimate Deity or Bythos. the second an elevated state of consciousness) and I will show you things which must take place after this.” (john did not go to heaven he was merely given a vision of Heavenly things. (Rev. 11:12.) "The seer now obtains a higher spiritual standpoint." What the Apostle beheld taking place in heaven has to do with those in covenant with God, those who are even now “in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”)

2 Immediately I was in the Spirit (experience our transcendental state); and behold, a throne set in heaven, and the One (the Allness) sat on the throne (Of the Universe the ruler of this Universe and the Pleroma). 

As soon as John heard this invitation, he entered another visionary state (cf. 1:10). His body remained on the earth, but he saw a throne and someone sitting on it in heaven (cf. Ezek. 11:1, 5).

3 And He who sat there was like a jasper (Sophia) and a sardius (Logos) stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne (Justice is "the habitation of Thy Throne." [Psa. 89:14.] ), in appearance like an emerald ( Green, the predominant colour of life. the Divine Being on the throne is described as "like a jasper and a sardine stone to look upon." A phrase like this meets the reader in Revelation 2:11, where the light of the holy Jerusalem is described as "like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." 
"And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper." (Rev. 21:18, 19.)

4 Around the throne (Encompassing it on all sides — always in mind — never out of sight.) were twenty-four thrones (moving away from the center where the One set on the throne we see twenty-four thrones in a circale ), and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, (2 united Israels, 2 sets of 12 apostles) clothed in white robes (purified); and they had crowns of gold on their heads. (fully enlightened perspective)

5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. The 24 elders and the seven spirits of God are the emanation of the 30 aeons 

6 Before the throne there was a sea (the waters above the heavens or the Pleroma) of glass (the Firmament), like crystal (the Universe or outerspace "As the body of heaven in its clearness" (Exo 24:10; Psa 113:6). And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 

To be "before the throne" means to be in a high state of good judgment. When we are using good judgment, there extends into our future an unlimited area of pure potentialities of good. This is the symbolism of the sea of glass and crystal. The sea stands for unlimited possibilities. Glass and crystal stand for purity.

"Eyes in front and behind" refers to the powers of foresight and hindsight. These are possessed by the four beasts mentioned.

7 The first living creature was like a lion (man’s physical nature), the second living creature like a calf (man’s subjective or emotional nature), the third living creature had a face like a man ( man’s mentality;), and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle (standing for our inspirations and our intuition).

The four beasts in Rev. 4:7 represent the four main aspects of human nature. They are:

"like a lion"--physicality, the physical aspect of man, the physical body.
"like an ox"--subjective and emotional nature of man, the emotional or heart.
"With the face of a man"--mental or intellectual nature of man, mental or soul.
"like a flying eagle"--inspirational and intuitive nature of man, spiritual or spirit.

We have these four parts of our human nature, and all four are valuable to us, and yet none of them is of the highest. The highest, of course, is spiritual, our spiritual nature. These four beasts do not mean our spiritual nature, but our lower levels of human nature, except for the fourth, which means our inspirations and our intuitions leading us higher into the spiritual. 

8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
“Holy,[f] holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11 “You are worthy, [g]O Lord,
To receive glory and honour and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they [h]exist and were created.”