Tag Archives: #Theology

HE IS RISEN! – Time and Quantum effects in Jesus’ Resurrection

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First published on this blog and repeated annually:

In preparation for the Holy-days’ weekend Nina creates a tableau for contemplating Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. She’s inspired about what items to collect and arrange, usually including a rock with a central hole eroded by the sea and which we found on a beach. It serves as both the ‘skull’ and garden tomb of Golgotha. For example, the above display has a scarf as a ‘river of life’ flowing out of the empty cave/tomb below the cross. (In 2012 it gave an insight that I’ll share below.)

Maundy Thursday is celebrated as the night when Jesus and the lead-disciples ate an early Passover Seder, or meal (see video explanation). Following the meal, one disciple betrayed Him by leading Temple guards to capture Him at night for trial by a ‘kangaroo’ court of Jewish leaders.  It was a foregone conclusion that they’d demand authorisation of His death from Pontius Pilate, the Roman Prefect, or governor, of Judea.

If you’re unfamiliar with this true story and how it led to Jesus’ gruesome torture, death and burial followed by his amazing bodily resurrection and appearance to His disciples, read doctor Luke’s investigative account and the personal account of Jesus’ closest disciple John. (Later, a Jewish leader violently opposed to them but who encountered Jesus en-route to Damascus would write He was seen simultaneously by over 500 – read 1 Corinthians 15:6)

HEAVEN & HUMAN HISTORIES’ PIVOTAL TIME

Jesus Christ died so that each of us may be forgiven for our sins. As a result of this new status, we can have direct personal access to Almighty God when we believe in Jesus Christ. As the Son of God, Jesus suffered on our behalf as our ‘scapegoat’.  That is, Jesus took the place of death that we deserved because of our sinfulness, for the shedding of a sinless one’s blood was the only way our status could be changed for us to gain personal salvation. Apostle Paul put it thus to the Romans:

8But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:8-11, NIV, see whole chapter.)

Now, when I was a new Christian I found that rather hard to understand – but it works! The theological term is ‘atonement’, or ‘substitutionary atonement’.  In bringing forgive-ness to the guilty, however, this can cause deep problems for those who’ve been the victim of crimes. After all, why should a killer find forgiveness by God? And what about the victim’s families, or the victim of abuse? They find it very hard if well-nigh impossible to forgive.

In 2012 I heard a Portsmouth prison chaplain address this issue with a concept taken from the criminal justice system: restorative justice. This involves an active dialogue between victim and offender, plus reparation.  And it has a sound basis in  theology. How?

Jesus was a guiltless victim, directly of those who wanted Him killed, and indirectly of everyone’s ‘fallen state’ of sinfulness, which could only be rectified by His death.

And Almighty God, the Father, is a victim too. How? He’s victim of humanity’s rebellion against Him. For example and especially over the way religious leaders murdered His son – how they seethed with rage when Jesus denounced them! (read Luke 20:9-19).  So, every victim can find an identity and affinity in both God and Jesus Christ in their situation. Hence, they can receive God’s own ability to forgive because He will help them choose to forgive those who’ve harmed them. [Lack of forgiveness may be the only thing that hampers God – see Matt 6:14-15]

A TABLEAU IN TIME

During contemplation upon the tableau illustrated above, an insight dropped into mind that the Resurrection created a distinct point in the flow of, or perhaps even a change in, Time itself. That is, the now termed ‘common era’ calendar is the medieval Christian one that counts years from the approximate birth of Christ as ‘anno Domini’. But in fact, a more powerful one would be the point at which things in heaven changed and thus affected our lives on earth and its ultimate role in God’s scheme of creation. This took place at the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, His revival to life from death itself.

That such a concept may be valid can be found in the discoveries about the material of ‘The Shroud of Turin’, the shroud in which Jesus was thought to have been carried and covered during His interment. It is of most astounding significance when examined from the view-point of modern physics.

Apart from the supra-natural or spiritual aspect, that unique, singular event could have naturally happened by means of a ‘singularity’ (a theoretical gravitational effect associated with ‘black holes’, eg. as may have been the starting point of the creation of the universe, or ‘Big Bang’).

Don’t take my word for this but consider that of Dame Isabel Piczek (deceased 2016), famous as a monumental artist and award-winning figurative draughtswoman. Her highly detailed analysis of theories about how the image on the shroud was formed is authoritative, as in the first of several detailed articles here.

Also, as a physicist who may have considered implications from a quantum mechanics standpoint, her conclusions about how the image was formed are most intriguing: it seems that the image of Jesus can only have been created by its hovering equidistantly above and below his reclining bent corpse. Furthermore, this necessitated the body’s levitation – perhaps not an impossible feat during the moment of the Resurrection power-blast?  After all, the disciples had witnessed Jesus walking on water and were yet to see His levitating into the clouds!

Dame Isabel succinctly summarises:

We have a piece of cloth and it leads us to a mysterious gate which opens for us, and it lets us see a completely different world, an extraordinary world with extraordinary laws.

Consider these claims by reading those articles and watching this 19 minute of extracts from the DVD The Fabric of Time (with its own lead-in trailer). There’s also a discussion of her scientific opinion at In Case You Missed Isabel Piczek’s Wonderful Paper.

‘Coincidentally”, just after having read the last link and revised the preceding references to science (post published 5 years ago), I’m alerted to theoretical physicist Mehki’s new post on ‘black holes’ and ‘event horizons’ (see Looking to the Horizon). The discussion thread has a valuable contribution from ‘physicalrealityblog’ that’s pertinent to the Shroud site’s discussion of Dame Isabel’s analysis and indirectly reconnects it back into quantum physics!

2017: ‘Coincidentally’ amusing that bloggers ‘hidden’ on opposite sides of the world (Britain and New Zealand) were preparing items on the fabrics that Jesus Christ was buried with – the full-body shroud and the head linen – in Joseph of Arimathea’s private tomb. My post updated on Wed 12 April 2017 was scheduled on Thurs 13th for auto-publication Sun 16 April. On Good Friday 14 April Joanne Rolston published news of the ‘Sudarium’ in AB-solute Proof – The Blood That Speaks.

Read about bizarre anomalies in scientific instruments placed on the slab of stone in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre said to be have been where Jesus’ body lay: Scientists Who Opened Christ’s Tomb Detect Mysterious Readings That Support Shroud Theory.

2019: Am grateful to unknown source of this image:

Link: The Shroud of Turin website

Paul Keith Davis: attaining to The Age To Come

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Further to the recent posts about our preparation as the Bride of Christ to rule in His Millennial reign over all nations upon earth, Paul Keith Davis’ latest video on modelling ‘The Age To Come’ is well worth studious attention:

In view of the prophetic command he’d given (herein), and others’ expectation of whom I’m aware, his early remarks on how that Age may be achieved is especially noteworthy.

The depth of Paul Keith’s expertise in post-Reformation, especially 20th Century, Church history aids his thesis – or prophetical insight – on the new, radical move of the Holy Spirit that’s prophesied by many, as in several recent posts herein relating to the vision Smith-Wigglesworth had of His moving across our land. PK says the Lord has given a measure of clarity on what The Age To Come will look like, maybe even in the next decade or so.

About a year ago, the Lord told him many of us have been arriving at, and are already making, decisions that will dictate the course of our lives until that Age’s appearance. Also, PK has previously referred to 20th Century leaders whom the Lord has used as forerunners to demonstrate what this Age will be like.

He refers to the Lord having brought changes to His Church through the Reformation and subsequent moves and outpourings His Spirit through theologians and evangelists, and the major breakthrough within Pentecostal churches. These brought an improved understanding of the scriptures with fresh, deeper revelations.

He believes there is yet one more major outpouring to come very soon that will bring a fuller Reformation as the Lord builds His people into the full manifestation of His Bride to rule with Him upon His return to reign for one thousand years.

This new Reformation will be the revelation of mysteries and revelations within the Heart of God and fulfillment of 1 Corinthians 2:9.

Very exciting teaching, so set aside 22 minutes to listen and contemplate, especially one of the most striking promises made to disciples at Luke 20:34-36 about being kept alive and found worthy to attain and taste the powers of the Age to Come (Hebrews 6:1-6). Paul Keith brings essential teaching to prepare us for serving the Lord in the coming days:

HE IS RISEN! – Time and Quantum effects in Jesus’ Resurrection

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First published on this blog and repeated annually:

In preparation for the Holy-days’ weekend Nina creates a tableau for contemplating Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. She’s inspired about what items to collect and arrange, usually including a rock with a central hole eroded by the sea and which we found on a beach. It serves as both the ‘skull’ and garden tomb of Golgotha. For example, the above display has a scarf as a ‘river of life’ flowing out of the empty cave/tomb below the cross. (In 2012 it gave an insight that I’ll share below.)

Maundy Thursday is celebrated as the night when Jesus and the lead-disciples ate an early Passover Seder, or meal (see video explanation). Following the meal, one disciple betrayed Him by leading Temple guards to capture Him at night for trial by a ‘kangaroo’ court of Jewish leaders.  It was a foregone conclusion that they’d demand authorisation of His death from Pontius Pilate, the Roman Prefect, or governor, of Judea.

If you’re unfamiliar with this true story and how it led to Jesus’ gruesome torture, death and burial followed by his amazing bodily resurrection and appearance to His disciples, read doctor Luke’s investigative account and the personal account of Jesus’ closest disciple John. (Later, a Jewish leader violently opposed to them but who encountered Jesus en-route to Damascus would write He was seen simultaneously by over 500 – read 1 Corinthians 15:6)

HEAVEN & HUMAN HISTORY’S PIVOTAL TIME

Jesus Christ died so that each of us may be forgiven for our sins. As a result of this new status, we can have direct personal access to Almighty God when we believe in Jesus Christ. As the Son of God, Jesus suffered on our behalf as our ‘scapegoat’.  That is, Jesus took the place of death that we deserved because of our sinfulness, for the shedding of a sinless one’s blood was the only way our status could be changed for us to gain personal salvation. Apostle Paul put it thus to the Romans:

8But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:8-11, NIV, see whole chapter.)

Now, when I was a new Christian I found that rather hard to understand – but it works! The theological term is ‘atonement’, or ‘substitutionary atonement’.  In bringing forgive-ness to the guilty, however, this can cause deep problems for those who’ve been the victim of crimes. After all, why should a killer find forgiveness by God? And what about the victim’s families, or the victim of abuse? They find it very hard if well-nigh impossible to forgive.

In 2012 I heard a Portsmouth prison chaplain address this issue with a concept taken from the criminal justice system: restorative justice. This involves an active dialogue between victim and offender, plus reparation.  And it has a sound basis in  theology. How?

Jesus was a guiltless victim, directly of those who wanted Him killed, and indirectly of everyone’s ‘fallen state’ of sinfulness, which could only be rectified by His death.

And Almighty God, the Father, is a victim too. How? He’s victim of humanity’s rebellion against Him. For example and especially over the way religious leaders murdered His son – how they seethed with rage when Jesus denounced them! (read Luke 20:9-19).  So, every victim can find an identity and affinity in both God and Jesus Christ in their situation. Hence, they can receive God’s own ability to forgive because He will help them choose to forgive those who’ve harmed them. [Lack of forgiveness may be the only thing that hampers God – see Matt 6:14-15]

A TABLEAU IN TIME

During contemplation upon the tableau illustrated above, an insight dropped into mind that the Resurrection created a distinct point in the flow of, or perhaps even a change in, Time itself. That is, the now termed ‘common era’ calendar is the medieval Christian one that counts years from the approximate birth of Christ as ‘anno Domini’. But in fact, a more powerful one would be the point at which things in heaven changed and thus affected our lives on earth and its ultimate role in God’s scheme of creation. This took place at the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, His revival to life from death itself.

That such a concept may be valid can be found in the discoveries about the material of ‘The Shroud of Turin’, the shroud in which Jesus was thought to have been carried and covered during His interment. It is of most astounding significance when examined from the view-point of modern physics.

Apart from the supra-natural or spiritual aspect, that unique, singular event could have naturally happened by means of a ‘singularity’ (a theoretical gravitational effect associated with ‘black holes’, eg. as may have been the starting point of the creation of the universe, or ‘Big Bang’).

Don’t take my word for this but consider that of Dame Isabel Piczek (deceased 2016), famous as a monumental artist and award-winning figurative draughtswoman. Her highly detailed analysis of theories about how the image on the shroud was formed is authoritative, as in the first of several detailed articles here.

Also, as a physicist who may have considered implications from a quantum mechanics standpoint, her conclusions about how the image was formed are most intriguing: it seems that the image of Jesus can only have been created by its hovering equidistantly above and below his reclining bent corpse. Furthermore, this necessitated the body’s levitation – perhaps not an impossible feat during the moment of the Resurrection power-blast?  After all, the disciples had witnessed Jesus walking on water and were yet to see His levitating into the clouds!

Dame Isabel succinctly summarises:

We have a piece of cloth and it leads us to a mysterious gate which opens for us, and it lets us see a completely different world, an extraordinary world with extraordinary laws.

Consider these claims by reading those articles and watching this 19 minute of extracts from the DVD The Fabric of Time (with its own lead-in trailer). There’s also a discussion of her scientific opinion at In Case You Missed Isabel Piczek’s Wonderful Paper.

‘Coincidentally”, just after having read the last link and revised the preceding references to science (post published 5 years ago), I’m alerted to theoretical physicist Mehki’s new post on ‘black holes’ and ‘event horizons’ (see Looking to the Horizon). The discussion thread has a valuable contribution from ‘physicalrealityblog’ that’s pertinent to the Shroud site’s discussion of Dame Isabel’s analysis and indirectly reconnects it back into quantum physics!

2017: ‘Coincidentally’ amusing that bloggers ‘hidden’ on opposite sides of the world (Britain and New Zealand) were preparing items on the fabrics that Jesus Christ was buried with – the full-body shroud and the head linen – in Joseph of Arimathea’s private tomb. My post updated on Wed 12 April 2017 was scheduled on Thurs 13th for auto-publication Sun 16 April. On Good Friday 14 April Joanne Rolston published news of the ‘Sudarium’ in AB-solute Proof – The Blood That Speaks.

Read about bizarre anomalies in scientific instruments placed on the slab of stone in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre said to be have been where Jesus’ body lay: Scientists Who Opened Christ’s Tomb Detect Mysterious Readings That Support Shroud Theory

Link: The Shroud of Turin website

A short comparison of Billy Graham’s theology by Gavin Ashenden

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Highly recommended weekend reading, Revd Dr Gavin’s studious analysis of the different theology of Billy’s ‘back-to-basics’ preaching and some clerics’ ‘pick-and-choose’ teaching…

The responses to the news of Billy Graham’s death have been varied, as one might have expected. They stretch from the kind: “Thank you Billy. For Everything. See you on the other side, Michael W.” To the septic, as in that of the Teen vogue columnist Lauren Duca: “The big news today […]

Continue reading at A study in the contrast between Political and Pneumatic Christianity in the light of the life and death of Billy Graham. — Gavin Ashenden.

For Reference:

Is God Imaginary?

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Sy Garte’s post and Sheila Deeth’s comment surpass the concept of the conjunction of science and scripture to focus upon the metaphorical mirroring of maths and our Maker. Relish the truism behind an atheist’s jest.

thebookofworks's avatarThe Book of Works

There are many essential equations that describe the physical reality of the universe. Einstein’s E = mc2 is probably one of the most famous, and also the simplest. In the 1920s, physicist Erwin Schrödinger developed an equation that is of prime importance in quantum physics and chemistry. I first learned about (and worked with) this equation in an advanced physical chemistry course in college. The equation is critical in understanding the behavior of electrons, molecules and the wave functions of physics. Here it is:

Schroedinger

It isn’t a simple equation at all – all of the terms have complicated meanings – but here I will only discuss one part of it.

Recently I saw an amusing post on Twitter by an atheist that was also in the form of an equation. It was this:

i2

This was a somewhat clever attempt by the poster to say something about God. The square…

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Nelson Walters: How to prepare for Jesus’ return

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So well-timed surely the Lord is in Nelson’s informative teaching, parts of which serve as a very suitable follow-up to recent posts (eg. today’s Lion Bite: “I have overcome the world and chaos – so watch!” and my Personal Foretaste of Jesus’ Return, as well the deception in church against which we’ve signed a Petition). Thank you Nelson.

The Olivet Discourse and the Letters to the Seven Churches are a manual on how to prepare for Jesus’s return. What the Pretrib. Teachers Say “If the church was going to face the Antichrist, Jesus would have given us specific instructions on how to prepare. But the Bible contains nothing on how to prepare to…

continue reading at How to Prepare for Jesus’s Return — The Gospel In The End Times

‘Judgement and the Church of England.’ A sermon…following the Hereford Diocesan Synod.

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Having resigned from ministry in the Anglican communion Gavin’s incisive analysis cuts close to the ‘bone’. His wise opinion, and closing dream and vision, confirm the validity of a recent prophetic word and vision of pruning of CofE’s deadwood, and my earlier conversational piece about the SSM Bill. It’s exactly as Jesus foretold about these End-times being like the Days of Noah and of Lot!

gavinashenden's avatarGavin Ashenden

Good Shepherd

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

(Ephesians 6.12)

Jesus said,

“ If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mk 3.25).

There are at least two ways of doing theology; one primarily as a rational and intellectual act, and one by discernment of the Spirit.

Our Enlightenment traditions are very comfortable with the first, but Churches that look to the Holy Spirit rather than the nous or the human mind, need to be able to exercise the gift of the Holy Spirit called in the New Testament, ‘discernment.’

This is an exercise not in the cerebralness of rationality, of which we have had a great deal, but in spiritual discernment; which can only be done by the twice-born, and…

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The Hallmark of the New

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After having looked at the dozens of prophecies for a new era in church and society we now need to consider the ‘nuts & bolts’ of how we can assist their fulfillment. In this post Mike Parsons brings practical instruction for doing so based upon our identity in Christ.

Freedom ARC's avatarSons of Issachar

Mike Parsons
with Jeremy Westcott

What is the ‘new wine’?

In this series of posts we are looking at new wine and new wineskins. Last time we saw how the new wineskin is each one of us, both individually and coming together as a new order ekklesia, but what is this new wine? What does it represent? Here is some of what I have seen (and if you will engage with God for yourself, I am sure you will see some of this and more besides):

    • New governmental mandates and new government patterned after heaven. New revelation and understanding of how to expand the kingdom, subdue and rule from a new heavenly perspective of servant leadership.
    • New values and ideals. Jesus introduced the manifesto of the kingdom, a completely new way of living. As we have seen, the ekklesia is to be a reflection of heaven’s values, an embassy…

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Chuck Missler (and RB) on the excitement of eschatology

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First published as Not Many People Know This… the day after I’d launched this blog in November 2011, this item was repeated on the home page over subsequent years. It alerts followers and visitors to the acceleration in fulfillment of biblical prophecies, as shown in the closing links to some of those events:

As you may have gathered from my Welcome, I’m into eschatology – the theological study of the destiny and judgement of nations and all people, even angels!  You may know it as ‘The Last Days’ or, more popularly, as ‘End-Times’. The origin of this term is in the ancient Hebrew Torah’s description: Acharit Hayamin, ie. ‘Last of the Years’.

Let me take you for a very brief visit into one of my favourite classes where Dr Chuck Missler is asking his students, “Why Eschatology?”.:

“It is very practical”, he answers himself and explains:

“Apparently, we’re being plunged into a period of time about which the Holy Bible says more than any other period – including the time when Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee!

“Now that’s a preposterous statement – and I challenge you to challenge my statement! To do so you need to do two things:

1 – Find out what the Bible itself says about this and – this is a bit harder,

2 – Find out what’s really going on – but you won’t get that on the ten o’clock news!

“Fortunately, thanks to the internet, the alternative press and to talk-radio you can do some homework and find out what really is going on. The more you do those two things the more you’ll understand why many scholars are extremely excited about the horizon we’re moving into – because it all deals with the return of Christ to rule earth.

“It really is remarkable how controversial this topic is, but there are:

  • over 1800 references in the Old Testament to this event – 17 Old Testament books give prominence to the event.
  • over 300 references in the New Testament – 216 chapters in 23 of its 27 books give prominence to this primary issue: the return of Jesus to rule on earth.

“You may not believe what the Bible says, but what’s utterly astonishing is that so very many claim to believe in Jesus yet have no grasp of the idea Christ is to literally return and rule!”

I respect Chuck for frequently stressing that we shouldn’t take what he says as ‘Gospel’ but always do a ‘Berean check’ per Acts 17:11; that is, to search the scriptures to find out whether or not his ideas line up with them. Also, I admire his public apology for admitting that, having long taught about an anticipated Middle Eastern war from some scriptures, he’s gained a better understanding from other passages. So Chuck explained why he’d changed his mind.  For more information visit his website at Koinonia House.

What are we to do when mainstream news (eg. Bigoted Brainwashing Corporation, the once impartial BBC) doesn’t help?  To find out, read Not on the 10 o’clock News…

Footnote:  some of many eschatalogical developments:

On the recognition of the role of religious dogma in terror

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As blogged last week, in my humble opinion one of the main considerations for this week’s general election is for political candidates to give proper recognition to the religious dogma behind terrorism. In the second post I called for a nationwide, thorough education program to compare the founders and teachings of Islam and Christianity (note, not churchianity).

Over several years blogging I’ve occasionally dawn attention to that necessity and so I’m pleased that Revd Dr Gavin Ashenden, previously one of Her Majesty’s chaplains, has written at length on this very subject in connection with recent events. (You may recall Cranmer’s own request for the development of a ‘Prophetology’ in order to investigate the true nature of the founder of Islam.)

Last year Dr Gavin was deeply concerned that Glasgow Cathedral allowed a Muslim to recite quranic passages during the Easter Service that undermine Christian teaching on Jesus’ death and resurrection – ie, a grossly blasphemous service! (Read Qur’an in the Eucharist? Provost of Glasgow Cathedral subverts Christian revelation.)

Therefore, you may like to read his latest excellent article, We need to talk more about Jesus and Mohammed and less about Christianity and Islam.

With regards to PM May, I’d point out that as Home Secretary she prevented a couple of ‘truth-tellers’ from visiting Britain (Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller) – after much dispute Gert Wilders was allowed in to address parliamentarians. YET she and her predecessors willingly opened up our nation to muslim murder-mongers and permitted hate-filled rallies by jihadists. So all politicians are personally culpable for permitting the fruit of political correctness to ripen in our day. (At least Donald Trump ‘tweets’ some sense on this Political Claptrap issue!)

‘Cloud-rider’ Jesus Christ and Old Testament prophet Daniel

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jesus-in-clouds

Jesus in Clouds, courtesy PunjabiDharti.com

To follow last week’s visionary invitation to enter the doorway into Daniel 2:22, the first course of this fine ‘meal’ from Nelson Walters is appetising food for thought.:

The Gospels refer to and explain the Book of Daniel numerous times. The title Jesus chose for himself, ‘Son Of Man’, was one of those references. This is the first part of a 3 part series on Jesus and the Book of Daniel. When Jesus interpreted the law, he primarily used Deuteronomy. When he spoke…

Continue in > Jesus and the Book of Daniel – Part 1: The Gospel In The End Times

Isaiah’s intimations that all would soon be well for Israel

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rb-fellowshipI commend my namesake’s latest post for it leads splendidly into my proposed remarks on the timing of the Romans 11:25 ‘mystery’ being fulfilled. (Read about the God-incidences behind our writings in Blog Anniversary: ‘The Fellowship of the Secret’.)

Postscript to post on Jesus’ role in Creation.

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PS: Jesus spoke mainly in Aramaic during His sojourn here (and maybe Latin or Greek during his trial before the Roman governor). The subsequent accounts of the Good News were written in the common Greek dialect (koine) widespread throughout the Eastern Mediterranean that was also used as an official language.

Just as the Old Testament had a Greek version (Septuagint) for reading by Jews abroad in the Gentile nations, so too was Greek necessary for the New Testament.

Does that invalidate my claim (here) of Jesus knowing and using the distinction between Greek ‘aeon’ and ‘kosmos’? I think not because in the upper room after celebrating the Passover meal He told the Twelve:

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.” (John 14:25-26 NKJV – emphasis added)

Moreover, in the very beginning of Creation, Holy Spirit was there ‘hovering over the face of the waters’ (Gen 1:2). So He too knew the full method and details of the many acts of God in Creation. Therefore, He would have inspired the authors of the Gospels and letters in differentiating between those slightly different words for time, space and arrangement that we’ve overlooked in reading the Bible.

Perhaps His purpose was not only to give an accurate account but also to prepare for the far future when scientists would formulate and test their understanding of how the ‘world’ and universe were created?

And that’s only the start of our meditations upon the conjunction of scripture and science…

[To start reading the whole article click/tap here.]

Fresh insights on Jesus’ role in Creation (cont’d)

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Hands Holding World by TwobeeIn the previous post I claimed the ‘4th jigsaw piece’ of applying the ‘revisionist’ prophetic word on scripture harmonises not only with its foundational verses of Genesis 1:3 and John 1 but also with the scientific understanding of time and space!

I suggested readers may like to check that out for themselves in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of New Testament Greek words, and note different meanings, for ‘world’ – especially in Hebrews 1:2. In this post I’ll reveal my surprising discoveries…

What do you understand by ‘World’. Isn’t it usually synonymous with ‘globe’ or ‘the earth’?

My life-long interest in astronomy and science makes me think also of the solar system planetary and hypothetical interstellar worlds. Other valid concepts can be one’s personal ‘world’ of thoughts, emotions and activities; or of social, cultural interests eg. the world of fashion.

Previously, I told what happened after mulling over Jesus Christ’s role in Creation and commenting upon my re-blog of a physicist’s article about dark matter and energy. I was prompted to reach for my spade and start digging into the New King James’ and New International versions of verse 3 in the Book of Hebrews’ opening chapter. What I didn’t tell was the stunning gem shining from the central column of my Study Bible right at the start of that chapter.

That prize find opened up a whole new world!

Courtesy of Thomas Nelson Bibles the NKJV Hebrews 1:1-2 subhead and text reads:

God’s Supreme Revelation

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

My Study Bible has two notes for this: ‘at various times’, ‘or in many portions; ‘worlds’ or ages; Grk aiones, aeons’. The second also applies to ‘worlds’ in Hebrews 11:3, viz: 

3 By faith we understand the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made from things which are visible.

The note against ‘framed’ reads: ‘Grk ‘katartizo’ to arrange, set in order, adjust, complete what is lacking, make fully ready, repair, prepare’.

Clearly, any reader would easily understand that the Almighty made the planets and starry worlds – but ‘aeon’ isn’t the same. It means ‘Time’.  SO just what did it mean to Jesus’ first disciples, those who’d personally witnessed and recorded revelations from and about the One who existed in God before time began?  (The creative declaration of His personal power in creating the universe is considered in this post.)

NOW, the Oxford English Dictionary has two definitions for ‘Aeon’ (US. Eon), viz: ‘a very long period of time’ and ‘a major division of time in geology, subdivided into eras’.

Before we dig into that, here’s the Greek Interlinear Bible’s Hebrew 1:2

hebrews-1-2

Greek Interlinear Bible – Hebrews 1:2 (click/drag to enlarge)

Copied from the Textus Receptus, it literally reads: ‘On last-ones of-the days these talks (speaks) to-us in son whom He-places (he appoints) tenant (enjoyer of the allotment) of-all through whom and (also) the eons He-makes.’

Strongs’ has the following for ‘worlds’ as it appears throughout the New Testament, as listed numerically according to the Greek alphabet, parts of which I’ve emphasised:

  • 165 – ‘aeon’ from same root 104 ‘aei’ [duration, ‘ever’…regularly…always]: property of an age..perpetuity. By impl the world; spec (Jewish) a Messianic period – age, course, eternal, (for) ever (~more), (beginning of the) world (began, without end) cf 5550 ‘kronos’  – a space of time, thus distinguished from ‘kairos’, an occasion, set or proper time, season, time.
  • 2889 – ‘kosmos’: orderly arrangement, by implication the world in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants lit or fig.
  • 3625 – ‘oikoumene’: land (the terrene part of the globe); spec Roman empire – earth world.
  • 1093 – ghay: a region or solid part of the whole terrene globe (incl occupants), country, land, world.

Thus, the original documents of the New Testament display a clear difference of definition between periods of time and areas of the earth – going even beyond ‘time and space’ to an organised ‘system’, which implies inherent intelligence, either of internal or external nature and of divine rather than human design.

We know from history that the ancient Greek philosophers had made definite distinctions between material and immaterial aspects of our existence – space and time! And it is not so surprisingly made by writers of the NT – YET Christendom may have missed much in translating the Word of God!

Now you need to know, in blogging a month ago On Pivotal Prophecies Now Coming Into Play, of which one was my Exploding Bible of 2011, I’d checked the literal NT text of the wheat and tares parable in Matthew 13 and was amazed at one word in verse 38 (Jesus’ explanation “The field is the world…”), which reads:

matthew-13_38-39-in-greek‘World’ appears twice in English, but the ORIGINAL HAS TWO DIFFERENT WORDS! These are ‘kosmos’ and ‘aionos’ – huh!!  The literal rendition of vv 38 and 39 reads:

‘The yet field is the SYSTEM (world) the yet ideal seed these are the sons of-the kingdom the yet bearded-darnels are the sons of the wicked-one the yet enemy the-one sowing them is the thru-caster (adversary) the yet harvest together-finish of the eon is the yet reapers messengers are.’

There’s a clear allusion to the future and processes/action (‘yet’) and a deliberate, strong use by the Lord Jesus Himself of a distinction between time and space. Surely He must have known what He was talking about, especially in view of His role in Creation! (See next post’s PS.)

Also, check the occurrences of ‘time’ (aeon), ‘space’ (oikoumene) and ‘system’ (kosmos) in the NT and you’ll find only a few refer to actual land or space, whereas the majority refer to ‘system’, with ‘time’ as second most frequent. In the OT there are far fewer uses of the variants of Hebrew ‘world’, practically all of which mean the physical land and half a dozen refer to portions or perpetuity of time.

If you’re still with me, enlarge this copy of my Strongs’ in which I had fun colour-coding the scripture references (‘time’ in orange, ‘space’ in green and ‘system’ in yellow).

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‘World’ in Strongs’ Exhaustive Concordance (click/drag to enlarge)

Conclusion

In our appreciation of holy scripture we should seriously consider the possibility of Jesus having given his disciples deep insights into the nature of the realms of time and matter, especially in view of their acknowledging His Lordship over and role in Creation.

Click for brief PS >>

[Hands Holding World by Twobee, courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net]

‘Revisionist’ prophecy and fresh insights on Jesus Christ’s role in Creation

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Puzzle Globe and Book by Thanunkorn

Thy Kingdom Come, On Earth As In Heaven (RB caption)

Another part of the Lord’s Invisible Jigsaw turned up over the New Year! Readers who are unfamiliar with this blog’s oft-used concept may wish to check that link’s content.

I’m sharing those totally unexpected jigsaw pieces and their insights upon the person of Jesus Christ in the hope of provoking reflection upon the untold depths of scripture.

In contemplating a particular verse I later unintentionally used a different version to the one in mind. But upon checking the original text it then opened up a revelation upon Jesus’ role in Creation that expands our usual understanding – even surprising me in its relevance to my quest for a meeting place between scripture and theories and experiments in quantum mechanics and relativity, especially for space-time!

1st JIGSAW PIECE – HEBREWS 1:2-3

The last Wednesday of 2016, a fortnight ago, I blogged this covering intro to a re-blog from Rationalising the Universe (note my quoted scripture):

‘And there’s me, before getting up this morning, mulling over God’s use of basic science and maths in creating the universe. That’s not, of course, explicit in Genesis but implicit by nature in the opening verses. Moreover, there’s the original text’s alphabetical coding (maybe hinting at quantum coding?). So I searched the New Testament for Jesus Christ’s part in this ‘mystery’: ‘through whom also He (God) made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and UPHOLDING ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…’ (Hebrews 1:2-3 NKJV) So is today’s excellent overview by Mekhi merely coincidental in hinting at my query’s solution? My own readers know me only too well on that score…’

I never thought of the popular song He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands, for my mind was on a specific scripture – Hebrews 1:3 from the New International Version (NIV):

‘The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of all his being, SUSTAINING ALL THINGS BY HIS POWERFUL WORD…’

So, what had happened was that after my contemplation I continued catching up online after the Christmas-New Year break. An email alert arrived for a new blog by theoretical physicist Mekhi entitled The Dark Side and her eye-catching image immediately plugged into my earlier musing…

dark-matter-what-is-it-150820b-021

Mekhi recounts astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky’s hypothesis and astronomer Vera Rubi’s observational confirmation of the effects of invisible material and energy throughout the known universe. Her article makes this unusual topic easily intelligible to non-scientists.

In my haste to re-blog I grabbed Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to find that passage’s location and used my New King James Version’s (NKJV) study bible to copy its text (ie. not NIV’s) into my covering note.

ONLY LATER, upon looking at  a hardcopy of the re-blog did it dawn upon me that what I’d put was not what I’d intended – DOH!!  But why are they different?

The NIV refers to Jesus upholding all the universe, all its seen and unseen contents and energies – and us – ‘by His powerful word’, but the NKJV says it’s ‘by the word of His power’. Seems to mean the same thing – but do they? Are they one and the same thing?

Time to check the original Greek – only to find its literal translation is very different! See how this copy from Scripture 4 All online Greek Interlinear Bible analyses and renders verses 2 and 3:

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Greek Interlinear Bible – Hebrews 1:2-3 (click/drag to enlarge)

Here’s the literal reading of verse 3 from the Received Text (phrase in question in bold).: ‘Who being from-radiance (effulgence) of-the esteem (glory) and carving of-the under-standing (assumption) of-him carrying (carrying-on) besides the all to-the declaration of-the ability (power) of-him thru self (through himself) cleansing making of the misses (sins) of-us is seated in right (right-hand) of-the great-togetherness (majesty) in highs (heights).’

Therefore, it seems that in putting into ordinary, dynamic English translators modified the true meaning from: as well as (besides) being a physically carved mirror-image of God (Theos), the Son (huio) is carrying everything (the all) by the spoken statement of HIS ability…ie. by virtue of Jesus’ own personal power as the glorious presence of God.

In other words, it explains who Jesus is and what he can and does do by audible verbal declaration of the holy ability He has, just because of who He is. And so to my covering note for the re-blog I added, ‘NB: NKJV’s correct translation of Greek ‘declaration of the ability of-him’ gives better and different rendition to NIV’s ‘by His powerful word’!!’

2nd JIGSAW PIECE – ‘REVISIONIST’ PROPHETIC WORD

The following weekend, on the first day of this new year, pastor John Kilpatrick revealed what the Lord had told him about 2017 en-route to church:

“This is going to be a year of revision!” What He meant by that was, the story that’s already been written is going to be revised. What’s already determined is going to be revised – everything’s going to be rewritten. You can’t go by the old ‘cue cards’, the Holy Ghost is going to be spontaneous in giving you new cue cards.”

I shared my reflections upon that word in this post and blogging only the previous week I’d had a personal example of that ‘revisionist’ word and hinted at more to tell more another time, as I’m doing now.

3rd JIGSAW PIECE – PROPHETIC DECLARATION

Another thing about the Greek hit me! It is the emphasis upon ‘declaration’ because this relates it to the full meaning and practicable usage of speaking scripture and decisions aloud during prophetic prayers and intercession. The biblical basis for this practice is briefly outlined in An Introduction to Prophecy, but full details from Dr Sharon Stone’s teaching upon decrees and declarations appears in my Mentoring Day Part 2 and is based upon the highly instructive account of Queen Esther’s request of her husband in his court in ancient Persia.

Furthermore, and as world be expected, the Greek connects directly into Jesus’ role in Creation as stated in the first chapter of the Gospel according to John, ‘

‘In the beginning was the Word,  and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by and through him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life and that life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it…

‘That was the true light, which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him, and the world did not know Him…

‘And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth… 

‘No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.’ (1:18 emphasis added)

That reiterates and gloriously magnifies the opening verses in Genesis of God having actually spoken aloud to perform the act of universal creation,

‘Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness….’ 

Does that not give us a hint about dark energy being part of Creation? I think it may.

Flying puzzles - Nokhoog Buchachon

4th JIGSAW PIECE – SCIENTIFIC ASPECT OF ‘WORLDS’ (verse 2)

This ‘revisionist’ approach to holy writ harmonises with those foundational verses AND with our scientific understanding of time and space!  Read all about this in the next post.

OR, fulfill that ‘revisionist’ prophecy by rewriting scripture, as normally known!  Check it out yourself by dipping into Strong’s Concordance and examine the couple or so Greek words, and their meanings, used for ‘world’ in the New Testament and in Hebrews 1:2 specifically.

5th JIGSAW PIECE – A SCIENTIST’S FAITH

After all the preceding events after Christmas and into the New Year, you may be able to appreciate my delight a week ago today in reading about a scientist’s faith in the centrality of truth of Christianity as he marvels at Creation? (See previous post.)

 Click to read more about these fresh insights >>

Credits:

  • Flying puzzles by Nokhoog Buchachon
  • Puzzle Globe and Book by Thanunkorn,
  • both courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net

The Atom and the Atonement: Why we need models in science and theology

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Chemistry graduate Joe Ogden draws a fascinating comparison between the apparent contradiction of the Holy Trinity and that of wave-particle duality in quantum physics, plus other interesting insights.

Between Science and Theology: How science learns about unobservable entities

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An excellent and apposite addition to our recent posts on science and the scriptures. Thank you…

On engaging and governing Time – in the first 15 minutes…

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JAbraham_Time

Justin Paul Abraham (credit Gloryrevolution.net)

…examples of time ‘miracles’ and outlines on time travel, time ‘slices’, time ‘bubbles’ and bending of time popped up in Justin Abraham’s teaching upon Time (see introduction). My near transcription/notes of the first quarter hour is below – parentheses and emphases of topics are mine.

Now and then he jokes with his audience about getting their brains ‘fried’, BUT they’re in good company!  It happens to experts too!  Mathematicians and scientists continue to be puzzled over the profound paradoxes of quantum physics. Phil Mason opens chapter three ‘Time and the Quantum’ of his book Quantum Glory (2010) as follows.:

A number of scientists who are kept awake at night perplexed by the counter-intuitive world of quantum mechanics have devised additional experiments in order to probe more deeply the bizarre attributes of the sub-atomic world…we need to note that these additional discoveries will totally mess with our heads concerning the nature of time itself…a significant key to understanding the quantum enigma hinges upon the issue of time as it relates to quantum space.

Justin relates Biblical prophecies to the science of relativity and quantum physics but first sets the scene to his in-depth lecture with scriptural backing. (Hence my inserting the full text of Ephesians 5:16 after Lion Bites’ Heavenly Time-Management in A prophetic word from God about Time….). So let’s dig in…

His teaching is based upon his recent course material on ‘new creation’ plus personal and others’ experience (eg his wife Rachel, Ian Clayton, Milly Bennitt  – as here, here and here – and on facebook). Claiming this session will be very helpful and change our lives (as with his family), Justin begins,

“This is a truth for our generation, because the Bible says, ‘Redeem the times…’ (Eph 5:16-17). So we can redeem time…’Redeem’ means to take (back) power from another…

“You, the ecclesia (church) are to govern – so is time governing you or are you governing time? ‘cos time is a substance!…When you ask someone what time is, not many people know what time is because we’re passing through it.

“Everybody used to think since Newton’s era that all of us are all in the same time at the same time and that time’s the same everywhere…what Einstein found was that time is relative, that time exists only for you as a person.

“He said the perception of past, present and future is “a stubbornly persistent illusion!” So have you ever been in a moment where you’re having a brilliant day but someone’s having a wasted day? So – they’re in a different time!

“It’s a different time on another planet to what it is here ‘cos it depends on your definition of time what time it is…Let’s say you’re on another planet around another sun, what time would it be? How would you define time there?

“I didn’t know time isn’t moving at the same time everywhere…(refers to film ‘Interstellar’ as illustrating how time works.)  Basically, time’s a stretchy fabric and you can shape time and stretch it so that we can do anything in time – time can bend – it’s a substance called the 4th dimension (space being the 3rd).

“Time is actually a substance that we can redeem the power of.

“Now in the Beginning Adam was in Eden and there he had what I call ‘rich’ time – there was no sweat, he was energised and everything’s done in rest and ease…So we’re meant to live out of Eden where there’s enough time to do what you need to do.

“So can time be stretched so you do in one hour what’s normally done in two? Can time be bent? Can time be stopped? Can you step out of time? These are what I want to look at…

“Your brain might already be frying but you need to learn about it, because everyone in this room’s got a relationship with time!

“What I want to do in this session is redefine your relationship with time so it becomes our servant and you govern time so it always works for you – and you have time miracles!!

(Justin claims to have had some ‘crazy’ time miracles since the Lord started teaching him about time but cites three, two of which Royal Mail time stamps are empirical evidence. – where somethings were sent and stamped as from the future but manifested before that in the recipient’s ‘present’ time – ie. had already been done beforehand, yet proven to come from the future and the goods thus obtained before the causative action! 

He says that news was posted on facebook and someone in the Royal Mail replied it’s a miracle because “the whole system is based upon those time-stamps”!  Also, another’s response was that since childhood the Lord had allowed them to travel in time and see events. This reminds me of the Chinese street urchins who’d seen events recorded in the Bible before they’d heard about them: see Visions Beyond the Veil – God’s Revelation to Children of Heaven and Hell by H.A. Baker.)

“It came from an encounter in heaven where I realised everyone arrived on time, although going at different speeds (gives example) – in the Kingdom time will fit what you want it to fit! The time doesn’t rule you, it expands depending upon how much space you need.

“The Bible says, ‘See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil’ (Eph 5:16)– ie. the days are ‘evil’, so since Eden we’re in ‘poor’ time…(As no-one else knew about this Justin invented his own terms for different kinds of time, and because…)

“The Lord’s been teaching me about time and showing me how different types of time can be in the same room…Ian Clayton would say to me “It’s strange: I’m getting a day’s work done in an hour now!”…I don’t understand it!

“It’s interesting when you have a time bubble someone can walk past you and not see it happening. (Cites personal examples of poor-time and rich-time distortion where energy is not lost.)

“If any man is IN Christ he is a new creation (2 Cor 5:17 and cf: Ian Cayton’s excellent teaching on what ‘in’ means: ie. ‘IN’: fully within Jesus’ whole being.) So you’re not from here, you’re not ‘terran’ as the earth’s going to pass away and you can’t define yourself as being from here…you’re born from above!

“God is looking for us to reveal Him, to become Sons so that we mirror Him in His divine essence – as we’ve born the image of earthly, so now we shall bear image of heavenly man. Now, if you’re in Him and He’s in you, what’s God’s relationship to time? He’s The Beginning and The End, the Alpha and Omega and He exists beyond time.

“It’s really interesting, all of time has already happened (according to science). So time in this era looks like a funnel post-Big Bang and then it’s made of ‘slices’ called space-time, which is like a loaf of bread! All of those slices already exist – all you’re doing is passing through your perception of where in the slice you are.

“This is why Moses could go back (to Creation); this is why John could go forwards (to see the New Jerusalem)…why David could pull the future into the past and have David’s Tent, which was the future era…why John could go right to the End and check a different time…why Isaiah could move forward in the timeline and say a virgin would give birth, and the suffering servant, the glory would come and that the earth will be transformed…

“So space-time exists and God’s in time and honours time and regards time as precious. The reason He invented it is so everything happens in its own space – that’s why we have space-time, time is not separate from space. They’re a grid we exist in, The reason He invented it is to allow, and we can enjoy, the richness of the moment – the alternative is that everything happens at the same time! – I know that’s strange to understand.

“God allows time but we’re not meant to be defined or limited by time – so we’re meant to know the times and seasons but it’s not about knowing which slice of time you’re in but of knowing The (appointed) Times, The Seasons…it’s about knowing where we are in the strand of DNA (spiral nature) that goes through time – the divine strand, the golden strand – knowing your place within it and your context within it and your relationship with time.

“So, we’re meant have an interesting relationship with it, to ‘taste the power of the Age to Come‘ – it’s a bigger creation than we’re in now and…it goes out like that (pointing)… we’re meant to ‘Taste’ of the power of the Age to Come, which means we pull from out of another creation (dimension?) backwards, which means time bleeds back.

“In Newton’s time we thought time was a river only going one way – we now know through quantum physics time it’s not going one way, it goes both ways (backwards and forwards) – it’s our perception of it that’s going one way! (Eg looking through telescope at light, that light in the past ‘knows’ you’re going to look at it and so it collapses.)

“If you didn’t look at it it would just be a wave pattern, but it ‘knew’ in the past that you were going to do it!!  So you’re looking at something changes the past!!

“I know that’s hard to accept but I’m teaching quantum physics here but it’s the truth – it’s called ‘the observer effect‘ – you collapse wave patterns into photons (strictly speaking – photons into waves or else particles, depending upon methodology; even if experimentally delayed!!) by observing them BUT it goes back into the past! (see glossary in introductory post).

“So you’re already distorting time. When prophesying you’re decreeing the future shaping earth around the future – you’re future gazing! You’re answering the ‘phone call’ (Jer 33:3) into the future, your tasting the power of the Age to Come! It’s interesting as we approach that changeover more of its bleeding back. So we had little bits of ‘bleed-back’ – like Enoch …who completed ‘the ring’ for he lived out of the End at the Beginning. Same with John… as you approach that Age, the mount of bleed-back gets thicker.

“In other words, where it says in scripture that ‘heaven is drawing nigh’ – so when David had the Holy Spirit before Acts 2 (Holy Spirit coming in power upon Jesus’ disciples) he pulled out of the future and put it in his own time…he already had the Holy Spirit in the past even though He hadn’t been given – which means you can choose which time-slice you live out of.

“SO which era of Christianity, or Son-ship, are you from?

“This is how I bend time and change stuff around me: I’ve decided that I refuse to live in the time that I’m in! The heroes of the faith did not live in their own time…Elijah, Cuthbert, Columba, (mystic leaders of the Celtic Church)…Enoch lived out of a different time.

“Enoch went back into Eden before the cross had happened, because it had already happened, because Jesus was crucified before – outside of time! All of time’s encoded with the record of the Crucifixion because it happened before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8).  This is why the seven spirits (Isa 11:2) look omnipresent…

“If you think of this as a box called ‘The Beginning’ and then this bit outside it is ‘the before’. So there’s ‘The Beginning’ and ‘The Before’ …In the beginning, that’s when God created Wisdom and the other spirits (Isa 11:2), they exist there and that’s why they seem omnipresent, because they’re actually from a bigger dimension – but which dimension are you from?

“This is where it gets really interesting – that we were hidden in God in the Before the Beginning – so we actually exist as He is…This is why angels are different to us – they may be in different times depending on where they are in Creation…

“For example: as time’s like a fishing net and if you put a tennis ball in it the net wouldn’t be pulled much – that’s what gravity does. It bends time just a little bit like a light planet such as the moon, a heavy planet pulls the net and makes the days longer. So depending on which planet you live on, the days are a different length…(further explanation)

“So how do we move in time? As we spread into the Cosmos how will we define time?

“Remember all of Creation’s waiting for us (as Sons of God – Rom 8:19-22) which means, whether we accept this or not, earth’s just our cradle…where our infancy happened. We’ve got a Cosmic Mandate – ALL of Creation is waiting for the revelation of your Son-ship to free it from decay..(talks about immensity of the galactic ‘deep field’).

“I think God wants us to grow up! – He wants to be the definition – He’s the Chronometer -(NB: confirmation from Lion Bites prophetic word on Heavenly Time Management – which started this series!) – we come from Zion!

“The thing is, we’re all quantumly entangled into Him! This means we’re in Him and we exist in Him even though we exist here – that is where ground zero is for me….we don’t define ourselves by times or season because that’s to say the sun and moon govern us and we can only go as far as the headship we’re under. So do you define yourselves by them and want them, their influence, to be the governing body for you?

“And so God said to me,

“It’s time to master Time!”

Justin checked the meaning of ‘mastery’, diligently learned about the subject and noted, “Daniel saw that the antichrist, or the spirit that’s against the anointing of Christ, shall intend to change the set times and laws” (Dan 7:25). He then disclosed that,

“The first time I spoke about this I felt so bad I’d spoken on it that I sat down and said, ‘Lord I’m sorry, I must have gone too far’.

“And the Lord said, ‘If you don’t manage it, someone else will’.”

To hear what Justin says next listen to podcast at Podmatic/CoBH – Time.

Unity across churches manifests God’s Kingdom

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Puzzle Globe and Book by ThanunkornHere I share more insights gained since Holy Week, citing an example to prove this post’s title and looking at early church history. First, listen to Jesus in prayer:

“Father, I pray for those who will believe in Me..that they may all 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.” (John 17:20-21 NKJV – emphasis added)

Is Jesus’ prayer about to be fully answered at long, long last? Especially for the sake of saving lost souls?

Sixty years ago many Christian denominations had scant tolerance for one another, even though a large percentage of Britons attended church regularly or, if not, would at least go for Easter and Christmas. Those who didn’t were religiously well-informed – unlike today’s spiritually unwashed masses who are religious illiterates! As a youngster I was subject to some most unexpected personal animosity between Protestants and Catholics – despite their claiming to believe in the same God!

Thus, disunity was one reason for my rejecting Churchianity and seeking truth beyond science and religion in metaphysics and mysticism (the Eastern and New Age variety).

As well as ignoring Jesus’ expressed desire for unity and command to love one another, believers weren’t doing what Jesus did – and more – as He foretold:

“Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to My Father.” (John 14:12 NKJV)

History demonstrates churches across the East and West hadn’t complied with Jesus’ desire. Moreover, it seems God didn’t answer His Son’s deep prayer request!  Mankind’s free-will and Satan’s steering were determined to prevent its fulfillment at all costs.

Heavenly Father can ensure Jesus’ prayer gets met. No doubt He’s waiting for the right time and conditions for inspiring believers who are responsive to His Spirit; rather than to make them comply. He didn’t create robotic automatons. First, however, we need to want and allow Holy Spirit into our lives rather than deny, quench or grieve His gracious ways.

Re-born Into Christ

Consequently, it was an extremely pleasant surprise to find after being born again in 1989-90 those antagonisms had disappeared. When I was baptised in Holy Spirit in 1992 I saw Jesus healing people and so I wanted to associate with the group who’d organised that day’s event. That Circle of Prayer for Healing in the mid-Thames Valley was a mixture of Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists and independents – and all charismatics!

Thus, spiritual unity of that small group enabled Holy Spirit to flow in power and manifest the presence of the Kingdom of God – praise You Lord. Hopefully we may expect a much larger manifestation now we’re 25 years further down the road…

An increasing emphasis from those with prophetical voices and gifting is indicating Holy Spirit wants to inspire, infuse and direct our hearts and minds with Jesus’ love for fellow Christians, and to express that as a Unity of spirit and action – so the world no longer sees believers as squabbling hypocrites and realise who Jesus is and that we really do have the answers they’re desperately needing and seeking spiritually.

Hence my enthusiasm towards unity in belief and action (with the caveat of obedience to Jesus’ instructions) throughout Christendom  – no doubt the intensification of secular and terrorist persecution is drawing us out of our shells and making us stand up!

So, let’s remind ourselves of recent ‘God-incidents’ focusing on Unity (as here and here).:

  • Extraordinary vision: “I watched as these fiery, burning and anointed ones moved together in PERFECT UNITY”.
  • Revelation from the Lord about angels of Revival being released and that “The body of Christ is coming alive in Jesus, in purity, in life, in love, in UNITY”.
  • Obedient response to: “The Rhema Word God has had for me the past few months is UNITY”.
  • Writing a new book for which “The major outcome theme…is Unity”.
  • Three years’ preparation for church-wide act of unity across the UK.

The details of the last from Malcolm Duncan warrant brief re-iteration:

Revd Malcolm Duncan“I lead Spring Harvest and for three years I have been working on an act of unity across the United Kingdom that will see all…evangelical bible conventions and celebrations declaring that, whatever our theological differences are, we are one in Christ Jesus. It is going to involve 130,000 Christians from March (Spring Harvest) through to October next year with the Festival of Life…perhaps the biggest demonstration of Christian unity that we have seen in the evangelical church in the United Kingdom for almost two hundred years – and they’ve all said “Yes” – there’s the miracle! They’re all on board, and I am sure the Bible says,

“Where the brethren dwell together in unity, the Lord commands a blessing.”

Seventeen months ago Heidi Baker brought a word about ‘A New Move of God in the UK’  which prophesied about Unity as follows (underlining added):

Heidi at CTF Wembley“…There’s going to be a movement of unity in the UK that’s going to shake the world, says the Lord. I hear the prophetic word of the Lord. It’s going to flow through the universities and the colleges of the universities. It’s going to flow through denomination and the non-denominations. There’s going to be a move of unity within the Body of Christ.

“You’re going to fill Wembley Stadium. You’re going to fill stadiums, stadiums, with worshippers of the living God. And there’s going to be this holy affection where people come before the Lord. They’re not going to even know who’s speaking in the stadium, they’re not going to even know the name of the preachers, because they’re coming fixing their eyes on Jesus. It’s going to shake the nation, says the Lord.

“There’s going to be a unity even between Scotland and Ireland and the UK, that’s going to SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE. There’s going to be a shaking that’s going to bring a unity, says the Lord. There’s going to be something that the people of other faiths are going to see in this nation, as believers come together in radical love…”

Amen to all the above.

The Early Church on Jesus and Unity

My meditations have been based upon Apostle John’s understanding and revelations of the glory and nature of His dearly beloved rabbi, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This meant musing upon, seeking the Lord and researching into what the disciples may have learned after the Resurrection; ‘To whom’, the physician and chronicler Dr Luke records that Jesus, ‘also presented Himself alive after His sufferings by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and (His) speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.’ (Acts 1:3 NKJV)

[THUS, after that privileged private teaching they logically concluded the Kingdom was going to be restored to Israel. That’s clearly the Lord’s action plan – they just wanted to know when to expect its execution. Had that not been a legitimate request they’d have been rebuked. But Jesus told them that’s not their – OR His – concern because it’s The Father’s prerogative! Jesus had another plan for them: transmitting the Gospel with all the consequential signs and wonders: ie. fulfillment of John 14:12 – see Acts1:6-8.]

MBarkerWebPhotoScriptural meditations encouraged me to re-read The Hidden Tradition of the Kingdom of God – an exceptionally informative book by the Methodist Bible scholar Margaret Barker, whose Doctorate in Divinity was conferred by the Archbishop of Canterbury, ‘in recognition of her work on the Jerusalem Temple and the origins of Christian Liturgy’.  (It is designated, ‘Temple Theology’.)

Dr Barker’s significant new contribution to the understanding of the New Testament opened up important fields for research.

In checking out her website I found the paper ‘Jesus the Nazorean’ most illuminating and confirming my thoughts on Paul’s many references to the ‘mysteries’ of God. On page 9 therein lies a useful insight into our consideration of Unity in the Lord (emphases mine):

“Theodotus, the second century teacher whose work survives only as quotations in Clement of Alexandria, was condemned by later generations as a Gnostic. He taught about Jesus’ role in restoring the unity, just as John’s Jesus did in his final prayer after the last supper. This is what Theodotus said:
They say that our angels were put forth as a unity and are One in that they came out from the One.
Now since we existed in separation, Jesus was baptised that the undivided should be divided until he should unite us with them in the Fullness, that we, the many, having become one, might be mingled with the One which was divided for our sakes.’

“And this is what John’s Jesus said:
”[I pray] that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may also be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”. (John 17.21)
Restoring the unity was a sign of divinity. But John’s Jesus also brought judgement: ‘[The Father] has given all judgement to the Son’ (John 5.22).

“Theodotus is not telling us anything different from what Paul said in his message to the
Ephesians:
’For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth’ (Eph.1.9-10).

“So too in his letter to the Colossians, Paul said that Christ holds all things together (Col.1.17).

“The secret of the kingdom was the secret of unity, restoring all things to their unity with God, and so Paul saw the future as the Son of God bringing all things into the kingdom – he called it subduing all things, the judgement – ‘that God may be all in all’ (1 Cor.15.28).”

Therefore, in my humble opinion, this information is well-worth mulling over. I’m especially pleased Dr Barker refers to and stresses Ephesians 1:9 (see my covering intro to God’s Eternal Purpose – and reference to Unity therein). This reinforces my interest in what Paul knew by personal revelation from Jesus Himself, as well as gained when he was caught up into heaven.

Thank you Lord that Your Spirit of Wisdom and of Revelation brings knowledge of You (Eph 1:17).

Footnote:

In discussion with a leader at a local church we visited recently I queried his opinion upon the source of Paul’s knowledge of the Last Supper and the Resurrection. He was keenly recommending a new devotional book, 40 Days With Jesus by Dave Smith of New Frontiers church. In considering the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, the leader echoed Smith’s citing ‘compelling evidence from 1 Corinthians 15 (as) important because not only was it…written early [in 55AD] but (also) Paul’s evidence would have come from meetings with the other apostles that took place only a few years after the resurrection itself’.

This book’s a useful adjunct to my meditations, but the above remark may be playing fast and loose with scriptural data!!

Paul’s letter to the Galatians may be dated 6 years earlier, depending upon which of two groups he was addressing, or else contemporary with that sent to the church in Corinth. In stating how he changed from being a severe persecutor of believers to becoming an on-fire believer and preacher, Paul writes (Gal 1:15-16 NKJV):

“When it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus.”

In about 62 AD, Dr Luke completed his careful investigations of early church history. He wrote, ‘In his account to King Agrippa Paul states, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision but declared first to those in Damascus…(to) repent, turn to God and do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26:19-20). Earlier, in recording post-conversion events of Paul in that city, where Paul regained his sight through Ananias, Luke states ‘Then Saul spent some days with the disciples in Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in synagogues…’ (Acts 9:19-20).

Therefore, if Saul didn’t receive full revelation personally about the Last Supper and the Resurrection whilst blind, then wouldn’t he have got the basics from Ananias’ group?

Further reading:

[Credit: ‘Puzzle Globe and Book’ by Thanunkorn, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net ]

Jesus is alive – back to life from death! Alleluiah!

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At this time every year Nina creates a tableau for contemplating Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. She’s inspired about what items to collect and arrange, usually including a rock with a central hole eroded by the sea and which we found on a beach. It serves as both the ‘skull’ and garden tomb of Golgotha. For example, the above display has a scarf as a ‘river of life’ flowing out of the empty cave/tomb below the cross. (In 2012 it gave an insight that I’ll share below.)

A slightly different display is set up each Maunday Thursday, the night of which Jesus and the twelve leading disciples ate Passover Seder early (see video explanation). Following the meal, one disciple betrayed Him by leading Temple guards to capture Him at night for trial by a ‘kangaroo’ court of Jewish leaders.  It was a foregone conclusion that they would demand authorisation of His death from Pontius Pilate, the Roman Prefect, or governor, of Judea.

If you’re unfamiliar with this true story and how it led to Jesus’ gruesome torture, death and burial followed by his amazing bodily resurrection and appearance to His disciples, read doctor Luke’s investigative account and the personal account of Jesus’ closest disciple John. (Later, a Jewish leader violently opposed to them but who encountered Jesus en-route to Damascus would write He was seen simultaneously by over 500 – 1 Cor 15:6)

A Bit of Theology

Jesus Christ died so that each of us may be forgiven for our sins. As a result of this new status, we now have direct personal access to God. As the Son of God, He suffered on our behalf as our ‘scapegoat’.  That is, Jesus took the place of death that we deserved because of our sinfulness, for the shedding of a sinless one’s blood was the only way our status could be changed for us to gain personal salvation. Apostle Paul put it thus to the Romans:

8But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:8-11, NIV, see whole chapter.)

Now, when I was a new Christian I found that rather hard to understand – but it works! The theological term is ‘atonement’, or ‘substitutionary atonement’.  In bringing forgive-ness to the guilty, however, this can cause deep problems for those who’ve been the victim of crimes. After all, why should a killer find forgiveness by God? And what about the victim’s families, or the victim of abuse? They find it very hard if well-nigh impossible to forgive.

In 2012 I heard a Portsmouth prison chaplain address this issue with a concept taken from the criminal justice system: restorative justice. This involves active dialogue between victim and offender, plus reparation.  And it has a sound basis in  theology. How?

Jesus was a guiltless victim, directly of those who wanted Him killed, and indirectly of everyone’s ‘fallen state’ of sinfulness, which could only be rectified by His death.

And Almighty God, the Father, is a victim too. How? He’s victim of humanity’s rebellion against Him. For example and especially over the way religious leaders murdered His son – how they seethed with rage when Jesus denounced them! (read Luke 20:9-19).  So, every victim can find an identity and affinity in both God and Jesus Christ in their situation. Hence, they can receive God’s own ability to forgive because He will help them choose to forgive those who’ve harmed them. [Lack of forgiveness may be the only thing that hampers God – see Matt 6:14-15]

A Tableau in Time

During contemplation upon the tableau illustrated above, an insight dropped into mind that the Resurrection created a distinct point in the flow of, or perhaps even a change in, time itself. That is, the now termed ‘common era’ calendar is the medieval Christian one that counts years from the approximate birth of Christ as ‘anno Domini’. But in fact, a more powerful one would be the point at which things in heaven changed and thus affected our lives on earth and its ultimate role in God’s scheme of creation. This took place at the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, His revival to life from death itself.

That such a concept may be valid can be found in the discoveries about the material of the shroud in which Jesus was thought to have been carried and covered during His interment, known as ‘The Shroud of Turin‘. It is of astounding significance when examined from an understanding of quantum physics!  It can actually be regarded as a ‘singularity’, which is the term used for the starting point of the creation of the universe, or ‘Big Bang’. Don’t take my untutored word for this but consider particle physicist Isabel Piczek. She is also a monumental artist and award-winning figura-tive draughtsman. Consequently, her very detailed analysis of theories about how the shroud’s image was formed is fascinating and authoritative (see first of several detailed articles here).

This scientist’s conclusions about how the image was formed are astounding – it seems that the image of Jesus can only have been created by its hovering equidistantly above and below his reclining corpse. And furthermore, this necessitated the body’s levitation – perhaps not an impossible feat during the moment of resurrection power-blast? After all, the disciples had witnessed Jesus walking on water!

Dame Isabel succinctly summarises:

We have a piece of cloth and it leads us to a mysterious gate which opens for us, and it lets us see a completely different world, an extraordinary world with extraordinary laws.

You can consider these claims by watching this 19 minute video extract from the DVD The Fabric of Time (please bear with initial advert).

PS: the republished version of this post closes with a fascinating update and another investigation: He IS RISEN! Surprising Scientific Facts of Jesus’ Burial Shroud.