That Paul explicitly warns about not needing to observe the Jewish Old Testament Law, I wish I would have learned that in Sunday School instead of how to save the world.
Like, I get it. The world is bad—it really wasn’t that bad, but the church I was at wanted me to solve Global Warming, and poverty and all that nonsense. I mean, it was good… I used it as a muse to develop Psuedo-technologies for Sci-Fis, but generally, I should have been learning solid theology and foundational Christianity.
At about the time I was fourteen, that’s when you really need to encounter Paul. Christ is for a young child, you learn Him, and build the foundation, but Paul’s for a teenager, because by about that time you’ve made some big mistakes, and need to learn the lesson of Christianity, which is we all fail, and need redeemed. At about 30 you need to learn Moses, and the time for War, and the harsh realities of life, that it’s not candy, and sometimes morality is ugly. Which, you know, we know when we watch TV the bad guy gets it, but we need to know what war is by 30 because that’s when we have the most mature reason to understand it.
But, I’d say around 14 I needed to be taught Paul and Song of Songs, and some of the other epistles. As I was not fully aware of what Christianity was by the time I got sucked into a well meaning, but destructive Messianic Jewish cult. I mean, the man who taught me, taught me a lot about Judaism, and I respect the ideas of the Covenant, and the Sacrifice and all that other stuff… it let me understand the Old Testament, from having lived it. But, to be forced into it, or to think I needed to do those things to be saved, really that’s why I needed a better teacher in my youth, who could teach me Sunday School.
Instead, he taught me the Bible was a bunch of stories, and even theologians say so, which made me disdain theology with a passion, if it could teach you that about the Bible. As I had bad influences all around me, and I needed the tools to combat it. As, I dealt with true spiritual forces, and I needed to know the good. And I needed to know Paul at 14 and 15 and 16 instead of about Feminism, Global Warming and how to solve Poverty. Which, you know… it got me thinking about those things, but I’m in no position to fix any of that. I would have been better off with a sound theological framework so I wouldn’t get sucked into a cult. Because I really wanted the morals, to fight back the evil that was surrounding me, and wanted to make me a prey.
So, he taught me some good things… in Sunday school my teacher taught me to help the poor. That’s foundational to who I am, and I’m thankful for that, just like the Cult Leader taught me about Judaism… so it worked for the good. I have a very deep theological depth, so quite inadvertently these traps sprung on the devil, and made me far more aware of the true religion, and capable of understanding it.
So, I’d never say either of them were bad people… they’re not… they’re just mistaken on opposite ends. One’s a secular Christian, the other a Messianic Jew, and they taught me dual things about the faith… but the meat and potatoes wouldn’t be taught to me until I was in jail, when the Chaplain told me to read Galatians, and I heard Jay Vernon McGee sermons on the radio, and found he had identical readings of the book of Jeremiah. Which, backtrack, was prepped in me by a Baptist church I was going to, but that’s a whole other story. I think he tried to tell me, but the damage was already done, and he might have called the authorities on me, because I used the wrong name… he was kind of a weird dude, too.
So, anyone who cries about abuses in the church, I don’t think I ever had a religious leader who taught me anything close to resembling the truth, except Christ Himself, and I’ve always somehow figured it out, and I guess that’s the Holy Spirit in me teaching me as I go… and I’m really understanding the concept of the Law’s Abolishment, that all things that condemn you, are abolished in the cross, so it leaves you with hope to become a better person.
On the good side, however, I had great Sunday School and Vacation Bible School until the Lutheran Church became secular. I had a good catechism teacher. And at the Baptist church I was going to, I learned fundamental theology from the Pastor, and had a good Sunday School, who I think were the authorities in question, called in to deprogram me from whatever cult I belonged to... which I'm a little miffed at actually because I think they hindered me in many things, and no such apparatus ought to exist in a free country. But, that's generally the fact. I appreciate what they taught me in the realm of apologetics, though. But, generally, the spying and all that other crap needs to stop, as the person who was in that cult and taught me is harmless. He just believed something eccentric.
Category: Ministry
Natural Religion vs Christianity
{}Natural Religion, {} is found all throughout the world, from Druids to Egyptians to Babylonians. Confucianism is probably the best example of natural religion, or some combination of it with Mozi and Lao Tsu. And from that we get Natural Law. But, that law is self evident, and can be understood by rational minds. Christianity is interesting, because it first assumes that rationale for it to exist. As we sin knowing sin is sin, and so therefore need redeemed from it by Christ's death and resurrection.
Isaiah 29
29 Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.
So, Jerusalem is under siege by Assyria and Sennacherib. It’s called “Ariel” or “God’s Lion.” Because it was the measure for justice for many years, but it had backslidden. Therefore, Sennacherib came up against it, and attacked it, and besieged it for its sin. “Let them kill sacrifices”, let them offer their sacrifices, as it may deliver them. Their suffering will be prolonged, “Year to year.”
2 Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.
The LORD will distress Ariel. Sennacherib might be coming against Israel—Satan may be attacking the Prophets, and the Wise Men and those who make mention of the LORD—but the LORD will cause heaviness and sorrow for her sin. And the whole land shall be as Ariel. There will be heaviness and sorrow.
3 And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.
The LORD, through Sennacherib—Lucifer, the Covering Cherub—he’ll lay siege to Jerusalem for her sin. The LORD will raise the fortress against Jerusalem, and use the Assyrian to attack her.
4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
The LORD will cause Jerusalem’s voice to be heard as a whisperer, and a familiar spirit. She will whisper from the dust and murmur and whisper. She will be as if she were demon possessed, and a whisperer.
5 Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.
Yet, those who come against her, the strangers who are attacking Jerusalem, shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be chaff that passes away… it will happen in one instant, their whole army shall be destroyed and defeated.
6 Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
The LORD shall visit Jerusalem with thunder, earthquake, and great noise and storm and tempest, and devour the invaders with a flame of devouring fire.
7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
And as the nations are coming up against Jerusalem, the LORD shall cause it to be like a Night Terror, and Jerusalem shall awaken, and be safe from her danger. She will be unharmed.
8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.
For the nations attacking her, it will be like a dreamer, that when they’re starving and eating, they will awake, or when they drink, they will awake, and they shall be hungry, and not have destroyed her. They wished to feed upon the substance of Jerusalem, and the treasures, but they cannot. Both Jerusalem and her enemies shall awaken, and it will be like a dream, to Jerusalem's safety, and to the Assyrian’s utter destruction, for they shall be barren and wasted. As is what happened to Sennacherib’s army, the angel passed through, and wasted it with a virus.
9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
For those who are drunk with power—not with wine—they will stagger, but not with strong drink. They will stagger for their misuse of powers and judgments.
10 For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
The Prophets are sleeping, and are covered. The seers are sleeping deep, and cannot awaken.
11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
The people will not be able to understand the vision. It will be like a sealed book, where the reader will be unable to understand it—for it will be sealed. So, the learned will not be able to understand it, because it will be like the vision is sealed.
12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
Then, it will be given to the lay, but on account of their being unknowledgeable of God’s Word, they will not be able to read it.
13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
The people draw near to the LORD with their lips, and honor him, but honor him through the precept of man. They withdraw their love, mercy, kindness, and fruits of the Spirit, and honor a god of riches, power, revelry and drunkenness. They forget the statutes of the LORD, and the plain law handed down by Moses, and given to us by Christ. For the vision is sealed, and they cannot know it. They cannot know the truth, and therefore err in everything they do, seeking for a life to fill it with all the pleasures they can muster.
14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
The wisdom of the wise men will perish—the “Evolution isn’t real” and the interpretations of the Bible will all be foolhardy, and the idea that we need God for morals to be subsistent and extant—and their common arguments shall all fail, and it shall be as chaff, as the LORD wishes His people to see the truth, that God’s law is established in nature, and is apparent to all and within all creation, and that is the proof He exists, that His law is established in nature, and need be observed there. And those who have wisdom, will be hidden from the people.
15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
Those who are against the prophets, seek counsel to destroy the LORD. Sennacherib has deep counsel against the LORD’s anointed, and wishes to upset and destroy his ministry, before revival happens. And they say, “The LORD does not see us.” For they are false, and believe that the LORD does not live, and therefore corrupt everything with their errant philosophies and confuse what is plain to even children.
16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
They turn all wisdom upside down, and this is the snare of Jerusalem and Israel, and they are created for this purpose, to reveal the majesty of the LORD. Shall they hate the LORD, though He created them to hew, and to bring about His mysterious purpose? To establish righteousness and His law forever?
17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
The forest, and untamed and wild man will be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall become untamed. It will be a reversal of fortune, as those who should have known the statutes of our God will be made wild and ferocious, as those who didn’t hear it—a people not called—shall know and bear fruit.
18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
In that day, the deaf will hear the words of a book, and the eyes of the blind shall be opened. And such has already happened.
19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Those who are poor shall increase their joy—as the Gospel is to the dispossessed, not the mighty. The poor received the true Gospel, while the rich forsook it for worldly gains.
20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
The terrible one is brought to nothing. The scorner is consumed. Sennacherib, who scorns God’s people, and teaches them error, and watches for iniquity which he has reaped in their hearts, with his errant philosophies, he shall be destroyed, since he was a hypocrite and liar, and performed every gross sin imaginable, while watching for it in the saints, to accuse them, and thereby make their hearts sorrowful.
21 That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
The people of Jerusalem made a man an offender for a word—for simply unburdening himself with sins, and trying to make a confession—he who reproved at the gate—the one who taught the statutes wisely, and told the truth, that judgment must come—and turned aside the just—they deprived the poor man of his right, and distressed him heavily, and would not let him up for even a moment, though his heart was toward the LORD in everything.
22 Therefore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.
Jacob shall not wax pale, and shall not be pale. The LORD shall restore comfort to Jacob—to the man of Israel who held to the Law and Statutes, and did not depart from them, but made them his treasure.
23 But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
When Jacob shall be restored, he shall see his children—the converts to the true law, and the converts to true religion, and possibly the children he will bear with Zion—he shall sanctify the LORD and forget all his sins, and his wicked thoughts. He shall fear the LORD, and know He is a rewarder of those who seek Him with everything they do.
24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
Those who erred in spirit, shall come to understanding—those who erred from the way, and were riotous with the Spirit of God, and who did unseemly things in worship—and those who murmured against Zion, shall learn doctrine.
A Christian on Nature
As time passes on, and men lose their faith, it'll be asked, "What did Christians view about nature?" And the staunch Conservative places forth an unwieldy verse in Genesis,---that is Antichrist---saying "Aha, we must subdue it!" Yet the LORD curses those who destroy the Earth in Revelation, and speaks of the Sabbath in the Torah. Why did Israel get sacked by Babylon? It was because the land needed its rest. The Sabbaths needed to be observed, and the soil made healthy again. Man is Nature's steward, and in that verse in Genesis is the opposite point of view... not that man must severely disappoint Nature, and destroy her, and strip her of her resources, but quite the opposite, that we are her steward and defender, and protector. Through Sabbaths, through the beasts which were given to us for our company--as the animals were made to help Adam be less lonely, before Eve was formed. Then, in the restoration of Zion, the animals shall have a part in the kingdom. Nature is to be preserved, and will God not destroy those who destroy His earth? Surely He will. For Nature is beautiful, and the Natural Splendor close to God's heart.
God’s 5 Point Strategy for the Bible
1. Understand it
2. See where it applies in real life
3. See where it applies
4. See where it's being said in others
5. Always bring it back to Jesus
My Role Model
He was a good man. He did nothing wrong. He healed the deaf, the blind, the lame. He fed thousands. When I needed Him, He was always there. I was happy as a child. I had good parents. He gave them to me. I had good grandparents. A pool to swim in. Good aunts and uncles. A full belly. I sat on my Pop-Pop's lap. I watched the birds feed. He gave me that, too. He gave me my Pop-Pop's love. He gave me my Mom's love. He gave me my Dad's love. He gave me my Grandma and Pappy's love. I was full of love. Then He gave me play. He gave me lots of play. He gave me four good dogs. He gave me piano playing skills. He gave me writing skills. He gave me lots of love. He gave me lots of talents. He gave me friends. They were good friends. He gave me freedom of speech and religion. He gave me cooking skills. He gave me poems in my dreams. He gave me knowledge of math. He gave me knowledge of history. He gave me knowledge of science. He gave me knowledge of people. He gave me knowledge of English. What did they do to Him? They took Him. They beat Him. They whipped Him. They scourged Him. They spat on Him. They teased Him. They put nails in his hand and feet. He hung. And then they cut him with a spear. I didn't do my homework. I got a little crazy. But I passed school. I had work. I have a good brother. I learned to love him. I made mistakes. I hurt people. I told lies. I got angry at God and told Him mean things. I did what I wasn't supposed to do. A lot of things I wasn't supposed to do. God did a lot of good things for me. And I thanked Him with doing bad. I played violent video games. I was alone a lot. I didn't like anyone but myself for a while. Then God showed me love. And I fell in love. With who? With Peace. And I loved Peace. And I was bad. But then I knew what was good. And I loved Peace so much. It was my constant friend. And I took it everywhere I went. It taught me good. It taught me what was bad. I saw lots of beautiful art in school. And then I saw ugly. That sort of taught me good and bad. But Peace taught me what was good and what was bad. And that man on a donkey and colt taught me peace. I fell in love with good. And I hated evil. So I wrote everything I knew. Every drop of what I knew. I wrote it. When I was sixteen I began writing what I knew. And at age 35 I continue to write what I know. And I know Peace is good. And I know He is good. They killed Him because He was good. They hated Him because He was good. He set an example for me to follow. I knew what I did was wrong. Whenever I did something bad, I knew it was bad. That didn't stop me. But I think it's the same for everyone. They know it's bad, but they still do what's wrong. But they do it anyway. My friend saves us from that. His name is Jesus. And He is my role model. He is my teacher. He teaches me everything I need to know. He gives me peace. And when I'm sad, I know He still loves me. I know He loves me because I see it every day. Food on my table. I have a comfortable bed. I have clothes in my dresser. And even if I didn't have those things, I still see what He did for me. He hung on a cross, and bled and died. What I learned about life is it is not good. It is full of evil and sadness. I cried a lot in my life. I cried over good men dying. I cried over evil men getting rich. I cried over little children being naughty. I cried a lot. I cried because I was naughty, too. At times, I don't want to go on. But then I think of Him. And I know He would want me to carry on. I know He loves me because scars are on his hands and ankles. That says He loves me. If I get nothing more in life, I know He did a good thing for me. He's good.
Faith A Dialogue
[T]here's a lot of proof. It's just not going to be understood without faith.
Postmodernists are wrecking math and science right now, for that reason.
[Faith] also allows you to connect the evidence, and see the patterns for what they really mean.
The truth is, there's philosophers arguing over the validity of Addition. Saying it's a Western Concept. At some point, you need faith in the thing, to accept it. Because, truthfully, 1 + 1 = 2 takes 360+ pages to prove, and you're not going to understand that. So, faith is generally a way of understanding what is true, without having to go into the nitty gritty. And the fact is the Bible's Canon is established in real life witnesses of those things--we know this through Papias--so there's an established credibility within the canon, that also gets corroborated by LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of archeology.
[F]irst principles are [hard] to figure out[.] It's not easy. You have to be at least a 140IQ person, and most of knowledge has become democratized. There needs to be some faith on the established traditions, that we got it right, including the documents in the Church handed down by the Church Fathers and Apostles. Most of this confusion needs a lot of specialized knowledge to unravel, and when you do, you find out the scholars are lying.
Reflection on a Dream
In my dreams---as after first taking risperidone I began having dreams---I have a mental symbol of having a dream machine. And in it, I have a dream of owing 100,000,000,000,000 something, and needing to pay 11,000 a day. And my friend was in the dream, looking at all the dreams---the wet dreams, the embarrassing violence,---on a series of televisions. Then, I had enormous pains of hell, dogs biting into my flesh. And I woke up, but was still dreaming, and there was pain in my hand, and I woke up again and was refreshed like I had just had a prophetic vision. When I have a prophetic dream, I wake up feeling loved. Soon I read the parable of the steward who owed his master a great debt, and it was forgiven. And then he went to his friend, and required his debts paid back for by him. And beat him, and threw him into prison. I understood at that moment, I had a great debt, too, of such debt our own Government couldn't afford to bail me out. And I purposed to forgive those who have wronged me--if anyone--and to understand my place in history is simply to enjoy my labors, and work on understanding. As learning is my joy. But for pursuing it, and pursuing my dreams, I had accumulated great debt, which cannot ever be repaid. Thus, I deserve damnation, and will appeal to my God for forgiveness.
Exposition on the Whole Bible
Genesis (Old Testament begins)
So, Genesis is a collection of stories, from the Patriarchal line, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It details things like the Creation of the World, and gives several Allegorical reflections, through the lens of History. Not much unlike Plutarch or Herodotus would. It’s the tradition, handed down through the Patriarchs of the Hebrews, when they made their migrations from Mesopotamia and then into Egypt. Featured in this book are Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
Exodus
Exodus is probably the second most famous book of the Old Testament, next to Genesis. It’s the story of Moses. Basically, the giving of the Law, the diaspora out of Egypt and into the Wilderness. The reason why they had to spend 40 years wandering the desert, all culminating into the birth of the Nation of Israel.
Leviticus
Is a book of Law. Basically, it’s all the law of the Old Testament. What the Jews followed. It finds roots in Abraham’s system, handed down to Hammurabi, which is why you find parallels in Old Amorite Law of the same thing as the Bible. Because Abraham was an Amorite, and that law was handed down to Moses through manuscripts probably written by Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph.
Numbers
Numbers is a list of numbers, of the tribes, and various genealogies. It’s really the most boring book of the Bible, but it has some high moments, like Korah and Balaam. Some stories are in here, but not very many, and I’d recommend most people shy away from Numbers altogether, unless you’re a very serious Bible Student already and know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. It can lead to nasty habits like Divination, as you might think the throwing of lots is still a thing—it’s not. It’s a very very boring book. Probably one of the most boring things to read in history, and I’d recommend avoiding it, until you’re no longer even intermediate. It also has some of the Jewish laws regarding the tabernacle.
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy is a book like Leviticus. It has the same laws, found in the end of Exodus, and the same ones in Leviticus—Exodus also has some of the Hebraic law, too, which I forgot to mention. It’s more advanced than Leviticus, and probably like all parts of the Bible, it’s repeated through multiple attestations of witnesses, and written records. Which is why everything in the Bible seems to be repeated more than once, it’s because it’s being compiled by two or more sources each, to create a testimony based on multiple witnesses.
Joshua
Joshua was the person after Moses, given command to lead the nation. It’s a story of the wars of Canaan and the justification of the battles, which is that Canaan was sinning and they did all sorts of wicked crimes imaginable. So, Joshua was given directive to conquer the land of Canaan, and give it to the Israelites. Not because of their righteousness, but because of the lands wickedness, so it says in Deuteronomy. Jericho is in this book.
Judges
Is the story of the line of Judges—basically warrior kings who restored order in the land. Israel was called to live only by the Law, and that was their only law. And they had judges who executed the law, and delivered them from their enemies. Gideon and Samson are in this book.
Ruth
Is about the woman Ruth—David's grandmother—and how she fell in love with Boaz, and married him, and basically was made into his wife through a beautiful story. And this shows that a person of a race that isn't necessarily of the law, if they give up their heritage, are grafted into the Nation of Israel completely, like they never were anything but an Israelite totally.
1 Samuel
This follows the Prophet Samuel who picks Saul as king. And 1 Samuel is Saul's story.
2 Samuel
This follows the Prophet Samuel who picks David as King, and David's exploits, which Saul was not a good authority, so he lost it, and was given his kingdom to David. And then David's various sins.
1 Kings
This deals with a block of Jewish history.
2 Kings
This deals with the latter block of Jewish History.
1 Chronicles
This deals with the whole of Jewish History, the first part.
2 Chronicles
This deals with the whole of Jewish History the second part. As a note both books of Chronicles are repetitions of the stories in the books of Samuel and Kings.
Ezra
Ezra is the history after the Captivity to Babylon.
Nehemiah
Is also the history after the Captivity to Babylon.
Esther
Is a history of the Jews in Babylon, and how Mordicai saved them from being utterly destroyed, through his adopted Daughter Esther.
Job
Is probably the third most famous book in the Bible. It's the book where God brings disaster on a man, who's faithful, and the man has to patiently endure it. It's a dialogue on the Theodicy. Basically, God's God, and Job has to trust in His righteousness alone to deliver him, not Job's righteousness.
Psalms (The middle of the Bible*)
This is a book of hymns sung by the Psalters of the Jewish People. Very popular among Christians. And also full of prophecies about prosperity and righteousness.
Proverbs
Is wisdom literature, giving a bunch of aphoristic sayings that are compiled in an order, to create a theme. Some of the most profound literature in history, is found here.
Ecclesiastes
This is everyone's favorite book outside of the Gospels. It's just a wisdom literature, reversing wisdom, and seeing what's actually purposeful in this life. And it gives a VERY good answer.
Song of Solomon
A book of wisdom on the passion of love, and God's relationship with the Church. Basically, the Shulamite has to choose the Shepherd over Solomon and his gold, And the Shepherd has to come and basically take her away from Solomon's harem. It's basically the plot point of every lifetime movie. The snarky, rich jerk gets put aside for the woman's true love, who is the provincial farm boy who actually can care about her. And the two must spar for her hand.
Isaiah
This gets into the most important part of the Bible. The prophecies. Isaiah is a description of Prophecies regarding fighting back, even though you've sinned. Assyria has captured the Northern kingdom of Israel—both kingdoms split after Solomon, with Rehoboam, and so the Northern Kingdom was conquered by Assyria, due to its sin, and Hezekiah had a revival of the Israelite People's faith, and restored the kingdom to faith so it was saved from disaster.
Jeremiah
Is a little different. Judah is going into captivity, but Jeremiah is pleading with it so it won't. Another good example of the Theodicy, is a good man having misfortune because of a bad culture. Jeremiah has a horrible life, and is thrown in prison, and taken against his will to do what God explicitly forbade him to do. And Jeremiah is a victim of a cruel culture, which ultimately catalyzes in Jerusalem's fall.
Lamentations
A prophecy of the fall of Jerusalem, and a lamentation about sin.
Ezekiel
Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel is prophesying the fall of Jerusalem, and is prophesying the horrid things that will happen to it. It's already going to be destroyed, and he's telling the people who were taken to Babylon to not look back, but to look forward and make their lives in Babylon because they aren't going back to Jerusalem. But a remnant will be restored, and brought back to Jerusalem, at the end.
Daniel
Daniel is probably one of the most important books of the Bible. It has a ton of End Days Prophecies, and it gets into all the most important stuff. Also Shadrach Meshack and Abedinigo are here, and so is the story of Daniel and the Lion's den. Basically, Daniel is made Satrap because of his righteousness, and it's a story telling us how we're to gain our possession of life, in an unrighteous society, which is not budging on the truth.
Hosea
Talks about the Christian's walk. You either walk as Judah, Israel or Ephraim, and it's a pattern of the Christian's walk, and redemption. It's an allegory through prophecy of the trial of a Christian.
Joel
Joel talks about the ministry of the Two Olives in Revelation, and the War of Armageddon.
Amos
Is a prophecy detailing the sins of all the nations, that leads Babylon to Conquer it.
Obadiah
Is a short prophecy about Edom, which is a principality against Israel. It comes from Jacob's Brother Ishmael, and how they persecuted Israel during their captivity, and this will lead to their destruction. It's probably about Abaddon.
Jonah
Probably the fourth most famous book in the Old Testament, is Jonah, which is just a book about Jonah's prophecy to Nineveh, which caused it to be restored and Jonah was quite mad about this, actually. But, he prophesied, and Nineveh wasn't destroyed through his prophecies. I'm sure God rewarded him after his temper tantrum. He was a reluctant prophet, showing the compulsion of prophecy, that if you have a prophetic burden, God will cause you no matter what to fulfill it. NO MATTER WHAT. God will cause you to fulfill your prophetic ministry if you have one.
Micah
Is about the prophets of the End Days, the two Olive Trees, and their ministry.
Nahum
Is about one of the three end days figures.
Habakkuk
Habakkuk is too.
Zephaniah
So is Zephaniah.
Haggai
Is about rebuilding the temple, and about doing what's right, and restoring the temple to its former condition, after the captivity.
Zechariah
Is an end days prophecy concerning the War of Armageddon and various curses that will happen, and also various blessings.
Malachi
Is about another of the two Olive Trees.
Matthew (New Testament begins)
Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, and is about The Ministry of Jesus, in the framework of a Jewish Messiah.
Mark
Is another Gospel, about the Works of Jesus, and how good He is. Mark is snappy, phenomenal, and is one of my absolute favorite, if not my all time favorite, book of the Bible. It's just the Gospel in the most simple, and concise, and action packed way possible.
Luke
Is another Gospel, about the Messiah Jesus and His Ministry in the framework of a Savior of the Gentiles.
John
Is a book of Jesus' secret teachings, and His most in depth, and most esoteric sayings, that only John records, but this is probably the most important Gospel of them all, as it tells you, explicitly, salvation is in faith alone, through Christ's work, and the one who Believes on Jesus, that is the one who is saved.
Acts
Is about the Apostles—only some of them, as many of them don't make an appearance—and their ministry throughout the world. And this is where Paul gets introduced. Paul is the replacement of Judas Iscariot. And Paul has a ministry to the Gentiles, and you see Peter, Paul and James' ministry, as well as some of the others.
Romans
Is about the way Salvation works. And some of the Laws not taught in the Gospels, it's found in Romans. It's basically the method by which you're saved, which is much of Paul's writings, is telling you about how salvation works.
1 Corinthians
Is a diatribe against sin in the church, and how we're not to be sinners, or do unlawful deeds. And also how grace works.
2 Corinthians
Is a follow up, where Paul talks more about how grace works, and admonishes the church for its excesses and its lascivious lifestyle.
Galatians
Is a polemic against the Jewish Law. We're no longer to follow it. At all. Like, all those books of Moses, those are good stories, but our primary Law is found in the Gospel. Nowhere else.
Ephesians
Is a work telling you how Grace Works, and God's election. And also commends you to put on Christ, and defeat the world.
Philippians
Is a book exhorting you to a life of godliness, and good works and charity, while distinguishing you to do what's right. This is probably the one book I've studied least, actually, as I drew a blank with it.
Colossians
Is a book that tells you not to obey the Hebraic laws, again. It tells you explicitly that the Gospel is in Christ Jesus, and the Law in the New Testament alone.
1 Thessalonians
Is talking to the church in Thessalonians, and it's talking about living righteously, and faith.
2 Thessalonians
Is talking about the life of a Believer, and how to identify the Antichrist when he comes.
1 Timothy
Is a book exhorting Pastoral Care, and giving teachings to Ministry, and teaching Church Organization.
2 Timothy
Is another book exhorting Pastoral Care, and giving teachings to ministry, and teaching Church Organization.
Titus
Is another book exhorting Pastoral Care, and giving teachings to ministry, and teaching Church Organization.
Philemon
Is a master class on the Gospel. It tells us how to break the law in love, in order to exhort our fellow members of Christ, and do what's good in mercy.
Hebrews
Is a way of explaining the how the Law prophesied Christ, and gives very unique pictures of how the Old Testament foreshadowed Christ's coming and His work of Salvation, throughout the whole Hebrew Law.
James
Is a book of wisdom, teaching you righteous living.
1 Peter
Is the teachings of Peter, exhorting you to a life of righteousness.
2 Peter
Is another book teaching you righteousness, but he deals with the end days, and makes many prophecies concerning Antichrist in this book.
1 John
Is an exhortation of Christian love and charity, and how we're to work works of righteousness in Christ, and love our brother, and it also teaches us how to identify Antichrist when he comes.
2 John
Is a short exhortation to righteousness.
3 John
Is an exhortation to a good man, to have godly prosperity.
Jude
Is one of the most esoteric books in the Bible, but it deals primarily with living righteously, and letting go of all sin, how faith cannot be mixed with unrighteousness or the fruits of ungodliness.
Revelation
Is a prophecy of John's, dealing with the entire mode of the End Days, which will follow in chronological order of the events it describes. So, it's basically a chronology of the sufferings of this world, created by Antichrist in order to destroy the world, and it's the testing of the Elect's salvation and fruits.
Mary Had a Little Lamb Analysis
While, it's not explicitly about Jesus, but certainly, Jesus probably inspired it. I don't think it's really about Jesus, though. It's kind of a bad literary criticism to intuit messages into a poem that aren't there, but I'd say the poem likely was inspired by Jesus. That's definitely a wholesome thought.
But don't be esoteric. One has to tone down esoteric readings, because then you probably do the same thing with the Bible. Surely, when Jesus was a child, He followed Mary around, and probably stuck by her. As it says "And everything the child did, brought joy to Mary's heart." But, you can't get too deep into it. When you do, and seek hidden symbols or messages, that's esotericism, and not generally something one wants to do in any form of interpretation.
Certainly though, that tension of the Biblical Imagery is there, as it was written in a time when Biblical Motifs were often alluded to. But, it's an allusion, because the lamb is literally a lamb. But, then it could be referring to Jesus in the sense that He's like the lamb, being so innocent. That we love Jesus, like Mary loves her lamb, yet the lamb was a sacrificial animal.
It's interesting, because I was thinking about this a while ago, too, as I was driving. This exact thought, the beautiful motifs of Jesus being Mary's lamb hit me, and elevated the poem. But, when one does analysis on anything, don't put meaning into it that doesn't follow. It'll thoroughly elevate one's reading experience.
I mean, we kind of carry our little lamb around, too, and it shocks people at our schools and our work and everywhere we go. But that's drawing an interpolation from the poem, which you're allowed to do. But that's personal, and not really what the poem means.
B. K. Neifert 