#Zechariah (book of)

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Righteousness is Better than Fasting

1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chislev;

2 When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,

3 And to speak unto the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, consecrating myself, as I have done these so many years?

4 Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,

5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did you at all fast unto me, even to me?

6 And when you did eat, and when you did drink, did not you eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

7 Should you not hear the words which the LORD has cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and her cities round about her, when men inhabited the south and the lowland?

8 And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,

9 Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother:

10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

11 But they refused to hearken, and shrugged the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

12 Yea, they made their hearts as a flint stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts has sent by his Spirit through the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

13 Therefore it has come to pass, that just as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, says the LORD of hosts:

14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land became desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they made the pleasant land desolate. — Zechariah 7 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Exodus 22:21-22; Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 4:27; Deuteronomy 22:1; 1 Kings 13:6; 2 Chronicles 36:13; 2 Chronicles 36:16; Ezra 3:10; Nehemiah 1:1; Nehemiah 9:29; Psalm 21:11; Proverbs 1:24; proverbs 1:28; Isaiah 1:11-12; Isaiah 1:16; Isaiah 43:23; Isaiah 58:3; Jeremiah 7:5; Jeremiah 26:19; Zechariah 1:1; Zechariah 8:19; Matthew 13:15; John 7:24

Commentary on Zechariah 7 by Matthew Henry

[apenitentialprayer]

Left: detail of an icon of Jesus's Palm Sunday Procession. Right: detail of a 1791 replication of a bas relief of the Triumph of Titus

[T]his demonstration harbored a dangerous message that would lead to Jesus's public execution by the end of the week. The way Jesus entered Jerusalem at the beginning of Passover week was a strategically organized demonstration. Jesus's entire ministry was headed toward Jerusalem. Every time he had to leave a large crowd of sick people begging to be healed, it was because his journey was aimed toward Jerusalem. Word of Jesus's message had already spread to Jews in Jerusalem, and they were prepared to participate in these planned demonstrations. Mark 11 tells us that when Jesus and his disciples were approaching Jerusalem, he told two of his disciples, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.'" We don't know who was assigned to tie up the colt at the entrance, but taking the colt communicated to the crowds waiting in Jerusalem that Jesus was about to arrive. From the Mount of Olives, Jesus entered through the east entrance of Jerusalem on the colt while a crowd surrounded him, preparing the road for Jesus by spreading their cloaks and "leafy branches that they had cut in the fields" on the ground. And they shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" This deliberate sequence of actions was a symbolic reenactment of the prophecy of Zechariah. Zechariah 9:9 says, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey." Matthew even directly quotes the verse in his account. This was a purposefully timed demonstration that would also remind people of the next verse in Zechariah 9: "He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth." Although the gospel accounts do not report this detail, we know that the Roman governor Pontius Pilate arrived in Jerusalem at the beginning of the Passover Week as well. First-century Jewish historian Josephus wrote that during every Passover, Pontius Pilate and a legion of Roman soldiers spent the week in Jerusalem because of an increased chance of an uprising as Jews celebrated the event of the Exodus. The Romans wanted to make sure nobody got any dangerous ideas as they recounted God's attack on Egypt and the liberation of the Israelites. So as Jesus humbly entered Jerusalem from the east on a donkey, surrounded by a crowd of peasants and leafy branches, Pontius Pilate was likely entering Jerusalem from the west on a chariot led by a war horse, surrounded by a legion of Roman soldiers with armor and deadly weaponry. In their book on Jesus's last week in Jerusalem, John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg point out, "What we often call Jesus's triumphal entry was actually an anti-imperial, anti-triumphal one, a deliberate lampoon of the conquering emperor entering a city on horseback through gates open in abject submission. The symbolism is packed with meaning for the lives of those in the crowd surrounding Jesus. This demonstration exposed two warring kingdoms: the kingdom of Rome, with the power and weapons on their side, and the kingdom of God with the people on their side, desperate for liberation.

Damon Garcia (The God Who Riots: Taking Back the Radical Jesus, pages 146-148). Bolded emphases added.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (September 6)

Saint Zechariah, also known as Zechariah the Prophet, was a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the author of the Book of Zechariah in the Old Testament.

He lived during the 5th century BC. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Zechariah was the son of a priest named Jehoiada and his wife, Elizabeth.

He was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah.

According to the Bible, Zechariah was a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem during the reign of King Darius of Persia.

He was chosen by God to deliver a message of hope and encouragement to the Israelites, who had recently returned from exile in Babylon.

In his prophecy, Zechariah foretold the coming of the Messiah and the redemption of Israel.

One of the most famous stories about Zechariah is the account of the angel Gabriel visiting him in the Temple to announce that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son, who would be named John.

This son would later become known as John the Baptist and is considered to be one of the greatest of the prophets.

There is not much historical information about Zechariah's life events — birth and death dates, canonization date, and feast days — as they are not recorded in the Bible.

However, the book of Zechariah is considered one of the most profound and complex books of the Old Testament.

It is still studied and revered by scholars and theologians today.

Zechariah is the last of the Old Testament prophets whose name appears in the New Testament. He is also one of the four prophets mentioned in the Gospel of Luke.

He is an important figure in both Jewish and Christian tradition. As a prophet, he delivered a message of hope and redemption to the Israelites.

Though not much is known about his historical life events, his prophecy in the book of Zechariah is still respected and revered today.

Zechariah is the patron saint of fathers, barristers, notaries, and tailors. He is also invoked against diseases of the eye.

[bibleblender]

New article has been published on https://www.bibleblender.com/2023/bible-stories/new-testament/matthew/judas-suicide-hangs-himself-matthew-27-1-27-10

Judas commits suicide by hanging himself (Matthew 27:1 - 27:10).

When Judas saw that Jesus had been condemned, he was seized with remorse. He returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders and said, “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That is your responsibility.”

[biblenewsprophecy]

[creature-wizard]

Is the spiritual person a conspiracy theorist? A list of red flags

They talk about a shadowy group of people supposedly manipulating everything behind the scenes. They might refer to them by terms such as globalists, bankers, international bankers, secret rulers of the world, the elite, the cabal, Kabbalists, Talmudists, satanists, satanic pedophiles, pedophiles, generational satanists, satanic bloodlines, the Illuminati, the Babylonian Brotherhood, lizard people, Reptilians, Orions, regressives, regressive entities, Khazarians, Marxists, cultural Marxists, or leftists. Sometimes, very rarely, they'll just come right out and say "Jews."

They claim that the conspiracy has been working to conceal historical and spiritual truths from humanity.

They claim that the conspiracy uses stuff like food, entertainment, and medicine to control the masses. For example, "additives in food suppress our psychic abilities" or "Hollywood films contain subliminal messages" or "COVID vaccines were actually created to alter your DNA to make you more docile."

Also, claims that the conspiracy controls people via spiritual or technological implants, 5G, or alter programming, with or without explicit mention of Project Monarch (a conspiracy theory promoted by far right cranks such as Mark Philips and Fritz Springmeier, who used hypnosis to respectively convince Cathy O'Brien and Cisco Wheeler that they'd been put under mind control by a global satanic conspiracy).

They claim that this conspiracy is controlling the media, has fingers in every institution they disagree with, and is generally behind everything they disagree with. (EG, the conspiracy created the Catholic Church; that other New Ager they disagree with is actually controlled opposition, etc.)

They claim that the conspiracy is trying to keep people in fear.

They claim that the conspiracy harvests something from people. Blood and adrenochrome are common ones. Loosh is somewhat less common. Expect to see something else pop up eventually.

They claim that the conspiracy practices genetic engineering; EG, creating animal/human hybrids, using vaccines to genetically sever people's connection to God, etc.

They claim that true spiritual wisdom can be traced back to places like Atlantis, Lemuria, or Mu.

They claim that world governments have secretly been in contact with extraterrestrials for years.

They appeal to known frauds and cranks, including but not limited to Erich Von Daniken, Zechariah Sitchin, David Icke, David Wilcock, Graham Hancock, Jaime Maussan, Bob Lazar, Steven Greer, Richard C. Hoagland, Fritz Springmeier, and Drunvalo Melchizedek.

Appeals to forged documents, including but not limited to the alleged diary of Admiral Richard Byrd, The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean, and The Urantia Book.

Appeals to channeled information, such as that provided by Edgar Cayce, Carla Rueckert, or George Van Tassel.

"But all of this has to come from somewhere, doesn't it?"

Oh, it all comes from somewhere, all right, but the where isn't what most people imagine.

A lot of the stuff above is just a modern spin on the content of The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, a Russian hoax created to justify violence against Russian Jews. The Protocols itself was plagiarized from a political satire and incorporated a lot of the post-French Revolution conspiracy theories about Freemasons and Jews being behind the French Revolution. I wrote a summary of the conspiracy tropes found in The Protocols over here.

The stuff about Satanic sacrifices and the consumption of blood, adrenochrome, loosh, or whatever are simply just variations on blood libel, an antisemitic conspiracy theory that claims Jews practice ritual cannibalism. Blood libel can be traced back to ancient Greece. (With the Greek version, I really can't help but notice the similarity to modern urban legends of gangsters kidnapping random people for initiation rituals.)

Many of these tropes can also be linked back to the early modern witch hunts. It was believed that witches sacrificed babies to Satan, practiced cannibalism, and put people under mind control by way of diabolical magic. It was also believed that some witches didn't even know they were witches; they'd go off to attend the Devil's Sabbath at night and come back in the morning without remembering a thing. In the late 20th century, this witch hunter's canard would be reinvented as the alter programming conspiracy theory when media such as the 1973 book Sibyl and its 1976 television adaptation put DID (note: the woman who inspired Sibyl did not have DID) into the public consciousness. For a more complete list of witch panic and blood libel tropes, I wrote a list over here.

Lemuria was a hypothetical landmass proposed to explain the presence of lemur fossils in Madagascar and India while being absent in continental Africa and the rest of Asia, because if lemurs evolved naturally, they wouldn't be in two separate places with no connection to each other. The discovery that India and Madagascar were once connected not only made the hypothesis obsolete, it precludes the existence of Lemuria.

The whole notion of Mu began with a horrendous mistranslation of the Troano manuscript. A man named Augustus Le Plongeon would link the mistranslation with the story of Atlantis, and use it to claim that Atlantis actually existed in the Americas. (For Plongeon, Mu and Atlantis were one and the same.) And then other people (like James Churchward) got their hands on the whole Mu thing, and put their own spins on it, and the rest is history.

Le Plongeon's ideas influence modern Atlantis mythology today; EG, the idea that it was in the Americas. Another guy who helped shape the modern Atlantis myth was Ignatius L. Donnelly, an American politician. Dude claimed that Atlanteans spread their oh-so-superior culture far and wide. He also claimed that Atlantis was the home of the Aryan people, because of course he did.

The idea that all of the world's wisdom can be traced back to Thoth/Hermes goes back to Hermeticism, a product of Greco-Egyptian syncretism. Hermeticism produced a fascinating body of mythology and an interesting way to consider the divine and its role in shaping human history, but that doesn't mean it was right. And the Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean is a modern text that has fuck-all to do with ancient Hermeticism and more to do with HP Lovecraft.

This idea that the conspiracy uses pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines for evil also has roots in Nazi Germany. The Nazi government, wanting to reserve real medicine for their soldiers, told the general populace that said medicine was the product of evil Jewish science and prescribed alternative healing modalities instead. (Said alternative healing modalities did not particularly work.) It also echoes the old conspiracy theories about Jews spreading the Black Death by poisoning wells.

The idea that the conspiracy uses genetic manipulation to create subhuman beings or sever humanity from the divine is a permutation of the Nazi conspiracy theory that Jews are trying to destroy the white race through race mixing. The idea of evil reptilian DNA goes back to the ancient serpent seed doctrine, which is indeed old, but no less pure hateful nonsense for it.

"But there's got to be somebody up to something rotten out there!"

Oh sure. But these people aren't skulking around in the shadows. They're acting pretty openly.

The Heritage Foundation has been working to push this country into Christofascism since the early 1970's. They're the ones responsible for the rise of the Moral Majority and the election of Ronald Reagan. They're also the ones behind Project 2025, which intends to bring us deeper into Christofascism. (Among many other horrible things, they intend to outlaw trans people as "pornographic.")

The Seven Mountains Mandate is another movement pushing for Christofascism. They intend to seize the "seven spheres" of society, which include education, religion, family, business, government/military, arts/entertainment, and media.

There's also the ghoulish American Evangelicals who support Israel because they think that current events are going to bring about the Second Coming of Jesus and cement the formation of a global Christofascist empire. Don't let their apparent support of Jews fool you - they believe that the good Jews will become Christians and the bad ones will go to hell.

All of these people are working toward monstrously horrific goals, but none of them are part of an ancient megaconspiracy. In fact, these are the kinds of people pushing the myth of the ancient megaconspiracy. From the witch hunts to Nazi Germany to the American Evangelical movement, if history has taught us anything, the people pushing the conspiracy theories are always the bad guys.

[carlocarrasco]

I Love Israel: Thousands of Christians celebrate with Israelis in this year’s Feast of Tabernacles

I Love Israel: Thousands of Christians celebrate with Israelis in this year’s Feast of Tabernacles

Something significant happened in Israel recently. This year’s Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated big-time as thousands of Christians from around the world joined the Jewish people and Israelis in the event which itself is a comeback from the 2-year-old COVID-19 crisis that affected everyone, according to a Christian Broadcasting Network News (CBN News) report. The revival of the Feast of…

[wolfythewitch]

So fun fact. in the book of Luke, Gabriel comes to announce to Zechariah that he is to have a child (John the Baptist). Zechariah responds with "how can I know this?" And the Angel goes I'm Gabriel???? I stand in the presence of god???? And then curses Zechariah to not be able to speak

So yeah Neil Gaiman got Gabriel's personality down pat

[hyperpotamianarch]

Next, I'm going to try and pour out information about Jewish religious literature. To be fair, there are probably way more extensive posts, websites and YouTube videos on this topic, but I chose to talk about it because I've seen some slight misinformation going around. Hope I won't come off as patronizing. Note, I'm writing it to be comprehensible for none-Jews as well as Jews, so I might say a lot of things you already know if you're Jewish.

So, Jewish religious literature can be divided to three main branches: Mikra, Mishnah and Talmud. This is not a completely precise division, nor can it be applied to every Jewish religious book, but it's helpful for the basic books, those considered obligating by Rabbinic Judaism.

Mikra (which, roughly translated from Hebrew, means "something that is read") is the one of those three that is pretty much closed: you can't really write a new Jewish book that'll be considered a part of it. It's also called the Written Torah, and includes the entirety of the Hebrew Bible, AKA Tanakh. In case you're wondering, that includes all books in what Christians call "the Old Testament", only sorted differently and into three categories: Torah - the Pentateuch, Nevi'im (Prophets) - which includes every book named after a person outside of Job, Esther, Daniel, Ezra and Neḥemiah, and in addition to those books includes the books of Judges and Kings, and the Ketuvim (Written texts) - which includes all the rest of the books. The order of the books in the Tanakh is as follows (using their English names for convenience, I don't necessarily stand behind those translations): Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Nevi'im: Joshua, Judges, Samuel (1&2), Kings (1&2), Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Twelve Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Naḥum, Ḥabakuk, Zephaniah, Ḥaggai, Zechariah, Malachi). Ketuvim: Psalms, Proverbs, Job (transliteration did a number on this one), the Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra&Neḥemiah, Chronicles (1&2). Overall, there are 24 books in the Hebrew Bible. It is only later divisions, some of which are outright nonsensical, that made the number into 39.

Those books are ones that are considered to be written using some degree of Divine Inspiration or outright prophecy (which doesn't have to do with knowing the future). Common tradition considers the division of the Tanakh to be between three levels of prophecy, of which the Ketuvim were written in the lowest. As the Written Torah, the entirety of these scriptures is meant to be read (and not repeated by heart). There are occasions where there's a difference between the reading tradition and the writing one - but that's another story. The last books in the Tanakh were written around the 5th Century BCE according to tradition, and it was closed to new additions a couple of decades, perhaps a century or two, later.

The other two branches are both considered parts of the Oral Torah, to varying degrees. You see, according to Jewish tradition, Moshe (Moses) got the Torah in Mt. Sinai in two parts: the Written one (which at the time only included the Pentateuch) and the Oral one, which included explanations on how to actually act upon the commandments in the Written Torah, in addition to deduction laws to be used on the Written Torah (at least according to Rambam, AKA Maimonides). Both the Mishnah and the Talmud, at their core, are based on that. But much of the things said there are things clearly said by Sages and Rabbis from the 1st Century CE onward. How does that work, then?

The answer kind of depends who you ask. But the Orthodox way to look at that is usually that people either have old traditions that were passed down to them, or are using the deduction laws given to Moshe at Mt. Sinai. But I guess all that was a digression, so let's get back on topic.

The Mishnah is called that way after the Hebrew word for repetition. It's supposed to be sturdied this way to be memorized, though it mostly exists as written text nowadays. Back in the time it was codified - the Tana'ic era (10-220 CE, approx.), called that way after the Aramaic word for people who memorize through repetition - there were many versions of traditional laws memorized this way. This stemmed from many different people teaching the same laws, and it ended up being a game of Telephone. Also, it probably needs to be said that while I call those "laws" they weren't usually the bottomline Halachic rules, since it included disagreements and multiple opinions.

The end of the Tana'ic era came when one person, Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, composed an authoritative collection of those after studying all the different traditions he knew of. This is what we nowadays call the Mishnah. It's made of 60 tractates- (whisper, whisper Wait, really? Whisper, whisper Huh. All right, then.) I have been informed that the number is actually 63. Who knew? Anyway, those 63 tractates are sorted by topic into 6 orders. Those orders are: Zera'im (seeds, concerns itself with matters related to plants with the odd tractate about liturgy at the start), Mo'ed (occeasion/time, concerns itself with Jewish holidays), Nashim (women, concerns itself with marriage laws in addition to two tractates about oaths and vows), Nezikin (damages, concerns itself with court procedures. Has two miscellaneous tractates that don't make sense there but belong nowhere else), Kodashim (holy things, concerns itself with matters relating to the Temple procedures as well as one tractate about Kashrut and one about heavenly punishments), and Taharot (ritually clean things, I guess? Though this translation is less than accurate. Has to do with - you guessed it - ritual cleanliness). The tractates aren't divided evenly between the orders, and inside of them are sorted by length. The longest tractate is 30 chapters, the shortest is 3. And yes, all of that was supposed to be remembered by heart - possibly only by a number of specific people.

Now, I didn't mention it previously, but there were certain books written that didn't get into the Tanakh - Apocryphal books. Those are not only considered outside the religious canon, but are not to be studied as well - though this might be a little flexible, the bottom line is they can't really be used for anything religious. I'm saying this right now because the same isn't true for Oral traditions that weren't codified in the Mishnah. Some of those were codified in other ways, and can be used to help understand the Mishnah better - which leads us to the Talmud.

Talmud, translated literally from Hebrew, means "study", as in the study of the traditions from the Mishnah. It is a separate book from the Mishanh, but is structured around it. Due to that, there are occasions people will tell you a given quote is from the Talmud when it's actually from the Mishanh - since the Talmud quotes the Mishnah when talking about it. The Talmud usually tries to reason the origin of the opinions in the Mishnah and to delve into the intricacies of those laws: what happens in fringe cases? What about other situations that the Mishnah didn't mention? How does what this specific Tana (rabbi from the Mishnah) says here fits with what he himself said in another place? And such things. The Talmud is, in essence, a recording of centuries of debates and discussions about the Mishnah. Oh, and there are two Talmudim (the plural form of Talmud).

One could say that the Jerusalem Talmud (Yerushalmi) is the equivalent of the oral traditions that didn't get into the Mishnah: it's less studied and considered less obligating than the Babilonian Talmud (Gemara, or Bavli). It still is occasionally quoted and used to study things the Gemara doesn't talk about or doesn't elaborate on. The main difference between the two is where thy were codified - the Yerushalmi is a codification of the study as it was conducted in the land of Israel (mostly in the galillee; the name Yerushalmi is a little misleading), while the Bavli codifies and records the study of Babylon. There's also a different in the language - both are written in Aramaic interladed with Hebrew, but in different dialects. The Yerushalmi was also codified a couple of centuries earlier than the Bavli - the Yerushalmi was codified around 350CE, due to persecutions under the Bizantine empire, while the Bavli was compiled by the 5th century CE.

While those two Talmudim are separate from each other, there is some intersection. Travel between the land of Israel and Babylon wasn't too rare at the time (called Tekufat Ha'Amora'im in Hebrew, the era of the Amora'im. Amora means interpretor or translator in Aramaic), and so you can see rabbis from Babylon mentioned in the Yerushalmi and Rabbis from the land of Israel mentioned in the Bavli. The easiest way to tell the difference is by their title - in Babylon, a rabbi is called "Rav [name]", while in the land of Israel they are called Rabbi. There is a reason to that, but I'm not getting into it yet. In addition, the Bavli regularly talks about how things are done "in the west" - which is the land of Israel, since it's to Babylon's west. As mentioned, the Bavli is the more authoritative of the two, and is the one usually referred to when people say "the Talmud". The Bavli directly discusses 37 of the Mishnah tractates - it nearly doesn't talk at all about the first and last orders of Mishnah. The Yerushalmi, meanwhile, talks extensively about the first one - but has nothing about the next to last one. There are also other tractates missing in the middle for both.

Now, technically the Babylonian Talmud was codified at the end of the Amora'ic era. However, somewhat unlike the Mishnah (well, I'm not being accurate, the Mishnah also has a thing or two that was shoved later), there were still later additions from a time known as the Savora'ic era. Savora is a word that means "a reasoner" in Aramaic, and I probably could've explained how appropriate this name is for them if I'd have studied enough. From what I know, the characteristics of a Talmudic piece from the Savora'ic era is having no names mentioned/having names of known Savora'im mentioned (the latter is a little rare, to my understanding), and reasoning about the language and meaning of words from the Mishnah. the Savora'ic era probably ended at around the 6th-7th century CE.

From that point on, we'll need to more or less abandon the comfortable division I offered earlier, because it's kind of hard to say which book belongs where, besides many books that might technically fall under the same category but be different enough to require their own categories. In addition, from here on out, no book is considered as all-obligating: you can't go against the Talmud in a halachic ruling, but you can go against anything later.

But, since this thing is long enough as it is right now, I think I'll just write a couple of additions about important books I chose not to mention, and then finish it here for now - with the next couple of periods of history of Jewish religious literature left for a future date.

So, the most significant genre of books I've been ignoring are the Midrashim. I mean, sure, I could talk about Apocrypha, or about the Tosefta/Baraitot (oral traditions that didn't get into the Mishnah), but I mentioned those already. The Midrashim, however, are a genre of writing I completely ignored so far.

I think the best way to explain Midrash is that it's a loose interpretation of the Mikra, based on traditions. There are generally two sub-genres for Midrash - Midrash Halachah and Midrash Agadah. The former concerns itself with the law, the latter with the stories and ideas. The books of Midrashei Halachah we have that I can remember are Mechilta (lit. "Including", more or less. On Exodus), Sifra (lit. "Book", from Aramaic. On Leviticus) and Sifrei (lit. "Books", from Aramaic. On Numbers and Deuteronomy). Those are mostly from the Tana'ic era, I think. There are two major books of Midrashei Agadah, both encompassing all of the pentateuch, named Midrash Rabbah and Midrash Tanḥuma. Those are named after specific people, likely the ones who compiled them, and those names indicate they are from the Amora'ic era.

So, to sum it up: 24 books written during the vague time of the Biblical era, codified into the Tanakh at around 300 BCE, with lots of disagreement on the exact date. Oral traditions passed down between generations, including ones clashing with each other and rulings added through the generations, passed around throughout the Tana'ic era (10-220 CE), and codified into 60 tractates of Mishnah by the end of it. In addition, at the same time, some loose interpretations of the Tanakh that have led to the rulings of those oral traditions are written down in the Midrashim. Discussions and elaborations on those oral traditions of the Mishnah as recorded from places of learning in Babylon and the Land of Israel through the Amora'ic era - around 220-500 CE - are recorded in the Talmud, with some additions from around the 6th century CE.

Any inconsistency in spelling and terminology is to be blamed on my unwillingness to go back and edit this. Sorry.

Thank you for reading, have a good day, and I hope to see you for part 2! Once I get an idea about what I'm going to say in it...

[walkswithmyfather]

“Jesus in the Old Testament” By Bible Love Notes:

“Don't miss the wonderful list that shows how God was "whispering" about Jesus in every Old Testament book!”

“After His resurrection, Jesus met two disciples walking to a village called Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). They didn't recognize Jesus, but "beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).

Christ's redemption was part of God's plan from the beginning (Genesis 3:15). When we recognize this important truth, it enhances our understanding and appreciation of both Old and New Testaments.

Enjoy this list of "whispers" (clues, foreshadowings) that God placed in each Old Testament book, preparing us for the coming of Jesus.

In Genesis Jesus is the Seed of the Woman

Exodus…………………...Our Passover Lamb

Leviticus……………………..Our High Priest

Numbers........Guiding Pillar of Fire and Cloud

Deuteronomy……….The Prophet Like Moses

Joshua………………..The Mighty Conqueror

Judges…...…....………....…...Our Rescuer

Ruth………………...Our Kinsman Redeemer

1 & 2 Samuel……......…..The Seed of David

Kings & Chronicles…….....….Our Mighty King

Ezra & Nehemiah…..Re-builder of Our Broken Walls

Esther………………….....Our Way of Escape

Job……………...Our Hope in Times of Trouble

Psalms…………..…..Our Shepherd and Sacrifice

Proverbs & Ecclesiastes…….…..Our Wisdom

Song of Solomon…Our Lover and Bridegroom

Isaiah…………………...Our Suffering Savior

Jeremiah……………....The Righteous Branch

Lamentations…..…Prophet Who Weeps for Us

Ezekiel………..The Watchman Who Warns Us

Daniel……..The 4th Man in the Fiery Furnace

Hosea………………….Our Faithful Husband

Joel…............Our Baptizer in the Holy Spirit

Amos……………………..Our Burden Bearer

Obadiah……………..The One Mighty to Save

Jonah…………....The Sender of Missionaries

Micah……..The Messenger of the Good News

Nahum………..The Avenger of the Righteous

Habakkuk……....The One Crying for Revival

Zephaniah & Haggai….Giver of Another Chance

Zechariah…….…………...The Pierced Son

Malachi.........Sun of Righteousness w/ Healing in His Wings

As you read through the Bible, remember that you are reading the greatest story ever written—the story of mankind's inexcusable fall and God's Unreasonable Love.

💙💙💙

I did not create this list. I compiled and edited it from various non-copyrighted lists.”

There are a lot of links to devotions on this webpage. Check them out!

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Vision of Joshua the High Priest

1 And He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "May the LORD rebuke you, Satan! May even the LORD Who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked out of the fire?" 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4 And He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, "Take the filthy garments from off him." And to him He said, "Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with ceremonial robes." 5 And I said, "Let them set a clean mitre on his head." And they set a clean mitre on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

6 And the angel of the LORD charged Joshua, saying, 7 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My charge, then you shall also judge My house, and shall also keep My courts, and I will give you places to walk among these who stand by.

8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you; for they are men wondered at, for behold, I will bring forth My Servant the Branch! 9 For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua: On one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its engraving upon it,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day,' says the LORD of hosts, 'you shall call, each man to his neighbor, to sit under the vine and under the fig tree.'" — Zechariah 3 | A Faithful Version (AFV) Holy Bible, A Faithful Version © 2020 A Faithful Version. All Rights Reserved. Cross References: Exodus 28:4; Deuteronomy 17:9; Deuteronomy 17:12; 1 Kings 4:25; 1 Chronicles 21:1; Job 29:14; Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 8:18; Isaiah 32:18; Isaiah 43:25; Matthew 22:11; Mark 9:25; Luke 15:22; James 2:2; Jude 1:9; Jude 1:23; Revelation 5:6; Revelation 12:10

Zechariah 3 Bible Commentary

[talonabraxas]

King Pakal As An Alien Ancient Astronaut

The enigmatic Tomb of Mayan King Pakal has attracted the interest of Ancient Astronaut Theorists like Zechariah and Erich von Daniken who suggest that the carved sarcophagus lid found in his tomb at Palenque depicts Pakal as an Anunnaki Ancient Astronaut.

King Pakal’s sarcophagus lid shows a man tilting backwards surrounded by glyphs and symbols that run along the edges of the lid representing important components of Mayan cosmology.

The mainstream consensus among Mayan experts is that the image on the Sarcophagus does not depict King Pakal as an Ancient Astronaut but instead, the image tells the story of King Pakal’s death and descent into the underworld.

However, an alternative explanation of the engraving of the lid of King Pakal’s sarcophagus was advanced by Ancient Astronaut Theorist Erich von Daniken in his book Chariots of the Gods where he claimed the lid depicted King Pakal riding on a rocketship.

On the basis of Erich von Daniken’s observations in Chariots Of The Gods, Ancient Astronaut Theorists state that King Pakal may have been part of the race of Alien Ancient Astonauts that built Civilization on Earth.

The leading criticism of Von Daniken’s explanation of King Pakal’s Sarcophagus as depicting an Ancient Astonaut criticises his suggestion that rocket power would be the method used by technologically superior Aliens to travel the Solar system.

The idea that Extraterrestrials would use rocket power to arrive on Earth seems anachronistic because this type of technology would be primitive to Aliens.

However, the use of rocket terminology does not in itself disprove Daniken’s argument that King Pakal was an Ancient Astronaut because the carvings on the lid could also be an advanced Reactor eg using antimatter or some other advanced form of Alien propulsion.

King Pakal: The Sumerian-Egyptian Connection

A deeper Ancient Astronaut Theory analysis of the lid of King Pakal’s Tomb based on the works of Zechariah Sitchin’s Earth Chronicles ultimately leads to the Anunnaki Gods of Ancient Egypt and Sumer who may have built an Alien Civilization on Earth.

Zecharia Sitchin’s Ancient Astronaut Theory analysis of King Pakal’s Tomb expanded beyond the self-contained mythology of one particular geographical area in determining the meaning of King Pakal’s sarcophagus lid.

[violettduchess]

Hello! This is my first time doing this, I hope I'm doing everything right. I'm usually more of a silent visitor... I'm quite nervous, haha... So, for your 1k First Kisses Celebration, how about Leonardo and 1. „An accidental kiss“? Thank you, and I really love your writing!

A/N: Here you go @blackpawprints 💜Thank you for requesting! (No need to be nervous 🤗)

Leonardo x Reader

Word Count: 788

Evening has settled over the land, a soft blanket made of starry-night sky and gentle breeze. Outside, the world is quiet and still. The mansion is at rest, with most of its residents either already in bed or out on the prowl for various reasons. Only a few windows are illuminated, including the arched window of the mansion’s cozy library. The oil lanterns within throw soft, yellow light across the wooden shelves, glinting off the embossed spines of all the books that fill them. You are currently next to Leonardo, a heavy, gilded book bound in soft black leather open on the table in front of you, heads bowed as you both search the pages, on a mission.

Less than twenty minutes ago, you had been sitting comfortably, discussing your travels to Italy when you mentioned visiting the Sistine Chapel. Leonardo, golden eyes alight with amusement, had you dissolving into breathless laughter when he told you that Michaelangelo had painted one very cheeky angel casually making an incredibly rude hand gesture at another figure. You shook your head. “I don’t believe it….” “Cara mia, it’s true! I will prove it” which had lead to you both hurrying toward the library with matching grins on your faces. Luckily, Comte’s interests have a breadth as wide as the sea and with just a short amount of searching, you found the oversized volume that had recently been published: the first-ever photographs of the famous ceiling taken by French photographer Adolphe Braun. An expensive purchase, no doubt, but one you are happy Comte made.

Now you and Leonardo are both leaning forward over the book, searching the black and white photographs as if they were those hidden picture challenges you had enjoyed as a child. Your bowed heads are so close together, your hair brushes his and you can hear the sound of his light breathing. His brow is furrowed in concentration as his long, elegant fingers carefully trace over Michaelangelo's famous figures, his touch feather-like. He smells like crisp parchment underscored by a tantalizing hint of the earthy smoke from his cigarillos. It’s a smell you have come to know and secretly, come to love. One that warms you, though you don't question the source of that sudden heat. He turns the page, murmuring softly in Italian. “Dove sei….” And then his hand stops and he breaks into a smile that could light up the whole mansion. “I found you! Here, cara mia. Look closely.”

Bracing yourself on the edge of the table, you lean down along with him, closer to the page. It’s a section of the ceiling with a depiction of the prophet Zechariah and behind him are two little cherubs, one with his arm slung casually around the other….and then you see it: his little chubby hand is indeed making a snarky, old-fashioned hand gesture, its tiny thumb stick rudely between its pointer and middle finger.

“I can’t believe–” You turn your head, your heart light with twin wings of surprise and delight.

“I told you-” He turns his head, warm with the glow of being right and proven so.

And your lips touch.

Surprise goes from something small and fluttering to a meteor, shooting across your body and bathing you in a shower of radiant sparks, ones that send your blood fizzing through your veins and heat floods your cheeks, your neck, your décolleté. 

Breaking away from him is instinctual even as your body screams at the loss of contact. You stare at one another, the motion of time stopped, suspended like a glistening raindrop on the tip of an unfurled leaf. Your breath is clutched by lungs paralyzed with shock even as your heart rattles the bones of your rib cage excitedly.

His eyes are dark pools of amber, backlit by a golden rush of desire. The longer you gaze into them, the more you feel yourself sinking slowly. They are the most beautiful quicksand, the most decadent morass. 

Your name passes his lips, soft as a prayer, powerful as thunder. 

The quicksand engulfs you.

The raindrop falls.

And you find yourself within the stronghold of his embrace, clinging to him as you both collapse to the carpeted library floor, kissing each other ferociously, like it's the end of world, the calm of the night disrupted by a storm of unexpected desire and booming want. You burn with the white-hot ache to touch, to taste, to feel, all of him. 

He rolls on top of you, pressing the length of his long body against you, his mouth everywhere all at once, his deft fingers finding their way through a tangle of soft fabric and lace, opening buttons and hooks, seeking tantalizing patches of warm skin.

On the wooden table, the art book lays open, forlorn and forgotten. It will be hours before a hand, trembling with the aftershocks of passion, finally closes it.

Tagging: @aquagirl1978 @alixennial @alexxavicry @queengiuliettafirstlady @rhodolitesrose @ikemen-writer @bellerose-arcana @thewitchofbooks @redheadkittys @dear-mrs-otome @firestar-otomeobsessed @curious-skybunny @kpop-and-otome @writingwhimsey @mxrmaid-poet @silver-dahlia @wendolrea @otomefoxystar @nightfoxqueen @myonlyjknight @kissmetwicekissmedeadly

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints &Reading: Wednesday, February 21, 2024

february 8_february 21

E PROPHET ZECHARIAH (ZAKHARIAH) THE SICKLE-SEER FROM AMONGST THE 12MINOR PROPHETS (520 BC)

The Prophet Zachariah the Sickle-Seer the eleventh of the twelve Minor Prophets. He was descended from the tribe of Levi, and seems to have been a priest (Nehemiah 12:4,16). He was called to prophetic service at a young age and became, in the wondrous expression of church hymnology, “a spectator of supra-worldly visions.”

The Book of the Prophet Zachariah contains inspired details about the coming of the Messiah (Zach 6:12); about the last days of the Savior’s earthly life, about the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem on a young donkey (Zach 9:9); about the betrayal of the Lord for thirty pieces of silver and the purchase of the potter’s field with them (Zach 11:12-13); about the piercing of the Savior’s side (Zach 12:10); about the scattering of the apostles from the Garden of Gethsemane (Zach 13:7); about the eclipse of the sun at the time of the Crucifixion (Zach 14:6-7).

“Enlightened by dawnings all above,” the Prophet Zachariah, “saw the future as it were the present.” According to Tradition, this “most true God-proclaimer” lived to old age and was buried near Jerusalem, beside his illustrious contemporary and companion, the Prophet Haggai (December 16). The title “Sickle-Seer” given Zachariah comes from a vision in which he saw a sickle flying in the air, destroying thieves and perjurors (Zach 5:1-3).

The holy Prophet Zachariah died around 520 B.C. His tomb was discovered in 415 in a village near Eleutheropolis (Sozomen, Hist. Eccles. VI:32, IX:17). At the prophet’s feet was the body of a child dressed in royal accouterments. His holy relics were transferred to the church of Saint James the Brother of the Lord (October 23) in Constantinople.

1 PETER 4:1-11

1Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. 5 They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

MARK 12:28-37

28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" 29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these. 32 So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question Him. 35 Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? 36 For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:'The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." ' 37 Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son? And the common people heard Him gladly.

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE THREE ARCHANGELS Feast Days: September 29, March 24 (St. Gabriel's traditional feast), May 8 (St. Michael's apparition at Monte Gargano), October 24 (St. Raphael's traditional feast)

"Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this. And he said to him, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man!'" -John 1:47-51

St. Michael. St. Gabriel. St. Raphael. These are the Three Archangels that is been mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, and they are honored by the Roman Catholic Church.

The archangels are spiritual beings of the highest rank created by God before the beginning of the world. They have no material body and are immortal. Their name is given according to the mission have received from God. The word archangel is only used twice in the New Testament: In the 4th chapter of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians and the Epistle of Jude. 

The archangel Michael, whose name means 'who is like God (or Quis ut Deus?)', was assigned to fight the devil. He was appointed to cast Lucifer out of Paradise, for challenging the sovereignty of God, as according to the Book of Revelation: 'Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.' 

Michael helps us in the daily struggle against Satan, who will be defeated in the Apocalyptic war at the end times. 

In Roman Catholic teachings, Saint Michael has four main roles or offices. His first role is the leader of the Army of God and the leader of heaven's forces in their triumph over the powers of hell. He is viewed as the angelic model for the virtues of the spiritual warrior, with the conflict against evil at times viewed as the battle within. The second and third roles of Michael in Catholic teachings deal with death. In his second role, Michael is the angel of death, carrying the souls of all the deceased to heaven. In this role Michael descends at the hour of death, and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing; thus consternating the devil and his minions. Catholic prayers often refer to this role of Michael. In his third role, he weighs souls on his perfectly balanced scales. For this reason, Michael is often depicted holding scales. In his fourth role, Saint Michael, the special patron of the Chosen People in the Old Testament, is also the guardian of the Church. Roman Catholicism includes traditions such as the Prayer to Saint Michael, which specifically asks for the faithful to be 'defended' by the saint, and the Chaplet of Saint Michael consists of nine salutations, one for each choir of angels. 

The archangel Gabriel, whose name means 'God is my strength or hero of God', received the mission to proclaim God's almighty power. He was sent to announce the birth of Jesus to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Gospel of Luke, when Mary objected that she was still virgin, Gabriel replied: 'Nothing is impossible from God.' 

Gabriel has the power to assist us in the most desperate cases, and to protect those who announce the Good News. It is said that Gabriel is the destroyer of the sinful city of Sodom.

It is said that Gabriel played some important roles: he taught Moses in the wilderness to write the Book of Genesis, the revealing of the coming of the Savior to Daniel, his appearance to Joachim and Anne the birth of Mary, and the appearance to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist. 

In the Gospel of Matthew, Gabriel may have been the unnamed angel, who appeared to St. Joseph in his sleep and instructed Joseph not to divorce Mary quietly, and explained that Mary’s child was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and that He would be named Emmanuel, which means God is with us. And in the Gospel of Luke, Gabriel may have been the angel who appeared to the Lord Jesus himself, in the Garden of Gethsemane before His Passion, to strengthen him. 

The archangel Raphael, whose name means 'God has healed', was appointed to cure the sickness of the spirit and of the body, and appeared in the Book of Tobit, and is also identified as the angel who moved the waters of the healing sheep pool.

After getting blinded, God hears both Tobit and Sarah's prayers and Raphael is sent to help them. Tobias is sent to recover money from a relative, and Raphael, in human disguise, offers to accompany him. On the way they catch a fish in the Tigris, and Raphael tells Tobias that the burnt heart and liver can drive out demons and the gall can cure blindness. They arrive in Ecbatana and meet Sarah, and as Raphael has predicted the demon, named Asmodeus, is driven out. Tobias and Sarah are married, Tobias grows wealthy, and they return to Nineveh (Assyria) where Tobit and Anna await them. After revealing his true identity, he said to him: 'I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord.'

Tobit's blindness is cured, and Raphael departs after admonishing Tobit and Tobias to bless God and declare his deeds to the people (the Israelites), to pray and fast, and to give alms. Tobit praises God, who has punished his people with exile but will show them mercy and rebuild the Temple if they turn to him.

Michael is the patron of the military and police forces, Gabriel is the patron of messengers, those who work for broadcasting and telecommunications such as radio and television, postal workers, clerics, diplomats, police dispatchers and stamp collectors, and Raphael is the patron of the blind, of happy meetings, of nurses, of physicians and of travelers. 

[saras-devotionals]

Quiet Time 3/7

What am I feeling today?

dreamt again despite my best efforts, prayed over it a lot. feel sad, let down. traveling today but my parents can’t come with us. tried my best but my dads in pain and I sympathize. I know he wishes he could have come and it’ll be hard to be away from them, so yeah overall just sad and defeated. at least I get to go back to my home city 🥲

Bible Plan: Healing What’s Hidden

Prisoners of Hope

Trauma is subjective. If you feel as if what you went through was traumatic, it probably was. However, if you feel that your experience wasn’t traumatic, you may or may not be correct because trauma is tricky. It hides in the dark and trips us up when we least expect it. It tries to convince us that what we experienced was normal and to minimize it while stacking itself up against someone else who “had it worse.”

I tend to minimize a lot of what I have experienced by saying it wasn’t that bad. A therapist of mine once told me that just because someone may have had it worse, that does not erase my experience. I still endured pain and it still had an effect on me.

By its simplest definition, trauma is a deeply disturbing experience or series of experiences. If you have been abused (mentally, physically, spiritually, or sexually), been neglected, lost a loved one, survived an assault or natural disaster, or even lived in close proximity to someone who has experienced trauma—you have experienced trauma.

There’s a book I bought about a year ago. I bought it because upon reading the title, I started crying.

This stood out to me. I find myself as a very science based person. I’m in nursing and believe that there’s a lot of clinical reasoning behind what goes on in our bodies and minds. I have still yet to read this book but I want to because a therapist had also brought this up. My parents (especially my father) experienced a lot of trauma in their lives. And even if we ourselves have not experienced it, that trauma does carry on in our genetics (she used the example of how children of holocaust survivors had ptsd even though they themselves never experienced the horrors their parents did).

The first step in healing trauma is acknowledging its existence. We have to come to grips with the reality that what we experienced wasn’t normal. When we dismiss or excuse our trauma as simply a regular part of life, we deny its impact on us. We end up looking for remedies rather than getting to the roots of the problem.

This is something I want to continue working on. I spent some time talking to the women leader for the campus ministry about my life and experiences and she brought up that there were times when it sounded like I wanted to cry but denied it and therefore I was numbing myself. I acknowledge that now. A lot of times, I’ve tried over and over to relive and fix the trauma that I’ve gone through and in turn believed I healed. It hurts less sure, but it still hurts. And I think I just have a hard time discerning what’s healing and what’s numbing.

All around the world, God is redeeming what seems irredeemable: “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’” (Revelation 21:5). Notice that God says he is making all things new, not that he is making all new things. God’s innate reaction to brokenness is restoration.

This is very comforting. He isn’t going to scrap us aside, but He’s going to restore us with what we already are.

Healing from trauma probably won’t bring you back to your pre-traumatized self because the scars will always be there. But the scars will remind you of what you’ve overcome. Someday, they will be a powerful testimony to others of what God has done in your life. There’s beauty in this kind of renewal. There’s richness in things that have been truly restored rather than cosmetically dressed up. In Zechariah, we read that we are “prisoners of hope” because God promises to restore what we have lost.

With this, I just want to further distinguish what in my life am I cosmetically dressing up and what has actually been healed in me. I feel as if my mind won’t allow me to go there even when I try. It’s like there’s a road block and blank slate even though I know there’s something behind it, I just don’t know what it is.

God knows exactly which parts of you are wounded and what will be required in order for them to heal. He has restored millions of wounded minds, bodies, and souls throughout history, and he is paying special attention to your wounds right now. He is preparing them for healing.

It’s reassuring that He knows because I don’t. I want Him to reveal it to me. What am I running from? What is my mind protecting me from? Why can’t I access it? Why can’t I open that wound? Is it a matter of time? Where I am in my life? I just have so many questions and no one can help me with it because no one knows me besides me and I don’t even know, so only God does.

Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

““Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Heavy on this! I can have the habit of dwelling on the past, especially right now. I’m nostalgic, I miss some of my past, it saddens me knowing some things will never again be as they were. However! My hope should be what God reassures, He’s doing a new thing! In order for the new to come about, the old has to go!

Zechariah 9:12 NIV

“Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.”

I had a hard time understanding this so I went searching for commentary:

“Prisoners of hope” has reference to those who patiently waited for the kingdom of God. Paul spoke of himself in this terminology, “Hope of Israel, for which I am bound with this chain” (Acts 28:20); and in Galatians 3:23, he wrote:

Before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law (that is, prisoners), shut up unto the faith which should afterward be revealed. This is exactly the metaphor Zechariah used in Zechariah 9:12; and, although Paul did not quote this passage, he was surely familiar with it.

I think it’s just the hope that we have in our restoration in Christ. He washes away all sin and we are raised to a new life because of him.

Revelation 21:5 NIV

“He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.””

I just want to get out of the way that my initial reaction was to laugh because of that meme where spongebob is like “write that down! write that down!!”

but besides that! yeah that really also shows the importance of the word of God. This is all written down for our benefit, so that we may know him better and know that everything that’s in the Bible is trustworthy and true. We can trust the promises He makes and as such relates to this in which He is making everything new!