whole land

November 28, 2018

The darkness from noon to three (Mk 15:33-15:33)

“When it was noon,

The sixth hour,

Darkness came

Over the whole land,

Until three o’clock

In the afternoon,

The ninth hour.”

 

Καὶ γενομένης ὥρας ἕκτης σκότος ἐγένετο ἐφ’ ὅλην τὴν γῆν ἕως ὥρας ἐνάτης.

 

This is almost word for word in Matthew, chapter 27:45, and in Luke, chapter 23:44, while in John, chapter 19, there was no indication about this darkness.  Mark said that from noon on, the sixth hour (Καὶ γενομένης ὥρας ἕκτης), darkness came (σκότος ἐγένετο) over the whole land, the whole region, or the whole country (ἐφ’ ὅλην τὴν γῆν), until three in the afternoon, the ninth hour (ἕως ὥρας ἐνάτης).  There was some kind of darkness over the whole region, country, or area for about 3 hours, while Jesus was hanging on the cross.  All 3 of the synoptic gospel writers mentioned this, but John did not.  Only Mark had mentioned that crucifixion began at nine in the morning.  Have you ever been to a Good Friday service?

July 21, 2018

Darkness over the land (Mt 27:45-27:45)

“Now from noon on,

The sixth hour,

Darkness

Came over

The whole land

Until three

In the afternoon,

The ninth hour.”

 

Ἀπὸ δὲ ἕκτης ὥρας σκότος ἐγένετο ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἕως ὥρας ἐνάτης.

 

This is almost word for word in Mark, chapter 15:33, and in Luke, chapter 23:44, while in John, chapter 19, there is no indication about this darkness.  Now from noon on, the sixth hour (Ἀπὸ δὲ ἕκτης ὥρας), darkness came (σκότος ἐγένετο) over the whole land, the whole region, or the whole country (ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν), until three in the afternoon, the ninth hour (ἕως ὥρας ἐνάτης).  There was some kind of darkness over the whole region, country, or area for about 3 hours, while Jesus was hanging on the cross.  All 3 of the synoptic gospel writers mentioned this, but John did not.

December 30, 2017

The vision of the woman in the basket (Zech 5:5-5:7)

“Then the angel

Who talked with me

Came forward.

He said to me.

‘Look up!

See what this is

That is coming out.’

I said.

‘What is it?’

He said.

‘This is a basket coming out.

Then he said.

‘This is their iniquity

In all the land.’

Then a leaden cover

Was lifted.

There was a woman

Sitting in the basket.”

Next this angel revealed the 7th vision to Zechariah.  He told Zechariah to look up.  He asked him what he saw.  Zechariah responded that he saw a basket coming towards him.  The angel explained that the basket was full of iniquity from the whole land.  Then the lead cover of the basket was lifted to show a woman sitting in this basket, as if iniquity came from women.

January 7, 2017

Freedom for Jeremiah (Jer 40:2-40:4)

“The captain of the guard

Took Jeremiah.

He said to him.

‘Yahweh your God

Threatened this place

With this disaster.

Now Yahweh

Has brought it about.

He has done

As he said.

Because all of you

Sinned against Yahweh.

You did not obey his voice.

Therefore this thing

Has come upon you.

Now look!

I have just released you today

From the fetters

On your hands.

If you wish

To come with me

To Babylon,

Come!

I will take good care of you.

But if you do not wish

To come with me

To Babylon,

You need not come!

See!

The whole land is before you.

Go wherever

You think it good

Or right to go!’”

Jeremiah is finally recognized by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who took him aside. He said to Jeremiah that his God Yahweh had threatened this place and made that threat come true. This happened because they were sinning in Jerusalem and Judah. They had not obeyed their God. This Babylonian captain then released Jeremiah from the chains around his hands. Here is where it gets interesting. He offers Jeremiah a choice. He could go to Babylon, where he would be taken care of, or he could stay in Judah, where the whole land would be his. The captain of the guard told Jeremiah to decide on what was right and good for him. The choice was up to Jeremiah, but it seemed obvious that Jeremiah would stay.

November 29, 2016

Yahweh’s punishment (Jer 23:15-23:15)

“Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts

Concerning the prophets.

‘I am going to make them

Eat wormwood.

I give them poisoned water

To drink.

From the prophets of Jerusalem

Ungodliness has spread

Throughout the land.’”

The punishment of these Jerusalem prophets is clear, much like in chapter 9. Yahweh of hosts was going to feed these prophets, instead of his people as in chapter 9, with a bitter wormwood plant. He was going to make them drink poisoned water, since these ungodly prophets had spread evil throughout the whole land.

November 14, 2016

The personal lament of Jeremiah (Jer 15:10-15:10)

“Woe is me!

My mother!

You bore me!

A man of strife!

A man of contention

To the whole land!

I have not lent!

I have not borrowed!

Yet all of them curse me.”

Jeremiah laments that his mother bore him into this life. He has become a man of strife and contention throughout the whole land. However, he has neither lent nor borrowed money, so why does everyone curse him? He is in a difficult situation.

October 21, 2016

Yahweh speaks about the desolate land (Jer 4:27-4:28)

“Thus says Yahweh.

‘The whole land shall be a desolation.

Yet I will not make a full end.

Because of this

The earth shall mourn.

The heavens above shall

Grow black.

I have spoken.

I have purposed.

I have not relented.

I will not turn back.’”

Yahweh, via Jeremiah, says that the whole land will be desolate, but he is not done. The earth will mourn, while the heavens will turn black. He has spoken. He has purposed this because he will not relent or turn back. The course is set.

August 20, 2016

The eternal fire in Edom (Isa 34:8-34:10)

“Yahweh has a day of vengeance.

He has a year of vindication

For Zion’s cause.

The streams of Edom

Shall be turned into pitch.

Her soil turned into sulfur.

Her land shall become a burning pitch.

Night and day,

It shall not be quenched.

Its smoke shall go up forever.

From generation to generation,

It shall lie waste.

No one shall pass through it forever and ever.”

Isaiah says that Yahweh will have his day of vengeance and a year of vindication for Mount Zion. The water streams of Edom will be turned into oily pitch, while the land will become like sulfur. Thus the whole land will become a burning pitch of fire and brimstone. Both day and night, forever, this fire with its smoke will not go out. For generations to come, this land will lay wasted so that no one will ever pass by there again. Its sounds like some kind of deserted smoking volcano, suffering the same fate as Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis, chapter 19.

August 11, 2016

Yahweh comes (Isa 28:20-28:22)

“The bed is too short

To stretch oneself on it.

The covering is too narrow

To wrap oneself in it.

Yahweh will rise up

As on Mount Perazim.

He will rage

As in the valley of Gibeon.

To do his deed!

Strange is his deed!

To work his work!

Alien is his work!

Now therefore do not scoff!

Your bonds will be made stronger.

I have heard a decree of destruction

From Yahweh God of hosts

Upon the whole land.”

Isaiah explains that your beds will be too short and the covers on your beds too narrow to cover you. This would indicate that he was referring to taller people like giants who could not get a comfortable bed. Yahweh was going to rise in anger as he had done at Mount Perazim and Gibeon. Perazim was a place between Jerusalem and Hebron where King David defeated the Philistines in 2 Samuel, chapter 5 and 1 Chronicles, chapter 14. There it was called Baal-Perazim. Gibeon was a place north of Jerusalem where Joshua defeated 5 kings in Joshua, chapter 10. Yahweh’s work was going to happen, even if an alien had to do it. They were not to be scoffers. Yahweh, God of hosts, had issued a decree of destruction for the whole land.