The day the Mormons came to my door.

I don't like confrontation, nor do I like to embarrass myself, so typically, I tell the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witness that I am not interested, and they leave, but not today.

For years I have heard others talk about how they have disarmed every statement that the Elders have made. Few ever tell you that the elders gave their hearts to Jesus, but there is some twisted sense of pride, knowing that they dissembled their arguments.

As I stood there, merely trying to be polite, I heard my spirit crying out, God, I have no clue as to what to say. So, I simply listened to their pitch, which was well-rehearsed, about how Jesus called disciples to himself, anointed them to be Apostles and prophets, and how that church grew out of their ministry. But the church went a tremendously long dark time because there were no prophets. At this point, the red flags went up, but I was still constrained by the Holy Spirit.

The two elders alternated in sharing their parts of the story, but essentially, they said that "John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and conferred upon him the Melchizedek or higher priesthood. After this Joseph Smith was directed to organize the Church of Jesus Christ again on earth, ... and that through Joseph Smith, Jesus again called forth the twelve Apostles." (I got the quote directly from their pamphlet, The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.)

They then asked me if I wanted more information on Joseph Smith - the prophet, to which I replied, it isn't about Joseph Smith; it's about Jesus. While it is true that the church did go through a dark time, I made a point of talking about how there were four hundred years between Malachi and Matthew where no one seemed to hear God's voice. But you need to understand something, Mr. Smith is not and was the only prophet on earth. To prove my point, what do you do with the instructions God gave to Moses when Aaron and Miriam rose against him, for they, too, wanted to be deemed prophets.

Numbers 12:6-8 NASB He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. (7) "Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; (8) With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?"

I then told them how Jesus had appeared to me in a dream or a vision and laid out my life before me. Shouldn't that, according to God's standard, make me a prophet as well? But don't ask me to tell you what that title prophet means because no one listens to me.

At this point, I brought up the most recent turn of events, as we found out about a year ago that my mother may have had pancreatic cancer. The Doctor would not say affirmatively without a biopsy, and my mother refused the biopsy. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me that, at best, I would only have her for six months. Well, no one was willing to hear that. Two months later, the Holy Spirit told me to go say my goodbyes to her as she would be going home within the week. I called one of my brothers, who lives a distance away, and told him that he needed to come quickly. Although he berated me, he still showed up the next day to say his goodbyes to Mom. She died the following Sunday.

As for false prophets and teachers, I know one personally, and today, he espouses that the church MUST suffer through God's wrath - that event in which He pours out His wrath upon Israel and the nations. This conversation then evolved into how I believe that God is out to save people and bring them into the kingdom. This can be seen in Matthew 24 and 25, where the Shepherd calls all the dead to Himself; these are people who were not part of the church and, by church standards, not worthy of God's mercy. He separates the group into those he designates sheep and those he terms goats. The sheep are then invited into the kingdom. Stunned, they ask why? To which Jesus says, because when I was thirsty you gave me water; when I was hungry, you fed me; and, when I was in prison you visited me. In reality, these people lived outside of their selfishness. The goats did none of those things and were cast off into outer darkness to follow their chosen leader - Satan.
I then told the two young Mormon men that I pray for them often, as I do not wish for them to have to endure God's wrath when merely believing in Jesus Christ as their savior was the way into God's eternal kingdom.

This led me to talk about the parable that Jesus told about the ten virgins. Do you realize that He was talking about the church today? I said, in a sense, you and I sit by some of those that make up the fifty percent. I looked into both their eyes. I asked, how is it that upon getting an invitation you would not prepare yourself, especially if you have a written invitation? These virgins ran out of oil, but did they ask politely? No, they demanded oil from the others, and not getting it, they went out into the night and tried to obtain oil from any of the households they could wake up. Obviously, they missed the entrance into the party, and I suppose, had to endure the potential wrath that is to come. I told them, that by the voice of the Holy Spirit, who speaks to me all the time, that I know that they have a comprehension of this Jesus I speak of. I also said I believe you have the potential of being one of those who will be caught up.

There is no Joseph Smith; it is all about Jesus and His word. I love His word, but I don't waste my time with false prophets.

They asked me if I would like them to come back with a book of Mormon, to which I said no, I can get several of those at the second-hand store if I needed one, but I don't because I have Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

I told them that I had chosen to be polite and friendly, just as I must choose Joy or not to be bitter. I told them how my small group had broken up over bitterness and how the remaining brother, because of the Word of God, has talked lately about the changes he perceives God is making in his life.

I thanked them for indulging me and wished them a great day. As they walked away, I wiped a tear from my eyes because having the Holy Spirit speak through me so powerfully always does that to me. I then prayed a prayer out loud that I do not expect you to understand, but I said, God, just wreck their day. To me, that is when He steps into the middle of your life, changes everything, and turns your heart toward Him.

I noticed something about this entire process. Within moments of answering the door, the fear and intimidation left me. All the questions I had in my mind just went away as the Holy Spirit began to speak through me. Honestly, it was such a short time ago and I am struggling to remember what and how I said it. To me, that is a pretty good indication that it was the Holy Spirit because I am not that clever.

But exclude the courtyard outside the temple _ a laymen's commentary. John 2:18-25

 The last time we spoke, we covered verses in John 2:11-18.

Having cleared the outer courts of money changers and merchants, the Jews then said to Him,

John 2:18 NASB “The Jews then said to Him, 'What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?"

I could picture Jesus popping His hand against His chest, as He countered,

"Destroy this temple," Jesus answered, "and in three days I will build it again!"
John 2:19 CEV

He wasn't stupid; as a craftsman, He knew how long it took to make certain things, such as a 32-gallon granite water storage container, especially if it was lathed, or to construct a temple where many of its stones are considered by many to be megalithic.

(This lathing aspect has been substantiated through Archaeologists, in Israel, as about five years ago, they uncovered a stone lathing shop about a quarter mile outside of Nazareth; it may have been a source of income for Jesus while He was living there.)

Why did they challenge Him about His authority?

Because He had made a scourge, a short, multi-stranded whip, and with that whip He drove the money changers and merchants out of the outer courts of the temple. This is comparable to when He permitted the demons to go into the herd of swine, which immediately ran off a cliff and into the sea of Galilee, where they drowned. His actions negatively affected the local economy, not to mention it humiliated those challenging Him, and they, like the pig farmers, responded with anger and drove Jesus out of their region. It is also rather obvious that the chief priests and scribes had condoned having those vendors there because they were getting their share of the profits.

Jesus, who, by the standards of the gossips in Nazareth, was an illegitimate child. Now it may not have played a role in what transpired that day at the temple, but since I came to this realization, it has not left my thinking.

Deuteronomy 23:2 NASB "No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the LORD.”

The biblical “law” would have prevented Jesus from entering the Temple, a Synagogue, or a Rabbinical school, where most of us assume Jesus got His training in the Law and the Prophets. Oddly, this outer court distinction is rarely explained to us, but it would have allowed Jesus to go where these vendors were. These outer courts are also referred to as the court of the Nations.

For a moment, I referred to the courtyard outside the temple as the courtyard of the Gentiles. I thought I should substantiate this statement, but I could not find a direct quotation. Revelation 11:2 is translated as nations. Several of my concordances define nations as éthnos, and that leads us back to the Gentiles.

Nations, according to Strong's, is the Greek word éthnos, and its meanings include: A multitude, people, race, or belonging and living together.

The Word Study Dictionary states that: "In the Jewish sense, the nations, means the Gentile nations or the Gentiles in general as spoken of all who are not Israelites and implying idolatry and ignorance of the true God, i.e., the heathen, pagan nations."

So, it is safe to say that the outer courts have been given to the Gentiles.

Revelation 11:1-2 BSB Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there. 2) But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

Revelation 11:2, which has its context enveloped within the first 42 months of the seven years that most deem to be the great tribulation.

How do I know that this is the time of the “Great Tribulation”?

The answer is embedded in time indicators.

Revelation 11:3-15 BSB “And I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4) These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5) If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed. 6) These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. 7) When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them. 8) Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city—figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where their Lord was also crucified. 9) For three and a half days, all peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will view their bodies and will not permit them to be laid in a tomb. 10) And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them, and will celebrate and send one another gifts, because these two prophets had tormented them. 11) But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered the two witnesses, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those who saw them. 12) And the witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched them. 13) And in that hour, there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand were killed in the quake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14) The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming shortly. 15) Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

What do you see beginning in verse three?

When Jesus says, “I will empower my two witnesses,” He is affirming that they are His. He sends these two witnesses directly to Jerusalem, most likely upon the steps of the newly built temple. This understanding is validated by Revelation 11:1-2, and this alone conveys the idea that the temple will be built swiftly after the church is caught up. 1,260 days is equal to 42 months, and that is three-and-one-half years.

The other thing you see jumps out at you when you get to verse five.

“If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.”

It only stands to reason that, with the outer courts being given to the nations, the attempts upon the lives of these two witnesses would be constant. Those who try to kill them are killed in the same manner. We, the church, will not be here to witness any of this, so our relating or telling someone else about what is to come would be thought of as a deterrent for anyone longing to live outside of God's grace and mercy.

Notice verse 10.

10. “And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them, and will celebrate and send one another gifts.”

If you know anything about Muslims, then you know that, even the most bloody of actions against the Jews, no matter if it is young children, are celebrated by giving sweets/gifts to each other. 

Does verse ten surprise you?

When the false prophet comes on the scene he performs signs comparable to what the two witnesses have been doing; such as what we see in Revelation 11:6. “These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.”

Where did the false prophet get the idea that he could do such things?

That implies that the false prophet is paying attention to the things that they do.

When you are giving serious consideration to Biblical study, then you have to understand that ONLY three people groups are being considered: The Jews, the nations, and the church.

The church is the body of Christ and includes anyone from the other two groups who have accepted Jesus as the Messiah who lived, died, and rose again from the dead so that we can live eternally with the Father/God.

The Jews - you should understand that the Jews, along with the Arabs, were descendants of Abraham; however, only the descendants of the promised son, Issac, would be considered the descendants of the promise. Don't get me wrong, we, like as in me, get to be grafted into the vine when we choose to believe.

This leaves the nations. The nations cover a vast and wide territory, effectively all those outside of the church, the bride of Christ. So we are talking about the Gentiles, the Arabs, and all those that fall between the cracks. No one is excluded, especially when we are talking about acceptance into the “family of God.”

Remember when I asserted that Jesus may have popped His hand against His chest when He spoke about raising up this temple in the last days?

Well, John tells us explicitly that He was talking about His own body.

John 2:21 NASB “But He was speaking of the temple of His body.”

John goes on to validate this claim by including so many of the disciples who witnessed Jesus alive after being laid in the tomb.

John 2:22 NASB “So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”

Since it is obvious that Jesus' time in Jerusalem was nothing short of tumultuous, you might think it is safe to ask, did Jesus have a positive effect on the people?

John 2:23 NASB Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.

Ah, but here is the flaw: people are spectators, much like with a horrific car crash.

John 2:24-25 NASB “But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25) and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”

Entrust is the Greek word pisteuō and can also be translated as trust, believe, or commit.

Jesus, knowing their shallow little hearts, would not commit to these people. They were really there for the snacks. John 2:24 tells us that He knew all men; that includes women.

Know is the Greek word ginōskō, which also means to perceive, understand.

Another example of knowledge comes from Paul's second letter to Timothy. Consider the depth and definition of this paragraph, as Paul explains that it is essential for “young” Timothy to comprehend not only what is to come but also what surrounds us on a daily basis.

Read the passage below. It opens with the term ginōskō and then defines, with multiple terms, what this looks like. 

Then ask yourself: if Timothy or Paul is dealing with people in the church and they are acting like this, what is the problem?

2 Timothy 3:1-9 NASB “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2) For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3) unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4) treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5) holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6) For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7) always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8) Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. 9) But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also.”

The problem is, they came for the snacks. Obviously, they put on a good show for a time, but like everything else that this world has to offer, they got bored. Getting bored can happen to anyone, and like physical exercise, sometimes you just have to do it. 

Do what? 

Invest ourselves in the truth of God's word. If you have stumbled upon this, and you are silly enough to say, I don't have God's word to study, well, guess what, I have included portions of scriptures in everything I have posted. If you have internet, then you have access to the Word. Try the Blue Letter Bible (Bible Search and Study Tools - Blue Letter Bible) or Bible.com (John 2 | NASB1995 Bible | YouVersion )

While being announced by the Father is great, no one in the vicinity ofJesus understood. John 2: 13-22.

 Previously, Jesus, in what seemed to be a push into the public eye, began His ministry by getting baptized by His cousin, John, the baptizer. The Holy Spirit publicly announced the Father's acceptance of Jesus, His Son, by saying,

Matthew 3:13-17 NASB “Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14) But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" 15) But Jesus, answering, said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he *permitted Him. 16) After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17) and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

While being announced by the Father is dramatic, no one but Jesus understood what was being said as God spoke out (I suppose that leaves us with the inference that Jesus eventually explained what took place)

The next event was the Holy Spirit driving Jesus into the wilderness to be tested.

Mark 1:12-13 NASB “Immediately the Spirit *impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13) And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.”

The testing ended, and though we don't see the transition, His mother makes sure He and His new friends come to the wedding in Cana. The push by mom clearly indicates that this was a relative or a close friend.

The changing of the water into wine.

A question: how many people at the wedding reception were aware of this dramatic miracle? We are not told how many people were in attendance, nor do we know how many people were aware that there had been a problem, but it would be a reasonable assumption to think that this handful of disciples, such as Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, and Nathanael, might have been. This was, evidently, a large wedding reception, a social event not to be outdone, and it is easy to assume many of the crowd had expensive tastes. In the televised series “The Chosen,” the host, a “rich” man, made a big deal of the splendid taste of the fresh wine which Jesus made (although he never knew that Jesus played a role in creating the wine). Consider for a moment the thought that Jesus made wine (whatever the extent and definition of that wine)

In John 2:13, we see that the Passover was near, but there might have been a problem.

John 2:13 NASB “The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”

It was now thought of as the Passover of the Jews. In my last post, I pointed out that the Passover had been Jesus' Passover.

Where do we find the initiation of the Passover?

The Passover is presented to us in Exodus chapter 12 and is part of God's wrath meant to motivate Pharaoh to release God's people. On the 10^th day of the first month, each household was to take a lamb into their houses. To remember this day is to remember God's mercy on His people.

Exodus 12:2-3 NASB "This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 3) "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household.”

I can assure you that many of the people, categorized as God's people, had no understanding or confidence in the God of Moses; why, even Moses, who pulled aside to see this bush that was burning and yet not consumed, had to be taught a few quick lessons about God. This statement concerning the overall lack of knowledge is not true of all the people, such as Moses's mother and family, because this is where Aaron comes from, and the command is not exclusive, because once we see Israel outside of Egypt, we find an excellent man called Caleb, who was NOT a Jew. Our understanding of Caleb has to include the possibility that an Israelite invited Caleb and his family into their home. However, based upon the directions that we see in Exodus 12:3, where each household was to take a lamb, it was NOT directed exclusively to the Jews. This implies that Caleb's family joined in and followed the directions. Again, we have questions that we may struggle to answer.

Clearly, it is the Lord's Passover.

Exodus 12:11 NASB 'Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover.”

Nonetheless, Jesus is now headed to Jerusalem. John 2:14

John 2:14 NASB “And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.”

None of these people and their activities would have been allowed in the temple, so we should be reminded that they were only allowed in the outer courts, the court of the Gentiles.

No one, that I can remember, as I sat on a bench seat at church, said anything that expounded on the whip.

John 2:15-16 NASB “And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16) and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business."

Years ago, I went to a men's camp. The entirety of the camp was based upon a book written by John Eldredge, called Wild at Heart. The book and camp focused upon the brokenness within the heart of almost every man. Those who claim no damage are probably lying. In one of the talks, the speaker brought out how Jesus, with purpose, planning, and intent, fashioned this scourge and then used it. We are not told that sellers received lashes, but that scourge played a role in their clearing out of the temple courts.

In Matthew's account, we are simply told that He overthrew their tables and drove them out.

Matthew 21:12 NASB “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.”

Perhaps the reason for this lack of elaboration may lie in the fact that the Greek word phragellion is only used once in scripture. It can be portrayed as a whip or a scourge (the Roman soldiers who whipped Jesus used a specific type of scourge meant to cut deep and draw blood) If you are like me and had a father that used his belt and fists to punish you, whether you deserved it or not, then you may struggle with anger issues and think that the belt, or a whip, is the answer to everything life throws at you.

Paul, in writing to the church in Corinth, tells us that God made His Son, who knew no sin, to be sin. He did this on the cross.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB 21) “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Jesus was sinless. How is that possible when He deliberately made a scourge, and probably hit a few of these vendors, as He chased them out of the temple courts?

I can guarantee you that if I had done that, there would be sin involved. The difference between Jesus and humanity has everything to do with the fact that Jesus has NO human DNA in Him. No, He is not an alien, but He is certainly not of this world. God created an egg, fertilized by Himself – no sex involved- and then He contracted with Mary, a young girl who was willing to carry that embryo to its maturity, knowing full well that she would be an outcast. An outcast? Well, yes, because, in the Jewish world where prophecy is pattern, however, no pattern demonstrated such a thing, and before her pregnancy, nothing like this had ever happened before.

A brief attempt at an explanation:

Sin was introduced into a “perfect” world, the garden.

(Stop here a moment. Ask yourself a question. Was sin a new thing that day? The answer is NO, and God, who knows everything, knew the definition of sin. Some would try to tell you that Satan only created one thing, sin. I don't think so, but I do think that Satan saw what looked like an opportunity to overthrow God's leadership by destroying the two people that God put on this earth, having dominion over everything, and to take care of it. I do not believe this caught God off guard. I also believe that this mutiny was, therefore, included in God's plan with the purpose of, once and for all, stripping sin and its effects out of existence.)

For Adam and Eve, the law boiled down to one command, “Do Not eat from that tree.” We are told that Eve was deceived, but Adam was not, and he made a choice. An acquaintance of mine said, " What was Adam thinking?" The thought process of Adam and the ramifications of his wife's death were beyond understanding.

Having gone through the ordeal of forced mask usage just to fight off some man-made virus, we should have some understanding that modern science has created vaccines that can change your DNA.

Eating the fruit off the forbidden tree changed their DNA; as a result, every human since Adam carries the exact same damaged genetic pattern, a genetic sequence that is now understood to be a common marker throughout all of humanity. This particular sequence (and no, I don't know which one it is) is the “sin” that motivates us - primarily, to do what we want, not what God wants us to do. In short, it is sin that lives within us, and God will NOT allow sin into the Holy City or eternity.

John 2:15-16 NKJV When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. 16) And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"

At some point, someone said, " You can see that, Jesus said to those who sold doves, take these things away!" Whoever pointed this out was trying to demonstrate how Jesus was gentle with such a delicate creature. I am not sure if this is relevant, but it does not seem to be in the character of Jesus to harm something that cannot protect itself; that, and we never saw Jesus harm innocent people. In other words, He only went after the scribes and the Pharisees.

John 2:17 NKJV Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE HAS EATEN ME UP."

Give some consideration to the context that includes this passage.

Psalms 69:6-9 NKJV Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me; Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel. 7) Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face. 8) I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother's children; 9) Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.

In effect, the passage is talking about those who wait for you. It goes to plead with God for those who choose to adopt His ways, when David says, “Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me” (Considering the behavior of King David, especially with Bathsheba – a married woman with whom he committed adultery, and her husband – whom David had killed, then I can totally understand why he would make such a statement.)

To be honest, I am lost on this statement.

“Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face.”

He did not take Bathsheba as a present from the Lord, so what is he talking about?

My Dake's Annotated Bible states, “This verse could refer to both David and Christ. Both suffered reproach and shame from enemies and friends.”

Examples that King David wrote, but also speaks about Jesus.

Psalms 22:6-8 KJV But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. NKJV 7) All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8) "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"

We are told that Jesus was the lamb of God slain for us. How did David know that? In the television series “The Chosen,” they portrayed Jesus, the lamb, entering Jerusalem through the sheep gate. He did that, and it is fascinating that the producers chose to point that out to us.

Psalms 44:22 BSB Yet for Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

After clearing the outer courts of the temple in Jerusalem, we see the disciples saying this,

John 2:17 BSB “His disciples remembered that it is written: 'Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”

His zeal oozed out in a manner they did not expect.

John 2:18 BSB “On account of this, the Jews demanded, 'What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”

What would they have said if He called down fire from heaven? He could have easily done that. Remember that James and John espoused doing that when a town rejected them. Jesus response to the young men who were willing to use such a radical approach was that killing such a vast number of people, just to prove a point, is not how we are going to operate. In other words, Jesus did merely beat them up verbally.

His response.

John 2:19 BSB Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

I can easily picture Jesus popping His hand against His chest, as He said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

Having looked at Dr. McGee's commentary, he points out the Greek word that Jesus used for destroy is lúō. You have to dig a bit to find the concept of destruction. In contrast to destroying another option for translation, and that's to loose or unbind.

The Word Study Dictionary tells us something that seems to stand in opposition to destroy, “whatsoever you shall loose on earth," (a.t.) or declare as not a part of the individual anymore, such as his sins, having been forgiven.

Here is the problem. Some people will say to you, “I will only use the authorized version, the King James version, of the bible”. So, at the demand of the state church, at that time, the translation went through multiple changes to suit the Catholic/State church. At that time, there were functional, readable, “English” translations, but that was not good enough, nor did it serve the purpose of the Catholic church.

Obviously, one of those changes can be seen in “Destroy this temple...” when the reality of Jesus' statement comes across much less harshly.

If I compared Jesus' response here to a comparable response when He said, the only sign I will give you will be the Prophet, Jonah. Why Jonah? Because Jonah, in an attempt to commit suicide, was dead for three days in the belly of the great fish. Yes, they have such a fish in the Mediterranean Ocean, called the Megamouth shark; they eat krill, but their mouth can handle swallowing a human. If being loosed can be related to death, then yes, Jesus would experience death; that death, however, meant life for us, should we accept it.

John 2:20-22 NASB “The Jews then said, 'It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21) But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22) So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”

These verses show that the Jews did not understand that He was speaking of His body, but the disciples, although it took some time, did understand once He rose from the grave.

It started out as the Lord's passover. A layman's commentary on John chapter two, verses 11-13.

 A layman's commentary on John 2:6 through ??

Having covered the wedding at Cana, I do not want to go into all the details again, but John 2:10 offers an incredible opening statement.

Why choose the words, an astounding opening statement?

Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”
John 2:11 BSB

Just toying with ideas, but I could read this passage one of two ways.

1. This, we are told, is the first sign He performed.

   If that is the case, how did his mother come to believe that He was capable of doing other things, like raising a human from the grave?

   The miracle that He performed at the wedding may have communicated, to those paying attention, on so many levels.

2. It may be that the statement we see in verse 11 was speaking exclusively to any miracles that He performed in Cana.

Signs seem like such a simplistic word, so let's look at it for a moment.

It is the Greek word sēmeion, and has meanings, given to us by [Thayer's Greek definitions], such as: (1) that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and is known. Well, Jesus was soon to be known more for the remarkable events, such as healing a crippled man who was lowered through the roof.

“And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they *came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.” Mark 2:2-4 NASB)

(2. An unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature. Certainly, reattaching Malchus' ear was unusual.

“Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.”
John 18:10 BSB

The narrative about Malchus does not end there.

“Those around Jesus saw what was about to happen and said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.”
Luke 22:49-51 BSB

Most of these retellings of Jesus's actions are sterile and devoid of background information; it does not seem to matter since the combination of passages, from the Apostle John, and Dr. Luke, who did not come into view until the Apostle Paul describes his actions in his letters to Timothy, Philemon, and the church in Colossae; leaving us to fill in blanks, with information such as: who saw this happen?

The answer to the question above was Peter, Andrew, James, John, and John Mark. John's recollection details that it was Malchus, the servant of the high priest.

Here is an interesting thought. Is it possible that Malchus came to be a follower of Jesus?
Moving on.

“After this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.”
John 2:12 BSB

“After this?”

After the wedding at Cana.

“His mother and brothers and His disciples?”

We seem to forget, or ignore, that He had other brothers and sisters; remember, they were the

offspring of Joseph and Mary, not Mary carrying God's embryo, placed by the Holy Spirit.

“When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”
John 2:13 BSB

I cannot explain why this grabs my attention.

“Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”

Here is a piece of information that should help you understand biblical eschatology. Your point of reference when considering Israel and prophecy is to remember that the heart of Israel is Jerusalem.

Dake's notes indicate that this was and still should be the Lord's Passover.

It was the Passover.

“It started out to be "the Lord’s Passover."

• Exodus 12:11,

  'Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover.” NASB

• Leviticus 23:4-5;

  'These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. 5 'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover.

• Numbers 28:16 NASB,

  'Then on the fourteenth day of the first month shall be the LORD'S Passover.”

But it had degenerated to be "the Jews’ Passover." Passover was one of the six yearly feasts dedicated to the Lord.

I want you to consider something before we move on to a commentary by E.W. Bullinger. As part of the wrath/signs that God poured out upon Egypt, as part of an extensive effort meant to motivate Pharaoh to release God's people, Israel.

The Passover, while meant to bring about the release of Israel, would also bring about a quick death to the firstborn of "anyone" in Egypt that did not protect themselves by having their door lintels covered by the blood.

The majority of Israel was effectively atheist.

How could I say that?

Well, seeing that many of us had been taught, in Sunday school, to assume that Israel followed, wholeheartedly, after God. Sorry, but that was not the case. To prove my point, after gaining their “freedom” from Egypt, several years passed, and this “prophet for hire,” Balaam, was brought in by Balak, the King of Moab, to curse Israel. The end result of that chapter of Israel's history was that Balaam conveyed to Balak how introducing the good-looking “foreign” women into the camp of Israel would corrupt and destroy Israel from the inside out. That is exactly what happened.

How many generations does it take to effectively strip the understanding and love of God out of your heart and mentality?

In some cases, one generation is about 20 to 30 years. Let's speculate that 20 years is the standard. Israel spent 40 years wandering in the desert, so we might be able to say, Israel, just based upon time spent in the desert wanderings, is looking at two generations. We have watched this very thing within our own family, as our oldest grandchild is now 23. Israel, before leaving Egypt, spent 400+ years in captivity. I like to describe what we call Israel as effectively Egyptians. This is why I can say, in a sense, Israel had to be taught rather quickly to obey.

Obey what?

A rather difficult set of instructions. No, it was not difficult to splash some paint on your door lintels, but it was difficult to bring a young lamb into your home, love it, and then slaughter “what had, in a sense, effectively become a family member”.

Understand that Israel had been living for over 400 years, with a mere trickle of the descendants of Judah following after God, and that these descendants now attempted to comprehend.

Did Moses have a strong grasp of God?

Moses was born into a Jewish family (If you know the narrative surrounding Moses, then you also know that the origins of this relationship, which led back to the God of Abraham, a relationship that had NO religion tied to it.)

How do I know that?

Because we see Moses, though raised in Pharaoh's courts, had some education in the ways and understanding of “his” people.

What does the book of Hebrews tell us?

“It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:24-27 NLT

Pharaoh had given orders to kill off ALL the male children born to the people of Judah, “God's people.” Fortunately, Moses' mother chose to disobey that order and eventually put their baby boy in a reed basket, made waterproof with pitch. Who should find that basket? A servant girl, who then took the baby to the daughter of Pharaoh. Moses' sister had watched this and then offered the services of an Israelite who could nurse the baby. How convenient. I believe Pharaoh and his daughter both knew that this was the mother of the baby.

Now comes an extraordinary event. Moses came to understand who his family and relatives were, and what they believed – that there was a God in the heavens who was willing to make a covenant with a long-dead ancestor named Abraham.

How did that happen?

To answer that question, you have to assume and project a logical understanding into the scenario. That mother nursed that boy long enough, with probable visits from Pharaoh's daughter, to the point that Moses was familiar with both “parents.” He learned the language of his people as well as the Egyptian language, and seemed to understand the plight of the “Jews” and why they were here in Egypt.

This next verse, though vague, will help to explain Hebrews 11:24-27.

“Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.” Exodus 2:10 NLT

“Later, when the boy was older,” How old is older?

Honestly, I have seen a “documentary” that may have been made to show the ridiculousness of women breastfeeding children as old as 12 years of age.

Is that absurd?

It seems so, and my wife agrees, and yet the documentary indicates that the women were willing to do this for the sake of the child's emotional health. A rational answer will have to go unanswered, lacking an understanding of the culture of that time. If the Pharaoh's daughter had not been given access to the child throughout this time of nursing, she may have become bored with the idea of raising the child, and perhaps Moses would have been killed. Again, we don't know the answer short of speculation. You cannot walk through this narrative without seeing the hand of God in all of it.

Take this familiar scene one step further.

Over 40 years later, Moses will tell the people of Israel to take a lamb into their homes, love on it, and then on a specific day (the first day of the first month), a day which was as yet foreign to many of them, and slaughter that lamb. They then had to place the blood of that lamb upon the doorposts, in the sign of a cross, to “secure” the salvation of the firstborn, as the angel that was to bring death would pass over their home on that night. This angel did not merely kill newborn babies; it went after all ages. Surprise, I was the firstborn among my siblings, and Caleb (not a Jew) was the firstborn among his siblings. Interesting, yes.

The Companion Bible by E. W. Bullinger makes a point of telling us that Noah came out of the ark on “the first month, on the first day. Bullinger further indicates that there are six additional important events that occurred on the fourteenth day of the first month in the Bible:

1. The drying up of the flood waters from the earth. (Gen_8:13)

   “In Noah’s six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month, the waters had dried up from the earth. So Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry.” Genesis 8:13 BSB

   Noah, after a year in the ark, is now six hundred and one years old.

2. The setting up of the Tabernacle by Moses. (Exo_40:2)

   “On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.” Exodus 40:2 BSB

   You should have enough of a grasp to understand that this ornate and heavy tent, Moses set up in the desert, was designed and purposed by God. This structure was for many years the temple of God, where the Mercy seat was.

3. The sanctification of the restored and cleaned-up Temple by Hezekiah (2Ch_29:17);

   They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month, they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days, they consecrated the house of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month. 2 Chronicles 29:17 BSB.

4. The going up of Ezra. (Ezra 7:6-10)

   This introduction is peculiar at best. Immediately, we see that Ezra was, too, a captive of Babylon.

   E. W. Bullinger established that Ezra was of the lineage of Aaron, and goes on to say,

   “This Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him. So in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, he went up to Jerusalem with some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Ezra 7:6-10 BSB

5. The giving up of strange wives (Ezra_10:17);

   By the first day of the first month, they finished questioning all the men who had taken pagan wives.” Ezra 10:17 NKJV

   The KJV version used the term strange. Some can hear this, and at best, think it means ugly. I do not think so. Strange, in Hebrew, the word is nokrı̂y. It carries meanings of: stranger, foreigner. It refers to someone who was not part of the family. Under the Law, strangers were not allowed to rule in Israel (Deu_17:15). Strangers were regarded as unholy (Deu_14:21). More emphasis was placed on avoiding the defilement of foreign women (1Ki_11:1; Ezr_10:2, Ezr_10:10-11, Ezr_10:14, Ezr_10:17-18, Ezr_10:44; Pro_6:24); and foreign ways (Isa_2:6; Jer_2:21; Zep_1:8). Definitions from Brown-Driver-Briggs' Hebrew Definitions.

   So, lacking the willpower to say NO, Israel was ordered, by ordinance of scripture, to get rid of the foreign wives they had taken.

6. The offering up of a bullock in Ezekiel’s future Temple (Ezk_45:18).

   “This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the first day of the first month you are to take a young bull without blemish and purify the sanctuary. And the priest is to take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the inner court. You must do the same thing on the seventh day of the month for anyone who strays unintentionally or in ignorance. In this way you will make atonement for the temple. On the fourteenth day of the first month you are to observe the Passover, a feast of seven days, during which unleavened bread shall be eaten. On that day the prince shall provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land.” Ezekiel 45:18-22 BSB

Ezekiel 45:18-22 is a forerunner of Jesus, who, as the high priest, offered His own body as the sacrifice, and His own blood for the cleansing of the sanctuary, a pattern of which was already in the heavens.

Continuing on with John 2.

John 2:13-22 NASB The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14) And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15) And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16) and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business." 17) His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME." 18) The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?" 19) Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20) The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21) But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22) So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

Matthew 21:12-17 NASB And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13) And He *said to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN." 14) And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15) But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant 16) and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying?" And Jesus *said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF'?" 17) And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

Mark 11:15-18 NASB Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16) and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17) And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN." 18) The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.

Luke is giving us second or third-hand information.

Luke 19:45-47 NASB Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling, 46) saying to them, "It is written, 'AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN." 47) And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him,

• All three, Matthew, Mark, and John, have Him entering the Temple.

  A prime assumption, but a good one, is that He went straightway to the Temple. He was on a mission.

• Both Matthew and Mark show Him using the sentence, "MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER." Mark added, "FOR ALL NATIONS."

• While John and Mark both spell out that there were sellers and money changers in the temple, only John tells us that He intentionally made a scourge of cords.

Because, if I am going to be honest, the varied Sunday School inputs got me confused. I assumed that the clearing of the temple happened only once shortly after He rode into town on the young colt. Mark's gospel is a good example.

“Mark 11:15-16 NASB Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16) and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.

The reason I grabbed this as an example is that it has verses that are comparable to Matthew's gospel and clearly show Him clearing the outer courts. Let's look at what Matthew tells us.

Matthew 21:2-12 NASB saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. 3) "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." 4) This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5) "SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'" 6) The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7) and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. 8) Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9) The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" 10) When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" 11) And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee." 12) And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.

So I am always trying to build a clean chronology in my mind. If I could do this, then I would be able to say, without doubt, that Jesus entered the temple twice and raised a bit of a ruckus twice.

Perhaps this point is useless without a definition of ruckus, because while the chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to destroy Him, the crowd was astonished by His teachings.

Mark 11:18 NASB “The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.”

I, too, am astonished by Him, in a good way. I stand in awe of Him, and He lives in me.

Does He live in you?