Everything was working again today! There’s still no choral anthem, however, because we didn’t sing one this week. The Kid’s Choir sang their anthem instead, as had been planned, and we just accompanied the service music. My YouTube downloader still doesn’t work for last week’s service but it did work for this week’s, and if all goes well I will resume with next week’s anthem, which we’ve been practicing for a while.

Original:

Both my church and I are having major technical difficulties with YouTube — the church with sending things up and me with bringing things back down from the service — and I am having to pause my anthem posts for now, until both sets of issues are resolved.

It is possible that with our new equipment I could I obtain recordings of the raw returns and produce my own mix. I am not quite sure yet what’s next.

—Megan

This hymn, taken from 2 Chronicles 7:14, was sung at the end of my church’s traditional service on September 29, 2024, which happened to be our end-of-month service with choir, bells, and orchestra. I excerpted it from the livestream recording because this passage in scripture has been turning up across a variety of settings lately, and I am offering this musical rendition for the collection. It is not meant to be part of my Anthem series.

Examining the dating of the Revelation of John

Relating to this thread from this post:

Dispatches from Reality

Redating Revelation

Read more

2 years ago · 30 likes · 25 comments · Scipio Eruditus

An examination of the Greek of Irenaeus’ comment supporting the late dating of the Revelation of John, comparing Eusebius’ version with that of the fragmentary remains of the original by Irenaeus.

[This is a work in progress, not yet ready for review. I transferred it here from my Accordance software to make it easier to read and to edit.]

Gloss interlinear

Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History at 3:18:3 (see also 5:8:6): [Work in Progress, preferred glosses not yet selected]

Εἰ δε ἔδει ἀναφανδὸν εν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ
Then↔if1 it-is-necessary2 visibly in the present time

κηρύττεσθαι τοὔνομα αὐτοῦ, δι’ ἐκείνου ἂν ἐρρέθη τοῦ
to proclaim the-name his,3 because-of that-one ever be said the

καὶ τὴν Ἀποκάλυψιν ἑορακότος. οὐδὲ γὰρ πρὸ πολλοῦ
and the Apocalypse perceiving. Not for before many

χρόνου ἑωράθη, ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας γενεᾶς,
time be-seen, but nearly upon the our generation,

πρὸς τῷ τέλει τῆς Δομετιανοῦ ἀρχῆς.
at the end the Domitian beginning.

Irenaeus’ Against Heresies at 5:30.3:

Εἰ γὰρ [δε]4 ἔδει ἀναφανδὸν [εν]5 τῷ νῦν καιρῷ
For↔If it-is-necessary visibly in the present time
for if it were necessary that his name should be distinctly revealed in this present time,

κηρύττεσθαι τοὔνομα αὐτοῦ, δι’ ἐκείνου ἂν ἐρρέθη τοῦ
to proclaim the-name his, because-of that-one ever be said the
it would have been announced by him who beheld the

καὶ τὴν Ἀποκάλυψιν ἑωρακότος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ πρὸ πολλοῦ
and the Apocalypse perceiving. Not for before many
apocalyptic vision. For that was seen no very

χρόνου ἑωράθη, ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας γενεᾶς,
time be-seen, but nearly upon the our generation,

πρὸς τῷ τέλει τῆς Δομετιανοῦ ἀρχῆς.
at the end the Domitian beginning.

Our church has been working with an outside organization that, among other things, has conducted a church health survey. The results were published last week and they turned up many things, one of which is dissatifaction with the traditional livestream broadcasts. I have some experience with broadcast sound, both TV and livestream, and if possible I am hoping to work with the others involved to better understand what is happening and to make adjustments.

I dashed off a quick comment in another Stack this morning, and it seemed worth re-posting here, with much added material following.

The following passage is from where I happen to be in my in-depth study. It sums up all I see going by in all my news feeds. One source believes we need to focus here and another says no, focus there, and it's all foolishness that will never resolve anything for any great length of time. Always, the message is "this is all somebody else's fault."

Meanwhile, the Cross and the wisdom of God are rejected as foolishness.

CHRIST THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD

1Cor. 1:18-25 (CSB1)

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached.

For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

This comment was not directed toward anything specific in that news summary. I was commenting in general about the news contained in news feeds that I follow, of which that is one.

I find much useful information in the news feeds that I choose to follow on Substack and elsewhere. They offer many helpful insights, from authors dedicated to exposing the truth as well as the lies, often being willing to put their own well-being at risk to get the word out. 2

All that said, my feeds are full of foolishness. Reporting on and warning about what is taking place in the world can be of great value, particularly when populations are under attack, using technology and methods of persuasion that are beyond the imagination — let alone the understanding — of many people.

But there are reasons why this is happening, reasons that are beyond the understanding of most of these authors, resulting in conclusions and recommendations that amount to foolishness. Humanity has been trying to solve these problems for thousands of years, and yet they only grow worse. When something doesn’t work, it’s time to try something different. And there isn’t much time left for that, since we appear to be approaching the brink of self-destruction.

I don’t expect that we will succeed at self-annihilation, although I do expect us to come close, but there is something that we need to do, and it is the opposite of what most of my feed authors are proposing. We need to surrender.

From verses 24-25 above, “… Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.“

I know this sounds like utter foolishness to many, while trying the same things again and again over the course of millennia seems like the solution — we just need to try harder. We need to once and for all rid ourselves of all those evil people that are messing up our lives. Except they keep coming back. So try yet again, so long as we’re still around? I don’t think so.

The expression “the power of God”, θεοῦ δύναμις in the Greek (word order and inflection vary), appears here in verses 18 and 24, and also in Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 2:5, 2 Corinthians 6:7 & 13:4, 2 Timothy 1:8, and 1 Peter 1:5. It is the missing element in all human-derived solutions to our problems. Our efforts will never be adequate. We’re not put together in a way that we can do that, and we can’t change the way we are put together, try as we might, not for the better anyway. Higher order does not arise spontaneously from lower order in this universe. This isn’t so much “religious” as it is common sense.

So surrender or die (i.e. or keep doing what people have always done). That is a choice, sort of. Your outcome depends upon what you do, not what you think or believe, although the latter may direct the former. We have this time of being alive to choose our paths and to do what those paths call for. We have the ABCs. No, not the alphabet. Read on, but first a word of caution.

What I am saying here is not original with me, and it is often characterized as “simple”. It’s not actually simple. It is difficult. Simple to begin, difficult to endure to its end.

That said, this surrender involves more than waving the white flag. It begins with A. admitting that you — we all — have a problem, commonly known as the “sin problem”, and that we are sinful and need Jesus as our savior. While many might laugh at this statement, perhaps in part stemming from the bad example set by certain “Christians” saying one thing while doing another3, but it’s no laughing matter. This passage, highlighting the problem, quotes excerpts4 from the Old Testament:

Romans 3:10-12

…as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one.
There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned away;
all alike have become worthless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.

This verse is explicit:

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

What is sin? A short answer might be “anything that God is not”. It’s unholiness. If you ask what that is, look around. We’re bathing in it. Or it can be understood as “falling short of the glory of God”.

Surrender continues with B. believing that Jesus is Lord, that he died for our sins, was buried and rose to life on the third day, and ascended to God the Father. This can be harder to see, especially when Jesus has been and continues to be so misrepresented by some:

John 14:6

Jesus told him [the disciple Thomas], “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Unbelievable, I know. It gets worse.

Romans 5:8

But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

But there is an excellent reason for that.

Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are under a curse of death (Genesis 3:195). There is only one way out, and it is not trans-humanism. Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension opened to us a pardon from the curse (Genesis 3:156). As humans, we could never become good enough to accomplish this. Again, lower order is increased by higher order. We have no means by which we can elevate ourselves, try as we might. And we certainly have tried.

I could say much more, but I am trying to keep this somewhat simple (but not too simple). Questions are welcome.

Leave a comment

We can’t save ourselves (how many times have I read otherwise in these blogs?), but we can C. confess our belief and call upon Jesus’ name.

Romans 10:9-10

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

We must individually believe and respond, deeply and truly, putting an end to our rebellion and returning and surrendering to our Creator.

Rom. 10:12-13

…the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

This is not just words. Belief, or faith, is nothing without action (James 2:267). The action, in response to God’s drawing us to Him, is us calling upon him, accompanied by a wholehearted turning from former ways commonly known as repentance. The latter is not simply saying we’re sorry, although that feeling certainly should be there. And we don’t accomplish any of this through our own efforts.

Nor is our transformation complete at this step — we remain flawed but we enter through the narrow gate to the path that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-148 and Matthew 7:21). There is a cost (Luke 14:28-309), but it leads somewhere worth going.

Jesus repeatedly mentions something more. It makes some people uncomfortable, even when leaving some of it out as I do here. (I explore this matter further in this post, which I also linked above in connection with “choice”.)

Matthew 24:11-13

Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Endurance. What path will be yours?

Related:

• Who Will Save Us?

• Hearty Fools

In the conservative Christian world much is made of the word "choice" with regard to salvation. The controversy goes back centuries. If you are familiar with the controversy, it might be apparent why I did this study. Some readers might be moved by some of the many verses quoted here.1 If you find the matter interesting, or if just curious, read on. I will be pointing things out, maybe even clarifying them, but hopefully not trying to persuade. If it becomes boring, skip to the next section, or jump on down to the end where I’ve added something new.

Choice

I wonder, then, what scripture has to say about choice. There's this:

Deut. 30:19-20 - “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have placed before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding close to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, so that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

"The blessing and the curse" refer back to the immediately preceding chapters. A clear choice is presented. But how is the choice indicated? By a profession, "I choose life"? No.

By making a commitment and keeping it, committing to

• Loving the LORD your God

• Obeying His voice

• Holding close to Him

That was Moses. What does Jesus say about choice? I don't have a perfect memory of scripture, but I always recall Jesus' words at the end of "The Sermon on the Mount" in Matthew:

Matt. 7:21-27 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you who practice lawlessness.’

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine, and does them, is like the wise man, who built his house upon rock. When the rain came down, and the waters rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine, and does not do them, will be like the foolish man who built his house on sand. When the rain came down, and the waters rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, it collapsed — and great was its fall!”

OK, this is not exactly about choice. It sounds more like commitment to doing something. To obedience. In that sense it rather closely parallels Deuteronomy 30. The doing is not what it is about, though, and the form of doing does not save. The doing results from following through on the commitment. The choice is to commit or not, and is determined by the presence or absence of the right kind of commitment, obedience to Jesus' words.

Let's try again, with “choice”.

Matt. 24:8-14 - But all these things are only the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray; and because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to every nation, and then the end will come.

Endurance

Well, that word "choice" is still missing, but at least we have salvation in both passages. But -- oh no! -- in this one Jesus speaks instead of "endurance". So not only are we asked to commit to a particular way of life -- obedience to Jesus' words -- but we have to stick with it to the end. And along the way we may face hatred and persecution and martyrdom. Why can't we just make a simple choice and be done with it? (I won’t attempt to answer that.)2

So where else can we read about "endurance"? (We will get to choice.) I have a little list. It comes from performing a root search on the Greek root μένω, which yielded 188 hits. The words having this root are commonly-occurring ones with a variety of meanings, but I selected verses from among those that seemed to me to have at least some connection with enduring to the end. I happened to use the Mounce translation here because of its alignment with the Greek, but this does not affect the search, which I performed in the UBS5 Greek New Testament. Search hits are italicized. Even when the English word is different, the Greek word has the same root.

Matt. 10:22 And you will be hated by all on account of my name. But the one who endures to the end, this one will be saved.

Mark 13:13 And you will be hated by all on account of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

Luke 8:15 But as for that in the good soil — these are the ones who, having heard with an honest and good heart, hold firmly onto the word and bear fruit through patient endurance.

Luke 21:19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

John 6:27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you; for on him God the Father has set his seal.”

John 6:56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me, and I in him.

John 8:31 Jesus therefore said to the Jews who had put their trust in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples,

John 15:4-7 Abide in me and I will abide in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; men gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.

John 15:9-10 As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that the Father may give you whatever you ask in my name. [At least Jesus mentions "choice" here, but not ours!]

Rom. 2:7 to those who by patiently doing good works seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;

Rom. 5:3-4 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

Rom. 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Rom. 9:11 for even before they were born or had done anything either good or bad so that God’s purpose according to election might stand,

Rom. 11:22-23 Consider therefore the kindness and the severity of God — severity to those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

Rom. 12:12 rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, devote yourself to prayer;

Rom. 15:4-5 For whatever was written at an earlier time was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement enable you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus,

1Cor. 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

2Cor. 1:6 If we are distressed, it is for your encouragement and salvation; if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement that you experience in your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer.

2Cor. 6:4 Rather, as servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance, in times of affliction, hardship, and distress;

Col. 1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

1Th. 1:3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love and the steadfastness of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Th. 1:4 so that we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions that you are enduring.

2Th. 3:5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the endurance of Christ.

1Tim. 6:11 But you, man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.

2Tim. 2:12-13 If we endure, we will also reign together. If we will deny Christ, he will also deny us. If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he is not able to deny himself.”

2Tim. 3:10 But you followed my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,

2Tim. 3:14 But you, remain in what you have learned and have been convinced of, knowing from whom you learned

Heb. 8:9 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant and I abandoned them, says the Lord.

Heb. 10:36 You have need of endurance, then, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

Heb. 12:1-3 Therefore since we ourselves have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every impediment, and the sin that so easily distracts, and let us run with endurance the race that is prescribed for us, fixing our gaze upon Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who rather than the joy set before him endured a cross, disregarding its shame, and has now taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such opposition against himself, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and lose heart.

Heb. 12:7 Endure your trials as divine discipline. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline?

James 1:3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance carry out its intended purpose, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast when tested, because once he is shown to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 1:25 But the person who looks intently into the perfect law, the law that provides liberty, and continues in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer — he will be blessed in his doing.

James 5:11 For sure, we regard as blessed those who persevered. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and have seen the result of the Lord's activity, that the Lord is exceedingly compassionate and merciful.

2Pet. 1:6 by knowledge self-control, by self-control steadfastness, by steadfastness godliness,

1John 2:6 the one who claims to abide in God ought to walk just as Jesus walked.

1John 2:10 The one who loves his brother is living in the light and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

1John 2:17 The world is passing away with all its desires, but the one who does the will of God remains for all time.

1John 2:24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. [This translation is nuanced; not entirely direct]

[Numerous additional references appear in first and second John, often translated abide]

Rev. 1:9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Rev. 2:2-3 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and that you cannot put up with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles (but are not) and found them to be false. I also know that you have demonstrated your patience and borne hardship for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary.

Rev. 2:19 I know your works, your love and faith and service and steadfast endurance, and that your recent works are greater than the first.

Rev. 3:10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing that is coming upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

Rev. 13:10 If anyone is meant for captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed by the sword, by the sword he will be killed. This calls for the endurance and faithfulness of the saints.

Rev. 14:12 This calls for endurance on the part of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to their faith in Jesus.

Endurance turns up more than once or twice, I would say. The obvious connection through the Greek root disappears in translation, but endurance appears to be a vital topic. I’m trying to think, however, of the last time I heard it mentioned in a sermon and I am coming up blank. But I do often hear about “choice”.

Choose

Let’s see if there is a root connection for “choose”. I did a lexical form search for “choose”3 (ἐκλέγομαι) and what did I find? Well, here’s a sample.

1Cor. 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose the things that the world considers insignificant and contemptible, what is regarded as nothing, to render useless the things that are,

That one describes us, but in all the 20 search hits I didn’t come across anything about us choosing to follow Jesus. How could the biblical authors leave out such an important teaching? Instead, there are verses like these:

Luke 9:35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, the Chosen One; listen to him!”

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that the Father may give you whatever you ask in my name.

John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.

Acts 13:17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt; then with uplifted arm he led them out of it.

James 2:5 Listen, my dear brothers! Did not God choose those whom the world considers poor to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him?

One that didn’t make the list, because it didn’t mention “choice”, is

John 6:44: No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

No need to mention choice there.

Another Kind of Choice [NEW]

Since I originally wrote this piece I have learned about another kind of choice, a choice concerning loyalty. God requires our loyalty, and that is a choice we have because God made us that way, with a capacity to choose to rebel. He did that knowing the trouble that it can lead to, and trouble aplenty there has been, but he planned for that possibility. He is creating a family, his children, and it is not to be a family of robots. We have potential for bearing great responsibility, as image bearers of God.

Revelation 21:3 (NASB) - And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them and they will be his peoples and God himself will be with them as their God.

1John 3:1-3 (NASB) - See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Revelation 3:21 (NASB) - The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne

I am still researching this topic and not yet prepared to dig in, but I will have more to say about it. In the meantime, it’s something to think about.

Conclusion

Jesus chose. The Father chose. God chose. It’s about His choices, not ours. How interesting. I think I’ve learned something. I was kind of aware of it before, but this study served to drive the point home.

Have you learned anything from it? Is there something important I am missing with my restricted word searches? It wouldn’t surprise me. Please comment below.

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It sounded much better live.

I came across this article in my Substack inbox this morning:1

PANDA Uncut

‘The People’ Will Not Save Us – Perhaps We Need Machiavelli’s Lions

by Chris Waldburger Are ‘the people’ sovereign in a democracy? Constitutions that safeguard individual rights are meant to be expressions of the sovereignty of ‘We the People’ (as the Americans put it), yet any cursory glance at the history behind the promulgation of liberal constitutions demonstrates that this is an illusion. Constitutions are written by…

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3 years ago · 16 likes · 3 comments

What follows is my response, which is not directed at the author of the article but at the readers there. Read the article if you like. It is well written and well reasoned, and interesting in its own right, and it provides a certain measure of background and perspective for my topic, but reading it is not necessary to appreciate what I have to say here. There are just two references here to it.

Indeed, "The People’ Will Not Save Us". Nor do I sense that Machiavelli, Mosca, Pareto, or Michels (discussed in the above article) offer us any hope.2

There is a far more ancient source to which I appeal, but "The Science™", over recent past centuries" particularly, has in the minds of a great many been employed to discredit (or "cancel" if you like) this source, and with it our true hope.

The science used to accomplish and sustain this feat is the identical corrupt science that now affirms mask wearing and social distancing to stop viral spread3, and rejects the use of low-cost, effective remedies for certain respiratory infections4. It proclaims that our bodies are unable to defend themselves without science-based help. It operates through storytelling, authoritarian assertions of the truth of those stories, and disregard for experimental evidence.

Yes, the "sovereignty of ‘We the People’" is an illusion (a statement from the above article). Whenever the only apparent solution to a problem is us, we are in trouble. That is because the problem is us.5 These corrupt elite rulers are a consequence. Any solution that does not take this into account is doomed to failure, because we do not possess the capacity to solve our kind of problem ourselves.6

But according to "The Science™" there is no other path to a solution. Because according to science, we are the only actors -- the only ones that can actually do anything. This is scientifically "proven" and there is no other course of action that need be considered. There is no ancient understanding that is of value to us today. Only Science offers verifiable answers, and in doing so it also offers us freedom from the misunderstandings of the past. This is the greater illusion.

Anyone who persists in this illusion rules out true hope, and does so on the basis of the assertions of corrupt, deceptive science. Those who believe they "see" what has just happened in this world can benefit greatly by seeing this point as well. Otherwise they will restrict their proposed solutions to the realm of the impossible, by falling for yet another lie of science, a huge one that is easy to overlook.

The wisdom of the past offers us alternative worldviews of what we are, where we came from, and where we are going. There are many paths, and I have personally explored several of the major ones, arriving eventually back where I started (sort of), with one that I had previously rejected, not because I had disproven it but because I didn’t understand it and consequently it did not meet my expectations.

I can’t “give” you my journey, and I don’t expect you to simply believe what I write, because that would be making the same mistake that I made. To be successful, each of us must embark upon this journey, traveling the path — which is a difficult one — and seeking and being given understanding, being given the means to change, and having in view what all the present craziness is really about. Hint: isn’t because we aren’t trying hard enough.

That means is not something that we innately possess, nor is it available for purchase. And it is not discoverable by scientific exploration, although legitimate science can affirm certain aspects of the gift.

Here is the essence of the worldview I have adopted, gleaned from The Holy Bible, and which I offer for your consideration only. Nothing I state here is original with me (or if something is, I apologize). My wording is not terribly detailed, and there is room to nit-pick. Feel free to do so, if you must, and if you do find errors, please point them out. Opinions are fine too.

Many opposing interpretations exist, and they are available for you to explore. I am omitting many details, some of which may be extremely important in practice, but my goal here is to present only the essence of what I have learned, as it might relate to this particular audience. Read and study for yourself, seeking guidance.

1. The world that we see, and the universe within which it exists, are created. By implication, it was designed, and the evidence of design is available for us to observe and test. It is not possible for it to have come about by random processes, because random processes do not produce higher and higher levels of order from nothing or from randomness. Only in “science stories” (models) does higher order arise from randomness, over vast spans of time, and when subjected to legitimate scientific investigation the evidence falsifies these stories to the degree that they are testable. And if they are not testable then they are just stories.

2. Our world was created with purpose, and that purpose is not for us to determine. We can disagree with it, and we can choose to pursue a different one, and unavoidable negative consequences will arise from doing so. The purpose has many facets, but a key one is that the Creator is creating, in us humans, a family.

3. We, as created beings, are now like children, incomplete and immature, and prone to doing things that hurt us. We must be trained and taught. Ideally our human parents would begin this process, but they are like children too, older and possibly somewhat more mature, but still incomplete and quite fallible. Many are themselves poorly equipped to be parents. All of this is anticipated in the design of our world.

4. While this is a created world, it is also a fallen world. The complete details of how this came about are not given to us, but the evidence of it is everywhere.7 This is the problem for which we do not possess the capacity to solve. What we are told is that our original progenitors made a decision, under evil influence, to pursue their own path apart from the purpose of creation, a form of rebellion, leading to “sin” (unholiness — that which is not God), which resulted in a curse upon our existence that guarantees a difficult life and that we will die. We experience the effects of this curse every day still. This was all pre-planned.

5. With the pronouncement of that curse came a veiled promise of one descendant to come, one that would ultimately put an end to evil. Other clues followed, although presented in a form that could only fully be understood once that person arrived.

6. That person was revealed to be Jesus of Nazareth, a very special kind of human that did possess the capacity to solve the problem for which we do not, the “sin problem”. He possessed this capacity only because he was also Creator, filled with the Holy Spirit. His work on earth, and his death, resurrection, and ascension, completed what was required to solve our problem. No other solution is necessary, and no other solution will work. But we are free to try, and without getting too far ahead of myself, that is both the source of our problems and a necessary, unavoidable consequence of being created having such freedom.

7. Jesus’ ascension made it possible for the Holy Spirit to indwell other humans, followers of Jesus. Those with the indwelling Spirit become the children of our Creator — God’s children. They are still imperfect — incomplete, immature — but now with the potential for completion and for eternal life, because something has been added that possesses the capability that we initially lack. They continue the earthly work of Jesus, known in the early years as “The Way”. They also came to be known as “Christians”, but they can only be known be what they do, not by what they call themselves. Not everyone claiming that name is the real item.

This present evil world will be brought to an end, a kind of “controlled demolition”.8 Initiated by world leaders and concluded by God, it will bring the world to the brink of destruction, serving as an affirmation (I believe) of what all our human “solutions” are good for accomplishing, which is nothing of lasting value.

After that will come a new world, although it would appear that it will come in stages. The details of that are not clear to me, whatever others may think they have worked out.

My focus is on our present, dying world.9 As events progress, we are given more and more details that can be used to understand the clues offered in prophecies of the past. This parallels what transpired as Jesus walked the Earth, doing things that had been alluded to in other prophetic clues, and serving as signs to those that were paying attention and not deferring to and defending their own preferred explanations of things, a phenomenon that continues on into the present day.

All I can say about the progression of events is “so far, so good”. They appear to me to be right on target. Meanwhile, The Science™ trudges on, making up stories, asserting authoritatively that they are true, insisting that you must believe that all that has been written about what I have just said is utter nonsense, disproven by authoritative fiat, and that you must trust Science instead.

It’s your choice. If you choose Science then it’s all laid out for you. Just do as you are told. If you reject it, then you have your work cut out for you. You can’t save yourself, although some of the alternatives may suggest that you can, but you can be saved. The offer is open, and salvation is a gift, but there is nevertheless much to do.

The path is difficult but you know what, if you are already following a path that is “counter-narrative”, you already have some experience with that. Begin by examining your assumptions, and seeking true understanding.

Related: Ask…

[Related: Such Foolishness

External link: Creation vs. Evolution: The Case From Science (free; registration required) [The website was reorganized and I am no longer able to locate this particular video. I have contacted Starting Point to enquire about it but have not received a reply.10]

Ideally I would recommend my Roman Roads series. It’s kind of stuck right now after the first installment, however, as I learn from experience and work to improve my approach. As always, however, the comment section here is open for questions.

This choir fared better with their recording. It was the better of the two English-language renditions I found elsewhere online.

Next week is another week, and I will be back on the risers after having run screens this week. I enjoy running screens, but singing is pure joy.

We — the tech team, of which I was a member this week — had quite a few issues to deal with. It was a long, complex service that departed from the usual format. I know there had been problems with livestream audio during rehearsal, but I had my own stack of things I was dealing with and I couldn’t help even though they asked. It was a stressful morning, but I went home afterward and had a good nap.

Other bloggers post their artwork, or their poetry, or their cat photos. This is all I have for art (apart from my software), although this week I was turning slides again, precisely timed to the music. Whether I am singing or turning slides, I treat it as art, and sometimes it even comes out that way.

Be glad I don’t post cat photos. We certainly do have the cats for it.

[Edit, 12/29/24: This post is in need of a major rewrite. My comments about the Greek language should be somewhat OK, although I need to review them (as mentioned in the previous edit), but my understanding of prophecy needs more than just a review. With that caveat, feel free to read on, but do read the footnotes as well.]

[Edit, 7/6/24: Footnoted comments added. I would hope, in the future, to also include material from Greek-level commentaries written by people who understand the Greek far better than I do.]

There is something I have been noticing and wanting to understand and then share concerning "deception" and prophecy. It involves a particular verse in Revelation that I have puzzled and prayed over for years, whose common translations don't make much sense, Revelation 18:23. There is considerably more to it than the reference to deception and the presence of a Greek word that begins with "pharma", aspects that have been widely mentioned.1 The passage contains what I call "the two ὅτι's, ('because's), and this sequence strikes me as highly relevant to our present world situation and to the deep sea of deception in which we live.

The NASB offers a decent translation, although it is not terribly illuminating:

Rev. 18:23 …and the light of a lamp will never shine in you again; and the voice of the groom and bride will never be heard in you again; for your merchants were the powerful people of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your witchcraft.

The first portion of the verse in the NASB is a tight translation from the Greek; I have no issue with the part about lamps and weddings -- it is quite exact, right down to placing "groom" before "bride". It's the last part that begs for a closer look, perhaps because the translators didn't fully understand what they were translating.2 The powerful people of the earth? Witchcraft? There are better possible translations. I assume readers know something about "witchcraft", but let's look at "merchants" and "powerful people". I would call these translations understatements!

"Merchants" appears earlier, in verses 3 and 11, as "the merchants of the earth" (οἱ ἔμποροι τῆς γῆς). "Of the earth" (τῆς γῆς) is also applied to the "the powerful people of the earth" (οἱ μεγιστᾶνες τῆς γῆς) in v. 23. They are related both through ὅτι and through τῆς γῆς. So who are these people, anyway? We do seem to be dominated by them and their deception, and it might be nice to start naming them properly.

To me, οἱ ἔμποροι τῆς γῆς suggests "transnational corporations" and their owners. That one is a little harder to pin down in modern terms, but then the situation we are in today exceeds what was extant in the 1st century, making things a little tough for John. What he had to work with was "merchants" (ἔμποροί), and specifically "merchants of the earth" from v. 3 & 11. This is the word from which we take the word "emporium". In John's time they were traders/merchants that boarded ships and traveled the known world, buying and selling things.

The other word is easier. These "powerful people", or "important ones" (BDAG: "a person of high rank, great man, courtier, magnate") "of the earth" would appear to me to be what we now refer to as the "global elite". Think about who it is that attends gatherings of the World Economic Forum and other similar organizations.3 That's them. The global merchants of the global elite.4 The text says that the merchants were (ēsan) the elite. They had been (before their final demise) deceiving the nations, and using sorcery to do it. But John was given the task of writing down the indescribable.

I don't think I need to say too much about φαρμακείᾳ (“pharmakeia”). I feel that "sorcery" is a better translation. "Witchcraft" leans toward magic spells (in modern terms, perhaps "medical gaslighting" could be an example), while "sorcery" leans toward medicines and particularly medicinal poisons. And by the way, the history of western medicine encompasses the history of medical poisoning. Hippocrates referred to φάρμακον (medicine, another "pharma" word), but precluded deadly/fatal ones (θανάσιμον); i.e. poisons.5 That part of the oath, not surprisingly, was removed (compare old/new versions) more recently, since the medical and pharmaceutical industry has been poisoning people for centuries with lethal agents such as mercury and arsenic. I am surprised that it took so long for them to change the oath.6 But the point is, this poisoning was going on even back in Jesus' time and the Greek word for "medicine" had already taken on the additional meaning of "poison".

(Side note: "pharmaceutical" has a slightly different etymology -- see https://www.etymonline.com/word/pharmaceutical.)

What does Rev. 18:23 actually say, then, in modern language for the time in which the prophecy is to be fulfilled. My suggestion is something to the effect of:

…and the light of a lamp will never shine in you again; and the voice of the groom and bride will never be heard in you again because your transnational/global corporation owners were the global elite, because with your sorcery you deceived the nations.

(Disclaimer: I am not a biblical Greek scholar equipped to translate, and I am not trying to look like one. But to what translation would I turn for these observations?)

That wording wouldn't sell any additional Bibles, but have you seen any nations being deceived through the sorcery of the global elite and their merchants lately (let alone all!)? Do you know the published mechanisms of action7 of the modRNA (not mRNA) injections that have been administered to billions of deceived people, with even more formulations yet in the pipeline and coming soon? It is sorcery, every bit in the biblical sense.8

(Another side note: every attribute of the originators and promoters of these shots can be found in Rev. 21:8, an enumeration of kinds of people that are destined for the Lake of Fire.)9

Note that "deceived" in Rev. 23:18 is a particular inflection of the verb πλανάω (planaō) that also appears in Matt. 24:4 and in quite a number of other warnings.

One last thing. The word φαρμακείᾳ first appears in the NT in Galatians 5:20. It may be translated "sorcery", or other words may be used. What I want to point out is the extreme warning in v. 21:

"…envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

That's harsh! The same warning applies to idolatry (v. 20). I understand it as a warning to the deceivers, and not so much the deceived. Within the church, I suspect the problem is more with the practice of "medical idolatry" than with the practice of sorcery (and woe to those leaders that promote and idolize such practices) but great caution is advised either way. "Political idolatry" is another topic. And that is all I will say about that. For now, anyway.