“A bright cloud overshadowed them.” This phenomenon was awesome in itself, but then a voice thundered out very majestically, “This is my beloved Son, … hear ye him.” This scene was so impressive that Peter referred to it in his epistle but said that despite its awesomeness and positiveness, the “more sure word of prophecy” was superior (2 Pet. 1:16-19). Do we have such a conviction? Is God’s Word more “sure” to us than if we had witnessed the transfiguration and heard the voice coming from the cloud? We should have the same reverence and respect for the Word of God that Peter had—regardless of the degree of our comprehension.

Being familiar with the account of the bright cloud over the nation of Israel and the Tabernacle in the Wilderness of Sinai, the disciples would have had no difficulty realizing that the message, or voice, came from God. Also, “Hear ye him [Jesus]” was almost like a reprimand, for earlier Peter had been arguing with the Master (Matt. 16:22). Now the Father was saying, “This is my Son. I am well pleased with him. You had better listen to him.” In other words, in listening to Christ, we are really listening to God, for the Son is the true and highest representative of the Father.

“And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back close sealed with seven seals,
Revelation Chapter 5
“And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back [or outside] close sealed with [...]

Notice what naturally happened. The rulers of the synagogue asked the two strangers if they had “any word of exhortation for the people” and perhaps also wanted to hear any news that would be of interest to the congregation. Also, they would want to know the thoughts of others of Jewry in regard to the passage of the Law just read. Paul stood up quickly and beckoned with his hand as if to say, “I have something of significance to say.” Then he spoke courageously, feeling the importance of the situation and the message, and knowing that God had anointed him, through Jesus, to be a special ambassador to the Gentiles.

All men were in expectation of Messiah, but in addition, they were expecting the Prophet Elijah. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD” (Mal. 4:5). Elijah was known to have worn rough clothing, and now along came John the Baptist wearing rough clothing and speaking with authority. Hence many thought he was the predicted Elijah. John spoke with such conviction that the people were willing to be baptized. And they assumed he was doing the very “Elijah” work predicted: “He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (Mal. 4:6). The point is that the appearing of John the Baptist in this manner alerted and awakened the nation of Israel so that he could introduce Jesus as someone different.

Notice Jesus’ reply: “Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.” The Jews’ question is astounding: “Who art thou?” Not only had Jesus been telling them all along, but they should have been able to figure out who he was because of his miracles. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he asked his apprehenders, “Why do you come after me at night? I have boldly, throughout my ministry, stated these things to you frequently, yet you apprehend me like a thief.” And at his trial, they asked what he had been saying when he had taught over and over, and they should have known. He spoke openly of his purpose in appearing before them as a teacher. The point is, if one is not sympathetic to the words spoken by another, it is like talking to a stone wall. The reasoning will not get through no matter how plainly stated.

Jesus called the sheep his own, but he purchased them with his own life. The Good Shepherd gave his life for the sheep. Getting the sheep cost him something, whereas there was no cost to the hireling. The hireling was on the receiving end, not the giving end; consequently, his rapport with the sheep was much inferior (there were far less concern and interest).

Under the Law, if a wolf came and devoured a sheep, the shepherd was required to bring back a piece of the sheep to prove that he had risked his own life to try to save the sheep. Spiritually speaking, one might risk his own reputation to defend a brother who is being attacked.

“Cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished [ended].” What “warfare”? Israel’s punishment, her “appointed time” (KJV margin), her “time of service” (RSV footnote). In other words, Israel’s “warfare” is not merely a date but a period of time that terminates with a date.

The “appointed time,” or “time of service,” is the “double”; that is, it is the time period of Israel’s punishment, or sentence. A “double” is a fixed period of time having a beginning and an ending that correspond to a previous beginning and ending. The first part of the double was a period of favor of 1,845 years, and the second part of the double was a period of disfavor of equal length, or 1,845 years. The turning point in the double was the year AD 33, the middle of the 70th week. (Messiah was cut off in the midst of the last week of the 70-week prophecy in Daniel.) The 1,845-year period of favor began with the death of Jacob, for at that time, God began to deal with Jacob’s 12 sons as a nation (of 12 tribes). The blessing that had previously been on Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob passed on to the 12 sons of Jacob. From Jacob’s death through AD 33 was the period of favor when God dealt directly with Israel and only with Israel out of all nations (Amos 3:2).

No, Boaz was not a born-again Christian. When Jesus came to earth, he came to provide the Ransom for Father Adam, in effect to buy the race from God, whose divine attribute of Justice had condemned the race in Adam. While Jesus was on his mission to buy back the race with his life, he also opened up a new and living way.

Many of the scriptures seem to be talking about the act of baptism, (immersion), but that is only where it begins. Jesus refers to his baptism beginning at Jordan but ending at Calvary. Just as baptism pictures the death of the “old man” our “old nature”, and that we are buried with Christ, elsewhere it talks about baptism into death, or the thought more being “unto death.”

When we give our lives to the Lord, that is a baptism of sorts, the death of the old man, we symbolize what was already done in the heart, but the baptism is over when we actually die, when the sacrifice is consumed on the altar.