The Weekend Bible Study - with Ronald L. Dart

By the reckoning of some historians, when it comes to the gospel accounts, we have two eyewitnesses, a scribe, and one contemporary historian who was able to collect the stories and put them in order. It makes a very comprehensive set of documents. They make our job a little more difficult, but why should it be easy?

Now, I have made this point before, but I have to make it again right here. Some people (whose elevator doesn’t go to the top floor) think that contradictions in the gospel accounts invalidate them. Ironically, rather than invalidate them, they confirm them. Let me explain. For the testimony of witnesses to be valid, that testimony must be independent of the testimony of others. The existence of inconsistencies between witness accounts are important because they establish the independence of the sources.

There are also differences that arise from the purpose of the author. Luke says up front that his purpose is to set these things in order—seemingly, chronological order. Matthew and Mark, however, may have no such intent, and they may group messages and events to make a greater point. So don’t play the fool by nitpicking. Try rather to understand what the witnesses want us to get about Jesus and his work and his message. Now, instead of consulting the scholars first, let’s consult Luke himself…

Then he said unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters of the sea shall be healed.

And it shall come to pass, that everything that lives, which moves, wherever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come there: for they shall be healed; and everything shall live where the river comes.

And it shall come to pass, that the fishermen shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; there shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be the same kinds as the fish of the great sea, exceedingly many.

Here is a link to a diagram of the way Israel is divided.

The future division of the land.

Here is one person's visualization. But the odd thing about this is the straight line borders from west to east. This seems doubtful given the geography.

You son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.

And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house, and its plan, and its exits, and its entrances, and all its design, and all its ordinances, and all its forms, and all its laws: and write it in their sight, that they may keep its whole design, and all its ordinances, and do them.

This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole area round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

First, I asked for suggestions on a Bible that translates the dimensions of the Temple for helping the reader visualize things. One suggestion is The Good News Bible. Another is the New Living Translation. There are probably more you can find at Bible Gateway.com.

Here is a site that has a visual rendition of what the Temple might look like. It is down the page.

In the visions of God he brought me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was a structure like a city on the south. And he brought me there, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring rod; and he stood in the gate.

And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you; for to the intent that I might show them unto you are you brought here: declare all that you see to the house of Israel.

There is a wealth of material on the Internet about Ezekiel's temple, and it remains something of an enigma.

R.J. Anderson lists four main questions which we can think about as we make our way through these passages, and they are as good a place to start as any:

1. Is the temple and its worship literal, or figurative?
2. Do these things take place at a time now past, or at some point in the future?
3. If the time is future, does it involve the millennial kingdom of Christ on earth, or the heavenly state?
4. In any case, what is the purpose of the sacrifices described?

And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, says the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

So that the fish of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man from their territory, and set him for their watchman:

If when he sees the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet, and warns the people; Then whosoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and takes not warning; if the sword comes, and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that takes warning shall deliver his soul.

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, you know. Again he said unto me, Prophesy to these bones, and say unto them, O you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

[...] Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh's arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.