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The Angels
"Some may never see with earthly eyes these heavenly beings or know that they exist. Many are unaware of the numerous ways they have protected and guided them. I would like to share with you how real angels are..."
What are angels?
An angel is a pure spirit created by God. The Old Testament theology included the belief in angels: the name applied to certain spiritual beings or intelligences of heavenly residence, employed by God as the ministers of His will.
The English word "angel" comes from the Greek angelos, which means 'messenger'. In the Old Testament, with two exceptions, the Hebrew word for "angel" is malak, also meaning 'messenger'. The prophet Malachi took his name from this word. He was himself a messenger, and he prophesied about the coming of "the messenger of the covenant", Jesus Christ (Malachi 3:1).
Although the word "angel" in the Bible, meaning a messenger, nearly always applies to heavenly beings, it can occasionally apply to human messengers. Malachi himself said a priest was a messenger (malak) of the LORD of hosts (Malachi 2:7), and in the Book of Revelation the elders of the seven churches of Asia were called angels (1:20; 2:1 etc.). But when we meet messengers doing supernatural things, there is no doubt they are heavenly beings - God's messengers, working for Him and for the ultimate benefit of mankind.
How do we know angels exist?
The Scriptures give us no indication of the precise time of the creation of angels; their existence is assumed at the earliest times. Our Lord often spoke of angels; in the New Testament they are numerous and seven orders are mentioned: Angels, Powers, Principalities, Dominions (ations), Thrones and Archangels the Old Testament specifically mentions two others Seraph (im) and Cherub(im). God bestowed upon angels great wisdom, freedom, and power, and their many appearances in the New Testament are indication of the lead role assigned to them. Both the New Testament and Old Testament refer also to the fallen angels. The Temptation of Adam and Eve presupposes the existence of bad spirits or demons who were cast into hell from which they have no hope of redemption. Angels are purely spiritual or bodiless persons (Mt 11:30), some of whom behold the face of God and thus are in bliss (Mt 18:10). These spiritual beings comprise the celestial court and are called angels (from the Greek for "messenger") because, according to the Bible, they carry out missions at God's command. In order to complete these missions, they can at times assume bodily form. According to the Bible, their missions are sometimes of great importance - eg, the Annunciation (Lk 1:26; 2:9-14). Like us , the angels are the objects of God's grace and love. But because, unlike us they are non-bodily creatures, their response to God's love did not require time and reflection to grow and mature. As soon as they were created and received grace, they had the opportunity to respond to God's love and thus be welcomed into bliss. While many did so, some did not. Perhaps the most significant continuing activity of the good angels is to be the agents of God's particular providence for mankind. Thus, the Church teaches that everyone has a guardian angel, based on references to them throughout the Bible.
Why did God Create Angels?
The Creator Himself is so powerful and glorious that He cannot be approached in person by human beings. He alone "hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto: whom no man hath seen, nor can see (1 Timothy 6:16). Angels do not have man's shortcomings, and can therefore act for God and represent Him when communicating with men and women. They bridge the huge gap between the holiness and perfection of God in heaven and the shortcomings of dying people on this planet. Angels were made immortal (that is, never to die). Their eternal quality was spoken of by Jesus when he said:
"They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God. being the children of the resurrection." (Luke 20:35.36)
Jesus was saying that, in the same way as the angels (the children or "sons" of God) live for ever and are of one gender, so those who will be called the "sons" and "daughters" of God when Jesus returns will also live for ever and will not marry.
Angels with Names
Only occasionally are the angels given names. "
Michael", for instance, was "the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people (Israel)" (Daniel 12:1). Undoubtedly, among the most significant of angelic appearances were those by the angel whose name was "Gabriel". He was sent twice to the prophet Daniel. On the second occasion Daniel was at prayer, and Gabriel, "being caused to fly swiftly, touched me ... and talked with me" and proceeded to prophesy the date of the first coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Daniel 9:21-27). There was therefore great expectation among the Jews at the time when Jesus Christ was about to be born, and this was heightened by the personal appearance of Gabriel again, firstly to Zacharias the priest while on duty in the temple, and then to Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph. To Zacharias, the angel announced. "I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God: and am sent to speak unto thee" (Luke 1:19). We notice that angels can stand in the glorious presence of the LORD. whereas men cannot. and angels are sent to do whatever God wishes. His mission here was to announce the miraculous birth of John the Baptist.
Six months later, Gabriel appeared to Mary, who was in the royal line of King David. Her prayer, said the angel, had found favour with God, and she would be the mother of the expected Messiah. Gabriel told her that she would conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit and her son would be Jesus, the Saviour, and he would be the Son of God and would occupy the royal throne of David (Luke 1:26-33). It was an extraordinary meeting because Mary was not yet married. Nothing is impossible with God! Joseph, her husband-to-be, also received angelic messages advising him what steps to take in this unique situation.
When Jesus came to be born in Bethlehem, the birth was the signal for a glorious witness of divine approval, seen by shepherds:
"An angel of the Lord (could this have been Gabriel?) appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear ... And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!'" (Luke 2:9-14, RSV)
Who are our Guardian Angels?
No evil shall befall you, nor shall affliction come near your tent, for to His Angels God has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways. Upon their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Psalm 91: 10-12 A heavenly spirit assigned by God to watch over each of us during our lives. The doctrine of angels is part of the Church's tradition. The role of the guardian angel is both to guide us to good thoughts, works and words, and to preserve us from evil. Since the 17th century the Church has celebrated a feast honoring them in October throughout the Universal Church. Since the last calendar revision this feast is Oct 2.
He has charged His angels with the ministry of watching and safeguarding every one of His creatures that behold not His face. Kingdoms have their angels assigned to them, and men have their angels; these latter it is to whom religion designates the Holy Guardian Angels. Our Lord says in the Gospel, "Beware lest ye scandalize any of these little ones, for their angels in heaven see the face of My Father." The existence of Guardian Angels, is, hence a dogma of the Christian faith: this being so, what ought not our respect be for that sure and holy intelligence that is ever present at our side; and how great our solicitude be, lest, by any act of ours, we offend those eyes which are ever bent upon us in all our ways!
Angels of the early Church
Revelations the Lord addresses each of the seven Churches by means of instructing angels to record His dictation. These 'secretary' angels are the angels of the Churches:
Church of Ephesus (Rv 2:1)
of Smyrna (Rv 2:8)
of Pergamum (Rv 2:12)
of Thyatira (Rv 2:18)
of Sardis (Rv 3:1)
of Philadelphia (Rv 3:7)
of Laodices (Rv 3:14)
Man Made Lower than the Angels
When the first man was being created:
"Let us make man in our image. after our likeness ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him: male and female created he them." (Genesis 1:26-27)
This does not mean that the first of the human race had exactly the same physical nature as the angels, for the angels were made to live for ever. Adam and Eve were not made never-dying: they did sin, and they suffered death as the punishment for it. That is why the whole human race has been dying ever since.
Psalm 8 is a Psalm in which the creation of the earth is extolled. Here we are told that man's position is lower than the angels:
"What is man, that thou art mindful of him? ... For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." (Psalm 8:4,5)
The New Testament quotes this passage, and tells us that mankind - including the Lord Jesus himself - was made a little lower than the angels, "for the suffering of death" (Hebrews 2:9). Angels do not die, but men and women do. Even Jesus, the Son of God, was a mortal man, but has now received the glory and honour which was his due when, as he said after his resurrection, "all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matthew 28:18).
The Fallen Angels
These beings, because of pride, did not return God's love. God did not destroy them, but permits them a limited scope of activity. Their condition is permanent for no creature can turn away from the perfect good of the beatific vision once he has come to enjoy it, and no additional reflection could change the mind of a purely spiritual being who has turned away.
Demons are fallen angels under the command of Satan, those who are still free after the Gen. 6 affair. Satan is called the Prince, or Ruler, of all demons in Matthew 9:34; 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15. Demons are also called the ministers, or ambassadors of Satan, Luke 4:35; 9:1,42; John 10:21. Satan is brilliant, an administrative genius. He has an excellent organization, mentioned in Eph. 6:10-12 (READ) The Bible also makes a distinction between demon possession and demon influence.
The Nine Choirs of Angels
Seraphim
These are the highest order or choir of angels. They are the angels who are attendants or guardians before God's throne. They praise God, calling, "Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts". the only Bible reference is Isaiah 6:1-7. One of them touched Isaiah's lips with a live coal from the altar, cleansing him from sin. Seraphim have six wings, two cover their faces, two cover their feet, and two are for flying.
Cherubim
Cherubim rank after the seraphim and are the second highest in the nine hierarchies or choirs of angels. The Old Testament does not reveal any evidence that the Jews considered them as intercessors or helpers of God. They were closely linked in God's glory. They are manlike in appearance and double-winged and were guardians of God's glory. They symbolized then, God's power and mobility. In the New Testament, they are alluded to as celestial attendants in the Apocalypse (Rv 4-6). Catholic tradition describes them as angels who have an intimate knowledge of God and continually praise Him.
Thrones
Thrones are the Angels of pure Humility, Peace and Submisssion. They reside in the area of the cosmos where material form begins to take shape. The lower Choir of Angels need the Thrones to access God.
Dominions
Dominions are Angels of Leadership. They regulate the duties of the angels, making known the commands of God.
Virtues
Virtues are known as the Spirits of Motion and control the elements. They are sometimes referred to as "the shining ones." They govern all nature. They have control over seasons, stars, moon; even the sun is subject to their command. They are also in charge of miracles and provide courage, grace, and valor.
Powers
Powers are Warrior Angels against evil defending the cosmos and humans. They are known as potentates. They fight against evil spirits who attempt to wreak chaos through human beings. The chief is said to be either Samael or Camael, both angels of darkness.
Archangels
Archangels are generally taken to mean "chief or leading angel" ( Jude 9; 1 Thes 4:16), they are the most frequently mentioned throughout the Bible. They may be of this or other hierarchies as St. Michael Archangel, who is a princely Seraph. The Archangels have a unique role as God's messenger to the people at critical times in history and salvation (Tb 12:6, 15; Jn 5:4; Rv 12:7-9) as in The Annunciation and Apocalypse. A feast day celebrating the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael is celebrated throughout the Church Sep 29. A special part of the Byzantine Liturgy invokes the "Cherubic Hymn" which celebrates these archangels and the guardian angels particularly. Of special significance is St. Michael as he has been invoked as patron and protector by the Church from the time of the Apostles. The Eastern Rite and many others place him over all the angels, as Prince of the Seraphim. He is described as the "chief of princes" and as the leader of the forces of heaven in their triumph over Satan and his followers. The angel Gabriel first appeared in the Old Testament in the prophesies of Daniel, he announced the prophecy of 70 weeks (Dn 9:21-27). He appeared to Zechariah to announce the birth of St. John the Baptist (Lk 1:11). It was also Gabriel which proclaimed the Annunciation of Mary to be the mother of our Lord and Saviour. (Lk 1:26) The angel Raphael first appeared in the book of Tobit (Tobias)Tb 3:25, 5:5-28, 6-12). He announces "I am the Angel Raphael, one of the seven who stand before the throne of God." (Tb 12:15)
Principalities
In the New Testament Principalities refers to one type of spiritual (metaphysical) being which are now quite hostile to God and human beings. (Rom 8:38; 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col 1:16; 2:10, 15) Along with the principalities are the powers (Rom 8:38; 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 1 Pt 3:22; 2 Thes 1:7); and cosmological powers (1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; Col 2:15);Dominions (Eph 1:21; Col 1:16) and thrones (Col1:16). The clarity of the New Testament witness helps see that these beings were created through Christ and for Him (Col 1:16). Given their hostility to God and humans due to sin, Christ's ultimate rule over them (ibid) expresses the reign of the Lord over all in the cosmos. This is the Lordship of Christ, which reveals God's tremendous salvation in conquering sin and death at the cross, and now takes place in the Church. (Eph 3:10)
Angels
These angels are closest to the material world and human begins. They deliver the prayers to God and God's answers and other messages to humans. Angels have the capacity to access any and all other Angels at any time. They are the most caring and socius to assist those who ask for help.
Angels in the Bible
Old Testament references:
Cherubim at entrance to Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:24
Appear to Abraham, Genesis 18:1-33
Saved Lot and his family, Genesis 19:1-22
Intervened with Isaac, Genesis 22:11-18
Heavenly vision of Jacob's Ladder, Genesis 28:12
Accompanied Israel through the desert, Exodus 23:20 And Numbers 20:16
Aided the prophets
Isaiah 6:2-7
Ezekiel 1:4-28
Daniel 7:9-10
Zechariah 1:9-19
New Testament references:
Appeared in connection with birth of Christ
Matthew 1:20
Luke 1:26-38
Appear to:
Paul, Acts 27:23
Peter, Acts 12:7-11
Cornelius, Acts 10:3-6
Sadducees didn't believe in angels, Acts 23:8
12 Legions of Angels, Matthew 26:53
Mentioned by name:
Raphael, Tobit 12:15
Michael, Daniel 10:13
Revelation, 12:7
Gabriel, Daniel 8:16
Luke 1:19
Fall of the angels
Deuteronomy 32:17
2 Peter 2:4
Jude 1:6
Revelation 12:7-9
Prayer to Our Holy Guardian Angels
Heavenly Father, Your infinite love for us has chosen a blessed angel in heaven and appointed him our guide during this earthly pilgrimage. Accept our thanks for so great ablessing. Grant that we may experience the assistance of our holy protector in all our necessities. And you, holy, loving angel and guide, watch over us with all the tenderness of your angelic heart. Keep us always on the way that leads to heaven, and cease not to pray for us until we have attained our final destiny, eternal salvation. Then we shall love you for all eternity. We shall praise and glorify you unceasingly for all the good you have done for us while here on earth. Especially be a faithful and watchful protector of our children. Take our place, and supply what may be wanting to us through human frailty, short-sightedness, or sinful neglect. Lighten, O you perfect servants of God, our heavy task. Guide our children, that they may become like unto Jesus, may imitate Him faithfully, and persevere till they attain eternal life.
Amen
"Peace be with you"
The Chaplet of Saint Michael the Archangel
The Chaplet of St. Michael is a wonderful way to honour this great Archangel along with the other nine Choirs of Angels. What do I mean by Choirs? It seems that God has created various orders of Angels. Sacred Scripture distinguishes nine such groupings: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels and Angels. (Isa. 6:2; Gen. 3:24; Col. 1:6; Eph. 1:21; Rom. 8:38)
There may be more groupings but these are the only ones that have been revealed to us.
The Seraphim is believed to be the highest Choir, the most intimately united to God, while the Angelic Choir is the lowest.
The history of this Chaplet goes back to a devout Servant of God, Antonia d'Astonac, who had a vision of St. Michael. He told Antonia to honour him by nine salutations to the nine Choirs of Angels. St. Michael promised that whoever would practice this devotion in his honour would have, when approaching Holy Communion, an escort of nine angels chosen from each of the nine Choirs. In addition, for those who would recite the Chaplet daily, he promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy angels during life.
Prayer to Saint Michael.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
The Chaplet of St. Michael
O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father ...
Say: 1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys after each of the following nine salutations in honour of the nine Choirs of Angels.
1. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celesial Choir of Seraphim my the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect charity. Amen.
2. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Cherubim may the Lord grant us the grace to leave the ways of sin and run in the paths of Christian perfection. Amen.
3. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Thrones may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of humility. Amen.
4. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Dominions may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and overcome any unruly passions. Amen.
5. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Powers may the Lord protect our souls against the snares and temptations of the devil. Amen.
6. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Virtues may the Lord preserve us from evil and from falling into temptation. Amen.
7. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Principalities my God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience. Amen.
8. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Archangels may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works in order that we may attain the glory of heaven. Amen.
9. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Angels may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life and conducted in the life to come to Heaven. Amen.
Say: 1 Our Father in honour of each of the following leading Angels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and your Guardian Angel.
Concluding prayers:
O glorious prince St. Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King and our admirable conductor, you who shine with excellence and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil, who turn to you with confidence and enable us by your gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully everyday.
Pray for us, O glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ, that we may be made worthy of His promises.
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who, by a prodigy of goodness and a merciful desire for the salvation of all men, has appointed the most glorious Archangel St. Michael Prince of Your Church, make us worthy, we ask You, to be delivered from all our enemies, that none of them may harass us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted by him into Your Presence. This we ask through the merits of Jesus
Christ Our Lord. Amen.
"Peace be with you"
Signum Crucis
The Sign of the Cross is such an incredibly powerful thing. Unfortunately, most of the world and sadly many Catholics have forgotten the importance. Countless miracles have been performed merely by making the Sign of the Cross. The object of this article is to promote a greater understanding of its significance and meaning.
The sign of the Cross is not only something we do, but it is a profession of faith in the Most Blessed and Adored Trinity. As the great Doctor and Father of the Church Saint Augustine says...
"It is by the sign of the Cross that the Body of the Lord is consecrated, that baptismal fonts are sanctified, that priests and other ranks in the Church are admitted to their respective orders, and everything that is to be made holy is consecrated by the sign of our Lord's cross, with the invocation of the name of Christ."
And from Holy Scripture:
Matthew 28:19
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
The Sign of the Cross is rich in symbolism. When Christ came to redeem the world, He descended from the Father, was born of the Virgin Mary, died, was buried, and descended to the dead. He then rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father.
How to make the Sign of the Cross over oneshelf:
When making the Sign of the Cross, one uses the right hand, which symbolizes Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father. Starting at the forehead, which symbolizes the Father, the Creator and source of all things, one then descends to the lower chest. This symbolizes the Incarnation, of Christ came down from heaven from the Father and became flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit. One proceeds to the left shoulder and then the right shoulder to finish the Sign of the Cross. The left in this case is usually associated with death and darkness, while the right symbolizes truth and light. Thus the action represents the transition from misery to glory, from death to life, and from hell to paradise. As Christ passed from death to life and sits at the right hand of the Father (left to right), so too may we pass from death to life in Christ through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit.
The prayer:
English-
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Latin-
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Sadly, many today are afraid to make the Sign of the Cross in public for fear they may been seen as weird or a fanatic or something to that effect. But we must not be ashamed of this great gift we have in the Cross upon which Christ was Crucified for our salvation.
I believe many people use the Sign of the Cross as the common way to bless themselves before and after prayer and during Mass and things like that etc.... But, what I think, many have forgotten is that even lay people may make the Sign of the Cross over people and objects to call down God's blessing upon it or them. Now of course, this is not the same as when a priest does it, but for a lay person the Sign of the Cross remains a very powerful tool.
A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly make a sign of the cross.
Other prayers concerning the Holy Cross:
Per signum Crucis
English-
By the sign of the cross deliver us from our enemies, O our God. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Latin-
Per signum Crucis de inimicis nostris libera nos, Deus noster. In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Commemoratio Crucis
He bore the Holy Cross, who broke the power of hell; He was girded with power, He rose again the third day. Alleluia
V. Tell ye among the nations, Alleluia.
R. That the Lord hath reigned from the tree. Alleluia.
Let us pray:
O God, who didst will that Thy Son should undergo for us the shame of the Cross, that Thou mightest drive away from us the power of the enemy: grant unto us Thy servants to be made partakers of the grace of the resurrection. Through our Lord...
R. Amen.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God
V. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.
Our Father ... (silently)
V. May the Lord grant us His peace.
R. And life everlasting. Amen.
Salve me, Sancta Crux (attributed to Saint Anselm)
English-
Save me, o holy Cross, who art consecrated with the body of Christ and ornamented as if by pearls from this union with his limbs; thou hast been made worthy to carry the price of our salvation and hast held up eternal life to us. O good Jesus, grant to me that through the reparation and mark of Thy holy Cross, Thou willst free me from the incursions of all my enemies, preserve me in Thy goodness, dismiss my sins, and grant me forgiveness: Thou who livest and reignest, God forever and ever. Amen.
Latin-
Salva me, sancta crux, quae in corpore Christi dedicata es, et ex membrorum eius compage tamquam margaritis ornata; quae pretium nostrum portare digna fuisti, et vitam aeternam nobis attulisti. Iesu bone, praesta mihi ut per signum et reparationem sanctae crucis, me ab omnibus inimicorum incursionibus liberes et tua bonitate conserves, peccata dimittas, veniam indulgentiae tribuas: qui vivis et regnas, Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
"Peace be with you"
Holy Week
Commemorating the events that led to the arrest and execution of Jesus.
Palm Sunday: Jesus' final entry into Jerusalem. Crowd proclaims him "King"
Jesus Rides into Jerusalem as a King. A week later, he would suffer a Humiliating Death. The last week of Jesus' life was filled with many events as we follow him from his glorious entry into Jerusalem on Sunday until his death on Friday. In the days in between, he preached, taught, presided over the Passover supper, stood trial, and was condemned to death. This week is known as 'Holy Week.'
On Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, there are two major events.
The first is Jesus' ride into Jerusalem on a colt, fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9: 9. The people greeted him as though he were an earthly king; they were sure he would end the Roman occupation and Jerusalem would again be a Jewish city. They shouted, "Hosanna," which means "save us," and comes from Psalm 118: 26.
The second is Jesus teaches and preaches to the crowds. The time lines in the Gospel writers' accounts are compressed. Their story is about being overwhelmed by the presence of Jesus and not an historical account of places or dates. After his warm welcome into Jerusalem, Jesus taught in the Temple for a few days. Luke places many of Jesus' stories or parables during this time.
Jesus' Enemies Begin to Conspire Against Him:
Pontius Pilate and his soldiers went from Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast inland to Jerusalem every year for the Feast of the Passover. They were afraid that so many Jews gathered together from all of Palestine would start riots against the Roman government.
The Jewish Sanhedrin, the council of elders, played on Pilate's fears, because they were afraid that Jesus would start a religious revolution against them, their philosophy and the Temple sacrifices. They thought that if the people would follow his new ways of teaching and healing, they would no longer be in charge of the Temple.
Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter, so called from the custom of blessing palms and of carrying portions of branches in procession, in commemoration of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The custom can be traced back at least to the 4th century.
Palm Sunday is when Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem where he was greeted warmly by the crowd. In the words of St Matthew:
"Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
And this is where the basis of the Palm Sunday procession lies.
The first reference to the Palm Sunday procession, is found in the travel journal of Etheria, the nun from the northwest Spain. She made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem toward the end of the fourth century. She referred the day to be the beginning of the Paschal Week.
Holy Monday: The cleansing of the temple. Jesus frees the animals to be slaughtered.
The Cleansing Of The Temple And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up again from Bethany into Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting. And when he had made a scourge of seven cords, he drove them all out of the temple and loosed the sheep and the oxen, and the doves, and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables.
The Cleansing Of The Temple:
1. AND the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up again from Bethany into Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting.
2. And when he had made a scourge of seven cords, he drove them all out of the temple and loosed the sheep and the oxen, and the doves, and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
3. And said unto them, Take these things hence; make not my Father's House an House of merchandise. Is it not written, My House is a House of prayer, for all nations? but ye have made it a den of thieves, and filled it with all manner of abominations.
4. And he would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel of blood through the temple, or that any animals should be slain. And the disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for thine house hath eaten me up.
5. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Iesus answered and said unto them, Again I say unto you, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
6. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his Body.
7. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and believed the scripture and the word which Iesus had said.
8. But the scribes and the priests saw and heard, and were astonished and sought how they might destroy him, for they feared him, seeing that all the people were attentive to his doctrines.
9. And when even was come he went out of the city. For by day he taught in the Temple and at night he went out and abode on the Mount of Olives, and the people came early in the morning to hear him in the Temple courts.
10. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, many believed in his Name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
11. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men. And needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man.
12. And Jesus seeing the passover night was at hand, sent two of his disciples, that they should prepare the upper room where he desired to eat with his twelve, and buy such things as were needful for the feast which he purposed thereafter.
Holy Tuesday: Outraged Pharisees plot to eliminate Jesus at the Mt of Olives Sermon.
Mount of Olives So called from the olive trees with which its sides are clothed, is a mountain ridge on the east of Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:7; Ezek. 11:23; Zech. 14:4), from which it is separated by the valley of Kidron.
The Mount of Olives, or rather mountain range, has four summits or peaks:
1) The "Galilee" peak, so called from a tradition that the angels stood here when they spoke to the disciples (Acts 1:11)
2) The "Mount of Ascension," the supposed site of that event, which was, however, somewhere probably nearer Bethany (Luke 24:51,52)
3) The "Prophets," from the catacombs on its side, called "the prophets' tombs"
4) The "Mount of Corruption," so called because of the "high places" erected there by Solomon for the idolatrous worship of his foreign wives (1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:13; Vulgate, "Mount of offense")
It is first mentioned in connection with David's flight from Jerusalem through the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 15:30), and is only once again mentioned in the Old Testament, in Zech. 14:4. It is, however, frequently alluded to (1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:13; Neh. 8:15; Ezek. 11:23).
It is frequently mentioned in the New Testament (Matt. 21:1; 26:30, etc.). It now bears the name of Jebel et-Tur, i.e., "Mount of the Summit;" also sometimes called Jebel ez-Zeitun, i.e., "mount of Olives."
It is about 200 feet above the level of the city. The road from Jerusalem to Bethany runs as of old over this mount. It was on this mount that Jesus stood when he wept over Jerusalem.
No name in Scripture calls up associations at once so sacred and so pleasing as that of Olivet. The 'mount' is so intimately connected with the private, the devotional life of the Savior, that we read of it and look at it with feelings of deepest interest and affection.
Here he often sat with his disciples, telling them of wondrous events yet to come, of the destruction of the Holy City; of the sufferings, the persecution, and the final triumph of his followers (Matt. 24).
Here he gave them the beautiful parables of the ten virgins and the five talents; here he was wont to retire on each evening for meditation, and prayer, and rest of body, when weary and harassed by the labors and trials of the day (Luke 21:37); and here he came on the night of his betrayal to utter that wonderful prayer, 'O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt' (Matt. 26:39).
And when the cup of God's wrath had been drunk, and death and the grave conquered, he led his disciples out again over Olivet as far as to Bethany, and after a parting blessing ascended to heaven (Luke 24:50, 51; Acts 1:12)."
Spy Wednesday: Judas agrees to betray Jesus.
Why Did Judas Betray Jesus?
Maybe the most vivid example of tragic misinterpretation of prophecy occurred in the life of Judas Iscariot. His misconception about the coming of the Messiah resulted in the betrayal and death of Jesus and his own death by suicide.
Scholars surmise that Judas may have been the only Judean among the twelve disciples of Jesus. This alone could have caused him to feel somewhat superior, as Judeans considered Galileans to be country dwellers or "bumpkins." When Jesus gave him charge of the money box, it may have additionally boosted his ego.
Judas is often identified as a Zealot, an attribute held by only one other disciple, Simon the Zealot. We know that Judas was probably a Zealot by his surname, Iscariot. Researchers believe this is a form of the title sicarii, meaning "dagger-men," a group of ultra-Zealots who carried a knife with them at all times to be prepared to assassinate traitors and capitulators. In English, we could call him Judas the Daggerman.
Though motivated primarily by socio-economic and political factors, the Zealots also had prophetic ideas driving them. They believed that if they turned Israel back to God and incited war against the Romans, the Messiah would arise to lead them and establish His Kingdom. This "understanding"resulted from misinterpreting many prophecies concerning Christ's teachings. In short, the Zealots ignored many of the prophecies regarding His first coming and completely mis-timed those about the second.
Initially, Christ's message probably aroused great excitement among the Zealots and their sympathizers. His early public teachings, in which He rarely mentions having to die for the sins of the world, seemed to fit their expectations of a Messiah who would turn the people back to God. The accompanying miracles, healings, and casting out of demons only added to their "proof." Here was a righteous Jew, a descendant of David, who could lead them to victory over the Romans and usher in God's Kingdom.
Judas must have been thrilled. Jesus the Messiah had chosen him to be one among His twelve — and had appointed him treasurer too. Surely, he would be a mighty king in the New World Order that they would establish. It was more than he had ever hoped or dreamed.
Yet at some point, Jesus' message began to change. He frequently told His disciples that He would die—by crucifixion, of all things—and that this was a main reason for His coming. Judas began to notice that Jesus' references to the Kingdom contradicted his own ideas of it. How could this be right? Daniel had prophesied of the Messiah's coming at this time to set up the Kingdom that "shall stand forever" (Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14, 27; 9:24-25). Jesus, Judas thought, must be a false Messiah.
He began to find fault with the things Jesus said and did. He began to steal from the money box, either for his own ends or maybe to fund some of the activities of the sicarii. Once, in Bethany, he even complained aloud of his displeasure to Jesus (John 12:3-6). When Jesus gently rebuked him for his comment (Mark 14:6-9), Judas was incensed! Luke 22:3-6 tells what happened next:
Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. Then he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.
Not even Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem as King of Israel could dissuade him from his course. Judas had convinced himself that Jesus was a false Messiah and that He had to pay for His deception.
So Judas betrayed Jesus, who was arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to die — just as He had foretold. With the prophecies fulfilled before his eyes, Judas Iscariot saw how He had misunderstood all along:
Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5
It was too late. All the remorse in the world could not undo the damage he had caused—he had condemned the Savior of the world, the King of kings, to a cruel, shameful, painful death by crucifixion.
What terrible destruction we can cause when we proudly act on our own private interpretations of Jesus' teachings or scripture.
The Teachings of Spy Wednesday: How often do we deny or betray Jesus in our daily lives? The Gospel reading of John recounts the dramatic way in which Jesus unmasked both Judas and Peter with the truth, and that Jesus was in control and knew what would happen as He chose to follow the Way that led to His death.
When Jesus indicates that Judas would betray Him, the drama woven by John shows how the fate of Jesus was at hand. Jesus orders Judas to be quick about what he intends to do. Then Judas goes out into the loneliness of the night, aware that Jesus knows of his infidelity.
In contrast to Judas, Peter claims to be loyal. He even pledges that he is ready to sacrifice his life rather than allow Jesus to be taken prisoner. However, Jesus confronts him with the truth: "You will lay down your life for Me, will you? I tell you truly, the cock will not crow before you have three times disowned Me.'' Jesus knows the impetuous Peter all too well.
There is a powerful message behind these Gospel readings. Jesus sees right through our appearances, how we falsely present ourselves to others as holy or pious beings. He recognizes the frailty of the human spirit as reflected in the acts that lie behind the betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter.
Peter would come to recognize the truth of what Jesus told him. Once he did so, he found humility and new hope in Jesus. Judas, on the other hand, was lost. Perhaps John presents these two apostles as symbols of every human person who confronts personal truth when revealed by an encounter with the Way of the Nazarene.
Traditionally the Catholic Church has used these early days of Holy Week as days for final personal preparation for the celebration of the high holy days. There is great wisdom in these traditions.
Perhaps, we too, will find in these days, the courage to confront our true selves and realize how often we deny or betray Jesus in our daily lives.
Maundy Thursday: The Last Supper, Agony in the garden, Jesus is arrested.
The Evangelists and critics generally agree that the Last Supper was on a Thursday, that Christ suffered and died on Friday, and that He arose from the dead on Sunday. As to the day of the month there seems a difference between the record of the synoptic Gospels and that of St. John. In consequence some critics have rejected the authenticity of either account or of both. Since Christians, accepting the inspiration of the Scriptures, cannot admit contradictions in the sacred writers, various attempts have been made to reconcile the statements.
Matthew 26:17 says, "And on the first day of the Azymes"; Mark 14:12, "Now on the first day of the unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the pasch"; Luke 22:7, "And the day of the unleavened bread came, on which it was necessary that the pasch should be killed".
From these passages it seems to follow that Jesus and his disciples conformed to the ordinary custom, that the Last Supper took place on the 14th of Nisan, and that the Crucifixion was on the l5th, the great festival of the Jews. This opinion, held by Tolet, Cornelius a Lapide, Patrizi, Corluy, Hengstenberg, Ohlshausen, and Tholuck, is confirmed by the custom of the early Eastern Church which, looking to the day of the month, celebrated the commemoration of the Lord's Last Supper on the 14th of Nisan, without paying any attention to the day of the week.
This was done in conformity with the teaching of St. John the Evangelist. But in his Gospel, St. John seems to indicate that Friday was the 14th of Nisan, for (18:28) on the morning of this day the Jews "went not into the hall, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the pasch". Various things were done on this Friday which could not be done on a feast, viz., Christ is arrested,
tried, crucified; His body is taken down" (because it was the parasceve) that the bodies might not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day (for that was a great sabbath day)"; the shroud and ointments are bought, and so on.
The defenders of this opinion claim that there is only an apparent contradiction and that the differing statements may be reconciled. For the Jews calculated their festivals and Sabbaths from sunset to sunset: thus the Sabbath began after sunset on Friday and ended at sunset on Saturday.
Place:
The owner of the house in which was the upper room of the Last Supper is not mentioned in Scripture; but he must have been one of the disciples, since Christ bids Peter and John say, "The Master says". Some say it was Nicodemus, or Joseph of Arimathea, or the mother of John Mark.
The hall was large and furnished as a dining-room. In it Christ showed Himself after His Resurrection; here took place the election of Matthias to the Apostolate and the sending of the Holy Ghost; here the first Christians assembled for the breaking of bread; hither Peter and John came when they had given testimony after the cure of the man born lame, and Peter after his liberation from prison; here perhaps was the council of the Apostles held.
Sequence of events:
Some critics give the following harmonized order: washing of the feet of the Apostles, prediction of the betrayal and departure of Judas, institution of the Holy Eucharist. Others, believing that Judas made a sacrilegious communion, place the institution of the sacrament before the departure of Judas.
The Last Paschal Supper "Verily I say unto you, for this end have I come into the world, that I may put away all blood offerings and the eating of the flesh of the beasts and the birds that are slain by men."
The Last Supper:
1. AND at evening the Master cometh into the house, and there are gathered with him the Twelve and their fellows; Peter and Jacob and Thomas and John and Simon and Matthew and Andrew and Nathanael and James and Thaddeus and Jude and Philip and their companions ( and there was also Judas Iscariote, who by men was numbered with the twelve, till the time when he should be manifested).
2. And they were all clad in garments of white linen, pure and clear, for linen is the righteousness of the saints; and each had the colour of his tribe. But the Master was clad in his pure white robe, over all, without seam or spot.
3. And there arose contention among them as to which of them should be esteemed the greatest, wherefore he said unto them, He that is greatest among you let him be as he that doth serve.
4. And Jesus said, With desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. and to institute the Memorial of my Oblation for the service and salvation of all. For behold the hour cometh when the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.
5. And one of the twelve said unto him, Lord, is it I ? And he answered, He to whom I give the sop the same is he.
6. And Iscariot said unto him, Master, behold the unleaven bread, the mingled wine and the oil and the herbs, but where is the lamb that Moses commanded? (for Judas had bought the lamb, but Iesus had forbidden that it should be killed).
7. And John spake in the Spirit, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, the good Shepherd which giveth his life for the sheep. And Judas was troubled at these words, for he knew that he should betray him. But again Judas said, Master, is it not written in the law that a lamb must be slain for the passover within the gates?
8. And Jesus answered, If I am lifted up on the cross then indeed shall the lamb be slain; but woe unto him by whom it is delivered into the hands of the slayers; it were better of him had he not been born.
9. Verily I say unto you, for this end have I come into the world, that I may put away all blood offerings and the eating of the flesh of the beasts and the birds that are slain by men.
10. In the beginning, God gave to all, the fruits of the trees, and the seeds, and the herbs, for food; but those who loved themselves more than God, or their fellows, corrupted their ways, and brought diseases into their bodies, and filled the earth with lust and violence.
11. Not by shedding innocent blood, therefore, but by living a righteous life, shall ye find the peace of God. Ye call me the Christ of God and ye say well, for I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
12. Walk ye in the Way, and ye shall find God. Seek ye the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free. Live in the Life, and ye shall see no death. All things are alive in God, and the Spirit of God filleth all things.
13. Keep ye the commandments. Love thy God with all thy heart, and love thy neighbour as thyself. On these hang all the law and the prophets. And the sum of the law is this—Do not ye unto others as ye would not that others should do unto you. Do ye unto others, as ye would that others should do unto you.
14. Blessed are they who keep this law, for God is manifested in all creatures. All creatures live in God, and God is hid in them.
15. After these things, Jesus dipped the sop and gave it to Judas Iscariot, saying, What thou doest, do quickly. He then, having received the sop, went out immediately, and it was light.
16. And when Judas Iscariot had gone out, Iesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified among his twelve, and God is glorified in him. And verily I say unto you, they who receive you receive me, and they who receive me receive the Father-Mother Who sent me, and ye who have been faithful unto the truth shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
17. And one said unto him, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom unto Israel? And Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world, neither are all Israel which are called Israel.
18. They in every nation who defile not themselves with cruelty, who do righteousness, love mercy, and reverence all the works of God, who give succour to all that are weak and oppressed—the same are the Israel of God.
The Agony In The Garden
"And Jesus went away and prayed, saying, O my Father-Mother, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, Thy will be done". And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground.
1. AND as they went to the Mount of Olives, Iesus said unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night; for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
2. Simon answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
3. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both unto prison and unto death. And Jesus said, I tell thee, Simon, the cock shall not crow this night, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
4. Then cometh Jesus with them, having crossed the brook Kedron, unto the garden called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder. (Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place, for Iesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.)
5. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch with me.
6. And he went little farther and fell on his face and prayed, saying, O my Father-Mother, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.
7. And there appeared an angel unto him, from heaven strengthening him. And he cometh unto the disciples and finding them asleep, saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
8. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
9. He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, O my Father-Mother, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.
10. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground.
11. And he came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
12. And he left them and went away again and prayed a third time, saying, O my Father-Mother, not my will but Thine be done, in earth as it is in heaven.
13. Then cometh he unto his disciples and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
Why was Jesus Arrested?
The Political and Economic Reasons for Dealing with Jesus. The "conspiracy" against Jesus had been building for at least 3 years, and sources record seven instances of official plotting against him, two efforts at arrest, and three assassination attempts before this time. This intrigue was no spur of the moment idea.
This week we call Holy Week, started with Palm Sunday. This week was so important that three of the gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) devote a full third of their contents to reporting theseevents, and the fourth (John) dedicates its entire last half.
Jerusalem, which had a normal population of about 50,000 at this time, had at least tripled in size because of the influx of pilgrims celebrating the Jewish holiday Passover.
Early Sunday morning Jesus made his baldly public entry into the city. This was the end of all privacy and safety, and the beginning of what would be an inevitable collision course with the religious and political authorities. Crowds began to gather to see the rabbi from Galilee.
The procession began accompanied by shouting and singing from the throngs as they threw down their garments on the pathway to cushion his ride - an Oriental custom still observed on occasions - as well as palm fronds, the symbol of triumph.
The Old Testament prophet Zechariah had foretold the arrival of theMessianic king in Jerusalem via the humble conveyance of a colt. Here the crowd hailed Jesus as "the son of David", a loaded name used at a volatile time.
The priestly establishment was understandably disturbed, as the palmwas the national emblem of an independent Palestine. These were Jewish flags. What if Jesus should claim to be the heir of King David?
(Recent archiological excavations have turned up Roman coins, which have the head of Tiberias (idolatrous to the Jewish subjects) but over stamped with a palm.)
The "conspiracy" against Jesus had been building for at least 3 years, and sources record seven instances of official plotting against him, two efforts at arrest, and three assassination attempts before this time. This intrigue was no spur of the moment idea.
A formal decision to arrest Jesus had in fact been made several months earlier. The Jewish religious officials were afraid that if Jesus were to continue performing his signs, he would win over the people and the Romans would come in and destroy the Temple and nation.
According to legal custom at that time, a court crier had to announce publicly or post an official "wanted" handbill in the larger towns of Judea about forty days prior to a trial. Small wonder that there was some debate over whether Jesus would dare appear in Jerusalem for the next Passover. This discussion ended abruptly on Palm Sunday.
There were political reasons for dealing with Jesus. There had been a dozen uprisings in Palestine in the previous 100 years, most of them subdued by Roman force. Another Messianic rebellion under Jesus would only shatter the precarious balance of authority, break Rome's patience, and might lead to direct occupation by Roman legions.
Religiously, Jesus was a dangerous item. The people were hailing the Teacher from Galilee as something more than a man, and Jesus was not
denying or blunting this blasphemous adulation. Personally, the Pharisees had been bested by Jesus in public debate, being called vipers, whitewashed tombs, and devourers of widow's houses. Humiliated, they would be only too happy to conspire with the scribes, elders, and chief priests.
There would be economic motives for opposing Jesus as well. Upon seeing the commercialization of the Temple, Jesus would drive the dealers and animals out, as well as turn over the tables of the moneychangers causing a major disruption in business. There were to be many reasons for dealing with Jesus.
Good Friday: The trial, crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus.
The Friday before Easter is called "Good" Friday. It is a somber observance which commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus the Nazarene. Marked with prayers, fasts and penance, Good Friday is a day of contrition, repentance and reflection. It is not a day of celebration but a day of mourning, both for the death of Jesus, and for the sins of a world that his death represents.
There are few explanations as to why the holiday is known as "Good" Friday since it commemorates a sorrowful time in Christian history. Some scholars believe that "good" is a corruption of the word "God's" while others speculate that "good" was used to denote "holy." In Eastern Orthodox churches, the observance is known as Great Friday.
According to Christian legend, Jesus, a Nazarene, was considered by many to be the Son of God. Some high officials and Jewish priests felt that he was trying to usurp their authority by misleading the people. They formed a plot against Jesus with the help of one of his apostles, named Judas. Finding him guilty on all counts, they presented Him before the Roman Governor, who saw no reason to condemn him. But the priests were adamant. They insisted that it was his teachings which were responsible for all the riots in the city of Judea and they demanded for his crucifixion.
Good Friday commemorates the arrest (since the Jewish custom of counting days from sundown to sundown it was already Friday), trial, torture, crucifixion, suffering (passion), death and burial of Jesus the Nazarene. Marked with prayers, fasts and penance, Good Friday is a day of contrition, repentance and reflection. There are a variety of customs, practices and services of worship for Good Friday, all aimed at allowing worshippers to experience some sense of the pain and humiliation experienced by Jesus, and ending in the journey to the cross.
Jesus is believed to have died on the cross at 3 o'clock in the afternoon of Good Friday. A cross, symbolic of the one on which Jesus was crucified, is unveiled in many churches. Jesus is said to have rose from his grave on the following Sunday, which is celebrated as Easter.
The rituals for Good Friday commence on the preceding Thursday. A feast symbolizing the last supper of Jesus is held on Thursday night. The end of this meal marks the beginning of the fast for Easter. In some churches, mourners wearing black, move in a procession and a ceremonial burial takes place.
Good Friday has been observed since about 100 C. E. Many churches now have mourning services from noon until 3:00 p.m. to symbolize Jesus' last hours on the cross. Some congregations also re-enact Jesus' procession to the cross in a ritual known as Stations of the Cross.
Another common service for Good Friday is Tenebrae (Latin for "shadows" or "darkness") Sometimes this term is applied generally to all church services on the last three days of Holy week. More specifically, however, it is used of the Service of Darkness or Service of Shadows, usually held in the evening of Good Friday. It is usually characterized by a series of Scripture readings and meditation done in stages while lights and/or candles are gradually extinguished to symbolize the growing darkness not only of Jesus’ death but of hopelessness in the world without God. The service ends in darkness, sometimes with a final candle, the Christ candle, carried out of the sanctuary, symbolizing the death of Jesus. Often the service concludes with a loud noise symbolizing the closing of Jesus’ tomb. The worshippers then leave in silence.
Depending on how services are conducted on this day, all pictures, statutes, and the cross are covered in black mourning cloth. Altar candles are black and extinguished. The chancel and altar coverings are also replaced with black. They are left this way through Saturday, but are always replaced with white before sunrise on Sunday.
Good Friday is not a day of celebration but a day of mourning, both for the death of Jesus the Nazarene, and for the sins of the world that his death represents. be fulfilled—A b1. THEN released he Barabbas unto them, and when he had scourged Iesus he delivered him to be crucified. Th
At about 3 p.m. that Friday, The Master Yeshua Ben Yosef, Jesus dies.
"Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Iudaeorvm"
Holy Saturday, Black Sabbath: The Sabbath on which Jesus rested in the tomb.
Saturday is the seventh day of the week, the day Jesus rested in the tomb. In the first three synoptic Gospel accounts this was the Jewish Sabbath which provided appropriate symbolism of the seventh day of rest.
Jesus was crucified on Friday, the Jewish "Preparation Day" (the day before the Sabbath). Because the next day was the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus petitioned Pilate for Jesus' body to be removed from the cross. They placed Jesus' body in the tomb and wrapped it in linen and spices in accordance with Jewish burial customs. This also provided appropriate symbolism of the seventh day of rest.
The next day, Holy Saturday, the chief priest and the Pharisees went to Pilate. They recalled that while Jesus was still alive he had said "After three days I will rise again." Pilate gave the order that the tomb be sealed and guards posted until the third day so Jesus' disciples could not come and steal the body away and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead.
Holy Saturday is then, chiefly a day of solemn vigil (watch), prayer and meditation. The major activity of the day comes at nightfall as observance of the Resurrection approaches.
While Good Friday is a traditional day of fasting, some also fast on Holy Saturday as the climax of the season of Lent. In the early Church, this was the only Saturday on which fasting was permitted of special severity. Dating from the time of St. Irenaeus, an absolute fast from every kind of food was observed for the forty hours preceding the feast of Easter. Although the moment assigned for breaking the fast at dawn on Sunday varied according to time and country, the abstinence from food on Holy Saturday was mandated.
This ancient tradition dating to the first centuries of the church calls for no food of any kind to be eaten on Holy Saturday, or for 40 hours before sunrise on Sunday. It is also observed that Holy Saturday has traditionally been a time of reflection and waiting, the time of weeping that lasts for the night while awaiting the joy that comes in the morning (Psa 30:5).
Some traditions suspend services and Scripture readings during the day on Holy Saturday, to be resumed at the Easter Vigil after sundown Saturday evening. Some church traditions continue daily services on Saturday, but there is no communion served on this day. It is traditionally a day of fasting and quiet meditation as we contemplate the darkness of a world without a future and without hope apart from God and his grace.
Prior to the fourth century, only Easter was recognized as a holy day. As part of the Constantine reformation, all days of the week prior to Easter were established as holy days. Today it is primarily observed by the Roman Catholic church. In the ceremony, a Paschal candle is lit along with five incenses. The five incenses represent the five wounds and burial spices with which His body was anointed.
Some Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches hold vigil services that often include the baptism of new members. The vigil service leads up to a dramatic moment. The lights of the church are put out, leaving everyone in darkness. Then, the priest lights one tall candle, representing the risen Jesus. The flame from this candle is used to light other candles held by worshipers, which symbolizes the spreading of Jesus' light throughout the world.
In Eastern Orthodox Churches, the ceremony is timed so that the priest lights his candle exactly at midnight. After all the candles have been lit, the service becomes an Easter celebration, with joyous music and the reading of the Easter story from the Bible.
In the primitive Church, Holy Saturday was known as Great or Grand Saturday, Holy Saturday, the Angelic Night, and the Vigil of Easter. It is no longer, like Maundy Thursday, a day of joy, but one of joy and sadness intermingled; it is the close of the season of Lent and penance, and the beginning of paschal time, which is one of rejoicing.
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Holy Saturday is also a day of solemn vigil, meditation and prayer.
Easter Sunday: The 'Resurrection' of Jesus.
"Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken unto her, and commanded her to announce his resurrection from the dead."
1. NOW after the Sabbath was ended and it began to dawn, on the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene to the sepulchre, bearing the spices which she had prepared, and there were others with her.
2. And as they were going, they said among themselves, who shall roll away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? For it was great. And when they came to the place and looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away.
3. For behold there was a great earthquake; and the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lighting and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men.
4. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Iesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.
5. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him; lo, I have told you.
6. And they entered in and found not the body of Jesus. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
7. And they ran and came to the scpulchre, and looking in, they saw the linen clothes lying, and the napkin that had been about his head not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped up in a place by itself.
8. And it came to pass as they were much perplexed, behold, two angels stood by them in glistening garments of white, and said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, he is risen, and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee, there shall we see him.
9. Remember ye not how he spake unto you, when he was yet in Galilee, that the Son of Man should be crucified and that he would rise again after the third day? And they remembered his words. And they went out quickly and fled from the sepulchre, for they trembled with amazement, and they were afraid.
11. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping, and as she wept she again stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre and saw two angels in white garments, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Iesus had lain. And they said unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?
12. She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Iesus standing, and knew not that it was Iesus.
13. Iesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Iesus said unto her, Mary, She turned herself and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
14. Iesus saith unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father One with my Mother, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Parent and your Parent; to my God and your God.
"Peace be with you"
The Tragedy of Christ
In turning our attention to Holy Week and the story of the Crucifixion, it is obvious that there is need to recount the details of it, and yet, it is so well known and so familiar that the words in which it is couched are apt to mean little and often go unrealized.
The tale of Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the cleansing of the temple and the releasing of the animals, of His gathering the disciples together into the upper room, and there sharing with them the communion of bread and of wine, and of the desertion of those who supposedly loved Him, with His subsequent agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, is as familiar to us as our own names, and much less arresting.
And that is the tragedy of Christ....
He did so much, and we have recognized so little. It has taken us twenty centuries to even begin to understand Him and His mission and career. The Crucifixion itself was only an anticipated and expected consummation. No other end was possible. It was predetermined from the beginning, and dated from the time when, after the Baptism initiation, He started out to serve humanity, and to teach and preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God.
That was His theme, and we have forgotten it and have only preached the Personality of Christ - the one theme which He Himself ignored and which seemed to Him of small importance in view of the greater values involved. This again is the tragedy of Christ. He had one set of values and the world has another.
We have made of the Crucifixion a tragedy, whereas the real tragedy was our failure to recognize its true significance. The agony in the Garden of Gethsemane was based upon the fact that He was not understood. Many have died violent deaths. In this, Christ was in no wise different from thousands of other farseeing men and reformers, even down thru the ages.
Many people have passed through the Gethsemane experience and prayed with the same fervor as Christ that God's will might be done. Many have been deserted by those who might have been expected to understand and participate in the work and service visioned. In none of these respects was Christ unique.
But His suffering was based upon a unique vision. The lack of comprehension of the people, and the distorted interpretations which future theologians would give to His message must surely have been a part of the prevision, as likewise the knowledge that the emphasis accorded to Him as the Savior of the world would retard for centuries the materializing of the kingdom of God on earth, which was His mission to found.
Christ came that all mankind might have "life... more abundantly." Yet we have so interpreted His words that only the "saved" are credited with having taken the necessary steps towards that life. But the abundant life is surely not a life to be lived hereafter, in some distant heaven where those who are believers shall enjoy an exclusive life of happiness, whilst the rest of God's children are left for naught.
The Cross was intended to indicate the line of demarcation between the kingdom of men and the kingdom of God, between one great kingdom in nature which had reached maturity, and another kingdom in nature which could now enter upon its cycle of activity. The human kingdom had evolved to the point where it had produced the Christ and those other children of God whose lives bore constant testimony to divine nature.
Christ assumed the ancient symbol and burden of the cross, and, taking His stand beside all the previous crucified Saviors, embodied in Himself the immediate and the cosmic, the past and the future, rearing the Cross on the hill outside Jerusalem (the name of which signifies the "vision of peace"), thus calling attention to the kingdom which He died to establish.
The work had been completed, and in that far away little country called the Holy Land, a narrow strip of territory between the two hemispheres, the East and the West, the Orient and the Occident, Christ mounted the Cross and fixed the boundary between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world, between the world of men and the world of Spirit. Thus He brought to a climax the ancient Mysteries, which had prophesied the coming of that kingdom, and instituted the Mysteries of the kingdom of God.
The effort to carry out to perfection the will of God brought to an end the most complete life that had been lived on earth. The attempt to found the kingdom, preordained for all time, and the antagonism it evoked, brought Christ to the place of crucifixion.
The hardness of men's hearts, the weakness of their love, and their failure to see the vision, broke the heart of the Savior of the world - a Savior because He opened the door into the kingdom and none would walk through.
It is time that the Church understood its true mission, which is to materialize the kingdom of God on earth, today, here and now. The time is past wherein we can emphasize a future and coming kingdom.
People are no longer interested in a possible heavenly state or a probable hell. They need to learn that the kingdom is here, within us all, and must express itself on earth; it consists of those who do the will of God at any cost, as Christ did, and who can love one another as Christ loved us.
The way into that kingdom is the way that Christ trod. It involves the sacrifice of the personal self for the good of the world, and the service of humanity instead of the service of one's own selfish opinions and desires. In the course of enunciating these new truths concerning love and service, Christ lost his life.
Is it not understood that the Crucifixion of Christ, with its great preceding events - the communion and the Gethsemane experience -is a tragedy which has its basis in the conflict between love and hate?
It is not to belittle the events which took place upon Calvary. But today, as one looks back upon that event, a certain truth begins to emerge, and we have mistakenly interpreted that sacrifice and that death in purely selfish terms.
We are concerned only with our own individual interests. We have emphasized only the importance of our individual salvation and pride it to be of tremendous importance.
But the world view and what Christ was destined to do for all humanity down through the ages, and the attitude of God towards human beings from the earliest times, through the period of Christ's life in Palestine and on until the present time, are subordinated to the factor of our belief or non-belief in the efficacy of the Crucifixion upon Calvary to save our individual souls.
Yet in His conversation with the repentant thief, Christ admitted him into the kingdom of God on the basis of his own recognition and understanding of divinity. Christ had not yet died nor was He resurrected, and the blood sacrifice of Christ had not yet been made.
It was as if Christ had foreseen the turn which theology would give to His death, and endeavored to offset it by making the recognition of the dying thief one of the most outstanding events at His death, for He made no reference to the remission of sins through His blood as the reason for that admission.
"The Crucifix is the emblem and symbol of the Son of God, not because Jesus shed his blood upon the cross for the sins of man, but because the Christ is crucified perpetually so long as sin remains."
The Essene Book of Illuminations
" Peace be with you "
 ack to
The Transfiguration on the Mount
and
The Giving of the Law
The Transfiguration of Christ is the culminating point of his epic life, just as his Baptism is its starting point, and his Ascension is its end. Moreover, this glorious event has been related in detail by the appearance of Moses, to hand over as it were, the Law and the Dispensation to Jesus. This throws a light on the reason for the Transfiguration which is lost in the accepted versions of the Gospels. Elias also appears, so as to make with Moses, the "two witnesses" required by the Law. They recognize Jesus as the Christ, and witness to him as the great Prophet whom God should raise to succeed and take the place of Moses as the Legislator of the New Dispensation.
The Transfiguration is a miraculous event in the Synoptic Gospel accounts of Jesus Christ (Matt. 17:1-6, Mark 9:1-8, Luke 9:28-36 and The Gospel of the Holy Twelve; Lection 46): Jesus led his apostles to pray at the top of a mountain, where he became transfigured, with his face shining like the sun, and with brilliant white clothes; Elijah and Moses appeared with Jesus, and talked with him, and then a bright cloud appeared overhead, and a voice from the cloud proclaimed, "This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him."
Moses and Elijah have been interpreted to represent the Law and the Prophets, respectively, recognizing and adoring Jesus. Peter and John briefly allude to the event in their writings (II Peter 1:16-18, John 1:14).
According to tradition, the event took place on Mount Tabor.
About a week after his sojourn, Jesus takes the apostles to a high mountain, where he was transfigured before their ravished eyes. The Gospels express this phenomenon by the word metemorphothe, which the Vulgate renders as transfiguratus est. The Synoptics explain the true meaning of the word by adding "his face did shine as the sun and his garments became white as snow."
This dazzling brightness emanated from his entire body and was produced by an interior reflection of Holy Divinity. The Law once given through Moses "by the ministry of angels," was now given through Jesus as the more perfect Law -the Law of Christ.
The Transfiguration on the Mount
The Gospel of the Holy Twelve
1. AFTER six days, when the Feast of Tabernacles was nigh at hand, Jesus taketh the twelve and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and as he was praying the fashion of his countenance was changed, and he was transfigured before them, and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
2. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him and spake of the Law, and of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
3.. And Moses spake, saying, This is he of whom I foretold, saying, A prophet from the midst of thy brethren, like unto me shall the Eternal send unto you, and that which the Eternal speaketh unto him, shall he speak unto you, and unto him shall ye hearken, and whoso will not obey shall bring upon themselves their own destruction.
4. Then Peter said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here; if thou wilt let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5. While he yet spake, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them, and twelve rays as of the sun issued from behind the cloud, and a voice came out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were sore amazed, and Jesus came and touched them and said, Arise and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And the six glories were seen upon him.
The Giving of the Law
7. AND Jesus said unto them, Behold a new law I give unto you, which is not new but old. Even as Moses gave the Ten Commandments to Israel after the flesh, so also I give unto you the Twelve for the Kingdom of Israel after the Spirit.
8. For who are the Israel of God ? Even they of every nation and tribe who work righteousness, love mercy and keep my commandments, these are the true Israel of God. And standing upon his feet, Jesus spake, saying:
9. Hear O Israel, JOVA, thy God is One; many are My seers, and My prophets. In Me all live and move, and have subsistence.
10. Ye shall not take away the life of any creature for your pleasure, nor for your profit. nor yet torment it.
11. Ye shall not steal the goods of any, nor gather lands and riches to yourselves, beyond your need or use.
12. Ye shall not eat the flesh, nor drink the blood of any slaughtered creature, nor yet any thing which bringeth disorder to your health or senses.
13. Ye shall not make impure marriages, where love and health are not, nor yet corrupt yourselves, or any creature made pure by the Holy.
14. Ye shall not bear false witness against any, nor wilfully deceive any by a lie to hurt them.
15. Ye shall not do unto others, as ye would not that others should do unto you.
16. Ye shall worship One Eternal, the Father-Mother in Heaven, of Whom are all things, and reverence the holy Name.
17. Ye shall revere your fathers and your mothers on earth, whose care is for you, and all the Teachers of Righteousness.
18. Ye shall cherish and protect the weak, and those who are oppressed, and all creatures that suffer wrong.
19. Ye shall work with your hands the things that are good and seemly; so shalt ye eat the fruits Of the earth, and live long in the land.
20. Ye shall purify yourselves daily and rest the Seventh Day from labour, keeping holy the Sabbaths and the Festival of your God.
21. Ye shall do unto others as ye would that others should do unto you.
22. And when the disciples heard these words, they smote upon their breasts, saying: Wherein we have offended. O God forgive us: and may thy wisdom, love and truth within us incline our hearts to love and keen this Holy Law.
23. And Jesus said unto them, My yoke is equal and my burden light, if ye will to bear it, to you it will be easy. Lay no other burden on those that enter into the kingdom, but only these necessary things.
24. This is the new Law unto the Israel of God, and the Law is within, for it is the Law of Love, and it is not new but old. Take heed that ye add nothing to this law, neither take anything from it. Verily I say unto you, they who believe and obey this law shall be saved, and they who know and obey it not, shall be lost.
25. But as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive. And the disobedient shall be purged through many fires; and they who persist shall descend and shall perish eternally.
26. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
27. His disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come and restore all things.
28. But I say unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
The law as given through Moses "by the ministry of angels," and as the Church of Israel (the typical nation,) and as received through Interpreters and Scribes, had no precept forbidding cruelty, oppression, flesh eating, drunkenness, the worship of mammon, impure marriages, or other vices and crimes which are the cause of nearly all the misery which now afflicts mankind, nor did it include that mutual consideration for each other (positively and negatively) which is summed up in the one commandment of Christ "Love ye one another," which includes all creatures which God hath given to be our earth mates and companions.
But now, by the same Spirit, is given through the ministry of angels, a more perfect Law -the Law of Christ- which they knew not, those who sacrificed innocent animals (which "God commanded not," as said by Jeremiah the prophet), in place of the passions and lusts within their carnal minds. And to this end is this Law now given anew after a more perfect way that the multitudes in the Outer Court may have it written in their hearts, and enter through the Middle Courts of the Soul, into the realm of the divine Spirit where no tables of the Law are seen, for there the Law is written from WITHIN.
The "six glories" are reference to the six precepts in each table of the law as now given, or more accurately, to the six attributes of each of the two aspects of the Christ, six feminine and six masculine, as inherent in the Two in One -the "Father-Mother of the age to come."
Compare this with the Law as given by Moses in the "Book of the Going Forth of Israel," all are chiefly negative precepts. In the law given by Christ there are six negative and six positive. The negative is the external Way, in which certain actions are forbidden. The positive is the interior way, in which certain duties are enjoined. As the prohibitions are given in the negative, so also are they given in the positive.
The moral obligations of Mankind have thus been revealed in two ways; the first and earliest is the negative and external way in which certain actions are forbidden; the second and later is the positive and interior way in which certain duties are commanded. As the prohibitions are summed up in the negative form, so the commands are summed up in the positive form, and both in the one command of Christ; "Love ye one another."
Had this law been faithfully observed, there would have been no suffering, divisions or war as now, and this earth would have been a paradise for all living things. It is the spirit of selfishness and of perversity, in direct opposition to the Law of Christ which has been the root of all evils and sin and could have been avoided by simple adherence to the twelve precepts given by Jesus on the Mount.
" Peace be with you "
The Sermon On The Mount
The Gospel of the Holy Twelve
The major teaching event in the ministry of Jesus was the Sermon on the Mount. According to the scriptures, this was the largest gathering that Jesus addressed during His ministry. Given this opportunity, He did not bring people out of the audience and cure their illnesses; He did not ask the people to worship Him; He did not say that He was going to die for their sins. What He did do, was to teach the following lesson: Be righteous, be meek, be pure of heart, be a peacemaker and be merciful to all living things.
(Part I)
1. Iesus seeing the multitudes, went up into a mountain: and when he was seated, the twelve came unto him, and he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said:
2. Blessed in spirit are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
3. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of God.
4. Yea, blessed are ye, when men shall hate you’ and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
5. Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received in this life your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you’ for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
6. Ye are the salt of the earth, for every sacrifice must be salted with salt, but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot.
7. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Parent who is in heaven.
8. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the law or the prophets till all be fulfilled. But behold One greater than Moses is here. and he will give you the higher law, even the perfect Law, and this Law shall ye obey.
9. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these commandments which he shall give, and shall teach men so, they shall be called the least in the kingdom; but whosoever shall do, and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.
10. Verily they who believe and obey shall save their souls, and they who obey not shall lose them. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall, exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees ye shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven.
11. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
12. Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any time thy adversary deliver thee to the Judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee. Thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
13. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.
14. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. That ye may be the children of your Parent Who maketh the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the Just and on the unjust.
15. For if ye love them which love you what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners even do the same. And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even so the tax gatherers?
16. And if a desire be unto thee as thy life, and it turn thee from the truth, cast it out from thee, for it is better to enter life possessing truth, than losing it, to be cast into outer darkness.
17. And if that seem desirable to thee which costs another pain or sorrow, cast it out of thine heart; so shalt thou attain to peace. Better it is to endure sorrow, than to inflict it, on those who are weaker.
18. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Parent Who is in heaven is perfect.
Lection XXVI
The Sermon On The Mount (Part II)
1. TAKE heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Parent who is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
2. But when thou givest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, and take heed that thine alms may be in secret; and the Secret One which seest in secret shall approve then openly.
3. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
4. But thou, when thou prayest enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father-Mother who is in secret; and the secret One that seeth in secret shall approve thee openly.
5. And when ye pray in common, use not vain petitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your heavenly Parent knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask After this manner therefore pray ye, when ye are gathered together:
6. Our Parent Who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done; in earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread, and the fruit of the living Vine. As Thou forgivest us our trespasses, so may we forgive the trespasses of others. Leave us not in temptation. Deliver us from evil: For Thine are the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever and ever, Amun.
7. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Parent will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Parent in heaven forgive you your trespasses.
8. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
9. And I say unto you, Except ye fast from the world and its evil ways, ye shall in no wise find the Kingdom; and except ye keep the Sabbath and cease your haste to gather riches, ye shall not see the Father-Mother in heaven. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, and the Holy One who seeth in secret will approve thee openly.
10. Likewise also do ye, when ye mourn for the dead and are sad, for your loss in their gain. Be not as those who mourn before men and make loud lamentation and rend their garments, that they may be seen of men to mourn. For all souls are in the hands of God, and they who have done good, do rest with your ancestors in the bosom of the Eternal.
11. Pray ye rather for their rest and advancement, and consider that they are in the land of rest, which the Eternal hath prepared for them, and have the just reward of their deeds, and murmur not as those without hope.
12. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth not rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
13. The lamps of the body are the eyes: if therefore thy sight be clear, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eyes be dim or lacking, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
14. No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
15. Therefore I say unto you, Be not over anxious for your life what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment? And what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his life ?
16. Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Parent feedeth them. Are ye not much better cared for than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why spend all your thought for raiment ? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you, Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
17. Wherefore shall not God who clothes the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
18. Therefore be not over anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (all Which things do the Gentiles seek). For your heavenly Parent knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Meet not in advance the evils of the morrow; sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Lection XXVII
The Sermon On The Mount (Part III)
1. JUDGE not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again; and as ye do unto others, so shall it be done unto you.
2. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull the mote out of thine eye; and behold a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shall thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
3. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs’ neither cast ye your pearls before swine; lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you.
4. Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to them that knock it shall be opened.
5. What man is there of you who, if his child ask bread, will give it a stone? Or, if it ask a fish, will give it a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Parent Who is in heaven give good things to them that ask?
6. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. And what ye would not that men should do unto you, do ye not so unto them; for this is the Law and the prophets.
7. Enter ye in at the strait gate, for strait is the way and narrow the gate that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. But wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat.
8. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
9. Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is only fit to be hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know the good from the evil.
10. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father-Mother Who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy Name? and in thy Name have cast out devils? and in thy Name done many wonderful works? And then will I say unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
11. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house foursquare upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.
12. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand, and the rain descended, and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. But a city which is built foursquare, enclosed in a circle or on the top of a hill, and established on a rock, can neither fall nor be hidden.
13. And it came to pass, when Iesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine. For he taught them as one appealing to the reason and the heart, and not as the scribes who taught rather by authority.
" Peace be with you "
The Lord's Prayer
Translations from Aramaic, Origins and History of The Lord's Prayer
Biblical scholars disagree about Jesus' meaning in the Lord's Prayer. Some view it as "existential," referring to man's present experience on earth, while others interpret it as "eschatological," referring to the coming Kingdom of God. The prayer itself lends to both interpretations, and further questions are posed by the existence of other translations and the problems inherent in the process of translation.
"This, then, is how you should pray:" Jesus, Matt 6:9
It has always been of great interest as to the many different interpretations of the various aspects of what is offered as foundational information about Jesus the Nazarene, what he said and taught, and how translations over the centuries have changed dramatically sometimes even altering the original meaning of a particular text.
Aramaic manuscripts have been uncovered over the years which provide us with original source documents that can be fairly well authenticated. Beginning with Constantine around 325 AD, dramatic changes began to be infused into interpretations as texts were translated from Aramaic into Greek and then into Latin. In later years there was then translations into old English, and later, more translations into modern English.
The Aramaic Language doesn't distinguish between means and purpose, inside quality or outside acting. Both are given simultaneously as in "what you've sown, so you'll harvest." When Jesus relates to the "Kingdom of Heaven" he means the Kingdom inside as well as the Kingdom in the middle or "amongst" us. Also "the next one" is inside and outside as in the whole or Self. The arbitrary borders between spirit, body and soul are nonexistent.
The Aramaic Language has (like the Hebrew and Arabic) different levels of meaning. The words are organized and defined by a poetical system where different meanings of every word are possible. So, every line of the Lords Prayer could be translated into English in many different versions. As an example of how the intent of a passage can be changed, here are some translations of the Lord's Prayer directly translated from the ancient Aramaic language into modern English.
The Prayer To Our Father
(in the original Aramaic)
Abwûn
"Oh Thou, from whom the breath of life comes,
d'bwaschmâja
who fills all realms of sound, light and vibration.
Nethkâdasch schmach
May Your light be experienced in my utmost holiest.
Têtê malkuthach.
Your Heavenly Domain approaches.
Nehwê tzevjânach aikâna d'bwaschmâja af b'arha.
Let Your will come true - in the universe (all that vibrates)
just as on earth (that is material and dense).
Hawvlân lachma d'sûnkanân jaomâna.
Give us wisdom (understanding, assistance) for our daily need,
Waschboklân chaubên wachtahên aikâna
daf chnân schwoken l'chaijabên.
detach the fetters of faults that bind us, (karma)
like we let go the guilt of others.
Wela tachlân l'nesjuna
Let us not be lost in superficial things (materialism, common temptations),
ela patzân min bischa.
but let us be freed from that what keeps us off from our true purpose.
Metol dilachie malkutha wahaila wateschbuchta l'ahlâm almîn.
From You comes the all-working will, the lively strength to act,
the song that beautifies all and renews itself from age to age.
Amên.
Sealed in trust, faith and truth.
(I confirm with my entire being)
Lords Prayer, from the original Aramaic
Translation by Neil Douglas-Klotz in Prayers of the Cosmos
O Birther! Father- Mother of the Cosmos
Focus your light within us - make it useful.
Create your reign of unity now-
through our fiery hearts and willing hands
Help us love beyond our ideals
and sprout acts of compassion for all creatures.
Animate the earth within us: we then
feel the Wisdom underneath supporting all.
Untangle the knots within
so that we can mend our hearts' simple ties to each other.
Don't let surface things delude us,
But free us from what holds us back from our true purpose.
Out of you, the astonishing fire,
Returning light and sound to the cosmos.
Amen.
Lords Prayer, from Aramaic into Old English
Translation by G.J.R. Ouseley from The Gospel of the Holy Twelve
Our Father-Mother Who art above and within:
Hallowed be Thy Name in twofold Trinity.
In Wisdom, Love and Equity Thy Kingdom come to all.
Thy will be done, As in Heaven so in Earth.
Give us day by day to partake of Thy holy Bread, and the fruit of the living Vine.
As Thou dost forgive us our trespasses, so may we forgive others who trespass against us.
Shew upon us Thy goodness, that to others we may shew the same.
In the hour of temptation, deliver us from evil.
Amun.
The Lord's Prayer, sometimes known by its first two Latin words as the Pater Noster, or the English equivalent Our Father, is probably the most well-known prayer in the Christian religion. The Lord's Prayer is excerpted from Matt. 6:9-13 during the Sermon on the Mount. A similar prayer is found on Luke 11:2-4.
It is called the "Lord's Prayer" because it was the prayer given by Jesus in response to a request from the Apostles for guidance on how to pray. Most Christian theologians point out that Jesus would have never used this prayer himself, for it specifically asks for forgiveness of sins or, more literally, for cancellation of debts, and in most schools of Christian thought, Christ never sinned. However since it says "forgive us our sins", not "forgive me my sins", Christ might have prayed it by way of identifying himself with the common plight of man and of asking for the forgiveness of the sins of his disciples.
The doxology (For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen) was not present in the original version of the prayer, but rather was added to the Gospels as a result of its use in the liturgy of the early church. For this reason, it is not included in many modern translations.
Origins of the Lord's Prayer
In the latter part of the second century, Matthew translates the Lord's Prayer in rather crude Greek, behind which one can still sense the original Aramaic. The commonly accepted version of the Lord's Prayer is the version of Matthew. This version however is admitted to be grossly inaccurate. It contains sixty-six words. The Revised Version of Matthew contains but fifty-five. Twenty-four words either do not belong to the prayer, or have been misplaced; while words which do belong to it have been omitted. In this regard, John E. Remsberg, author of The Christ writes: "If the custodians of the Christian Scriptures have permitted the prayer of their Lord to be corrupted to this extent, what reliance can be placed upon the genuineness of the remainder of these writings?"
The Lord's Prayer, like so many more of the precepts and discourses ascribed to Jesus, is borrowed. Dr. Hardwicke, of England, says: "The so-called 'Lord's Prayer' was learned by the Messiah as the 'Kadish' from the Talmud."
The Kadish, as translated by Christian scholar, Rev. John Gregorie, is as follows:
"Our Parent which art in heaven, be gracious to us, O Lord, our God; hallowed be thy name, and let the remembrance of thee be glorified in heaven above and in the earth here below. Let thy kingdom reign over us now and forever. The holy men of old said, Remit and forgive unto all men whatsoever they have done against me. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil thing. For thine is the kingdom, and thou shalt reign in glory for ever and for evermore."
The eminent Swiss theologian, Dr. Wetstein, says: "It is a curious fact that the Lord's Prayer may be constructed almost verbatim out of the Talmud. The Sermon on the Mount is derived largely from the teachings of the Essenes, a Jewish sect to which Jesus is believed by many to have belonged."
In the early Church, the Christians living in the eastern half of the Roman Empire added the doxology ("For thine is the kingdom ect.") to the Gospel text of the Our Father when reciting the prayer at Mass. Evidence of this practice is also found in the Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles), a first-century manual of morals, worship and doctrine of the Church. (The Didache also prescribed that the faithful recite the Our Father three times a day.) Also when copying the scriptures, Greek scribes sometimes appended the doxology onto the original Gospel text of the Our Father; however, most texts today would omit this inclusion, relegate it to a footnote, or note that it was a later addition to the Gospel. Official "Catholic" Bibles including the Vulgate, the Douay-Rheims, the Confraternity Edition, and the New American have never included this doxology.
In the western half of the Roman Empire and in the Latin rite, the Our Father was always an important part of the Mass. St. Jerome (d. 420) attested to the usage of the Our Father in the Mass, and St. Gregory the Great (d. 604) placed the recitation of the Our Father after the Canon and before the Fraction. The Commentary on the Sacrament of St. Ambrose (d. 397) meditated on the meaning of "daily bread" in the context of the Holy Eucharist. In this same vein, St. Augustine (d. 430) saw the Our Father as a beautiful connection of the Holy Eucharist with the forgiveness of sins. In all instances, the Church saw this "perfect prayer which the Lord gave" as a proper means of preparing for Holy Communion. However, none of this evidence includes the appended doxology.
The English wording of the Our Father that is used today reflects the version mandated for use by Henry VIII, which was based on the English version of the Bible produced by Tyndale (1525). Later in 1541 after his official separation from the Holy Father, Henry VIII issued an edict saying:
"His Grace perceiving now the great diversity of the translations of the Pater Noster hath willed them all to be taken up, and instead of them hath caused an uniform translation of the said Pater Noster, Ave, Creed, etc., to be set forth, willing all his loving subjects to learn and use the same and straitly [sic] commanding all parsons, vicars, and curates to read and teach the same to their parishioners."
This English version without the doxology of the Our Father became accepted throughout the English-speaking world, even though the later English translations of the Bible including the Catholic Douay-Rheims (1610) and Protestant King James versions (1611) had different renderings of prayers as found in the Gospel of St. Matthew. Later, the Catholic Church made slight modifications in the English: "who art" replaced "which art," and "on earth" replaced "in earth." During the reign of Edward VI, the Book of Common Prayer (1549 and 1552 editions) of the Church of England did not change the wording of the Our Father nor add the doxology. However, during the reign of Elizabeth I and a resurgence to rid the Church of England from any Catholic vestiges, the Lord’s Prayer was changed to include the doxology.
Evolution of The Lord's Prayer
The Prayer to Our Father in the Original Aramaic
The Lord's Prayer in Greek
Matthew's second century mistranslation of the Lord's Prayer in crude Greek, the commonly accepted version of the Lord's Prayer from which all others are translated.
ΠΑΤΕΡ ΗΜΩΝ Ο ΕΝ ΤΟΙΣ ΟΥΡΑΝΟΙΣ
ΑΓΙΑΣΘΗΤΩ ΤΟ ΟΝΟΜΑ ΣΟΥ (what looks like π, is γι: αγιασθητω)
ΕΛΘΕΤΩ Η ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑ ΣΟΥ
ΓΕΝΗΘΗΤΩ ΤΟ ΘΕΛΗΜΑ ΣΟΥ,
ΩΣ ΕΝ ΟΥΡΑΝΩ ΚΑΙ ΕΠΙ ΤΗΣ ΓΗΣ
ΤΟΝ ΑΡΤΟΝ ΗΜΩΝ ΤΟΝ ΕΠΙΟΥΣΙΟΝ
ΔΟΣ ΗΜΙΝ ΣΗΜΕΡΟΝ
ΚΑΙ ΑΦΕΣ ΗΜΙΝ ΤΑ ΟΦΕΙΛΗΜΑΤΑ ΗΜΩΝ,
ΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΗΜΕΙΣ ΑΦΙΕΜΕΝ ΤΟΙΣ ΟΦΕΙΛΕΤΑΙΣ ΗΜΩΝ
ΚΑΙ ΜΗ ΕΙΣΕΝΕΓΚΗΣ ΗΜΑΣ ΕΙΣ ΠΕΙΡΑΣΜΟΝ,
ΑΛΛΑ ΡΥΣΑΙ ΗΜΑΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΥ ΠΟΝΗΡΟΥ.
ΑΜΗΝ.
Transliteration:
Pater hêmôn ho en toes ouranoes;
hagiasthêtô to onoma sou;
elthetô hê basileia sou;
genêthêtô to thelêma sou,
hôs en ouranô, kae epi tês gês.
ton arton hêmôn ton epiousion dos hêmin sêmeron;
kae aphes hêmin ta opheilêmata hêmôn,
hôs kae hêmeis aphiemen toes opheiletaes hêmôn;
kae mê eisenenkês hêmas eis peirasmon,
alla rhysae hêmas apo tou ponerou.
hoti sou estin hê basileia kae hê dynamis kae hê doxa eis tous aeônas;
amên.
The 'Pater Noster' in Latin:
Prior to the Protestant Reformation, the Our Father was universally recited in Latin by clergy and laity alike. Hence it was then most commonly known as the Pater Noster. The rather curious English translation we have today is due to Henry VIII's efforts to impose a standard English version.
Pater Noster, qui es in caelis,
Sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum,
Fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in caelo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
Et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem,
Sed libera nos a malo.
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer Old English (c. 450-1100)This version of the Lord's Prayer probably isn't recognizable by the majority of modern English speakers. 1000 AD is before the Norman invasion of England and therefore many of the words in Modern English that were taken from French are not yet present in the Language.
Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum si þin nama gehalgod tobecume þin rice gewurþe þin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us to dæg and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice. The Lord's Prayer Dated 1384 AD
Most modern English speakers should be able to understand some of this version of the Lord's Prayer when written. Spoken it would sound a great deal different; for instance, ou is pronounced like oo and in general the vowels have their continental value (oorra fahderr thut arrt in ai(r)venas ulwid bai(r) thee nahma, with trilled rr). Note the use of the letter þ, this has essentially the same value as "th" in modern English.
Oure fadir þat art in heuenes halwid be þi name;
þi reume or kyngdom come to be.
Be þi wille don in herþe as it is doun in heuene.
yeue to us today oure eche dayes bred.
And foryeue to us oure dettis þat is oure synnys as we foryeuen to oure dettouris þat is to men þat han synned in us.
And lede us not into temptacion but delyuere us from euyl. The Lord's Prayer Dated 1611 AD (King James Bible)
Most modern English speakers should be able to understand this version of the Lord's Prayer. Note the use of u in place of v. It is not until fairly recently that u an v have been considered separate letters.
Our father which art in heauen,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen.
Giue us this day our daily bread.
And forgiue us our debts as we forgiue our debters.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliuer us from euill.
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer Dated (1700-)
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
The New Testament in Modern English (1963, tr. Phillips)
According to the New Testament, the Lord's Prayer is the name given to the only form of prayer Christ taught his disciples (Matt. 6:9-13). The closing doxology of the prayer is omitted by Luke (11:2-4), also in the R.V. of Matt. 6:13. This prayer contains no allusion to the atonement of Christ, nor to the offices of the Holy Spirit. All Christian prayer is based on the Lord's Prayer, but is also guided by that of His prayer in Gethsemane and of the prayer recorded by John 17. The Lord's Prayer is now comprehensive, the simplest and most universal form of prayer.
Our Heavenly Father, may your name be honored;
May your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day the bread we need,
Forgive us what we owe to you, as we have also forgiven those who owe anything to us.
Keep us clear of temptation, and save us from evil.
In Luke's far simpler version, 11. 2-4 NIV, it has become:
"'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'
Nazarene Transliteration of the Lord's Prayer
Avvon d-bish-maiya, nith-qaddash shim-mukh.
Tih-teh mal-chootukh. Nih-weh çiw-yanukh:
ei-chana d'bish-maiya: ap b'ar-ah.
Haw lan lakh-ma d'soonqa-nan yoo-mana.
O'shwooq lan kho-bein:
ei-chana d'ap kh'nan shwiq-qan l'khaya-ween.
Oo'la te-ellan l'niss-yoona:
il-la paç-çan min beesha.
Mid-til de-di-lukh hai mal-choota
oo khai-la oo tush-bookh-ta
l'alam al-mein.
Aa-meen
"Peace be with you"
The Ten Commandments
From The Essene Book of Moses
And Mount Sinai was altogether in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount: and Moses went up.
And the Lord called unto Moses out of the mountain, saying, Come unto me, for I would give thee the Law for thy people, which shall be a covenant for the Children of Light.
And Moses went up unto God. And God spake all these words, saying,
I am the Law, thy God, which hath brought thee out from the depths of the bondage of darkness.
Thou shalt have no other Laws before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any image of the Law in heaven above or in the earth beneath. I am the invisible Law, without beginning and without end.
Thou shalt not make unto thee false laws, for I am the Law, and the whole Law of all laws. If thou forsake me, thou shalt be visited by disasters for generation upon generation.
If thou keepest my commandments, thou shalt enter the Infinite Garden where stands the Tree of Life in the midst of the Eternal Sea.
Thou shalt not violate the Law. The Law is thy God, who shall not hold thee guiltless.
Honour thy Earthly Mother, that thy days may be long upon the land, and honor thy Heavenly Father, that eternal life be thine in the heavens, for the earth and the heavens are given unto thee by the Law, which is thy God.
Thou shalt greet thy Earthly Mother on the morning of the Sabbath.
Thou shalt greet the Angel of Earth on the second morning.
Thou shalt greet the Angel of Life on the third morning.
Thou shalt greet the Angel of Joy on the fourth morning.
Thou shalt greet the Angel of Sun on the fifth morning.
Thou shalt greet the Angel of Water on the sixth morning.
Thou shalt greet the Angel of Air on the seventh morning.
All these Angels of the Earthly Mother shalt thou greet, and consecrate thyself to them, that thou mayest enter the Infinite Garden where stands the Tree of Life.
Thou shalt worship thy Heavenly Father on the evening of the Sabbath.
Thou shalt commune with the Angel of Eternal Life on the second evening.
Thou shalt commune with the Angel of Work on the third evening.
Thou shalt commune with the Angel of Peace on the fourth evening.
Thou shalt commune with the Angel of Power on the fifth evening,
Thou shalt commune with the Angel of Love on the sixth evening.
Thou shalt commune with the Angel of Wisdom on the seventh evening.
All these Angels of the Heavenly Father shalt thou commune with, that thy soul may bathe in the Fountain of Light, and enter into the Sea of Eternity.
The seventh day is the Sabbath: thou shalt remember it, keep it holy. The Sabbath is the day of the Light of the Law, thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, but search the Light, the Kingdom of thy God, and all things shall be given unto thee.
For know ye that during six days thou shalt work with the Angels, but the seventh day shalt thou dwell in the Light of thy Lord, who is the holy Law.
Thou shalt not take the life from any living thing. Life comes only from God, who giveth it and taketh it away. Thou shalt not debase Love. It is the sacred gift of thy Heavenly Father.
Thou Shalt not trade thy Soul, the priceless gift of the loving God, for the riches of the world, which are as seeds sown on stony ground, having no root in themselves, and so enduring but for a little while.
Thou shalt not be a false witness of the Law, to use it against thy brother: Only God knoweth the beginning and the ending of all things, for his eye is single, and he is the holy Law.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's possessions. The Law giveth unto thee much greater gifts, even the earth and the heavens, if thou keep the Commandments of the Lord thy God.
And Moses heard the voice of the Lord, and sealed within him the covenant that was between the Lord and the Children of Light.
And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tablets of the Law were in his hand.
And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets.
And the people knew not what became of Moses, and they gathered themselves together and brake off their golden earrings and made a molten calf. And they worshipped unto the idol, and offered to it burnt offerings.
And they ate and drank and danced before the golden calf, which they had made, and they abandoned themselves to corruption and evil before the Lord.
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing, and the wickedness of the people: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin, ye have denied thy Creator. I will go up unto the Lord and plead atonement for thy sin.
And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, thou hast seen the desecration of thy Holy Law. For thy children lost faith, and worshipped the darkness, and made for themselves a golden calf. Lord, forgive them, for they are blind to the light.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, at the beginning of time was a covenant made between God and man, and the holy flame of the Creator did enter unto him. And he was made the son of
God, and it was given him to guard his inheritance of the firstborn, and to make fruitful the land of his Father and keep it holy. And he who casteth out the Creator from him doth spit upon his birthright, and no more grievous sin doth exist in the eyes of God.
And the Lord spoke, saying, Only the Children of Light can keep the Commandments of the Law. Hear me, for I say thus: the tablets which thou didst break, these shall nevermore be written in the words of men. As thou didst return them to the earth and fire, so shall they live, invisible, in the hearts of those who are able to follow their Law. To thy people of little faith, who did sin against the Creator, even whilst thou stood on holy ground before thy God, -I will give another Law. It shall be a stem law, yea, it shall bind them, for they know not yet the Kingdom of Light.
And Moses hid the invisible Law within his breast, and kept it for a sign to the Children of Light. And God gave unto Moses the written law for the people, and he went down unto them, and spake unto them with a heavy heart.
And Moses said unto the people, these are the laws which thy God hath given thee.
1 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
3 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5 Honor thy father and thy mother.
6 Thou shalt not kill.
7 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8 Thou shalt not steal.
9 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor thy neighbor's wife, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
And there was a day of mourning and atonement for the great sin against the Creator, which did not end. And the broken tablets of the Invisible Law lived hidden in the breast of Moses, until it came to pass that the Children of Light appeared in the desert, and the angels walked the earth.
"To lift your eyes to heaven When all mens' eyes are on the ground, Is not easy. To worship at the feet of the angels When all men worship only fame and riches, Is not easy. But the most difficult of all Is to think the thoughts of the angels, To speak the words of the angels, And to do as angels do. "
Yeshua, the essene gospel of peace
"Peace be with you"
The Beatitudes of Christ
And the Origins of Christ's Teachings
The sublime promises of the Sermon on the Mount have always been the crowning moment and the heart of the Christian message. But now, scholars have accepted the Sermon on the Mount as the scripture of the Essenes.
The words of the Beatitudes are attributed to those of the Teacher of Righteousness, the founder of the Essenes who they recognized as their long-awaited Messiah. Their content can also be found in the Credo of the Essenes.
The texts found among the Dead Sea Scrolls show how the ancient Essene teachings were the origin of many of Christ's teachings. Paul and other New Testament writers often used the very phrases, sometimes word for word, of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The Sermon on the Mount was taken directly from Dead Sea Scrolls texts. Yet, only an Essene initiate would have had access or knowledge of these teachings. These scrolls would have been strictly limited to only members of the Holy Order; those who have been mortally sworn to secrecy. (Give not that which is holy unto the dogs. Give not pearls unto swine, least they turn and rend you. Matt 7:6)
The Beatitudes of Christ
A beatitude is a declaration of happiness or promised blessing resulting from an individuals virtue or good deeds. They describe the qualities of perfection and the promise of future blessings rather than current material or physical rewards.
The Beatitudes of Christ represent eight upward steps toward attaining the Blessedness of a Divine Life. They are expressed in Matthew 5 in the New Testament, and Lection XXV of the Gospel of the Holy Twelve, as an important part of the Sermon on the Mount.
These are the words as spoken by Jesus in Matthew Ch.5, v.3-12:
Matt. 5:1-2. And seeing the multitudes, he ascended a mountain: and when he was seated, and his disciples came to him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying:
Matt. 5:3. Blessed in spirit [are] the poor: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
This is the necessary first step, Austerity: a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline in appearance, manner, and attitude. A conscious effort toward a modest and unassuming lifestyle.
Matt. 5:4 Blessed [are] they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
This is the second step, Penitence which implies humble realization and a sincere regret for one's misdeeds. A mourning regarding past sins and the human condition. The action or process of repenting especially for moral shortcomings.
Matt. 5:5 Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
This is the third step, Meekness: to endure with patience and without anger or resentment. The release of ego and pride indicates the awakening of a divine Spirit.
Matt. 5:6 Blessed [are] they who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled.
This is the fourth step, the continual quest for spiritual wisdom and understanding. The pursuit of acting in accordance with divine or moral law. Following a spiritual path signifies growth.
Matt. 5:7 Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
This is the fifth step, Compassion for all living things, an attribute which indicates advanced spiritual awareness.
Matt. 5:8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
This is the sixth step, Purity of Heart, which marks the quality or state of pure being.
Matt. 5:9 Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.
This is the seventh step, Peacemaking, a Christ-like influence, calming the storms of life.
Matt. 5:10 Blessed [are] they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
This is the eighth and final step, Attainment of the Summit, Suffering for Christ, standing besides the prophets, saints and martyrs.
(Continuing Text)
Matt. 5:11-12 "Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
These teachings were also used in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. It was a great favorite among the early Christians and is often used and quoted by St Paul. The Gospels also quote liberally from this source.
Origin of Christ's Beatitudes
Scholars are now recognizing the Dead Sea scrolls as the prototype for Christ's Beatitudes. Scroll 4Qbeat reads:
[Blessed is] …with a pure heart
and does not slander with his tongue.
Blessed are those who hold to her [Wisdom’s] precepts
And do not hold to the ways of iniquity.
Blessed are those who rejoice in her,
And do not burst forth in ways of folly.
Blessed are those who seek her with pure hands,
And do not pursue her with a treacherous heart.
Blessed is the man who has attained Wisdom,
And walks in the Law of the Most High.
He directs his heart towards her ways,
And restrains himself by her corrections,
And always takes delight in her chastisements.
He does not forsake her when he sees distress,
Nor abandon her in time of strain.
He will not forget her [on the day of] fear,
And will not despise [her] when his soul is afflicted.
For always he will meditate on her,
And in his distress he will consider [her]
Origins of the Essene Beatitudes
The original beatitudes were actually spoken by the Buddha some five centuries before Christ, when the Buddha delivered the first "sermon on a mountain."
The heart of man, Buddha said, was a burning fire, and so were the objects in the three worlds, the objects that could be seen, felt, heard, or touched. This fire was the fire of lust, of anger and of ignorance. It was due to the shortcomings of a life posed to rebirth, sickness, old age and mortal anxieties.
Only disciples of Buddha could escape the torments of this fiery furnace. Freed from lust and human passion, they had acquired the wisdom that leads to the Perfect Man.
This sermon was delivered on Elephant’s Head Mountain near Buddha Gayâ.
The Suffanspita, U. Sutra reads:
The Blessed One was once living at the monastery of Anithapic ika in Jeta's grove, near Savatthi. Now when the night was far advanced, a certain deity, whose surpassing splendour illuminated the entire Jeta Grove, came into the presence of the Blessed One, and, drawing near, respectfully saluted Him and stood on one side. Standing thus, he addressed the Blessed One in verse:
(The Deity)
Many angels and men have held various things a blessing when they were yearning for inner wisdom. Lord Buddha, do declare to us the greatest blessing.
(Buddha)
Not to serve the foolish, But to serve the spiritual;
To honour those worthy of honour,— This is the greatest blessing.
To dwell in a spot that befits one’s condition, To think of the effect of one’s deeds,
To guide the behaviour aright,— This is the greatest blessing.
Much insight and education, Self-control and pleasant speech,
And whatever word be well spoken,— This is the greatest blessing.
To support father and mother, To cherish wife and child,
To follow a peaceful calling,— This is the greatest blessing.
To bestow alms and live righteously, To give help to kindred,
Deeds which cannot be blamed, These are the greatest blessing.
To abhor and cease from sin, Abstinence from strong drink,
Not to be weary in well-doing, These are the greatest blessing.
Reverence and lowliness, Contentment and gratitude,
The hearing of the Law at due seasons,— This is the greatest blessing.
To be long suffering and meek, To associate with the tranquil,
Religious talk at due seasons,— This is the greatest blessing.
Self-restraint and purity, The knowledge of the noble truths,
The attainment of Nirvana, This is the greatest blessing.
In the midst of the eight world miseries, Like the man of pure life,
Be calm and unconcerned,— This is the greatest blessing.
Listener, if you keep this law, The law of the spiritual world,
You will know its ineffable joy,— This is the greatest blessing.
When we begin to compare the literatures contemporaneous with the New Testament, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Nag Hammadi Codices, and Early Christian and Jewish Pseudepigraphical materials, and compare them with other spiritual or mystical traditions, we begin to find much to digest and much to ponder, as we discover the profound understandings of universal truth.
"Whoever finds the interpretation of these words will not experience death"
Jesus, The Gospel of Thomas
'Peace be with you"
The Historical Yeshua
There has been a good deal of recent research on Jesus by critical scholars: two synthetic accounts are The Historical Figure of Jesus by E.P. Sanders, a historian with a doctorate in theology, now Arts & Sciences Professor of Religion at Duke University, and the three volume A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus by John Meier, a Catholic priest, and Professor of Biblical Studies at the Catholic University of America. The following is a brief summary of the dominant position among critical scholars.
The Gospels provide two accounts of Jesus' birth: according to one account, he is the son of Joseph, a descendant of David; according to the other account, he is the son of God, and divine (Christians do not view these two accounts as irreconcilable). Many historians and other scholars suggest that these accounts were developed after Jesus' death, in order to substantiate the Christian belief that Jesus was the messiah. Most of the material in the Gospels focus on the last year of Jesus' life, and most scholars focus on this period.
This was a period marked by cultural and political dilemmas. Culturally, Jews had to grapple with the values of Hellenism and Hellenistic philosophy. Moreover, as many Jews lived in the Diaspora, and Judea itself was populated by many Gentiles, Jews had to confront a paradox in their own tradition: their Torah applied only to them, but revealed universal truths. This situation led to new interpretations of the Torah, influenced by Hellenic thought and in response to Gentile interest in Judaism.
Jesus lived at a time when Judea was ruled directly by a Roman Procurator, while Galilee was ruled indirectly through the Tetrarch Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. During this time the religion of the Jews centered on the Temple in Jerusalem, but no particular form of Judaism was established as the predominant and correct one. Some Jews formed social and political movements, such as the Sadducees the aristocratic party, aligned with the ruling priests, Pharisees who developed a non-priestly approach to Judaism and were, at this time, apolitical, Essenes who developed a non-Temple oriented but priestly approach to Judaism, and who were apolitical, and the Zealots who were politically opposed to Roman occupation. Most Jews belonged to none of these parties. Moreover, many individuals claimed to speak for God, in the prophetic tradition of Isaiah and Jeremiah, or to be able to heal people, in the prophetic tradition of Elisha.
This was moreover a volatile period in Jewish history. Most Jews were desperately poor and resented having to pay tribute to Rome. Although Jews were relatively autonomous, ruled by a Jewish high priest and tetrarch, these officials were appointed by Rome and thus had questionable legitimacy. Moreover, the Second Temple itself, rebuilt under Persian auspices, had uncertain legitimacy.
During this time many Jews hoped that the Romans would be replaced by a Jewish king (also referred to as "the anointed", or messiah, as kings were anointed) of the line of David – the last legitimate Jewish regime. However, Jews were divided over how this might occur. Most Jews believed that their history was governed by God. For example, many believed that the Babylonian Exile, the conquest of Babylon by the Persians (who allowed Jews to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem), the defeat of the Seleucids by the Jews, and the conquest of Judea by the Romans, were all divine acts. They thus believed that the Romans were instruments of God, and would be replaced by a Jewish king only through divine intervention; thus, the majority of Jews accepted Roman rule. Others (primarily the Zealots) believed that the kingdom should be restored immediately, through violent human action.
Jesus seems not to have belonged to any particular party; Jesus was special (perhaps even unique) in combining elements of many of these different – and for most Jews, opposing – positions. Most critical scholars see Jesus as working in the prophetic tradition, both as a mouthpiece for God and as an itinerant healer. However, many of his teachings echoed the beliefs of the Qumran community (which was likely a branch of the Essenes); he may have engaged the Pharisees on matters of Jewish law (most scholars believe that many of the debates between Jesus and the Pharisees found in the Gospels were added after Jesus' death, at a time when the Pharisees emerged as the dominant form of Judaism and the primary competitors with Christians as interpreters of the Bible); and his declarations that the kingdom was at hand echoed the Zealots. Many historians and other scholars argue that it is more likely that, like most Jews, Jesus believed that the restoration of the monarchy would be accomplished by God, not by any movement of Jews. However, he did believe that this restoration was immanent. Jesus was enigmatic at best about his claim to actually be the presumptive monarch, but it is likely that he believed that as soon as God restored the monarchy, he would be anointed as king. That he speaks of twelve disciples is probably symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel, and thus a metaphor for "all of Israel (the Gospels name fourteen disciples; Paul mentions a "twelve" that does not include Peter or other disciples).
Talk of a restoration of the monarchy was seditious under Roman occupation, and Jesus entered Jerusalem at an especially risky time. Jews were required to offer sacrifices at the Temple three times a year: Passover, Sukkot, and Shavuot. Although most Jews did not have the means to travel to Jerusalem for every holiday, virtually all tried to comply with these laws as best they could. Thus, during these festivals the population of Jerusalem swelled – and outbreaks of violence and riots were common. Critical scholars argue that the high priest feared that Jesus' talk of an immanent restoration of an independent Jewish state would likely spark a riot. As maintaining the peace was one of the primary jobs of the high priest, whom the Romans held personally responsible for any major outbreak of violence, he had Jesus arrested and turned him over to the Romans for execution.
After the destruction of the Temple in 70, the Zealots, Sadducees, and Essenes disappeared. Moreover, the followers of Jesus offered Gentiles a form of Judaism that emphasized the universal over the particular. When it became apparent that the Jews preferred Rabbinic Judaism, followers of Jesus turned primarily to Gentiles and emphasized universality even more. The result was the Christian religion. It was during this period, many scholars argue, that Christians transformed the meaning of the word messiah to be universal and divine, rather than particular and human.
'Peace be with you"
The Names and Titles of Yeshua.
In the Gospels, Jesus has many titles: Messiah, Prophet, Lord, son of man, and son of God. Some historians argue that when used in other Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the time, these titles have other meanings, and therefore may have other meanings when used in the Gospels as well.
In Jesus' Name
Jesus is derived from the Latin Iesus, which in turn comes from the Greek Iēsoûs. The Greek form is a transliteration of the Aramaic name Yeshua (ישוע), a short form of Hebrew Yehoshua (יהושע), the name that Moses gave to his successor as leader of the Israelites, who is known in English as Joshua. The Name Yeshua means the Lord is salvation, or literally Yahweh saves.
Direct English transliterations from the Aramaic Yehoshua / Yeshua include Joshua, Jeshua, Yahshua, Yahoshua and Yaohushua. These variations in English spelling can only approximate the sound of the Hebrew or Aramaic original. Jesus was transliterated via Greek and thereby lost the "sh" sound, which is nonexistent in Greek.
Christ
Christ is not a name but a title, and comes, via Latin, from the Greek Christos (Χριστός Khristós), which means "anointed". The Greek form is a literal translation of Messiah from Hebrew mashiyakh (משיח) or Aramaic m'shikha (משיחא), a word which occurs often in the Old Testament and typically signifies "high priest" or " king" – a man, chosen by God or descended from a man chosen by God, to serve as a religious, civil, and/or military authority. Other sources suggest the title Christ is linked to Latin crestus, 'good'. To Muslims, Jesus is known as the prophet Isa al Masih (عيسى المسيح ), from the aforementioned Aramaic for Jesus the Messiah.
Other Titles
In the Gospels, Jesus has many titles besides "messiah" i.e. prophet, lord, son of man, and son of God. Together Christians understand these titles as attesting to Jesus' divinity. Some historians argue that when used in other Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the time, these titles have other meanings, and therefore may have other meanings when used in the Gospels as well. The material in the next four subsections, on prophet, lord, son of man, and son of god, is taken from Geza Vermes' review of these arguments in Jesus the Jew: A Historian's Reading of the Gospels.
Prophet
According to such verses as Matthew 21:11 and Luke 7:16, Jews of the time thought of Jesus as a prophet; according to such verses as Mark 6:4, Matthew 13: 57, and Luke 4:24, Jesus considered himself to be a prophet. In the Hebrew Bible, prophets were generally men who spoke with God and proclaimed God's words to the people, often criticizing political and economic elites in the process. The Pharisees seem to have believed that the age of the prophets ended with Malachi (Daniel, for example, was not considered a prophet, and the sages claimed that they had succeeded the prophets as transmitters of God's law); the author of 1 Maccabees, however, believed that prophets would one day reappear in Judea. Ecclesiasticus 48: 10 identifies the reappearance of a prophet with the messenger who will arrive as a harbinger of the end of time – Acts 3: 17–26 suggests that some early Christians may have identified the second coming of Jesus (rather than his original earthly career) with this type of prophet. Nevertheless, neither the Gospels nor other early Christians seemed to have favored this title, perhaps because 1st and 2nd century Roman Judea saw many charlatans who claimed to be prophets announcing the end of days, and who were executed by the Romans.
Prophets in the Hebrew Bible were also advocates of monotheism, and healers. In Luke 4: 25–27, Jesus specifically refers to two such prophets, Elijah and Elisha. In this and in other contexts, historians conclude that the Gospels seem to use the term "prophet" as synonymous with miracle-worker and healer.
Lord
The Gospels and Acts frequently use "Lord" as a title for Jesus. Jesus himself never seems to have claimed the title – it is only ascribed to him by others, which has led to various interpretations. Different scholars have come up with various explanations: some believe that Jesus' disciples called him lord, but not because he was divine; this was merely a title used when students addressed their teachers. Some believe that the New Testament uses the term lord to mean divine, but that it was only after Jesus' death and resurrection that his followers ascribed to him divinity. Others argue that neither Jesus nor his disciples used the Aramaic term for lord, mara, and that the Greek term kyrios (meaning, "the Lord") was borrowed from pagan Hellenic usage by early Gentile converts to Christianity. The Hebrew Bible distinguishes between "lord" (adon) and "God"; the word "lord" does not necessarily imply divinity, although God is often described as "the Lord". Surviving inter-testamental Aramaic texts frequently use the Aramaic mara to mean "the Lord", that is, God – but they also provide evidence of people using mara and kyrios as personal titles (for example, used to address a husband, father, or king). There is little evidence that either term was used specifically to mean "teacher", but there is much evidence of students using the term "mar" to refer to their teachers respectfully, or to refer to an especially respected and authoritative teacher. A close reading of the Gospels suggests to historians that most people addressed Jesus as lord as a sign of respect for a miracle-worker (especially in Mark and Matthew) or as a teacher (especially in Luke). In most cases one can substitute the words "sir" or "teacher" for "lord", and the meaning of the passage in question will not change.
The Son of Man
Jesus is rarely described as "son of man" (bar nasha, in Aramaic) outside of the Gospels, but in the Synoptic Gospels Jesus refers to himself as using this title over sixty times. Some take this as an allusion to Daniel 7:13, which associates "one like a son of man" with a messianic vision. Six Gospel uses of the title directly refer to, and many others allude to, Daniel. However, most of the uses in Mark, the oldest Gospel, and many examples from the other Gospels, are non-Danielic. Indeed, other Aramaic texts reveal that the phrase was used frequently to mean simply "man", or as a way by which a speaker may refer to himself. Thus, many historians conclude that it is possible that this phrase was actually not a title.
The Son of God
The New Testament frequently refers to Jesus as the son of God; Jesus never does, but often refers to God as his father. Christians universally understand this to mean that Jesus was literally God's son – according to the Nicene Creed, God's only begotten son, one with the father. The phrase itself is thus taken to be synonymous with divinity. The Hebrew Bible, however, uses the phrase "son of God" in other senses: to refer to heavenly or angelic beings; to refer to the Children of Israel, and to refer to kings. There is no New Testament evidence to suggest that early Christians thought of Jesus as an angel, so the first two usages seem not to apply. However, Mark identifies Jesus as the son of King David, and Matthew and Luke provide lineages linking Jesus to King David. II Samuel 7: 14, Psalms 2: 7 and 89: 26–27, refer to David as the son of God, although historians find no evidence that the authors of the Bible believed David to be divine or literally God's son.
In post-Biblical Judaism, the title was often applied to righteous men: Ecclesiasticus 4: 10 and the Wisdom of Solomon 2: 17–18 use the term to refer to just men, and Jubilees 1: 24–25 has God declaring all righteous men to be his sons. Philo too wrote that good people are sons of God, and various rabbis in the Talmud declare that when Israelites are good, they are sons of God. The Talmud provides one example that parallels that of Jesus: Rabbi Hanina, whom God referred to as "my son", was also a miracle worker, and was able to resist Agrat, queen of the demons. Some scholars thus suggest that "son of God" was a title used in the Galilee by miracle-workers. Other scholars have suggested that the identification of "son of God" with divinity is pagan in origin; the Ptolemaic kings of Egypt referred to themselves as sons of Zeus or of Helios; Roman emperors used the title divi filius, or son of God. They suggest that the belief that Jesus was in fact the "son of God", and the association of his divine paternity with his being "messiah", were added after Christianity broke with Judaism.
"Peace be with you"
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