Sabbatical Year

visionary said:

As it is recorded in Revelation, in the end, there were 10. At that point, they can dictate the buy or sell.

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And more

*[[1Co 2:7-12]] RNKJV* But we speak the wisdom of יהוה in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which יהוה ordained before the world unto our glory:
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the King of glory.
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which Elohim hath prepared for them that love him.
But יהוה hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of יהוה.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of Elohim knoweth no man, but the Spirit of Elohim.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of Elohim; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of יהוה.

*[[Rom 8:16-18]] RNKJV* The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of יהוה:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of יהוה, and joint-heirs with the Messiah; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

*[[Rom 11:15-36]] RNKJV* For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
For if יהוה spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of יהוה: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for יהוה is able to graff them in again.
For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away wickedness from Jacob:
For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
As concerning the glad tidings, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
For the gifts and calling of יהוה are without repentance.
For as ye in times past have not believed יהוה, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
For יהוה hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of יהוה! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of יהוה? or who hath been his counseller?
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever.

So all replacement theology is well...stupid.
The glory of YHWH in men awaits the revelation of the glory of YHWH in Israel.

Greetings Dearest Sister , you said .

As it is recorded in Revelation, in the end, there were 10. At that point, they can dictate the buy or sell.

Click to expand...

I find three instances of " END " in " The Revealing of our Master , in the YLT .

1:8 `I am the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is coming -- the Almighty.'

2:26 and he who is overcoming, and who is keeping unto the end my works, I will give to him authority over the nations,

21:6 I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the Beginning and End -- the First and the Last.

All three are Strong's 5056 ;

5056 // telov // telos // tel'-os //

from a primary tello (to set out for a definite point or goal);
TDNT - 8:49,1161; n n

AV - end 35, custom 3, uttermost 1, finally 1, ending 1,
by (one's) continual + 1519 1; 42

1) end
1a) termination, the limit at which a thing ceases to be
(always of the end of some act or state, but not of the end
of a period of time)
1b) the end
1b1) the last in any succession or series
1b2) eternal
1c) that by which a thing is finished, its close, issue
1d) the end to which all things relate, the aim, purpose
2) toll, custom (i.e. indirect tax on goods)

Topic: End, Ending ( Vine's )

<A-1,Noun,5056,telos>
signifies (a) "the limit," either at which a person or thing ceases to be what he or it was up to that point, or at which previous activities were ceased, 2 Cor. 3:13; 1 Pet. 4:7; (b) "the final issue or result" of a state or process, e.g., Luke 1:33; in Rom. 10:4, Christ is described as "the end of the Law unto righteousness to everyone that believeth;" this is best explained by Gal. 3:23-26; cp. Jas. 5:11; the following more expecially point to the issue or fate of a thing, Matt. 26:58; Rom. 6:21; 2 Cor. 11:15; Phil. 3:19; Heb. 6:8; 1 Pet. 1:9; (c) "a fulfillment," Luke 22:37, AV, "(have) an end;" (d) "the utmost degree" of an act, as of the love of Christ towards His disciples, John 13:1; (e) "the aim or purpose" of a thing, 1 Tim. 1:5; (f) "the last" in a succession or series Rev. 1:8 (AV, only, "ending"); 21:6; 22:13. See CONTINUAL, CUSTOM (Toll), FINALLY, UTTERMOST.
Note: The following phrases contain telos (the word itself coming under one or other of the above): eis telos, "unto the end," e.g., Matt. 10:22; 24:13; Luke 18:5, "continual;" John 13:1 (see above); 2 Cor. 3:13, "on the end" (RV); heos telous, "unto the end," 1 Cor. 1:8; 2 Cor. 1:13; achri telous, "even to the end" (a stronger expression than the preceding); Heb. 6:11; Rev. 2:26 (where "even" might well have been added); mechri telous, with much the same meaning as achri telous, Heb. 3:6,14. See other expressions in the Notes after C.

<A-2,Noun,4930,sunteleia>
signifies "a bringing to completion together" (sun "with," teleo, "to complete," akin to No. 1), marking the "completion" or consummation of the various parts of a scheme. In Matt. 13:39,40,49; 24:3; 28:20, the rendering "the end of the world" (AV and RV, text) is misleading; the RV marg., "the consummation of the age," is correct. The word does not denote a termination, but the heading up of events to the appointed climax. Aion is not the world, but a period or epoch or era in which events take place. In Heb. 9:26, the word translated "world" (AV) is in the plural, and the phrase is "the consumation of the ages." It was at the heading up of all the various epochs appointed by Divine counsels that Christ was manifested (i.e., in His Incarnation) "to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself."

<A-3,Noun,4009,peras>
"a limit, boundary" (from pera, "beyond"), is used (a) of space, chiefly in the plural, Matt. 12:42, RV, "ends," for AV, "uttermost parts;" so Luke 11:31 (AV, "utmost"); Rom. 10:18 (AV and RV, "ends"); (b) of the termination of something occurring in a period, Heb. 6:16, RV, "final," for AV, "an end," said of strife. See UTTERMOST.

<A-4,Noun,1545,ekbasis>
denotes "a way out" (ek, "out," baino, "to go"), 1 Cor. 10:13, "way of escape;" or an issue, Heb. 13:7 (AV, "end," RV, "issue"). See ISSUE.

<B-1,Verb,5055,teleo>
"to complete, finish, bring to an end," is translated "had made an end," in Matt. 11:1. See ACCOMPLISH.

<B-2,Verb,4931,sunteleo>
cp. A, No. 2, signifies (a) "to bring to an end, finish completely" (sun, "together," imparting a perfective significance to teleo), Matt. 7:28 (in some mss.); Luke 4:2,13; Acts 21:27, RV, "completed;" (b) "to bring to fulfillment," Mark 13:4; Rom. 9:28; (c) "to effect, make," Heb. 8:8. See FINISH, FULFILL, MAKE.

<B-3,Verb,4137,pleroo>
(a) "to fill," (b) "to fulfill, complete, end," is translated "had ended" in Luke 7:1; "were ended" (Passive) in Acts 19:21. See ACCOMPLISH.

Note: In John 13:2, the verb ginomai, there signifying "to be in progress," and used in the present participle, is translated "during supper" (RV). A less authentic reading, is genomenou, "being ended" (AV).

<C-1,Adjective,2078,eschatos>
"last, utmost, extreme," is used as a noun (a) of time, rendered "end" in Heb. 1:2, RV, "at the end of these days," i.e., at the "end" of the period under the Law, for AV, "in these last days;" so in 1 Pet. 1:20, "at the end of the times." In 2 Pet. 2:20, the plural, ta eschata, lit., "the last things," is rendered "the latter end," AV, (RV, "the last state"); the same phrase is used in Matt. 12:45; Luke 11:26; (b) of place, Acts 13:47, AV, "ends (of the earth)," RV, "uttermost part. See LAST, LOWEST, UTTERMOST.

Notes: (1) In Matt. 28:1, opse, "late (in the evening)," is rendered "in the end (of)," AV, RV, "late (on)." (2) In 1 Pet. 1:13, teleios, "perfectly," RV, is rendered "to the end," in AV. (3) The phrase eis touto, lit., "unto this," signifies "to this end," John 18:37, RV (twice; AV, "for this cause," in the second clause); so Mark 1:38; Acts 26:16; Rom. 14:9; Rom. 14:9; 2 Cor. 2:9; 1 Tim. 4:10 (AV, "therefore"); 1 Pet. 4:6; 1 John 3:8 (AV, "for this purpose"). (4) Eis, "unto," followed by the article and the infinitive mood of a verb, signifies "to the end that ..." marking the aim of an action, Acts 7:19; Rom. 1:11; 4:16,18; Eph. 1:12; 1 Thess. 3:13; 2 Thess. 1:5; 2:2,6; 1 Pet. 3:7. In Luke 18:1, pros, "to," has the same construction and meaning. (5) The conjunction hina, "in order that," is sometimes rendered "to the end that," Eph. 3:17; 2 Thess. 3:14; Titus 3:8. (6) In Matt. 24:31, the prepositions apo, "from," and heos, "unto," are used with the plural of akros, "highest, extreme," signifying "from one end ... to the other," lit., "from extremities ... to extremities."

There's eight ten's in Scripture . One is " ten days " . All others are Six " horns " & one " kings " .

17 and that no one may be able to buy, or to sell, except he who is having the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

4453 // pwlew // poleo // po-leh'-o //

probably ultimately from pelomai (to be busy, to trade); v

AV - sell 21, be sold 1; 22

1) to barter, to sell
2) sellers

59 // agorazw // agorazo // ag-or-ad'-zo //

from 58 ; TDNT - 1:124,19; v

AV - buy 28, redeem 3; 31

1) to be in the market place, to attend it
2) to do business there, buy or sell
3) of idle people: to haunt the market place, lounge there

12 And a great sign was seen in the heaven, a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
Google 9/11/3 BC birth of The Christ , you'll see what the three magi seen in that September sky .

5 And He who is sitting upon the throne said, `Lo, new I make all things; and He saith to me, `Write, because these words are true and stedfast;'
6 and He said to me, `It hath been done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End; I, to him who is thirsting, will give of the fountain of the water of the life freely;
7 he who is overcoming shall inherit all things, and I will be to him -- a God, and he shall be to me -- the son,

1096 // ginomai // ginomai // ghin'-om-ahee //

a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb;
TDNT - 1:681,117; v

AV - be 255, come to pass 82, be made 69, be done 63, come 52,
become 47, God forbid + 3361 15, arise 13, have 5, be fulfilled 3,
be married to 3, be preferred 3, not tr 14, misc 4, vr done 2; 678

1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being
2) to become, i.e. to come to pass, happen
2a) of events
3) to arise, appear in history, come upon the stage
3a) of men appearing in public
4) to be made, finished
4a) of miracles, to be performed, wrought
5) to become, be made

4103 // pistov // pistos // pis-tos' //

from 3982 ; TDNT - 6:174,849; adj

AV - faithful 53, believe 6, believing 2, true 2, faithfully 1,
believer 1, sure 1; not tr 1; 67

1) trusty, faithful
1a) of persons who show themselves faithful in the
transaction of business, the execution of commands, or
the discharge of official duties
1b) one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust
1c) that can be relied on
2) easily persuaded
2a) believing, confiding, trusting
2b) in the NT one who trusts in God's promises
2b1) one who is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead
2b2) one who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah
and author of salvation

<A-1,Adjective,227,alethes>
primarily, "unconcealed, manifest" (a, negative, letho, "to forget," = lanthano, "to escape notice"), hence, actual, "true to fact," is used (a) of persons, "truthful," Matt. 22:16; Mark 12:14; John 3:33; 7:18; 8:26; Rom. 3:4; 2 Cor. 6:8; (b) of things, "true," conforming to reality, John 4:18, "truly," lit., "true;" John 5:31,32; in the best texts, John 6:55 (twice), "indeed;" John 8:13,14 (ver. 16 in some texts: see No. 2),17; 10:41; 19:35; 21:24; Acts 12:9; Phil. 4:8; Titus 1:13; 1 Pet. 5:12; 2 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 2:8,27; 3 John 1:12.
<A-2,Adjective,228,alethinos>
akin to No. 1, denotes "true" in the sense of "real, ideal, genuine;" it is used (a) of God, John 7:28 (cp. No. 1 in 7:18, above); 17:3; 1 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 6:10; these declare that God fulfills the meaning of His Name; He is "very God," in distinction from all other gods, false gods (alethes, see John 3:33 in No. 1, signifies that He is veracious, "true" to His utterances, He cannot lie); (b) of Christ, John 1:9; 6:32; 15:1; 1 John 2:8; 5:20 (thrice); Rev. 3:7,14; 19:11; His judgment, John 8:16 (in the best texts, instead of No. 1); (c) God's words, John 4:37; Rev. 19:9; 21:5; 22:6; the last three are equivalent to No. 1; (d) His ways, Rev. 15:3; (e) His judgments, Rev. 16:7; 19:2; (f) His riches, Luke 16:11; (g) His worshipers, John 4:23; (h) their hearts, Heb. 10:22; (i) the witness of the Apostle John, John 19:35; (j) the spiritual, antitypical tabernacle, Heb. 8:2; 9:24, not that the wilderness tabernacle was false, but that it was a weak and earthly copy of the heavenly.

TRUTH of verse 5 ; "unconcealed, manifest"

`Lo, new I make all things; and He saith to me, `Write, because these words are true and stedfast;'

Greetings Dearest Sister , please consider how I perceive " The REST " provided by " Your Elohim & my Elohim " through our Messiah YAHshua / Jesus .

My theology , religious beliefs and theory start at these basic Scriptural truths .

John 4:23 But the time is coming &#8212; indeed, it&#8217;s here now &#8212; when the true worshippers will worship the Father spiritually and truly, for these are the kind of people the Father wants worshipping him. 24 God is spirit; and worshippers must worship him spiritually and truly.&#8221;

John 14:15 &#8220;If you love me, you will keep my commands; 16 and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever. 17 The world cannot receive him, because it neither sees nor knows him. You know him, because he is staying with you and will be united with you. 18 I will not leave you orphans &#8212; I am coming to you.
25 &#8220;I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Ruach HaKodesh, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything; that is, he will remind you of everything I have said to you.

27 &#8220;What I am leaving with you is shalom &#8212; I am giving you my shalom.

Acts 1:4 At one of these gatherings, he instructed them not to leave Yerushalayim but to wait for &#8220;what the Father promised, which you heard about from me. 5 For Yochanan used to immerse people in water; but in a few days, you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh!&#8221;

8 But you will receive power when the Ruach HaKodesh comes upon you; you will be my witnesses both in Yerushalayim and in all Y&#8217;hudah and Shomron, indeed to the ends of the earth!&#8221;

11 ...... This YAHshua, who has been taken away from YOU into heaven, will come back to YOU in just the same way as YOU saw him go into heaven.&#8221;

Hebrews 9: 26 for then he would have had to suffer death many times &#8212; from the founding of the universe on. But as it is, he has appeared once at the end of the ages in order to do away with sin through the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as human beings have to die once, but after this comes judgment, 28 so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to deliver those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Isaiah 53:11 After this ordeal, he will see satisfaction.
&#8220;By his knowing [pain and sacrifice],
my righteous servant makes many righteous;
it is for their sins that he suffers.
12 Therefore I will assign him a share with the great,
he will divide the spoil with the mighty,
for having exposed himself to death
and being counted among the sinners,
while actually bearing the sin of many
and interceding for the offenders.&#8221;

Acts 2:36 Therefore, let the whole house of Isra&#8217;el know beyond doubt that God has made him both Lord and Messiah &#8212; this YAHshua, whom you executed on a stake!&#8221;

37 On hearing this, they were stung in their hearts; and they said to Kefa and the other emissaries, &#8220;Brothers, what should we do?&#8221; 38 Kefa answered them, &#8220;Turn from sin, return to God, and each of you be immersed on the authority of YAHshua the Messiah into forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh! 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for those far away &#8212; as many as Adonai our God may call!&#8221;

40 He pressed his case with many other arguments and kept pleading with them, &#8220;Save yourselves from this perverse generation!&#8221;

41 So those who accepted what he said were immersed, and there were added to the group that day about three thousand people.

Matthew 22:32&#8216;I am the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz&#8217;chak and the God of Ya&#8216;akov&#8217;? He is God not of the dead but of the living!&#8221;

Mark 12:27 He is God not of the dead, but of the living! You are going far astray!&#8221;

Luke 20:38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living &#8212; to him all are alive.&#8221;

Matthew 13:10 Then the talmidim came and asked YAHshua, &#8220;Why are you speaking to them in parables?&#8221; 11 He answered, &#8220;Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them. 12 For anyone who has something will be given more, so that he will have plenty; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away. 13 Here is why I speak to them in parables: they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. 14 That is, in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Yesha&#8216;yahu which says,

Matthew 18:16 If he doesn&#8217;t listen, take one or two others with you so that every accusation can be supported by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

&#8216;You will keep on hearing but never understand,
and keep on seeing but never perceive,
15 because the heart of this people has become dull &#8212;
with their ears they barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
so as not to see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and do t&#8217;shuvah,
so that I could heal them.&#8217;
16 But you, how blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear! 17 Yes indeed! I tell you that many a prophet and many a tzaddik longed to see the things you are seeing but did not see them, and to hear the things you are hearing but did not hear them.

Topic: Revelation

<1,,602,apokalupsis>
"an uncovering" (akin to apokalupto; see above), "is used in the NT of (a) the drawing away by Christ of the veil of darkness covering the Gentiles, Luke 2:32; cp. Isa. 25:7; (b) 'the mystery,' the purpose of God in this age, Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:3; (c) the communication of the knowledge of God to the soul, Eph. 1:17; (d) an expression of the mind of God for the instruction of the church, 1 Cor. 14:6,26, for the instruction of the Apostle Paul, 2 Cor. 12:1,7; Gal. 1:12, and for his guidance, Gal. 2:2; (e) the Lord Jesus Christ, to the saints at His Parousia, 1 Cor. 1:7, RV (AV, 'coming'); 1 Pet. 1:7, RV (AV, 'appearing'),13; 4:13; (f) the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes to dispense the judgments of God, 2 Thess. 1:7; cp. Rom. 2:5; (g) the saints, to the creation, in association with Christ in His glorious reign, Rom. 8:19, RV, 'revealing' (AV, 'manifestation'); (h) the symbolic forecast of the final judgments of God, Rev. 1:1 (hence the Greek title of the book, transliterated 'Apocalypse' and translated 'Revelation')." * [* From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, pp. 228, 229.] See APPEARING, COMING, LIGHTEN, B, Note, MANIFESTATION.

REVELATION from Holman Bible Dictionary

Definition The word revelation means an uncovering, a removal of the veil, a disclosure of what was previously unknown. Revelation of God is God's manifestation of Himself to humankind in such a way that men and women can know and fellowship with Him. Jesus explained to Peter: &#8220;Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven&#8221; ( Matthew 16:17 NIV). The knowledge of Jesus' sonship was not attained by human discovery, nor could it have been; it came from God alone.

The servant ron .

Holman Bible Dictionary

Revelation of God

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The content and process of God's making Himself known to people. All knowledge of God comes by way of revelation. Human knowledge of God is revealed knowledge since God, and He alone, gives it. He bridges the gap between Himself and His creatures, disclosing Himself and His will to them. By God alone can God be known.
Modern thought often questions the possibility and/or reality of revelation. Biblical faith affirms revelation is real because the personal Creator God has chosen to let His human creatures know Him. The question remains, &#8220;How can a person know God.&#8221; The Bible appears to distinguish two ways of knowing God, general and special revelation.

Biblical emphasis points to Jesus Christ as God's final revelation. God has provided ongoing generations of believers a source of knowledge about Himself and His Son. That source is the Bible.

Definition The word revelation means an uncovering, a removal of the veil, a disclosure of what was previously unknown. Revelation of God is God's manifestation of Himself to humankind in such a way that men and women can know and fellowship with Him. Jesus explained to Peter: &#8220;Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven&#8221; ( Matthew 16:17 NIV). The knowledge of Jesus' sonship was not attained by human discovery, nor could it have been; it came from God alone.

All Christians recognize that God has acted and spoken in history, revealing Himself to His creatures. Yet, a variety of opinions seek to define what constitutes revelation.

General Revelation The physical world&#8212;nature&#8212;is not a part of God as my hand is a part of me. Yet, God might reveal Himself through His actions in that world. Besides saying or writing things, persons may reveal facts about themselves in other ways, such as physical gestures or facial expressions. Sometimes persons' actions communicate whether they are selfish or generous, clumsy or skillful. A grimace, a smile, or a frown can often be telling. Transferring these things to a theological context is not simple, because God is not visible. He does not have facial features or bodily parts with which to gesture. To say God reveals Himself through nature means that through the events of the physical world God communicates to us things about Himself that we would otherwise not know.

What sort of things might God tell us in this manner? Paul explained &#8220;What can be known about God is plain to them, for God Himself made it plain. Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all&#8221; (Romans 1:20 TEV). The psalmist ( Psalm 19:1 ) saw the glory of God through the spectacles of special revelation. What the psalmist saw was objectively and genuinely there. We can rephrase these observations to say that all that can be known about God in a natural sense has been revealed in nature. This is what we call natural or general revelation. General revelation is universal in the sense that it is God's self-disclosure of Himself in a general way to all people at all times in all places . General revelation occurs through (1) nature, (2) in our experience and in our conscience, and (3) in history.

In the wonders of the heavens and in the beauty of the earth God manifests Himself. Jesus taught that God &#8220;causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous&#8221; (Matthew 5:45 NAS), thus revealing His goodness to all. &#8220;The living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them has not left himself without a witness in doing good&#8212;giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy&#8221; ( Acts 14:15-17 NRSV). God makes Himself known in the continuing care and provision for humankind. The universe as a whole serves the Creator's purposes as a vehicle of God's self-manifestation.

God also reveals himself in men and women. They are made in the &#8220;image&#8221; and &#8220;likeness&#8221; of God (Genesis 1:26-27 ). Humans, as a direct creation of God, are a mirror or reflection of God. People are God's unique workmanship evidenced by their place of dominion over the rest of creation; in their capacity to reason, feel, and imagine; in their freedom to act and respond; and in their sense of right and wrong (Genesis 1:28; Romans 2:14-15 ). Especially through this moral sense God reveals Himself in the consciences of men and women. The fact that religious belief and practice is universal confirms the apostle's statements in Romans 2:1 . Yet, the creatures who worship, pray, build temples, idols and shrines, and seek after God in diverse ways do not glorify God as God nor give Him thanks (Romans 1:21-23 ). Nevertheless, because each person has been given the capacity for receiving God's general revelation, they are responsible for their actions.

God manifests Himself in the workings of history. All of history, rightly understood, bears the imprint of God's activity and thus has a theological character. Primarily, God is revealed in history through the rise and fall of peoples and nations (compare Acts 17:22-31 ).

God's general revelation is plain, whether in nature, in human conscience, or in history. Even though it is plain, it is often misinterpreted because sinful and finite humans are trying to understand a perfect and infinite God. What we have seen so far is compatible with the following:

(1) Religious belief is a nearly universal human phenomenon.

(2) Such religious belief is implanted by God.

(3) All people ought to acknowledge God on the basis of what they learned from the world around them.

(4) All people believe in God and show their belief even though they do not admit it.

(5) No one, no matter how seemingly insignificant or weak-minded can be excused for missing God's revelation.

The light of nature is not sufficient to give the knowledge of God necessary for salvation. For God's power (Romans 1:20 ), goodness (Matthew 5:45 ), and righteousness (Romans 2:14-15 ) have been revealed, but not His salvific grace. That is revealed only through special revelation. Special revelation is necessary to instruct people how to worship God rightly. God in His general revelation reveals Himself, but because of our sinfulness, humans pervert the reception of His general revelation, a revelation so plain it leaves all without excuse. It is as if a lawyer were offered the information necessary to solve a case, yet chose perversely to ignore it.

In sum, humans lack the willingness to come to a pure and clear knowledge of God. Men and women suppress God's truth because they do not like the truth about God. They do not like the God to which the truth leads them so they invent substitute gods and religions instead. The universality of religion on earth is evidence of truths discussed above. According to Paul, the act of suppressing the awareness of God and His demands warps our reason and conscience. Because of this rejection of God, He righteously reveals His wrath against humankind. God's general revelation does not bring one into a saving relationship with God; it does reveal God to His creatures and they are, therefore, responsible for their response. This view of general revelation can only be accepted through special revelation.

Special Revelation God has revealed Himself in nature, human experience, and history, but sin's entrance into the world has changed the revelation as well as the interpretation of it. What is needed to understand God's self-disclosure fully is His special revelation. Divine truth exists outside of special revelation, but it is consistent with and supplemental to, not a substitute for special revelation.

In contrast to God's general revelation which is available to all people, God's special revelation is available to specific people at specific times in specific places, it is available now only by consultation of sacred Scripture. Special revelation is first of all particular. God reveals Himself with His people. These people of God are the children of Abraham, whether by natural ( Genesis 12:1-3 ) or spiritual descent (Galatians 3:16 ,Galatians 3:16,3:29 ). Does this mean that God confines knowledge of Himself to a particular people? Not necessarily, because God's general revelation has been given to all, though perverted and rejected by the universal wickedness of humankind. He now chooses to whom and through whom He will make Himself known. As with Abraham, God said: &#8220;In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed&#8221; (Genesis 12:3 ). God manifests Himself in a particular manner to His people so they will be a channel of blessing to all others.

Special revelation is also progressive . Biblical history witnesses to a developing disclosure of God, His will, and His truth in the Old and New Testaments. The development is not contradictory in any fashion. It is complementary and supplementary to what had been previously revealed. We should not think of the progress from untruth to truth, but from a lesser to a fuller revelation (Hebrews 1:1-3 ). The revelation of the law in the Old Testament is not superseded by the gospel, but is fulfilled in it.

Special revelation is primarily redemptive and personal . In recognition of the human predicament God chose at the very beginning to disclose Himself in a more direct way. Within time and space God has acted and spoken to redeem the human race from its own self-imposed evil. Through calling people, miracles, the Exodus, covenant making, and ultimately through Jesus Christ, God has revealed Himself in history.

The ultimate point of God's personal revelation is in Jesus Christ. In Him, the Word became flesh (John 1:1 ,John 1:1,1:14;John 1:14;14:9 ). The Old Testament promise of salvation as a divine gift to people who cannot save themselves has been fulfilled in the gift of His Son. The redemptive revelation of God is that Jesus Christ has borne the sins of fallen humanity, has died in their place, and has been raised to assure justification. This is the fixed center of special revelation.

Special revelation is also propositional . It includes not only those personal, redemptive acts in history, but also the prophetic-apostolic interpretation of those events . God's self-disclosure is propositional in that it made known truths about Him to His people. Knowledge about someone precedes intimate knowledge of someone. The primary purpose of revelation is not necessarily to enlarge the scope of one's knowledge. Yet, propositional knowledge about is for the purpose of personal knowledge of.

We can thus affirm that special revelation has three stages: (1) redemption in history, ultimately centering in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ; (2) the Bible, written revelation interpreting what He has done for the redemption of men and women; (3) the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of individuals and the corporate life of the church, applying God's revelation to the minds and hearts of His people. As a result, men and women receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and are enabled to follow Him faithfully in a believing, covenant community until life's end.

The content of special revelation is primarily God Himself. Mystery remains even in God's self-revelation. God does not fully reveal Himself to any person. God, does, however, reveal himself to persons to the degree they can receive it. Special revelation is the declaration of truth about God, His character, and His action and relationship with His creation to bring all creation under Christ, the one head (Ephesians 1:9-10 ).

The proper setting of special revelation is Christian faith. God makes Himself known to those who receive His revelation in faith (Hebrews 11:1 ,Hebrews 11:1,11:6 ). Faith is the glad recognition of truth, the reception of God's revelation without reservation or hesitation (Romans 10:17 ).

For today, the Bible is of crucial importance. Through the Bible the Spirit witnesses to individuals of God's grace and the need of faith response. In the Bible we learn of God's redemption of sinners in Christ Jesus. Our faith response to God's Word and acts, recorded and interpreted by the prophets and apostles, calls for us to embrace with humble teachableness, without finding fault, whatever is taught in Holy Scripture.

In sum we can say that God has initiated the revelation of Himself to men and women. This revelation is understandable to humankind and makes it possible to know God and grow in relationship with Him. God's self-manifestation provides information about Himself for the purpose of leading men and women into God's presence. For believers today, the Bible is the source of God's revelation. In the written word we can identify God, know and understand something about Him, His will, and His work, and point others to Him. Special revelation is not generally speculative. The Bible primarily speaks on matters of cosmology and history where these issues touch the nature of faith. God has manifested Himself incarnationally through human language, human thought, and human action as ultimately demonstrated in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

David S. Dockery

Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from the Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.

Bibliography Information
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Revelation of God'. Holman Bible Dictionary. Revelation of God - Holman Bible Dictionary - Bible Dictionary - StudyLight.org. 1991.

Adding to the Bible

Gary Amirault

Tentmaker Bible Matters #13: Adding to the Bible

There are many Bible teachers who make much to do about the verse in the book of Revelation that warns about plagues coming upon anyone&#8217;s head who adds or takes away from the book. Many Bible teachers, theologians, church leaders and Biblical scholars have used this verse as if John was referring to the entire Bible. However, he specifically mentions &#8220;this book,&#8221; one book, singular. At the time of John&#8217;s writings, the writings which would commonly, but falsely, come under the heading of &#8220;the New Testament&#8221; were not yet canonized. The warning found in Revelation 21:8-19 referred specifically to the book of Revelation, not the entire Bible. This type of warning was common among writings of this nature during that time period. All writings of that time were hand written. Those who copied someone else's work to pass on to future generations often took great liberties with the text sometimes adding or removing text. Therefore the writers of the original often put curse like the one in Revelation at the beginning or end of their work..

It is quite ironic that the very verse which warns about tampering with the Bible or parts thereof is a verse that has been, in fact, tampered with, and quite significantly. As we can see below, the King James Version of the Bible states that God will take away one&#8217;s part out of the &#8220;book of life&#8221; while the New International Version takes away one&#8217;s share in the &#8220;tree of life.&#8221;

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (KJV, Rev. 22:18-19)

And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (NIV, Rev. 22:19)

Where the KJV has &#8220;book of life,&#8221; the NIV has &#8220;tree of life.&#8221; Which version is true? Which version has &#8220;added or taken away from the words of the book of this prophesy?&#8221; Have the plaques mentioned in Revelation come upon the one who introduced this error and upon those who perpetuate it? Have they lost their part in the &#8220;book of life,&#8221; or the &#8220;tree of life?&#8221; Obviously, one of these versions is wrong. Will the curse in this book be placed upon all those who perpetuate this error through using a Bible that has added or taken away words?

There are many differences in the text between the KJV produced in 1611 and translations produced in the last century because the more modern English Bible translations use a different Greek text from which to translate. In addition, we have learned much more about the original languages of the Bible and the biblical period cultures. In Revelation 22:18, 19 the &#8220;Authorized Version&#8221; which many Fundamentalists and Evangelicals dub an &#8220;Inerrant Bible&#8221; is the one that contains this most embarrassing error. How embarrassing to be found guilty of adding and taking away from the &#8220;God&#8217;s word&#8221; in the very passage in which a curse is made against those who would add or take away from the words of the book! Here is the story how the &#8220;tree of life&#8221; in the original Greek text became the &#8220;book of life&#8221; in the &#8220;Authorized&#8221; King James Version. The reader will be amazed to discover that Erasmus freely borrowed from Jerome&#8217;s Latin Vulgate to fill in verses that he didn&#8217;t have in the Greek. Furthermore, Erasmus actually believed that the Latin Vulgate was superior to the Byzantine texts he was using which would become the foundation of the Greek text upon which the King James Bible rested. In his own words, he stated that the Greek text he was using (the Greek used for the KJV, the Byzantine text family) was CORRUPTED by scribes! This information should be enough to convince any KJV only believer that the KJV is far from inerrant, but I&#8217;m afraid that many Christians in the KJV only movement are not moved by reason, nor facts, nor true faith. The KJV only movement is built upon errors from which they refuse to move lest their faith in their &#8220;Authorized Version&#8221; (which they consider the true Word of God) be destroyed. They are locked in a house of belief built upon sand. The power that holds Christians in the KJV only cult is fear! Here is a brief history of the Textus Receptus (Latin for &#8220;Received Text) which is the Greek Text behind the King James Version of the Bible:

In 1452 The Ottoman Turks conquered the city of Constantinople driving many Greek scholars with their ancient Greek manuscripts to Western Europe. This event brought about a renewed interest in the ancient languages of the Bible, that is, Hebrew and Greek. These languages had become essentially foreign to the Roman Catholic world whose theological scholars and priests were steeped in Latin. Greek became so popular during this time of renewal, many academic types gave themselves Greek names. One of these men, was a Roman Catholic humanist named Gerrit (or Gert) Gerritszoon, Dutch for Gerard Gerardson. He (mistakenly) believed that the root Geert derived from begeren (to desire) and translated this into both Latin (Desiderius) and Greek (Erasmus). Both words mean &#8220;to long, to desire.&#8221; Since he came from Rotterham, his full new name was Desiderius Erasmus Rotterham. His father was a priest so it is almost certain he was illegitimate.

A fairly good summary of the development of Erasmus&#8217;s Greek text and how it became known as the &#8220;Textus Receptus&#8221; is given by Wikipedia. Following that is a brief history of Erasmus. Since he was in the heart of the Reformation period and a key player in bringing the Scriptures into common languages, I think it would be good information a Christian should be familiar with:

Publication of the Greek New Testament (From Wikipedia)

The first New Testament printed in Greek was part of the Complutensian Polyglot. This portion was printed in 1514, but publication was delayed until 1522 by waiting for the Old Testament portion, and the sanction of Pope Leo X. Erasmus had been working for years on two projects: a collation of Greek texts and a fresh Latin New Testament. In 1512, he began his work on this Latin New Testament. He collected all the Vulgate manuscripts he could find to create a critical edition. Then he polished the Latin. He declared, "It is only fair that Paul should address the Romans in somewhat better Latin." (Throughout the Dark Ages, the Roman Catholic Church did not allow the Bible to be printed or read in any language other than Latin. It was not until the Protestant Reformation beginning with Wycliffe this began to change. GA) In the earlier phases of the project, he never mentioned a Greek text: "My mind is so excited at the thought of emending Jerome&#8217;s text, with notes, that I seem to myself inspired by some god. I have already almost finished emending him by collating a large number of ancient manuscripts, and this I am doing at enormous personal expense." While his intentions for publishing a fresh Latin translation are clear, it is less clear why he included the Greek text. Though some speculate that he intended to produce a critical Greek text or that he wanted to beat the Complutensian Polyglot into print, there is no evidence to support this. He wrote, "There remains the New Testament translated by me, with the Greek facing, and notes on it by me." He further demonstrated the reason for the inclusion of the Greek text when defending his work: "But one thing the facts cry out, and it can be clear, as they say, even to a blind man, that often through the translator&#8217;s clumsiness or inattention the Greek has been wrongly rendered; often the true and genuine reading has been corrupted by ignorant scribes, which we see happen every day, or altered by scribes who are half-taught and half-asleep." So he included the Greek text to permit qualified readers to verify the quality of his Latin version. But by first calling the final product "Novum Instrumentum omne" ("All of the New Teaching") and later "Novum Testamentum omne" ("All of the New Testament") he also indicated clearly that he considered a consistently parallelized version of both the Greek and the Latin texts as the essential dual core of the church's New Testament tradition. In a way it is legitimate to say that Erasmus "synchronized" or "unified" the Greek and the Latin traditions of the New Testament by producing an updated (he would say: "purified") version of either simultaneously. Both being part of canonical tradition, he clearly found it necessary to ensure that both were actually presenting the same content. In modern terminology, he made the two traditions "compatible". This is clearly evidenced by the fact that his Greek text is not just the basis for his Latin translation, but also the other way round: there are numerous instances where he edits the Greek text to reflect his Latin version. For instance, since the last six verses of Revelation were missing from his Greek manuscript, Erasmus translated the Vulgate's text back into Greek. Erasmus also translated the Latin text into Greek wherever he found that the Greek text and the accompanying commentaries were mixed up, or where he simply preferred the Vulgate&#8217;s reading to the Greek text.

Acknowledgement page engraved and published by Johannes Froben, 1516Erasmus's hurried effort (Erasmus said it was "rushed into print rather than edited") was published by his friend Johann Froben of Basel in 1516 and thence became the first published Greek New Testament, the Novum Instrumentum omne, diligenter ab Erasmo Rot. Recognitum et Emendatum. Erasmus used several Greek manuscript sources because he did not have access to a single complete manuscript. Most of the manuscripts were, however, late Greek manuscripts of the Byzantine textual family and Erasmus used the oldest manuscript the least because "he was afraid of its supposedly erratic text." He also ignored much older and better manuscripts that were at his disposal.

In the 2nd (1519) edition the more familiar term Testamentum was used instead of Instrumentum. This edition was used by Martin Luther in making his German translation of Bible for his own religious movement. Together, the first and second editions sold 3,300 copies. Only 600 copies of the Complutensian Polyglot were even printed. The 1st- and 2nd-edition texts did not include the passage (1 John 5:7&#8211;8) that has become known as the Comma Johanneum. Erasmus had been unable to find those verses in any Greek manuscript, but one was supplied to him during production of the 3rd edition. That manuscript is now thought to be a 1520 creation from the Latin Vulgate, which likely got the verses from a fifth-century marginal gloss in a Latin copy of I John. The Roman Catholic Church decreed that the Comma Johanneum was open to dispute (June 2, 1927), and it is rarely included in modern scholarly translations.

The 3rd edition of 1522 was probably used by Tyndale for the first English New Testament (Worms, 1526) and was the basis for the 1550 Robert Stephanus edition used by the translators of the Geneva Bible and King James Version of the English Bible. Erasmus published a definitive 4th edition in 1527 containing parallel columns of Greek, Latin Vulgate and Erasmus's Latin texts. He used the now available Polyglot Bible to improve this version. In this edition Erasmus also supplied the Greek text of the last six verses of Revelation (which he had translated from Latin back into Greek in his first edition) from Cardinal Ximenez's Biblia Complutensis. In 1535 Erasmus published the 5th (and final) edition which dropped the Latin Vulgate column but was otherwise similar to the 4th edition. Subsequent versions of Erasmus's Greek New Testament became known as the Textus Receptus.

Erasmus dedicated his work to Pope Leo X as a patron of learning and regarded this work as his chief service to the cause of Christianity. Immediately afterward, he began the publication of his Paraphrases of the New Testament, a popular presentation of the contents of the several books. These, like all of his writings, were published in Latin but were quickly translated into other languages, with his encouragement.

(Here is a brief history from wikipedia how the term &#8220;textus receptus&#8221; became applied to this family of Greek texts begun by Erasmus.):

History of the Textus Receptus

The Dutch humanist Erasmus had been working for years on two projects: a collation of Greek texts and a fresh Latin New Testament. In 1512, he began his work on a fresh Latin New Testament. He collected all the Vulgate manuscripts he could find to create a critical edition. Then he polished the Latin. He declared, "It is only fair that Paul should address the Romans in somewhat better Latin."[1] In the earlier phases of the project, he never mentioned a Greek text: "My mind is so excited at the thought of emending Jerome&#8217;s text, with notes, that I seem to myself inspired by some god. I have already almost finished emending him by collating a large number of ancient manuscripts, and this I am doing at enormous personal expense."[2]

While his intentions for publishing a fresh Latin translation are clear, it is less clear why he included the Greek text. Though some speculate that he intended on producing a critical Greek text or that he wanted to beat the Complutensian Polyglot into print, there is no evidence to support this. Rather his motivations seems to be simpler: he included the Greek text to prove the superiority of his Latin version. He wrote, "There remains the New Testament translated by me, with the Greek facing, and notes on it by me."[3] He further demonstrated the reason for the inclusion of the Greek text when defending his work: "But one thing the facts cry out, and it can be clear, as they say, even to a blind man, that often through the translator&#8217;s clumsiness or inattention the Greek has been wrongly rendered; often the true and genuine reading has been corrupted by ignorant scribes, which we see happen every day, or altered by scribes who are half-taught and half-asleep."[4] Erasmus's new work was published by Froben of Basel in 1516 and thence became the first published Greek New Testament, the Novum Instrumentum omne, diligenter ab Erasmo Rot. Recognitum et Emendatum. He used manuscripts: 1, 1rK, 2e, 2ap, 4ap, 7, 817.[5] The second edition used the more familiar term Testamentum instead of Instrumentum, and eventually became a major source for Luther's German translation. In second edition (1519) Erasmus used also Minuscule 3.

Typographical errors (attributed to the rush to complete the work) abounded in the published text. Erasmus also lacked a complete copy of the book of Revelation and was forced to translate the last six verses back into Greek from the Latin Vulgate in order to finish his edition. Erasmus adjusted the text in many places to correspond with readings found in the Vulgate, or as quoted in the Church Fathers; and consequently, although the Textus Receptus is classified by scholars as a late Byzantine text, it differs in nearly two thousand readings from standard form of that text-type; as represented by the "Majority Text" of Hodges and Farstad (Wallace 1989). The edition was a sell-out commercial success; and was reprinted in 1519, with most&#8212;though not all&#8212;the typographical errors corrected.

Erasmus had been studying Greek New Testament manuscripts for many years, in the Netherlands, France, England and Switzerland, noting their many variants; but he only had six Greek manuscripts immediately accessible to him in Basel. They all dated from the 12th Century or later, and only one came from outside the mainstream Byzantine tradition. Consequently, most modern scholars consider his text to be of dubious quality.

With the third edition of Erasmus' Greek text (1522) the Comma Johanneum was included, because a single 16th-century Greek manuscript (Codex Montfortianus) had subsequently been found to contain it, though Erasmus had expressed doubt as to the authenticity of the passage in his Annotations. Popular demand for Greek New Testaments led to a flurry of further authorized and unauthorized editions in the early sixteenth century; almost all of which were based on Erasmus's work and incorporated his particular readings, although typically also making a number of minor changes of their own.

The overwhelming success of Erasmus' Greek New Testament completely overshadowed the Latin text upon which he had focused. Many other publishers produced their own versions of the Greek New Testament over the next several centuries. Rather than doing their own critical work, most just relied on the well-known Erasmian text.

Robert Estienne, known as Stefanus (1503-1559), a printer from Paris, edited four times the Greek New Testament, 1546, 1549, 1550, and 1551, the last in Geneva. The first two are among the neatest Greek texts known, and are called O mirificam; the third edition is a splendid masterpiece of typographical skill. It has critical apparatus in which quoted manuscripts referred to the text. Manuscripts were marked by symbols (from &#945; to &#953;&#962. He used Polyglotta Complutensis (symbolized by &#945 and 15 Greek manuscripts. In this number manuscripts: Codex Bezae, Codex Regius, minuscules 4, 5, 6, 2817, 8, 9. The first step towards to modern Textual Criticism was made. The third edition is known as the Editio Regia; the edition of 1551 contains the Latin translation of Erasmus and the Vulgate, is not nearly as fine as the other three, and is exceedingly rare. It was in this edition that the division of the New Testament into verses was for the first time introduced.

The third edition of Estienne was used by Theodore Beza (1519-1605), who edited it nine times between 1565 and 1604. In the critical apparatus of the second edition he used the Codex Claromontanus and the Syriac New Testament published by Emmanuel Tremellius in 1569. Codex Bezae was twice referenced (as Codex Bezae and &#946;' of Estienne).

The origin of the term "Textus Receptus" comes from the publisher's preface to the 1633 edition produced by Bonaventure and Abraham Elzevir, two brothers and printers at Leiden: textum ergo habes, nunc ab omnibus receptum, in quo nihil immulatum aut corruptum damus, translated "so you hold the text, now received by all, in which nothing corrupt." The two words, textum and receptum, were modified from the accusative to the nominative case to render textus receptus. Over time, this term has been retroactively applied to Erasmus' editions, as his work served as the basis of the others.

ERASMUS, DESIDERIUS (C. 1466&#8211;1536)

Dutch scholar; first editor of the Greek New Testament

(From Who's Who In Christian History - Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. - J. D. DOUGLAS)

Born a priest&#8217;s son out of wedlock, Erasmus knew nothing of normal family life and was in that sense a deprived child. His schooling was largely at Deventer (Netherlands) under the auspices of the Brethren of the Common Life. Those followers of what was called the &#8220;Modern Devotion&#8221; movement sought a deepening of spiritual life. Under the Brethren, who produced some of the fifteenth century&#8217;s best teachers, Erasmus acquired an enthusiasm for Bible study. In 1486, evidently under pressure from his guardians, he became an Augustinian canon at Steyn (Netherlands). In spite of his reluctance to enter the monastery, his six or seven years of study there produced in him a love for classical literature and thought.

About 1493 Erasmus was ordained and became Latin secretary to the bishop of Cambrai (France). The bishop&#8217;s continuing interest allowed Erasmus in 1495 to pursue theological studies at Paris. Erasmus took a lasting dislike to the dogmatic theologians there, with their partisanship, intolerance, and hostility to new ways of thinking.

In 1496, after a brief visit to Steyn, Erasmus returned to Paris, reinforced in his resolve to leave the monastic life. He continued his theological studies but majored in the new biblical courses rather than in Scholastic theology. Meanwhile, he helped to support himself (and advanced his career) by tutoring the sons of leading European families. During that time he wrote his Colloquies, a series of imaginary dialogues. They originated as exercises for his students but were edited and supplemented over the years. Erasmus used a gallery of characters to critique the religious life of his day, in particular satirizing the forms of Scholasticism and monkish superstition he regarded as damaging to true piety and devotion. At times, however, the spirituality in his Colloquies is indistinguishable from Stoic morality.

In 1499 Erasmus paid his first visit to England. Prominent churchmen he met there included Bishop Warham of London (soon to be archbishop of Canterbury), John Fisher, William Latimer, John Colet, and Thomas More. The last two exercised a profound influence upon Erasmus.

In England Erasmus also found a battle in progress. Obscurantists were attempting to prevent the growth of Christian knowledge. Under the influence of the Italian Renaissance many Europeans had been rediscovering the classical learning of the Greeks and Romans. Erasmus wanted such learning to develop a truly Christian character instead of causing a return to pagan values. He found support for that wish in England, especially from people like John Colet, who encouraged Erasmus in the study of the New Testament.

In 1500 Erasmus left England, though his friends wanted him to stay. He went to Paris and then to Louvain (Belgium), where he declined a professorship. About that time he began to expose the ignorance and corruption of the age. In 1503 he published the Handbook of the Christian Knight, which purported to recall a nobleman to Christian faith and practice. &#8220;It has long been my cherished wish,&#8221; he wrote in it, &#8220;to cleanse the Lord&#8217;s temple of barbarous ignorance and to adorn it with treasures from afar, such as may kindle in generous hearts a warm love for the Scriptures.&#8221; He advocated a middle course between extremes &#8220;so that we neither act too securely because we rely on divine grace, nor cast away our mind without arms because we are dispirited by the difficulties of war.&#8221;

In 1505 and 1506 Erasmus revisited England, then went to Italy and received his doctorate at Turin (1506). He was in Italy three years without finding there the stimulus for which he had hoped. He did see much that was corrupt about the papacy. In 1508 the publication of Adages, in which he gathered more than three thousand proverbs from classical authors, confirmed his reputation as the foremost scholar in northern Europe.

In a wave of optimism that accompanied the accession of Henry VIII to the English throne, Erasmus went back to England in 1509 for five years. He stayed for a time with Thomas More, and that year wrote the Encomium Moriae, later translated into English as The Praise of Folly. The book was a biting satire on monastic and ecclesiastical corruption, on the many supposed miracles wrought by images, on the scandal of indulgences, on useless rites, and on the papal hierarchy. That work significantly helped to prepare the way for the Reformation.

Erasmus criticized Scholasticism for its inordinate preoccupation with details and its ignorance of true religion. He pointed to the early church and to the church fathers as his ideal of reform rather than to the complex argumentations of later Scholastics. He wrote, &#8220;He is truly a theologian who teaches not with syllogisms and contorted arguments, but with compassion in his eyes and his whole countenance, who teaches indeed by the examples of his own life that riches are to be despised, that the Christian man must not put his faith in the defenses of this world, but depend entirely upon heaven.&#8221; The test of theology, Erasmus claimed, was whether it was reflected in Christian living.

From 1514 to 1529 Erasmus was often in Basel (Switzerland), where he went to collaborate with the publishing house of Froben. In 1514 he declined the call of the prior of Steyn to return to monastic life, defending his vocation of scholarship. In 1517 Leo X (pope, 1513&#8211;1521) granted two dispensations to permit Erasmus to live outside a monastery and to let him discard his order&#8217;s dress.

For a return to first-century Christianity to occur, Erasmus thought, people must know what kind of Christianity that was. So in 1516 appeared the great work of his life: an edition of the Greek New Testament text. Beside it he placed his own elegant Latin version with critical notes, some as insightful as anything that came later from the Reformers. His Latin revealed mistakes in the Vulgate text (the Catholic church&#8217;s official Latin Bible), though it was not itself free of errors. Nevertheless his pioneering work constituted a landmark from which successive generations of scholars took their bearings.

The book&#8217;s prefatory essay itself was a masterly achievement, as Erasmus set down his aims and hopes. &#8220;I could wish,&#8221; he declared in lines that became famous, &#8220;that every woman might read the Gospel and the Epistles of St. Paul. Would that these were translated into each and every language so that they might be read and understood not only by Scots and Irishmen, but also by Turks and Saracens . . . Would that the farmer might sing snatches of Scripture at his plough and that the weaver might hum phrases of Scripture to the tune of his shuttle, that the traveler might lighten with stories from Scripture the weariness of his journey.&#8221;

Ironically, the work was dedicated to Pope Leo X (who gladly accepted the honor), and also was hailed with delight by Martin Luther. That was only one year before Luther defied the pope by posting his Ninety-five Theses on the church door in Wittenberg.

In 1516 Erasmus became a royal counselor in the Brussels (Belgium) court of the future Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Between that year and 1518 Erasmus also published a nine-volume edition of the works of Jerome, Erasmus&#8217;s favorite church father. Less ambitious editions of other fathers including Irenaeus, Augustine, Chrysostom, and Origen followed in the succeeding eighteen years.

From 1517 to 1521, the most critical period for the Reformation in Germany, Erasmus was at Louvain, a famous center of learning in the Low Countries. There he was a key figure among the humanists, maintaining an enormous correspondence. Although both sides of the Reformation solicited his help, Erasmus never met Martin Luther.

In 1521 Erasmus settled at Basel, a city he found most satisfying for his work. There, aided by his friend John Froben, he published many books and continued his &#8220;back-to-the-fathers&#8221; movement. Although friends in high places in a number of countries offered him various posts, Erasmus declined them all in order to maintain his literary freedom. Any limits on Erasmus were to a large extent self-imposed by his temperament. A scholar who could assail long-entrenched evils in the church, Erasmus nonetheless toned down his attack just when papal defenses were beginning to crumble. Despite appeals from both sides, he was reluctant to become embroiled in the controversy between Luther and the papacy. His neutrality worked to the benefit of the Reformation.

At last, however, in 1524 Erasmus yielded to pressure and attacked Luther in Diatribe on Free Will, to which Luther replied with Bondage of the Will (1526). Erasmus came back with Hyperaspistes Diatribes. Thus for the last twelve years of his life he was associated with the conservative faction, remaining firmly if sometimes uneasily in the old church.

In 1529, after the Reformation under John Oecolampadius had come to Basel comparatively peacefully, Erasmus was among the humanists who left the city. He went to Freiburg, a German city with a young university. Six years later he returned to Basel, although ill, to supervise the printing of his edition of the works of Origen. Erasmus died in Basel the next year. No priest was present. &#8220;Most holy was his living,&#8221; said one who was with him, &#8220;most holy his dying.&#8221;

Erasmus was a man of moderation in an age of extremes; his reputation was therefore attacked by both sides of the Reformation controversy. He refused to be caught up in the turbulence of the times. So, despite the deft aim of his literary missiles, the shy, sensitive bachelor found his scholarly detachment misunderstood, sometimes by friend and foe alike. His words were taken out of context and made to serve undesired ends. His views were used to criticize the papacy, and in Henry VIII&#8217;s England to liberalize divorce.

In that age, &#8220;bridge-building&#8221; was not an acceptable occupation. Many did not share Erasmus&#8217;s enthusiasm for pagan literature nor even for the writings of the fathers. The range of his learning was enough to make him suspect; he knew classical antiquity (reading both Latin and Greek), the Bible, early church writings, and the philosophical and theological scholasticism of the Middle Ages.

None saw more keenly than Erasmus the need for reformation, but for him that need was bound up with the need for education. His edition of the Greek New Testament was evidence of his concern for scholarship. For Erasmus, the cause of reform required using the tools of scholarship to learn crucial lessons from the Christian past. Those lessons included humanity and piety.

Europe, having fallen out of the habit of scholarly studies, tended to allow the papacy to tell it what to do and think on religious matters. It seems paradoxical that Erasmus described himself as ceasing to be a skeptic where the church had defined things. The same Erasmus had compared Julius II (pope, 1503&#8211;1513) unfavorably with Julius Caesar, though considering the analogy incomplete because it lacked another Brutus. Such language, however, was the common currency of his day. Erasmus basically wished to preserve the church&#8217;s unity, and so urged the abolition of practices, such as giving indulgences, that nurtured superstition and gave offense (and ammunition) to the Reformers.

In Martin Luther, Erasmus saw some of the dogmatism that had repelled him in his early days, only now serving a different cause. Even if scandals had become inevitable, Erasmus was not the one to precipitate crises. Indulgences were indefensible, yet he never unconditionally condemned them. He detested compulsion in religion. Erasmus would have agreed with Archbishop Robert Leighton that persecution was like &#8220;scaling heaven with ladders fetched out of hell.&#8221; Erasmus believed that faith persuades rather than compels. Yet even he agreed that &#8220;an extremely contumacious heretic might be burned.&#8221;

Erasmus was a pacifist, but not an unqualified one. He doubted that the concept of the &#8220;just war&#8221; could be precisely defined. Like many pacifists, however, he was willing to wage &#8220;verbal warfare.&#8221; Regarding himself as a cosmopolitan who belonged to no one country, Erasmus could embrace pacifism unimpeded by narrow nationalistic interest.

Critics have often said that Erasmus was little more than a &#8220;humanist with Christian overtones.&#8221; They sometimes accuse him of neglecting the work of Christ as example and teacher. Yet Erasmus believed in salvation by grace. His work on the New Testament allowed the Word of God to speak for itself and so come alive for both simple people and scholars. A multitude of faults is more than offset by that kind of testimony.

I dont see how this relates to the thread...did you mean to start a new thread.

I apologize for all the off-topic editorial . Truly repentant .

ron4shua said:

I apologize for all the off-topic editorial . Truly repentant .

Click to expand...

All is well

How does your count look with 49 years, which is 7 seven-year cycles, with a 50th year separating each? I'm still curious! Counting from Abib to Abib for the years:

Years 1-6
Year 7 (shemitah)
Years 8-13
Year 14 (shemitah)
Years 15-20
Year 21 (shemitah)
Years 22-27
Year 28 (shemitah)
Years 29-34
Year 35 (shemitah)
Years 36-41
Year 42 (shemitah)
Years 43-48
Year 49 (shemitah)

Year 50 (yovel)

And begin again...
Years 1-6
Year 7 (shemitah)...etc...