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Shalom All,
WARNING: There is some rank speculation involved here. Substantiation or refutation is invited if constructive. More speculation is invited too.
There is historical and scriptural evidence that the early Messianics were indeed a sect and subset of Judaism. But persecutions by both the Jewish establishment and the Roman authorities over a long period of time drove a wedge between them. There were of course, individual incidents that contributed greatly to this rift. The Bar Kokhba revolt was a pivotal moment in history for Messianics when Rabbi Akivah demanded the Messianic Jews renounce their allegiance to Y'shua (Jesus) and support Simon Bar Kokhba as Messiah. The Messianic Jews for the most part removed to Jordan at the sight of the the prophecies of Messiah coming to pass. There they suffered few persecutions. The same could not be said for the Jews that remained to resist the Roman army.
Over the course of the next two centuries, the ratio of believing Jews in the Messianic congregations changed drastically in comparison to the swelling numbers of Gentile believers. And there was of course, a corresponding change in the leadership of the congregations. This was a fact not lost on certain Romans that sought to co-opt the growing movement by outlawing everything Jewish but supporting Gentile believers that 'toed the official party line'. Rome would consolidate political power under a state religion that incorporated all of the major celebrations of paganism into 'Christianity'. But I am not telling you anything new. This is well documented as both the Rabbis and the Romans were prodigious record keepers.
Now I am not insinuating anything sinister here concerning contemporary Messianic views. It is only that a person's background greatly influence their perceptions. The political expediency that fomented traditions and histories based on the lies that sprung up around the followers of Messiah is long past. The persons responsible for these untruths have long since past away. But their legacy lives on in the people that that were trained in them and the children that they in turn trained. This is true of Jew and Gentile alike as both groups have traditions and beliefs that are mutually exclusive and that contradict both scripture and the historical record in some way. In short, we all have room for improvement.
To get back to the truth, reliable context is everything. Case in point would be the book of the Revelation. Most Messianics are familiar with the writings of Alfred Edersheim. There are many examples of the symbolism of the Temple and its service found in the Revelation according to him. Following in this vein, there is also for your consideration, an excerpt from an article at Wikipedia:
A few years ago, J.R. Church authored a comparison of the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation. It showed that both followed the same form in each chapter - topic for topic, and subject for subject. So there might be more to this that Dr. Church realized if both were ordered by the symbolism and order of the Temple service.
Recently, I was privileged to hear a presentation showing all of the elements of the Feast of Yom Kippur Temple service, that is both the morning and evening services, represented in the book of the Revelation. To someone steeped in the culture of first century Temple worship, most of the references would be obvious. And even more so to someone trained to the Temple Priesthood. To those of us not so indoctrinated, it was an epiphany. The case was fairly well made though not all of the presenter's views were completely upheld. I was nonetheless excited to independently examine some of the symbolism and scriptural references for myself.
It is widely accepted that John was a political prisoner on the Isle of Patmos at the time of the writing of the book of the Revelation. Much as English-speaking WWII prisoners communicated in "pig-latin" during their incarcerations in Japanese POW camps, I'm fairly sure that John would have been "wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove" in the transcription of his vision. I'm not sure how much of this would qualify as 'dark sayings' as it is characterized as a 'revelation' or something revealed. So if this is a case where the book of the Revelation is both allegorical and topical, couched in the terms of Temple service and context unfamiliar to his captors, then there is much to be revealed about the vision based on this context.
Likewise, the same could be said about much of the epistles that laid the foundation for the early traditions of the Messianics. Perhaps there is much that is missed in reading the letters of the early church fathers. Perhaps there were more than just subtle hints, but to the uninitiated, hints and references that eluded the most diligent of the saints, simply because they were not equipped to recognize them. Perhaps, some of these tradition are established because of cultural traditions and boundaries and not because of diligence or lack thereof. Just a thought.
While I seem to digress into the realm of pure speculation and 'thinking out loud', I was wondering:
There is some very tenuous supposition linking John to the house of the Zadokim, though through no credible documentation. Don't recall where I read that little tidbit. However, here are some things to consider should this too, prove to be a valid line of inquiry.
The Zadokim (the rightful heirs of the High Priesthood) were still custodians of David's tomb at the time of our Messiah. The relatively autonomous existence of these Aaronic priests and the existence of a large upper room in the structure, lend themselves to certain scriptural possibilities. These include the possible abdication of the seat of honor and authority for the Ta'anit B'Khorim of Rav Y'shua, the possible location of the refuge where the 120 talmidim hid themselves while waiting out the ten days til Shavuot and the location of the pouring out of the Spirit of Promise. Just tossed that out there for your entertainment and comments.
OK, back to the program in progress...
At any rate, there is a very certain order to the morning and evening Temple services, especially on Yom Kippur. The High Priest was required to oversee all of these duties for a week prior to the Yom Kippur service. The cleaning and lighting of the Menorah, the opening of the Temple to morning worship, the daily sacrifice - everything.
What is compelling about the arguments I heard is this: Almost every word spoken by the Master to the congregations can be tied to scripture or historical record concerning the ministry of the Temple priests or the coming of the Messiah. The actions recorded in the Revelation all were ordered to match the preparation and opening of the Temple. The theme followed that of the traditions of Yom Kippur as a day of Atonement and Judgment were too. In short, everything is a fit.
Thoughts?
WARNING: There is some rank speculation involved here. Substantiation or refutation is invited if constructive. More speculation is invited too.
There is historical and scriptural evidence that the early Messianics were indeed a sect and subset of Judaism. But persecutions by both the Jewish establishment and the Roman authorities over a long period of time drove a wedge between them. There were of course, individual incidents that contributed greatly to this rift. The Bar Kokhba revolt was a pivotal moment in history for Messianics when Rabbi Akivah demanded the Messianic Jews renounce their allegiance to Y'shua (Jesus) and support Simon Bar Kokhba as Messiah. The Messianic Jews for the most part removed to Jordan at the sight of the the prophecies of Messiah coming to pass. There they suffered few persecutions. The same could not be said for the Jews that remained to resist the Roman army.
Over the course of the next two centuries, the ratio of believing Jews in the Messianic congregations changed drastically in comparison to the swelling numbers of Gentile believers. And there was of course, a corresponding change in the leadership of the congregations. This was a fact not lost on certain Romans that sought to co-opt the growing movement by outlawing everything Jewish but supporting Gentile believers that 'toed the official party line'. Rome would consolidate political power under a state religion that incorporated all of the major celebrations of paganism into 'Christianity'. But I am not telling you anything new. This is well documented as both the Rabbis and the Romans were prodigious record keepers.
Now I am not insinuating anything sinister here concerning contemporary Messianic views. It is only that a person's background greatly influence their perceptions. The political expediency that fomented traditions and histories based on the lies that sprung up around the followers of Messiah is long past. The persons responsible for these untruths have long since past away. But their legacy lives on in the people that that were trained in them and the children that they in turn trained. This is true of Jew and Gentile alike as both groups have traditions and beliefs that are mutually exclusive and that contradict both scripture and the historical record in some way. In short, we all have room for improvement.
To get back to the truth, reliable context is everything. Case in point would be the book of the Revelation. Most Messianics are familiar with the writings of Alfred Edersheim. There are many examples of the symbolism of the Temple and its service found in the Revelation according to him. Following in this vein, there is also for your consideration, an excerpt from an article at Wikipedia:
This would indicate to me, why John was allowed into the High Priest's residence during the examination of Y'shua and also gained admission for Peter into the courtyard. I am fairly sure attendance to an event of this nature (extraordinary as it was), would have been restricted to the leaders of Israel, household servants and Temple guards. The only possible exception would be relatives. If this line of inquiry is valid, and John was indeed trained from childhood for the Priesthood, then it would also offer a whole new perspective to his writings, including the Revelation and all of the Temple symbolism found therein. So, what if John were from a priestly family and a relative of the High Priest?Polycrates is best known for his letter addressed to the Roman Bishop Victor who was attempting to find a consensus about the proper date to celebrate Easter, see also Quartodecimanism.
The Church historian Eusebius wrote,
Here is what Eusebius records that Polycrates wrote,A question of no small importance arose at that time. For the parishes of all Asia, as from an older tradition, held that the fourteenth day of the moon, on which day the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb, should be observed as the feast of the Saviour's passover...But it was not the custom of the churches in the rest of the world...But the bishops of Asia, led by Polycrates, decided to hold to the old custom handed down to them. He himself, in a letter which he addressed to Victor and the church of Rome, set forth in the following words the tradition which had come down to him. (Eusebius, Church History, Book V, Chapter 23, Chapter 24).
We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of the Lord's coming, when he shall come with glory from heaven, and shall seek out all the saints. Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who fell asleep in Hierapolis; and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter, who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus; and, moreover, John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and, being a priest, wore the sacerdotal plate. He fell asleep at Ephesus. And Polycarp in Smyrna, who was a bishop and martyr; and Thraseas, bishop and martyr from Eumeneia, who fell asleep in Smyrna. Why need I mention the bishop and martyr Sagaris who fell asleep in Laodicea[disambiguation needed ], or the blessed Papirius, or Melito the Eunuch who lived altogether in the Holy Spirit, and who lies in Sardis, awaiting the episcopate from heaven, when he shall rise from the dead? All these observed the fourteenth day of the passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith. And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, do according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have closely followed. For seven of my relatives were bishops; and I am the eighth. And my relatives always observed the day when the people put away the leaven.
A few years ago, J.R. Church authored a comparison of the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation. It showed that both followed the same form in each chapter - topic for topic, and subject for subject. So there might be more to this that Dr. Church realized if both were ordered by the symbolism and order of the Temple service.
Recently, I was privileged to hear a presentation showing all of the elements of the Feast of Yom Kippur Temple service, that is both the morning and evening services, represented in the book of the Revelation. To someone steeped in the culture of first century Temple worship, most of the references would be obvious. And even more so to someone trained to the Temple Priesthood. To those of us not so indoctrinated, it was an epiphany. The case was fairly well made though not all of the presenter's views were completely upheld. I was nonetheless excited to independently examine some of the symbolism and scriptural references for myself.
It is widely accepted that John was a political prisoner on the Isle of Patmos at the time of the writing of the book of the Revelation. Much as English-speaking WWII prisoners communicated in "pig-latin" during their incarcerations in Japanese POW camps, I'm fairly sure that John would have been "wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove" in the transcription of his vision. I'm not sure how much of this would qualify as 'dark sayings' as it is characterized as a 'revelation' or something revealed. So if this is a case where the book of the Revelation is both allegorical and topical, couched in the terms of Temple service and context unfamiliar to his captors, then there is much to be revealed about the vision based on this context.
Likewise, the same could be said about much of the epistles that laid the foundation for the early traditions of the Messianics. Perhaps there is much that is missed in reading the letters of the early church fathers. Perhaps there were more than just subtle hints, but to the uninitiated, hints and references that eluded the most diligent of the saints, simply because they were not equipped to recognize them. Perhaps, some of these tradition are established because of cultural traditions and boundaries and not because of diligence or lack thereof. Just a thought.
While I seem to digress into the realm of pure speculation and 'thinking out loud', I was wondering:
There is some very tenuous supposition linking John to the house of the Zadokim, though through no credible documentation. Don't recall where I read that little tidbit. However, here are some things to consider should this too, prove to be a valid line of inquiry.
The Zadokim (the rightful heirs of the High Priesthood) were still custodians of David's tomb at the time of our Messiah. The relatively autonomous existence of these Aaronic priests and the existence of a large upper room in the structure, lend themselves to certain scriptural possibilities. These include the possible abdication of the seat of honor and authority for the Ta'anit B'Khorim of Rav Y'shua, the possible location of the refuge where the 120 talmidim hid themselves while waiting out the ten days til Shavuot and the location of the pouring out of the Spirit of Promise. Just tossed that out there for your entertainment and comments.
OK, back to the program in progress...
At any rate, there is a very certain order to the morning and evening Temple services, especially on Yom Kippur. The High Priest was required to oversee all of these duties for a week prior to the Yom Kippur service. The cleaning and lighting of the Menorah, the opening of the Temple to morning worship, the daily sacrifice - everything.
What is compelling about the arguments I heard is this: Almost every word spoken by the Master to the congregations can be tied to scripture or historical record concerning the ministry of the Temple priests or the coming of the Messiah. The actions recorded in the Revelation all were ordered to match the preparation and opening of the Temple. The theme followed that of the traditions of Yom Kippur as a day of Atonement and Judgment were too. In short, everything is a fit.
Thoughts?
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