Come Follow Me: Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3

Come Follow Me: Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3
 

The previous lesson dealt with the Gospel of John's discussion on the baptism of Jesus. This week, we look at what the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke are related gospels) say on the matter.

Where Did John Come From?
John the Baptist's background is important here. Luke 1 gives us a divine beginning to the Baptist, his birth proclaimed by the archangel Gabriel. During his infancy, his father was killed by King Herod, who was searching out all male children to slay.  Elizabeth took John into hiding in the wilderness. Some scholars believe that John was taken to the Qumran area, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and dwelt with the exiled priests in the desert.  There are many similarities between John's teaching and those of the Essenes who lived at Qumran.

"James H. Charlesworth asserts that he is “convinced that the similarities

between John the Baptizer and the Qumranites are too impressive to be

dismissed as merely an example of a shared milieu.”

Charlesworth then gives five “striking points of similarity:”

1. Both John and the Qumranites come from similar geographical

locations

2. “They both share a preference for prophecy, especially Isaiah.”

Here Charlesworth comments on the connections with Isaiah 40:3.

3. They both used water as a means of expiation.

4. Both were eschatological (focused on death, judgement and the end of the world).

5. Both were ascetic and even celibate. He concludes by saying that “John

the Baptizer was one who refused full initiation because of the institutionalized

hatred of all who were not within the community.” (John the Baptist and the Qumran Connection, Alan Taylor Farnes).

 Many scholars believe John the Baptist began his training among the priests of the Qumran Community. At some point, he left the community, because his calling was to go forth among the people and call repentance. The Essenes viewed themselves as those "crying in the wilderness" (Isa 40:3) as a witness against the evils they believed going on in Jerusalem and the temple. However, John the Baptist understood he was the one called to prepare the way for the Messiah.

 What Other Jewish Groups Were There?

The Essenes, according to the Dead Sea Scrolls, were once in control of the temple and the religion of the nation. During the period of the Maccabee rulers, the priesthood authority was wrenched from them and given to other priests. The Essenes fled to Qumran, next to the Dead Sea, and began a cloistered community. There also were other Essenes who were not celibate, who married and dwelt in the villages of Judah, who followed a somewhat different set of standards and expectations. They did not baptize as we do today, but did immerse themselves frequently in water for purification. As a group, they ate a common meal and drink each day, expecting to one day partake of these sacraments with the coming Messiah.

The Pharisees were perhaps the largest group of Jews in Judah. While they did not have many priests in their group, they did control and teach in most of the synagogues. This gave them great influence over most of the people, as they taught the average Jew the gospel from their perspective. They included oral traditions that were external to the Biblical writings, attempting to build a wall of protection around the writings of Moses and the Prophets, with the writings of Rabbis and others. Their rules often greatly expanded those given by Moses, including rules prohibiting certain knots being tied on the Sabbath day, or walking more than a certain distance on the Sabbath. After the destruction of Israel in 70 AD (and again in 135 AD with the Bar Kokhba revolt), rabbinic Judaism would rise from the ashes of the Pharisee cult, and is what Jews base their current religion on 2000 years later.

The Sadducees included priests and aristocrats that controlled the temple and the sacrifice. These did not believe in resurrection. They strictly followed the Bible, without any external interpretations.

Zealots were groups of Jews seeking a temporal Messiah that would rescue Israel from its external enemies (Rome, etc). Among them were many proclaimed Messiahs, including Barabbas (literally "Son of Father"), who was arrested and sentenced to die by the Romans for insurrection.

The Herodians were a small group that supported King Herod as King of Judah. Sometimes this would include individuals or groups from the other sects, who connected themselves with the ruling party.

The Baptist Movement - even John the Baptist had disciples who followed him until his death. On a few occasions, John attempted to have his disciples follow Jesus, not always succeeding in doing so.

The Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods
It was necessary for John the Baptist to be a Levite and a descendant of Aaron. In having this lineage, he had authority to baptize. The Pharisees and Sadducees who questioned him did not ask where his authority came from, but why he was baptizing. They knew what baptism was, and that various sects performed washings in slightly different manners. For John, the evolution from the Essene purification washings to a baptism for the remission of sins, was a simple step. It drew crowds, because Essenes were not known to proselytize.

They were used to self-proclaimed Messiahs to suddenly appear and them flame out as Roman guards would execute them. However, they had never seen someone come forth crying repentance, stating that someone else would soon come forth as Messiah!

John explained that through his priesthood, he could baptize with water for remission of sins. However, the Messiah would come forth with a greater power, a priesthood that would call down the Holy Spirit and Fire upon the recipients of Messianic blessings.

In the Encyclopedia Judaica, under the title, "Aaron", we learn that Aaron was the brother of Moses. He was called of God to perform sacrifices in the temple. Through his rod, Aaron performed some of the ten plagues of Egypt, under Moses' direction. No descendant of Aaron would perform such miracles afterward, such would be reserved to Moses and the prophets. In discussing Aaron from a Christian context, the Encyclopedia Judaica then tells us:

“As the ancestor and founder of the one priesthood entitled to offer acceptable sacrifice to God, Aaron was taken as the type of Christ in the New Testament and later Christian tradition; he offers sacrifice, mediates between the people and God, and ministers in the Holy of Holies. The typology is developed especially in the Epistle to the Hebrews which stresses the superiority of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice to the animal sacrifices of the Aaronic priesthood. Jesus, the high priest of the New Covenant, is foreshadowed by Aaron, the high priest of the Old Covenant, but Christ’s priesthood, which is “after the order Melchizedek,” supersedes and replaces the inferior priesthood of Aaron. Influenced by this distinction, the Mormons distinguished in their hierarchy between a lesser, Aaronic priesthood, and the office of igh priest which is according to the order of Melchizedek.”  [R.J. Zwi Weblowsky]

As Aaron was a type for Christ, so is John the Baptist. John, being the descendant of Aaron, held the rights to serve in the temple, offering animal sacrifices and serving in the Holy of Holies. As Aaron's service in the temple prepared for the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ, John's baptism would prepare the way for Jesus' baptism of fire and Spirit.



Bibliography
 
John the Baptist and the Qumran Connection, by Alan Taylor Farnes
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1126&context=studiaantiqua

Encyclopedia Judaica, "Aaron"
https://archive.org/details/EncyclopediaJudaica

Come Follow Me: John 1

Come Follow Me, John 1

Background
 
Unlike the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which are known as the Synoptic Gospels (they correlate many of their stories), John's gospel is set apart, standing alone with several stories that are not found in the Synoptic Gospels.

Many scholars today believe that Matthew and Luke were written, based upon Mark's gospel (considered the earliest written gospel) and a separate source called Q (for the German word Quelle, meaning Source).  It would be a document of sayings, much like the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas.

There still are many scholars that believe the gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, or perhaps by some of their disciples.  Many of the Christian writings were originally given as oral histories. Matthew and Luke were not present at Jesus' birth, and so would have later heard two different stories of the event. Could there have been angels, Gabriel, shepherds AND wisemen and an escape to Egypt both occur, but preserved in different oral histories? Of course. Still, there are discrepancies. Luke has Joseph and Mary come from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and return after the birth of Jesus. Matthew seems to have them already living in Bethlehem in a house, they escape to Egypt, and only afterward go to Nazareth.  Considering that decades separated the original birth of Christ and the writing down of these stories, we should not be surprised that some conflicts occur in the stories.

In John 1:19, we find that even John the Apostle, who was in the center of the Lord's ministry, depended upon others' records to write his gospel.

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

Here, we see that the apostle John notes that he gets his record of Jesus' baptism from John the Baptist. We don't know whether this is a written or oral history.  As John was likely one of the two disciples of John the Baptist (along with Andrew), it may be that John learned of this the day after Jesus' baptism.  It seems when the Baptist baptized Jesus, his disciples were not with him at the time, as the next day when Jesus walked by, John proclaimed him as Messiah to his two disciples, and they followed Jesus thereafter.

In the Beginning wasThe Logos

John begins his testament differently than the other three: "In the beginning was the Word/Logos..."  In this, John links the birth of Christ with the Creation story in Genesis 1.  John speaks of Christ creating the world, as God did in the beginning. John notes the darkness that does not comprehend the light of Christ, as the Lord commanded, "Let there be Light" and controlled the chaos of Darkness, so with the coming of Christ would come a spiritual light that would dissipate the darkness and chaos in the world.   Of course, in Genesis, the culmination of God's creation is man and woman. So it is in the new spiritual creation Christ would bring, making us all sons and daughters of God.

John is directly linking the coming of the Savior in the flesh with the Creation of the World. With the Creation came mortal life. In the atonement and resurrection of Jesus would come Immortality and Eternal Life.

The Power of Christ's Grace
As part of his power, Christ would give light, life and the gift of grace. Linked to John 1 is D&C 93, which begins by saying we can see Christ face to face. It then discusses that Christ "did not receive a fullness at first," but that he went from "grace to grace", receiving "grace for grace", "until he received a fullness." This same path is established for us to take. We can't be perfect now, but as we turn to Christ, we are infused with his grace through the Holy Ghost, which sanctifies us and makes us more holy. It is a cycle, based on the Doctrine of Christ (2 Nephi 31, 3 Nephi 11), which states that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one God, and we are to be optismne with them and each other, by growing in Faith in Christ, Repentance, Baptism/Ordinances, and Receiving the Holy Ghost. As we grow in faith, we desire more to repent. We partake of ordinances and covenants, and then receive a greater infusion of the Holy Ghost. This lifts us up to a higher level of righteousness and grace. We are then ready to go through the cycle again and again, until we receive a fullness: receiving all that the Father has as full heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

Baptism
As important as Jesus' birth is to us, for the gospel writers, his baptism seems to be of greater import. All four write about John the Baptist (Luke writes of Gabriel's annunciation of John and his birth), and note his importance as the forerunner of the Messiah, long ago prophesied by Isaiah.

We get some conflict in the stories, as some note John proclaiming Jesus as Messiah before his baptism, while John's Gospel insists that the Baptist did not know beforehand.

And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. (John 1:33)

John was able to proclaim Jesus the Son of God, but only after seeing the Holy Ghost descend and remain with Jesus. Interesting to note, John the Baptist states that someone sent him to baptize with water, but we aren't told exactly whom that is. Was it an angel? Was it a believing prophet/priest who preceded the Baptist? We aren't told, but it is interesting to note that John the Baptist didn't just start baptizing one day, but was sent forth to do so.

Come and See
John didn't retain his two disciples very long, The day after baptizing Jesus, as John was with his two disciples (Andrew and the future apostle John), he witnessed of the Messiah walking past and sent them to Jesus. When they spoke with Jesus of where he was staying, Jesus' invitation was, "Come and see."

Later as the disciple Philip would tell his friend, Nathanael, about the Messiah, and Nathanael had doubts, Philip would also say, "Come and see."

For those with an open mind, who will accept the invitation, Jesus is waiting to bring them in. For Nathanael, who had heard bad things about Nazareth his entire life, his open mind and heart were quickly converted, when Jesus noted that the young man had prayed for guidance under a fig tree. Nathanael, being an "Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile," would easily believe and be promised to see even more.  In other words, Jesus was already giving grace to his new disciples, and promising more as they continued to follow in Christ's footsteps.


Here is a link to my previous blog post on John 1: https://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2010/12/gospel-doctrine-new-testament-lesson-1.html

Come Follow Me: Matthew 2, Luke 2

Come Follow Me: Matthew 2, Luke 2

For the 2011 Sunday School lessons, I wrote this post on the birth of Christ, and how it tied to Adam and Eve.

Christ and Creation
 
After reading the link, I want to add to the concept of Christ's birth being tied to the Creation.

The Bible has several Creation stories, the most common ones in Genesis 1 and 2. Isaiah, Proverbs and Psalms also mention important issues of Creation, not mentioned in Genesis. Then, for Latter-day Saints, we also have still more versions of Creation in the Books of Moses and Abraham, and in the temple. There are similarities and big differences in these stories, suggesting that while some events (such as Adam and Eve) are historical, some events in the Creation may be parable - a method through which God can teach us about his power and our relationship to Him.

One of the keys of Creation is God's overcoming Chaos, and introducing Order into the World being created. Matter is eternal, and so God did not create things ex nihilo (from nothing). Rather he formed the chaos around him to create the world. In so doing, God fought the Chaos of water and darkness. Darkness was put into abeyance by creating Light, the sun, moon and stars. The waters were tamed by two things, creating land, and conquering the great sea dragon, Leviathan/Rahab (Isaiah 51, Psalms 74), who represented Chaos.  In Revelation, Satan would be described as a sea dragon, inflicting chaos on the world until chained at the Millennium.

How does this tie to Christ? Jesus, born to a mortal woman and being the Son of God, was the pure essence of Order. He would be Emmanuel, "God with us." While the earth laid in apostasy for ages and Satan chained the souls of men to death and hell, Christ came to bring new order. Through his mission, he would heal those suffering from the chaos of illness, injury, hunger, and sin. Through his atonement and resurrection, he would defeat the chaos of death and hell. Satan's claim on the body, spirit and soul of each person ever born, would be denied by the triumphant Christ.

And with the Second Coming, Christ will again return to restore order on a chaotic world. Satan, the god of Chaos, will be bound. All mankind will be resurrected. All but the sons of perdition will obtain a kingdom of glory and order.

Two Birth Stories
 
Scholars differ as to whether the four gospels, as we now have them, were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I believe the gospels were written by these early Church leaders. That said, none were around when Jesus was born, and only John was present at Jesus' baptism. Mark was converted as a young man just prior to Jesus' death, and Luke was a gentile convert of Paul (probably baptized around 50 AD). So, all of the writers must have used at least some oral histories to explain some of the events in their accounts. Luke's account would have been entirely based on oral histories he had heard from others.

So, why two different birth stories? Luke has the angel Gabriel, shepherds, and a chorus of angels. Matthew tells us about the wise men, a star, King Herod's hatred, and escape into Egypt.

Some possibilities are these:
First, two oral histories were passed on to two different areas. Matthew focused his gospel for the Jews. Seeing a battle between magi from Babylon (where many Jews still lived) and wicked Jewish King Herod, sets the stage for his battle between the false kings of the world, and the true King of Israel (remember, in Matthew 1, Jesus' genealogy was already presented as a proof that Christ was the genuine royal article.).

Second, Luke wrote his gospel to the Gentiles. Reading about a few magi seeing a child, would not be as impressive to Greeks and Romans, as would angels proclaiming divine kingship of Jesus, among other miracles.

Each oral history focused on events most important to their listeners. Oral histories sometimes were imperfect, but the concept of historicity was different then, than it is now. The Bible has history in it, but the historicity (factual part of history) sometimes may be adapted by the writer to prove his point, whether it is the Creation story or the birth of Christ. For Christians, the actual historicity of Christ's birth cannot be proven, but it can be believed, because there are various accounts and witnesses, even if they are occasionally in conflict in their stories. There's nothing wrong with a Christmas movie showing both shepherds and wise men, as long as we understand these are actually two separate oral histories provided by two different disciples, possibly decades and a thousand miles apart from one another.

Conclusion

The world does not believe in miracles. It refuses to recognize the virgin birth, believing Jesus was actually born of Joseph, and his disciples later invented the virgin birth to change the narrative. Of course, these same people believe that Jesus faked his own death and resurrection.

The traditional Christian world struggles to remain faithful to the miracles of Jesus' life. Many Christians now only see him as a teacher of righteousness, but not one who would raise the dead and be the Judge of the earth.

For Latter-day Saints, we can see the wisdom in God to provide the Restoration of the Gospel when he did. Joseph Smith was called as a prophet just prior to new concepts that radicals would twist to deny the Christ, miracles, and an after-life.

With the Book of Mormon, we have Nephi's witness of the virgin Mary, symbolized by the Tree of Life, giving birth to the fruit of eternal life, Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection, and continued work as Redeemer and Judge of the earth. It testifies of many of the events given in the Gospels of the New Testament. This tells me that I can have faith in the teachings and stories of the Gospels, even if some are given imperfectly, due to oral histories being passed down.

Secondly, the witness of Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon and many others, who have seen Jesus Christ, is a testimony to me that these things, if not perfectly historical, are still true. Because of this, we can believe the writings of the New Testament, because modern prophets quote from them and bear witness of the truth of these things.

Come Follow Me - Matthew 1; Luke 1

Come Follow Me - Matthew 1; Luke 1

Something different we find in this manual than in previous Sunday School manuals, is it asks lots of questions. We need to do ourselves the favor of not skipping over them, These and other questions we bring up ourselves are important in the learning process. It forces us to get out of our comfort zone, to expand our pondering and learning, and increase our faith.

Background

The earliest manuscripts for the Gospels are decades after Jesus' death. Thee earliest fragment for Mark is dated about 80AD, with Matthew, Luke and John fragments appearing in the 2nd century.  The two earliest fragments of Luke are fragmentary and do not include the first two chapters. We do not know if this is because that part of the fragments decayed, or if it wasn't originally included. Meanwhile, Mark does not have a birth story, but begins with Jesus' baptism.

Possible reasons are available for these possible concerns. First, anciently most stories were passed down from generation to generation via oral history. Until Paul wrote his letters, it doesn't seem that early Christians were interested in writing the Christian history. Jesus' baptism was likely the most important beginning event for Christian teaching, as it announced the beginning of his mission and showed us the path to follow Jesus.

Only later, when Gnostic Christianity emerged, do we see the importance of a birth story. Many Gnostic sects believed that Jesus and Christ were two separate beings. Jesus was mortal, and Christ divine. Their belief was that Jesus was a regular person, until at baptism the Holy Ghost placed the divine Christ into him. This led to an interpretation of God's voice in some Luke manuscripts saying, "Thou art my son, today I have begotten thee." Then, upon the cross, Christ leaves Jesus to die alone (My God, why hast thou forsaken me?).

Because of such apostate beliefs, it was necessary for early Christians to write down their oral birth stories of Jesus, to prove he was both human and divine from the very beginning.

We see similar actions like this in the Restoration. In the early years of the Church, the focus was on preaching the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Few ever taught the First Vision, as an official version had not been written down. Earlier written versions, such as the 1832 version, focused more on Joseph Smith's receiving personal forgiveness for sins, and avoided controversial statements (such as seeing God and Jesus) because such had caused him great grief in the past. However, in 1838, there was a need to have an official version of the Vision, to establish the very beginning of the Restoration prior to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Unlike Joseph's earlier version, this one focused on things important to the Church, not just the personal concerns of a teenager.

So, why do we have two different and sometimes conflicting stories in Matthew and Luke? First, remember that neither Matthew nor Luke were present at the birth of Jesus. In fact, Luke was a Gentile convert of Paul, so his story comes to us decades after Jesus' death. Clearly, they both relied on oral tradition to develop their stories. They took the best information available to them, clearly from two different memory sources

In providing genealogies for Jesus, they also sought to establish his right to be King of Israel.  This establishes the case for Jesus to be who he claimed he was as Messiah and Son of God, just as the First Vision establishes Joseph Smith's claim to be a modern day prophet.

What can we learn from Matthew 1 and Luke 1?

The manual sets up some excellent questions and points to consider. Ponder them and write down your impressions.

Elizabeth's barrenness reminds us of similar stories in the Old Testament. The mothers of Samuel and Samson were both elderly women. In giving birth to special children anointed of God for a purpose, they were able to do great things. As Judges, Samson defeated Philistines and Samuel united the kingdoms under Saul and David. From these stories, we see the future roles of Jesus. Samson defeated his enemies, even in his weakness and apparent defeat. With Samuel, we see Jesus as the head of a nation and priesthood. Samuel stood between God and Israel in all things. He was judge, priest and kingmaker.

Jesus, although beaten, wounded and crucified, would overcome the enemies Death and Hell. He is High Priest, Judge and King of Kings.

Mary and Elizabeth were normal women. Neither came from royalty. Both would become widows. For Jesus, mothers and widows held a very special place. We can imagine them being the role models that would have Jesus condemn the Pharisees and Sadducees for stealing the houses of the widows and enriching themselves on the backs of the poor.

Come Follow Me SS#1, We are Responsible for our Own Learning

 Come Follow Me SS#1, We are Responsible for our Own Learning


I love this as the beginning lesson for the new year in the Come Follow Me program. For anyone who has been a Sunday School teacher in the past, most would surmise that only a handful at best will have read, much less studied, the lesson before each class.

Around 1980, President Spencer W. Kimball asked a stake president how often he prayed each day with his family. The stake president noted that with their busy schedules, the usually only managed once a day. Pres Kimball told him that once a day may be sufficient for that time, but the time would come when praying several times per day with one's family would be required to save them from the world's pull.

I believe that time is now. The prophets are now telling us that we can no longer abide with mild efforts towards building our testimonies. Nor can we depend upon Sunday School teachers to teach us everything we need to know to save ourselves and our families. They are a support, not a crutch.

This means we must start where we are, make a plan, and move forward in learning. Addition and Subtraction are valid and important forms of mathematics. However, if we stopped learning at first grade arithmetic, we would not have the development we have in science, math, business, etc. Learning addition and subtraction are only useful if it is not the destination, but a spot along a path to learning multiplication, geometry, algebra, spreadsheets, satellite trajectories, and technology.

So, it is with the gospel We begin as gospel students on a first grade level. But we cannot stop there. To be a solid convert that God can use in His great work, we must become Gospel Scholars. For each of us, we must make a plan.

First, figure out where you are.

1.      Do you feel you have a strong testimony? Rate it between 1-10, using others you know to compare. If President Nelson is a 10, where does your conversion fit on the scale?
2. Rate yourself 1-10  on the following (on both quality and quantity scales), as well:
1. Personal prayer
2.  Family prayer
3. Family Home Evening
4. Personal scripture study
5. Family scripture study
6. Teaching the gospel to family and others
7. Bearing testimony to others on gospel concepts
8. Studying the writings of modern prophets and apostles
9. Temple attendance 
10. Pondering/meditating
11. Writing frequently in a spiritual growth/learning journal
12. The spiritual feeling normally in your home
13. The spiritual feeling normally in your own life
3. What do you study?
1. Scriptures
2. Modern prophetic writings
3. Writings from reliable Latter-day Saint sources 
4. Scholarly, non-LDS writings
4.  Time spent on Internet and social networks
1.  What percentage of my time online is devoted to learning/sharing the gospel?
2. How can I increase the time I use to learn and share the gospel and rduce the time used on less important ME topics?
3. How often do I fast from social media?
5. Reading/watching television
1. How much time do I spend watching/reading for entertainment?
2. How much time do I spend watching/reading to learn gospel concepts?
3. For every fiction book/story I read, I read X number of gospel related books/articles. 
6. What are some other areas you can consider or review to improve your efforts as a gospel student?

  You will note that the new manual has several places to write your promptings and thoughts on pertinent questions. Feel free to obtain a journal to write such things down. It provides more space, and puts all your promptings in one place. In doing so, you will learn to hear the Spirit's promptings at other times in your life. Recognizing and listening to the Spirit is necessary for becoming a spiritual giant.

Many that are new on the path may only be ready to focus their study on the scriptures and the living prophets. For those farther down the path of gospel scholarship, do not be afraid to study reliable resources, knowing these are not doctrine, but guides to better understand scripture. We are benefitted by learning to study from different angles. FoTr example, reading Isaiah is hard for many members. But understanding ancient poetry, including chiasmus, can help us enjoy the teachings in a new literary way.

The Church has mentioned some reliable resources, including the Maxwell Institute, The Interpreter,  FairMormon, and Book of Mormon Central..   There are many other sites that vary on how closely they follow the teachings of modern prophets. Some focus closely on the doctrines, while others may speculate heavily. So use caution on what groups you study with. It would be useful to ask some of your trusted scholarly friends which sites they generally trust and use.  Of course, there is my site here, also. Many have found it very reliable in expanding one's understanding of the gospel, while staying close to the living prophets. I hope you will consider what I share here, but always use the living prophets as your barometer to what is doctrine and what is opinion.

Dead Sea Scrolls in English, by Geza Vermes

Here are a series of comments and postings I've done on a Facebook page (Mormons Talk | OT Bible Scholarship (Old Testament / LDS / Mormon)) for scholarly studies in Old Testament regarding several of the scrolls translated by the renowned scholar, Geza Vermes. It is "The Dead Sea Scrolls in English".



With several people busy, and little happening with the OT text, and with upcoming holidays, etc. We're going to veer off the OT somewhat (although everyone is invited to still write posts on it), and begin discussing the non-Biblical texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls. This group of writings from Qumran, on the edge of the Dead Sea, likely written by Essenes, will help us understand where the OT evolved to, and the world of Jesus, which was greatly influenced by Qumran, came from. Many scholars believe that when John the Baptist fled into the wilderness as a child, it was possibly with the Essenes of Qumran. There are strong similarities between John's and Qumran's teachings. We'll primarily be using Geza Vermes' The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English. It is an easy translation to read and very popular. Other translations can also be used, of course.

A PDF of Vermes' book can be found here:
http://www.thechristianidentityforum.net/…/Complete-Scrolls…

Some can also be found online, such as these links:
http://gnosis.org/library/scroll.htm
http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/

The scrolls include all the books of the OT except for Esther (the only book that does not mention the name of God), plus hundreds of other books, mostly in fragment form. While we may not cover all the books, we'll cover several of them, especially those that contain interesting information relating to restored teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ.

The history of Qumran is generally believed to be a group of religious people living between 250 BC and 70 AD. There seems to have been two portions of this sect. One group contained normal people that lived in the cities and towns, marrying and living average lives. Then there were a sequestered group that lived in the desert of Qumran, near the Dead Sea. These people believed they were the legitimate priests and leaders of Judaism and the Temple, forced out by the Wicked Priest. Many scholars today believe that the Maccabees family, who kicked the Greeks out of Israel and took control of both the kingdom and temple, were those that supposedly removed the Essenes from power.

Among the sins of the Wicked Priest was a changing of the calendar, which changed the dates for holy days and festivals.

The original leader of the Essenes was called the Teacher of Righteousness, and has many prophetic qualities, as we shall see from some of the writings related to him and the community. The community saw themselves as the true order/church, and Hugh Nibley once noted that one DSS scholar noted that if the people had a name to call themselves, it would be "Latter-day Saints, but that name is already taken."

Here is an article from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:
http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Dead_Sea_Scrolls

The scrolls were originally found in 1947, and were held close to the vest by a small cadre of scholars on the DSS translation team. Translations came very slowly. After decades, little of the translation had occurred. Then, in the early 1990s, Herschel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeological Review, started a movement to 'free the Scrolls.' Others joined in. There was an in depth index of each word in the scrolls, which was put into a computer to create texts of many of the scrolls, opening up much of the work to other scholars. Then, a college that maintained a copy of all the scrolls, released their copies. The DSS team was expanded, including some LDS scholars like Dana Pike, and the work was quickly completed.

Today, computers are being used to read texts that were unreadable before hand. Computers were useful to organize thousands of fragments, some the size of a thumbnail.

The DSS have revolutionized New Testament studies. In fact, the NRSV Bible uses the DSS translations in many cases, rather than the Masoretic (which the KJV is based on), or the Septuagint (Catholic Vulgate), as being more authentic/ancient.

We'll start with the first book in Geza Vermes' book, as it will help us understand the Community of the Essenes in Qumran. So, please start reading the Community Rule. I will next be posting something regarding the Community Rule and Nephi's Psalm that I studied several years ago, as a beginner.

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Here's a link to a comparison I made several years ago between Nephi's Psalm (2 Ne 4) and a hymn in the Community Rule Scroll of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

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Vermes - DSS in English
More background regarding the Qumran people.

While most of the scrolls are general religious texts, there are a few that are specific to the Essene sect, generally believed to be the people at Qumran. Among these are the Community Rule, the Manual of Discipline, and the Damascus Document.

These separate the sect into at least two groups: the ascetic group found at Qumran, and those who dwell in families in the general population of Israel.

Besides the Essenes, the two other main factions were the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Essenes called these other sects Ephraim and Manasseh, representing the fallen Northern Kingdom of Israel, while the Essenes were the righteous of Judah.

After Alexander the Great died, he left his lands to his 4 generals to battle over. Israel, being in the middle, suffered much from the warring factions. the Seleucids especially, attempted to enforce Hellenism on Israel, placing a statue of Zeus in the temple and sacrificing pigs on the altar.
This started the Maccabean war, where the Maccabee family fought for decades, finally kicking the Greeks out. Jonathan Maccabee pronounced himself both king and high priest, even though he was not of the Zadokite line. This led many Jews to reject him as religious leader. The Zadokite priest Onias IV, fled with many followers and built a temple in Leontopolis, Egypt, with the Pharaoh's blessing. Others chose to remain in Israel and seek to regain the power over the temple. This included the Essenes, led by the 'Teacher of Righteousness.'

The history shows there was a Teacher of Righteousness, that organized the Essene movement. "Essenism is dead. The brittle structure of its stiff and exclusive organization was unable to withstand the national catastrophe which struck Palestinian Judaism in AD 70. Animated by the loftiest ideals and devoted to the observance of 'perfect holiness', it yet lacked the pliant strength which enabled Rabbinic Judaism to survive and flourish. And although its Teacher of Righteousness clearly sensed the deeper obligations implicit in the Mosaic Law, he was without the genius of Jesus who laid bare the inner core of spiritual truth and exposed the essence of religion as an existential relationship between man and man, and between man and God." (Intro).

Leadership-wise, Qumran had a system that is recognizable to Latter-day Saints.

"The highest office was vested in the person of the Guardian, known also as the 'Master'. The Community was to be taught by him how to live in conformity with the 'Book of the Community Rule, and to be instructed by him in the doctrine of the 'two spirits'....'In the Council of the community there shall be twelve men and three Priests, perfectly versed in all that is revealed of the Law, whose works shall be truth, righteousness, justice, loving-kindness and humility. They shall preserve the faith in the Land with steadfastness and meekness and shall atone for sin by the practice of justice and by suffering the sorrows of affliction. They shall walk with all men according to the standard of truth and the rule of the time.'

"These three priests and twelve men are referred to nowhere else, so we cannot be sure of their place in the Qumran orer. Their presence was obviously essential: the Ryle states that when 'these are in Israel, the Council of the Community shall be established in truth.'"

Entrance into the Community at Qumran was a long process, taking at least 2 years. After the first year, the initiate was allowed to partake of the Community meal. After the second year, the novice could then also drink the Community cup. Once fully accepted, the member's properties were amalgamated into the group's possessions. As Vermes notes, "entering the Covenant and entering the Community was not one act, but two." (pg 8). I think it would be similar to steps in the LDS Church - first baptism, then priesthood, and finally temple entrance, with then a focus on consecration.

'Kittim' is a term used in some of the sectarian scrolls for a giant nation that has to be dealt with. Most scholars today believe the Essenes viewed the Romans as the Kittim. "In its primitive sense, the word 'Kittim' described the inhabitants of Kition, a Phoenician colony in Cyprus. Later, the name tended to be applied indiscriminately to those living in 'all islands and most maritime countries' (Josephus, Antiquities I, 128). But from the second century BC, Jewish writers also used 'Kittim' more precisely to denote the greatest world power of the day." (pg 28).

Religion was based on the idea of 'the Covenant.'"Since the key to any understanding of Judaism must be the notion of the Covenant, it may safely be taken as an introduction to Essene religious thought." (p36).

Moses taught about the Covenant, as did Jeremiah and Isaiah. The Covenant was written on the hearts of true followers of God. Vermes notes:

"It was this same Covenant theology that served as the foundation of the Qumran Community's basic beliefs. The Essenes not only considered themselves the 'remnant' of their time, but the 'remnant' of all time, the final 'remnant'. In the 'age of wrath', while God was making ready to annihilate the wicked, their founders had repented. They had become the 'Converts of Israel.' As a reward for their conversion, the Teacher of Righteousness had been sent to establish for them a 'new Covenant', which was to be the sole valid form of the eternal alliance between God and Israel....Their intention was to do according to all that had been revealed from age to age, and as the Prophets had revealed by his Holy Spirit'." (pg 38).

Sound familiar? I don't think a better description could be given of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, either.
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Vermes - DSS in English.
The Community Rule (1QS)

The document focused on rules for the cloistered Essenes at Qumran.

"No man shall be in the Community of His truth who refuses to enter the Covenant of God so that he may walk in the stubbornness of his heart, for his soul detests the wise teaching of just laws."
From the very beginning, we see that both Community and Covenant are at the core of the Community Rule scroll. For those who join the Community, they are promised:

"And as for the visitation of all who walk in this spirit, it shall be healing, great peace in a long life, and fruitfulness, together with every everlasting blessing and eternal joy in life without end, a crown of glory and a garment of majesty in unending light." (pg 65)

For me, this reminded me of the promises given in the temple, where we are clothed, promised a crown of glory, and eternal life.

Duality was important to the Essenes, what LDS would call an "opposition in all things." In this case, each person has two spirits within them, good and evil - what we call a battle between the "natural man" and the spiritual.

"The nature of all the children of the men is ruled by these (two spirits), and during their life all the hosts of men have a portion of their divisions and walk in both their ways. And the whole reward for their deeds shall be, for everlasting ages, according to whether each man's portion in their two divisions is great or small." (pg 66)

Their priests descended from Aaron's priest, Zadok. They followed "the authority of the sons of Zadok, the Priests who keep the Covenant....for the Community of the Everlasting Covenant." (pg 67)

A form of Sacramental meal was done daily:

"And when the table has been prepared for eating, and the new wine for drinking, the Priest shall be the first to stretch out his hand to bless the first fruits of the bread and new wine." (pg 69)
Initiates took two years to join the Community. After one year, they could partake of the meal, and after two years were considered full members, able to drink the wine.

"...he shall not touch the pure Meal of the Congregation until one full year is completed, and until he has been examined concerning his spirit and deeds....He shall not touch the Drink of the Congregation until he has completed a second year among the men of the Community." (pg 70)

The leadership was established like this:

"In the Council of the Community there shall be twelve men and three Priests, perfectly versed in all that is revealed of the Law, whose works shall be truth, righteousness, justice, loving kindness and humility. They shall preserve the faith in the Land with steadfastness and meekness and shall atone for sin by the practice of justice and by suffering the sorrows of affliction."
So, goes the Community Rule (1QS).
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DSS in English, by Vermes
The Messianic Rule (1QSa)

The Messianic Rule is a short scroll fragment that talks about when the Messiah will come to rule. It speaks much about the sons of Zadok the priest, and the importance of purity.

At its end, we learn what the people should expect at the Messiah's coming.

"He shall come at the head of the whole congregation of Israel with all his brethren, the sons of Aaron the Priests, those called to the assembly, the men of renoun; and they shall sit before him, each man in the order of his dignity. And then the Messiah of Israel shall come and the chiefs of the clans of Israel shall sit before him, each in the order of his dignity, according to his place in their camps and marches. And before them shall sit all the heads of family of the congregation, and the wise men of the holy congregation, each in the order of his dignity.

"And when they shall gather for the common table, to eat and to drink new wine, when the common table shall be set for eating and the new wine poured for drinking, let no man extend his hand over the first fruits of bread and wine before the Priest, for it is he who shall bless the first fruits of bread and wine, and shall be the first to extend his hand over the bread. Thereafter all the congregation of the Community shall utter a blessing each man in the order of his dignity." ([g 102)

This is reminiscent of both the Sacrament we perform in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today.

We also shall see a Coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ to the Church and Saints at Adam-Ondi-Ahman, where a special solemn assembly shall occur, probably including a Sacramental meal as described here.
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DSS in English by Vermes
Damascus Document (CD)

This document was written probably around 100 BC, partially due to the fact that it does not mention the Kittim (Romans) invasion of a few decades later. The location of Damascus is believed to actually be Qumran, not the Damascus found in Syria.

It includes a history and a list of laws for the people of Qumran. Medieval copies have existed for over a century, with the Qumran fragments closely following Manuscript A. Manuscript B continues further after A finishes.

It begins with a history, beginning with the fall of Israel by the Babylonians, and the return from exile.

"And God observed their deeds, that they sought Him with a whole heart, and He raised for them a Teacher of Righteousness to guide them in the way of His heart. And he made known to the latter generations that which God had done to the latter generation, the congregation of traitors, to those who departed from the way....when the Scoffer arose who shed over Israel the waters of lies. He caused them to wander in a pathless wilderness, laying low the everlasting heights, abolishing the ways of righteousness and removing the boundary with which the forefathers had marked outt their inheritance, that he might call down on them the curses of His Covenant and deliver them up to the avenging sword of the Covenant." (pg 83).

We do not know who the ToR or Scoffer are for certain. The ToR clearly was a leading prophet to the Qumran people, focused against the political turmoil of the day, which had replaced the Zadokite priests in the temple with the Maccabee family, and causing them to exile in the wilderness.

God is viewed as a kindly father to the righteous, but terrible to the wicked:

"God loves knowledge. Wisdom and understanding He has set before Him, and prudence and knowledge serve Him. Patience and much forgiveness are wit Him towards those who turn from transgression; but power, might and great flaming wrath by the hand of all the Angels of Destruction towards those who depart from the way and abhor the Precept."

The scroll discusses the history of the Watchers, divine angels/beings who fell from heaven due to iniquity. Often, these Watchers tempted mankind, misusing knowledge to advance music, science, weaponry, etc., in order establish their own order. In some writings, Watchers slept with human women and bore giants (such as the giants in Noah's day).

"Because they walked in the stubbornness of their heart the Heavenly Watchers fell; they were caught because they did not keep the commandments of God. And their sons also fell who were tall as cedar trees and whose bodies were like mountains. All flesh on dry land perished; they were as though they had never been because they did their own will and did not keep the commandment of their Maker so that His wrath was kindled against them. Through it, the children of Noah went astray, together with their kin, and were cut off. Abraham did not walk in it, and he was accounted a friend of God because he kept the commandments of God and did not choose his own will. And he handed them down to Isaac and Jacob who kept them and were recorded as friends of God and party to the Covenant forever." (pg 84)

Then it explains that Israel's children in Egypt disobeyed and were punished, even so that God had to leave them in the desert for 40 years. Those who were righteous, God made His Covenant with them.
"Those who hold fast to it are destined to live for ever and all the glory of Adam shall be theirs." (pg 85)

Many of their laws are then explained, the requirements to being pure and holy. While they are taught by a Teacher of Righteousness at the beginning of this group of Zadokite priests and Essenes at Qumran, they will await the arrival of two Messiahs, one a priestly Messiah, the other a ruler/king of Israel. Another possible reading is the Messiah of Israel could be a Messiah from the lost tribes or from the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which no longer existed, but would possibly include a Messiah from the line of Joseph (who led Israel in the Northern Kingdom).

"None of the men who enter the New Covenant in the land of Damascus and who again betray it and depart from the fountain of living waters, shall be reckoned with the Council of the people or inscribed in its Book from the day of the gathering in of the Teacher of the Community until the coming of the Messiah out of Aaron and Israel." (pg90)

The first statutes tell us:
"He shall not swear by the Name, nor by Aleph and Lamed (Elohim), nor by Aleph and Daleth (Adonai), but a binding oath by the curses of the Covenant." (pg 91)

The Name is Yahweh. Using Greek letters (Greek was a major language of the area since Alexander the great conquered it), we get the letter AL for El or Elohim, and AD for Adonai (Lord, often used to replace the sacred name Yahweh).

Interestingly, they had a special regard for the mentally ill and disabled.

"No madman, or lunatic, or simpleton, or fool, no blind man, or maimed, or lame, or deaf man, and no minor shall enter into the Community, for the Angels of Holiness are with them." (pg 92)
A form of purification, very similar to modern baptism was part of the Covenant.

"Concerning purification by water: No man shall bathe in dirty water or in an amount too shallow to cover a man. He shall not purify himself with water contained in a vessel. And as for the water of every rock-pool too shallow to cover a man, if an unclean man touches it he renders it waters as unclean as water contained in a vessel." (pg 94)

At the end of the statues, we read:

"This is the exact statement of the statutes in which they shall walk until the coming of the Messiah of Aaron and Israel who will pardon their iniquity." (pg 99)
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DSS IN English by Vermes
War Rule Scroll ((1QM)



The War Rule scroll envisions the final battle between the sons of light versus the sons of darkness.
"The sons of Levi, Judah and Benjamin, the exiles in the desert, shall battle against them in...all their bands when the exiled sons of light return from the Desert of the Peoples to camp in the Desert of Jerusalem; and after the battle they shall go up from there to Jerusalem" (pg 105)

Here, the Essenes are living in the desert of Qumran, near the Dead Sea. They are in exile, because the wicked among the Jews have cast them out of Jerusalem. They look to the promised day when they shall return to Jerusalem, and return to power in managing the temple and society in righteousness.

"The king of the Kittim shall enter into Egypt, and in his time he shall set out in great to wage war against the Kings of the north, that his fury may destroy and cut off the horn of Israel." (ibid)

The Kittim, in this instance, are the Romans. Essenes view them as being used by God to return them to power. The kings of the North are those representing the 10 tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, who are representative of the apostates now controlling Jerusalem. Compare this description to what they call themselves: sons of Levi, Judah and Benjamin. The horn of Israel is the power of the Northern Kingdom, even though the Northern Kingdom was destroyed centuries before (721 BC), the wickedness of Jezebel and Ahab are now seen in the rulers of Jerusalem, and so the comparison.

"On the day when the Kittim fall, there shall be battle and terrible carnage before the God of Israel, for that shall be the day appointed from ancient times for the battle of destruction of the sons of darkness. At that time, the assembly of gods and the hosts of men shall battle, causing great carnage; on the day of calamity, the sons of light shall battle with the company of darkness amid the shouts of a mighty multitude and the clamour of gods and men to make manifest the might of God. And it shall be a time of great tribulation for the people which God shall redeem; of all its afflictions none shall be as this, from its sudden beginning until its end in eternal redemption." (ibid)

Essenes anticipated Armageddon, the final battles of destruction in the world. It will be a battle involving gods and men (Biblical Ragnarok?). In the end, after much carnage and death, God steps in to redeem the righteous, both temporally and spiritually.

There are seven major "lots" or events in the battle. Three of these are the sons of light bracing themselves and driving the enemy back, going into battle to "strike down iniquity."
"And in three lots shall Satan's host gird itself to thrust back the company of God. And when the hearts of the detachments of the foot soldiers faint, then shall the might of God fortify the hearts of the sons of light. And with the seventh lot, the mighty hand of God shall bring down the army of Satan and all the angels of his kingdom, and all the members of his company in everlasting destruction."

Note that the number seven is important in the War Rule, as it is in the Book of Revelation. Given both writings discuss battles between light and darkness, and some other similar points, it may be that the apostle John may have been influenced by Qumran writings prior to receiving his vision.
After the destruction of the wicked, the priests and others take their proper places in the temple order, offering sacrifices and performing the other temple ordinances.

The wars of destruction will be during a 35 year period, with six years total of heavy fighting, where all of Israel will be involved. The other years, portions of Israel will be selected for military duty.

The War Rule then details the divisions for war, what trumpet sounds to be used, and what will be written on the standards for battle. The scroll them goes into hymns, praising God and discussing his power in Creation, creating Adam, and how God has protected Israel through His might, giving examples of such protections (David and Goliath, etc). Finally, the hymns reference God for their day:

"Rise up, O Hero! Lead off they captives, O Glorious One! Gather up thy spoils, O Author of mighty deeds! Lay thy hand on the neck of thy enemies and thy feet on the pile of the slain! Smith the nations, thine adversaries, and devour the flesh of the sinner with thy sword!" (pg 117)
God is viewed as the Divine Warrior, the God of Battle. This is very similar to how David views God in Psalms.

Each lot of the war is then described in greater detail, while more hymns are sung for the triumphant Divine Warrior Yahweh.

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Dead Sea Scrolls in English, by Vermes
The Wicked and the Holy (4Q181)

Many of the scrolls which we'll be dealing with herewith will be fragments. This includes the Wicked and the Holy text from the 4th Qumran cave, the 181st scroll/fragment found (thus, 4Q181).

This short fragment begins by discussing those who join the "community of wickedness", which they will belong to "until wickedness ends." Afterward, it speaks of those who choose to join the holy community:

"In accordance with the mercies of God, according to His goodness and wonderful glory, He caused some of the sons of the world to draw near Him...to be counted with Him in the community of the gods as a congregation of holiness in service for eternal life and sharing the lot of His holy ones....each man according to his lot which He has cast for...for eternal life." (pg 159)

Here we see concepts that Latter-day Saints will recognize. Anciently, God (El Elyon) dwelt in his community of gods. Here, even mortals are invited to join Him in the community of gods. We view eternal life as different from immortality. Here they view it as not just dwelling in God's presence, but also being partakers of the community of gods, belonging to the congregation of holiness. How does one share the "lot of his holy ones?" By becoming as they are: gods.
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Dead Sea Scrolls in English, by Vermes
Songs for the Holocaust (Sacrifice) of the Sabbath (4Q400-407, 11Q5-6)

The fragments of this document deal with heavenly worship.

Vermes notes, "Although often obscure, the poems depict the celestial sanctuary, the throne-chariot, the various groups participating in the angelic liturgy; they also include the words of the benedictions sung by the seven archangels."

The book is inspired by Ezekiel, for the throne-chariot and the heavenly sanctuary. These two things are very important to Israel. Ezekiel was a prophet of the Diaspora. Judah was scattered throughout the Babylonian Empire. Most Jews believed that Yahweh was the God only in the Promised Land, and with the destruction of the temple, He was a God without a home, conquered by the gods of Nebuchadnezzar. Instead, Ezekiel sees God on a divine mobile throne/chariot (Merkabah). Yahweh is able to move with his people anywhere and provide for them (as he does for Daniel and others). But God had plans for a restoration, showing Ezekiel the plans for a new temple - which inspires Ezra, Nehemiah and others to return to build it.

"Praise the God of... the gods (elohim) of supreme holiness; in his divine kingship, rejoice. For he has established supreme holiness among the everlastingly holy, to be for him the priests of the inner Temple in his royal sanctuary, ministers of the Presence in his glorious innermost Temple chamber. In the congregation of all the gods (elim) of knowledge, and in the councils of all the spirits of God, he engraved his precepts for all the spiritual works, and his glorious judgements for all who lay the foundations of knowledge, the people endowed with his glorious understanding, the 'gods' who are close to knowledge...of eternity and from the fountain of holiness to the sanctuary of supreme holiness...priests of the inner Temple, ministers of the Presence of the most holy King...his glory."
"For he founded them for himself as the most holy, who minister in the holy of holies....he has established for himself as priests of the inner Temple, the most holy...of gods, the priests of the highest heights who are near to..."

Here we find key information about the Essene view of the temple. It is the place where God and his council of gods dwell. The Presence being the Shekinah, the holy power and presence of God. The dictionary defines Shekinah as: "The glory of the divine presence, conventionally represented as light or interpreted symbolically (in Kabbalism as a divine feminine aspect)."

In Proverbs 8, the Shekinah is defined as Wisdom/Sophia, and the consort of Yahweh. She was with God since the beginning, and was with him through the Creation and all things since. In the Book of Mormon, Nephi sees Mary as the Tree of Life, symbolizing Wisdom and the Shekinah, bringing forth the fruit of Jesus Christ (1 Ne 11-15).

The Heavenly consort of God would belong to his council of gods. The priests of the temple serve in the holiest of things before God (his Presence). The priests are established by God, to serve in the inner Temple, the Holy of Holies. Priests and gods work together under God.

"In the glorious name of God, the first of the sovereign Princes shall bless all the... with seven wonderful words blessing all their councils in his holy sanctuary with seven wonderful words, and he shall bless those who know the everlasting things."

The seven archangels or Princes each provide seven sacred words to those who enter into the Holy of Holies. These blessings vary with each Prince, the 2nd blesses "all those who exalt the King", the 3d blesses "all who are lifted up in knowledge", the 4th "He shall bless all the gods close to true knowledge", the 5th shall bless "all who eagerly to his will." The 6th blesses with 7 words "all who are mighty in wisdom." The 7th blesses "all the holy founders of knowledge." Seven is a special number, the number of completion or fulfillment. They are the seven sacred words that makes one complete.

"Praise the most high God (El Elyon), O you high among all the gods of knowledge....For he is the God of gods, of all the Princes on high, and the King of kings of all the eternal councils. By a discerning good-will expressed by the words of his mouth all the gods on high come into being."
As the Princes used special words to bless the holy ones, God uses special words in Creation. So, in Genesis 1, we see God speak and things come into being. Within the temple, God speaks through his priests and Princes and creates the gods. For me, this is reminiscent of Abraham 3, where the council of gods is formed by God.

"The sovereign Princes of the wonderful priesthood...the seven priesthoods in the wonderful sanctuary for seven councils of holiness...the Prince, the angels of the King in the wonderful dwellings. The knowledge of their understanding is for seven...Prince from the priest of the inner Temple."

Here we see there is more than one priesthood. Whether this means priesthoods, or offices in the priesthood, I cannot say for certain. Regardless, the Latter-day Saint view of three major priesthoods (Aaronic, Melchizedek, Patriarchal - all technically a part of the Melchizedek), or the offices: Deacon, Teacher, Priest, Bishop, Elder, High Priest, Patriarch, 70, Apostle, show levels of priesthood power and authority. For the Essenes, these are found within the Holy of Holies of the Temple. Councils were important to the Essenes and God, even as they are in LDS theology today.

"The gods praise him when they take up their station, and all the spirits of the clear firmament rejoice in his glory....When the gods of knowledge enter by the doors of glory, and when the holy angels depart towards their realm, the entrance doors and the gates of exit proclaim the glory of the King, blessing and praising all the spirits of God when they depart and enter by the gates....The fear of the King of gods is awe-inspiring to all the gods, and they undertake all his commissions by virtue of his true order..."

There are doors and gates in the Temple. Praises and special sayings given as the people/gods enter and exit the Holy of Holies. To me, it is reminiscent of the school of the prophets, placed in a holy building akin to a temple:

"129 Therefore, he shall be first in the house of God, in a place that the congregation in the house may hear his words carefully and distinctly, not with loud speech.
130 And when he cometh into the house of God, for he should be first in the house—behold, this is beautiful, that he may be an example—
131 Let him offer himself in prayer upon his knees before God, in atoken or remembrance of the everlasting covenant.
132 And when any shall come in after him, let the teacher arise, and, with uplifted hands to heaven, yea, even directly, salute his brother or brethren with these words:
133 Art thou a brother or brethren? I salute you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in token or remembrance of the everlasting covenant, in which covenant I receive you to fellowship, in a determination that is fixed, immovable, and unchangeable, to be your friend and brother through the grace of God in the bonds of love, to walk in all the commandments of God blameless, in thanksgiving, forever and ever. Amen." (D&C 88).

For the Essenes, the Temple was much more than just a place to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices. It was a place for the council of gods to meet with God and discuss Creation. It was the place for mankind to join the council as equals, being priests and princes to God. There, they would receive the special words of blessing and knowledge that would prepare them to become part of the god council.
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Dead Sea Scrolls in English, by Geza Vermes
Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen)

This scroll fragment discusses the early years of the descendants of Adam. Vermes explains that the Genesis Apocryphon discusses the miraculous birth of Noah, "whose father, Lamech, suspects that his wife has conceived by one of the fallen angels (Watchers). Her denials fail to convince him and he asks his father, Methuselah, to travel to Paradise and obtain reassurance from his own father, Enoch."

"Behold, I thought then within my heart that conception was due to the Watchers and the Holy Ones...and to the Giants."

The Watchers were believed to have been angels that were fallen. They fell in love with the women of earth and mated with them, their descendants being the giants that would challenge Enoch and Noah. Various scholars see this in different ways. Hugh Nibley suggested the Watchers were humans that took the secrets of God (from the Temple) and used them for their own purposes. This would include music, metal working, and clothing fashion (note in Genesis that these were some of the skills developed by the children of Cain). Other scholars suggest these were literally angels who fell to earth, similar to our belief that Satan and his followers were cast down.
Lamech adjures his wife "by the Most High, the Great Lord, the King of all the worlds and Ruler of the Sons of Heaven...."
to tell him the truth about Noah's conception.

Here we see the belief that God has created many worlds, and that there are a Heavenly Host or Divine Council that the ancients are aware of, with El Elyon/Elohim (Most High) at the head.
In another fragment, consisting of another chapter, Abraham speaks in the first person (as he does in the Book of Abraham):

"And I said, 'Thou art.....until now you have not come to the Holy Mountain."
It seems that in Abraham's time there also was a holy mountain where God dwelt. High places and holy mountains are important in Latter-day Saint theology, as holy spaces where man can see God face to face.

The Book of Abraham notes that Pharaoh was a descendant of Ham. In the Genesis Apocryphon, we also see the same belief:

"We passed through our land and entered the land of the sons of Ham, the land of Egypt."
While in Egypt, Abraham tells everyone that Sarah is his sister. The Pharaoh takes her to himself. The Pharaoh is scourged by God.

"The Harkenosh came to me (Abraham), beseeching me to go to the king and to pray for him and to lay my hands upon him that he might live, for the king had dreamt a dream.....So I prayed for him...and I laid my hands on his head; and the scourge departed from him and the evil spirit was expelled from him, and he lived."

Laying on of hands for healings is a pre-Christian belief.
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Dead Sea Scrolls in English, by Geza Vermes
The Testament of Amram (4Q Amram)

This highly fragmented scroll tells of events occurring in the life of Moses' father, Amram. He must deal with the Watchers (the fallen angels that oppose God), and is commanded by the chief Watcher, Melkiresha, to choose which of the Watchers he would worship.

Vermes notes that Melkiresha "also addresses the leader of the Army of Lifht, whose name has disappeared in one off the many lacunae (fragments). But it is highly probable that one of his 'three names' is Melchizedek, as will appear presently from the reading of the Melchizedek document."
IOW, Melchizedek (literally King of Righteousness) is one of God's names. This should be compared to the chief Watcher's name, Melkiresha, which means "King of Wickedness."

"I saw Watchers in my vision, a dream vision, and behold two of them argued about me and said....,'We have been made masters and rule over all the sons of men.' And they said to me, 'Which of us do you choose?'

As with Moses in the Book of Moses, when he looks upon them, he does not see glorious beings. Instead he describes them as vipers (like the snake in the Garden of Eden), with multi-colored garments (rather than white), and being very dark (rather than beings of light and glory).

The Watchers leave, and God comes to Amram. Amram then speaks with God. The fragmented scrolls tell us:

"And I said: 'My Lord, what...'
And He said to me, '...and all his (Malkiresh) paths are darkness, and all his work is darkness, and he is...in darkness...you see. And he rules over all darkness and i rule over all the light."

For me, this was very similar to Moses 1, where Moses sees Satan and the devil commands him to worship him. Moses does not see any glory or light in him, and rejects him. God then returns to Moses and explains the event. So, it seems that both Moses and his father had similar experiences.
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Dead Sea Scrolls in English, by Geza Vermes
The Heavenly Prince Melchizedek (11Q Melch)

Vermes notes this as a "striking first century B.C. document" that discusses the proclamation of liberty to the captives in the last days (Isaiah 61:1).

Vermes adds, "The heavenly deliverer is Melchizedek. Identical with the archangel Michael, he is the head of the 'sons of Heaven' or 'gods of Justice' and is referred to as Elohim and El."

"And this thing will occur in the first week of the Jubilee that follows the nine Jubilees. And the Day of Atonement is the end of the tenth Jubilee, when all the Sons of Light and the men of the lot of Melchizedek will be atoned for....For this is the moment of the Year of Grace for Melchizedek. And he will, by his strength, judge the holy ones of God, executing judgement as it is written concerning him in the songs of David, who said, Elohim has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgement (Psalms 82:1)."

Here, Melchizedek is compared to God and that, like God, he will judge the righteous at the last day (symbolized by the 10th Jubilee). Note that Elohim has a divine council of gods, which includes Melchizedek as one of the heads.

We find out the following about the devil:
"Satan and the spirits of his lot who rebelled by turning away from the precepts of God....And all the 'gods of Justice' will come to his (Melchizedek) aid to attend to the destruction of Satan."
So Melchizedek is compared to Michael, who elsewhere is the one to destroy Satan.

"This is the day of Peace/Salvation concerning which God spoke through Isaiah the prophet, who said, 'How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who proclaims peace, who brings good news, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion: Your Elohim reigns.' (Isaiah 12:7). Its interpretation; the mountains are the prophets...and the messenger is the Anointed one of the spirit, concerning whom Daniel said, 'Until an anointed one, a prince (Daniel 9:25).'

Similar to the interpretation that Abinadi gives in the Book of Alma on this same passage by Isaiah, he also notes the prophets and Christ (the Anointed One) are the ones proclaiming peace.
"And your Elohim is Melchizedek, who will save them from the hand of Satan."

The name, Melchizedek, means "King of Righteousness." The prophet/king Melchizedek is a symbol of Jesus Christ. Melchizedek took a wicked people and made a holy city of peace (Salem) that was translated up to the city of Enoch (JST Genesis). Even today, Latter-day Saints call the priesthood after Melchizedek, even though its official name is the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God. The prophet/king and the Prophet/King, both anointed and saviors of the people. For this purpose, Melchizedek is both symbolically and literally Elohim (God).
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The Dead Sea Scrolls in English, by Geza Vermes
The Blessings (1QSb)

This scroll was originally attached to the Community Rule and Messianic Rule scroll.

Regarding this fragmented scroll, Vermes gives this explanation:
"The Blessings were to be recited by the Master or Guardian, and were, as it seems, intended for the Messianic Age, and perhaps for the ceremony of the institution of the new Community. It is however possible that they were actually used during the course of some liturgy anticipating and symbolizing the coming of the Messianic era. All the members of the Covenant are blessed first, followed by someone who seems to be the priestly head of the Community, the Messiah of Aaron. The next blessing is addressed to the sons of Zadok, the Priests (and Levites), and finally the Prince of the Congregation, the Messiah of Israel, is blessed. The rest of the document is lost."
A rite that focuses on two levels of Messianic priesthood/kingship. This is focused on the Messianic Age, or for us, perhaps the last days.

"The Blessing of the Prince....
May the Lord bless you from His holy Abode; may He set you as a splendid jewel in the midst of the congregation of the saints! May Me renew for you the Covenant of the everlasting priesthood; may He sanctify you for the House of Holiness! May He judge all the leaders by your works, and all the princes of the peoples by the words from out of your lips! May He give you as your portion the first-fruits of all delectable things; may He bless by your hand the counsel of all flesh!...For He has chosen you to...and number the saints and to bless your people...the men of the Council of God by your hand, and not by the hand of a prince....May you be as an Angel of the Presence in the Abode of Holiness to the glory of the God of hosts...May you attend upon the service in the Temple of the Kingdom and decree destiny in company with the Angels of the Presence, in common council with the Holy Ones for everlasting ages and time without end; for all His judgements are truth!...May He consecrate you to the Holy of Holies! For youa re made holy for Him and you shall glorify His Name and His holiness...."

Other blessings are also contained, promising strength to various leaders of the Congregation and for the Congregation as they remain holy.
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2019 Come Follow Me Sunday School Intro

2019 Come Follow Me Sunday School Intro

By now, each of you should have received your Come Follow Me (CFM) for Families and Individuals. This will be the main study guide for members to prepare for the Sunday School classes.


Study for Chapter One begins next Monday, Dec 31! So now is the time to consider the preparation suggestions given in the manual.

Under the Introductory materials, it first establishes the key purpose for the new program. "Conversion is our Goal." While the in-depth research of scripture, history, science, and other fields are very important, none are as important as the things we can do to be fully and truly converted to Jesus Christ and his Restored Gospel and Church.

This is especially true in the current era we are entering. The American (and much of the world) view of things is increasingly pessimistic, doubting, and narcissistic. People are doubting the existence of God and Christ. People question the Restoration. For our children, it is a time of decision, as they must choose this day whether they will follow God or the gods of the world. More and more, we are losing many members of the Church to worldly issues that oppose prophetic teachings.

Worse, many of our traditions that are not actually doctrine, or may be symbolic teachings that may not be historic, are leading our children astray, because we insist on everything being literal. For example, the Creation story in Genesis 1 is based on ancient tradition of a flat earth created in 6-24 hour periods. If we insist on such a reading, then our children must decide what to believe, based on false assumptions. First, if one insists on a 6000 year old earth, then one must also accept the rest of the Creation's explanation are literal: a flat earth, surrounded by waters, with pillars that support a heavenly dome in which the Sun, moon and stars are set at the same distance from the earth.

We cannot save ourselves and our children anymore through mild efforts to know the gospel. And yet, WE are responsible for learning the gospel, not our Sunday School teacher. Sunday School teachers are a mixed bag, anyway. Some may be lucky enough to have Ben Spackman or Daniel Peterson as their teacher. Most, however, have someone who is as scripturally illiterate as the rest of the members sitting in the classroom.

Fortunately, there are many resources for actually learning to understand scripture, including this FB board, Mormon Interpreter, FairMormon, and several other free offerings. I posted several years ago on the old New Testament Sunday School lessons, and will provide links to some of those lessons as needed, as well.

The CFM manual offers some great suggestions to increase our scriptural knowledge, spiritual insight, and conversion. Here are the 11 suggestions, with my comments.

1. Look for Truths about Jesus Christ.
How can we follow Jesus, if we do not know him? The more we know, the better we can emulate him.

2. Look for Inspiring Words and Phrases.
Occasionally, we all need some inspiration.

3. Look for Gospel Truths.
In looking for gospel truths, I find more and more. Did you know that many of the great truths, covenants, and teachings of the endowment are found in the Book of Mormon, the Book of Revelation, and elsewhere?

4. Listen to the Spirit.
We've been promised the Constant Companionship of the Holy Ghost. But have we received him, as we were commanded to do at confirmation? How constant do we have him with us? Conversion requires that we learn to listen and recognize the Spirit's voice.

5. Liken the Scriptures to Your Life.
What good are the scriptures, if we cannot apply them in our own lives? They then are no better than a cheap romance novel that keeps our interest for a moment, and then are of no more use to us.

6. Ask Questions as You Study.
This is very important, otherwise you won't learn from the scriptures, how to liken them to your life, or learn new truths from them. Ask tough questions and then search for them. If you need help on this, perhaps the best books available with deep questions ready for your use are from James E. Faulconer, New Testament Made Harder -  (he has books for each of the 4 scriptures).

7. Use Scripture Study Helps.
One great study help is the LDS site: Feast Upon the Word, which has links to posts on the previous Sunday School lessons by several scholars (and me here at Joel's Monastery).


8. Record Your Thoughts and Feelings.
Perhaps one of the best ways to learn to listen to the Spirit is by stopping on occasion and recording the impressions the Spirit gives you as you pray, study scriptures, ponder, etc. You will find the CFM manual and other newer Church manuals have spots for you to stop, ponder, and write down your impressions. A new and popular thing is to have a personal or family study journal. It is like your daily journal, except this one is only for writing down spiritual impressions as you ponder.

I discuss this in more detail on my blog from a Sacrament talk I recently gave on the Holy Ghost.

9. Study the Words of Latter-day Prophets and Apostles.
This one may anger some of those who oppose our modern prophets and their teachings, but it is excellent advice. They can give us a modern prophetic view of our ancient scriptures and beliefs. We are a Church of continuing revelation, which means that modern revelation will move us forward, erasing past mistakes, and refining and expanding previous knowledge and understanding.

10. Share Insights.
I find that as I ponder the gospel, and then share it with others (family, friends, here on FB, etc), it increases my faith and conversion, as well as forces me to think and ponder that much harder on these things. I want to share quality ideas, which means I must learn to consider the things I learn from all sides. What I believe today is often very different from what I believed and understood when I joined the Church 43 years ago, or even 5 years ago. Why? Because God is expanding my understanding continually. Sharing with others allows them to share their thoughts back, and often I gain greater insight from seeing things from their point of view.

11. Live by What You Learn.
"Scripture study should not only inspire us—it should lead us to change the way we live. Listen to what the Spirit prompts you to do as you read, and then commit to act on those promptings."

So, buy yourself a study journal, read the introductory material, and get ready to share your spiritual insights that you gain from Come Follow Me and the New Testament in 2019!