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DEAD SEA SCROLLS
(Written
approx. 100 B.C.)
20
"The Dead Sea Scrolls have revolutionized the study of
the Bible, early Judaism, and early Christianity."
(Dead Sea Scrolls,
Michael Wise, 1996) Here are some facts about their discovery
and publication taken from,
Dead Sea Scrolls,
Michael Wise.
Dead Sea Scroll Facts
1. 100 BC The vast majority of scrolls were written in
first century BC.
2. 1947 AD The first scrolls were found in the Judean desert.
3. 1948 The first scrolls were published.
4. 1947-1956 Eleven caves with scrolls were discovered.
5. 1947-1956 There were 15,000 fragments found in cave four
alone.
6. 1948 The jurisdiction at this time was the government of
Jordan.
7. 1950-1977 The "official team" of a small number of scholars
published six volumes of scrolls during this time period; less
than half of the total volume.
8. 1977-1991 The "Official team" refuses to release the
scrolls for public study. This is called "the scandal of the
century" by prominent scholar Geza Vermes.
9. 1991 Zion Wacholder reconstructs scrolls from a detailed
concordex using a desktop computer.
10. 1991 Legal action was threatened against the monopoly
11.1991 Emanuel Tov,the new editor-in-chief announced the free
and unconditional access to all photographs of Dead Sea
Scrolls.
Whenever there is such flagrant abuse and secrecy, one
must suspect the worst. Perhaps someday we will know the true
history of the scrolls as it transpired in the first fifty
years after their discovery.
Let’s start by examining the most important Dead Sea
Scroll, 11Q13,
first. This scroll establishes Melchizedek as a "Lord" in the
Old Testament. The other "Lord" in the Old Testament is God of
course. With one sentence this document establishes:
Melchizedek as
Lord of the Old Testament and coming Messiah, confirms the
truth and validity of The Urantia Book,
and validates
t
he Teacher of
Righteousness as a true prophet of God.
As a true prophet, the Teacher
deserves to have all of his words carefully scrutinized.
In the following discussion of
11Q13, The Coming of
Melchizedek, verses
of scripture are quoted and then commented on by the Teacher
of Righteousness, the Leader of the Qumran.Community.
11Q13 The Coming of Melchizedek
In this year of jubilee, each of you shall return to his
property. (Lev
25:13) And this is the manner of release: every creditor shall
release that
which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of
his neighbor and
his brother, for God’s release has been proclaimed. (Deut
15:2)
The Jubilee occurs every fiftieth year and its purpose,
established by God, is to release all who have been enslaved
financially or physically. It evens the playing field and
closes the gaps that otherwise develop between the rich and
the poor. (My comment)
Below, I have given the full quote of Isaiah that the
Teacher of Righteousness is commenting on in the Dead Sea
Scroll 11Q13.
Isaiah 61:1,2 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me(Isaiah),
Because the Lord has anointed me;
He has sent me as a herald of joy to the humble,
To bind up the wounded of heart,
To proclaim release to the captives,
Liberation to the imprisoned;
To proclaim a year of the
Lord's favor.
11Q13 It will be proclaimed
at the end of days
concerning the captives.
Its interpretation is that He (God) will assign them(the
captives,People
of God) to the Sons of Heaven and to the inheritance of
Melchizedek;
for He (God) will cast their (the captives’) lot amid the
portions of
Melchizedek, who will return them there (Canaan) and
will
proclaim to them liberty, forgiving them the wrong doings of
their iniquities. ( Interpretation of Isaiah 61:1
given by TR 5 )
The Teacher of Righteousness quotes three passages of
scripture (Lev 25:13, Deut 15:2, & Isaiah 61), which he feels
are connected and then goes on to give his interpretation in
the last paragraph above.
Notice that the Teacher
of Righteousness identifies "the
Lord's
favor" as
Melchizedek's
favor, thus substituting Melchizedek in place of Lord
in the scripture passage
given above in the King James translation of Isaiah 61. This
substitution reverses the very error of using Lord to
designate Melchizedek discussed in The Urantia Book . This
mutual understanding between the Dead Sea Scrolls and The
Urantia Book, corroborates The Urantia Book and also
establishes the Teacher as a valid source of accurate
prophetic information. In addition, since this verse of Isaiah
is embedded in a messianic end of the age scriptural context,
we can also deduce that Melchizedek is identified by the
Teacher as the Messiah who comes at ages end in the Old
Testament. More evidence that Melchizedek is the Messiah is
presented just below, in the remaining analysis of 11Q13.
The Teacher tells us that these verses
apply to the future,
final end of the age
when Melchizedek comes and
literally releases the faithful (Christians and Jews) who are
"being held captive" by the hostile leaders and nations of
that time. Melchizedek frees them and reunites these remnants
in Canaan, thus restoring a reunified "Israel." The Teacher
continues:
11Q13 And this
thing (release of captives) will occur in the
first week
of the
Jubilee that follows nine Jubilees.(TR). (my parentheses
above).
A Jubilee is declared on every 50 th year, on Yom Kippur,
which is ten days after the beginning of the Jewish New Year.
This is the holiest day of the year and is also called the Day
of Atonement – usually a somber day of repentance. Yom Kippur
occurred this year on 9/20/99. I believe Melchizedek will
return on or near Yom Kippur one of these years and will turn
a day of mourning into a day of joy. (My comment.) The Teacher
continues:
Teacher of And the Day of Atonement is the
end
of the tenth Jubilee, when
Righteousness all the Sons of Light and the men of the lot of
Melchizedek will
11Q13 be atoned for. And a statue concerning them to provide
them
(Captives/Sons of Light) with their rewards. 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 judgment as it is
written
concerning him in the Songs of David (Psalms) who said:
Elohim has
taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the
Gods he holds judgment. (Ps 82:1)
Elohim is
translated as God in our present Bible translations and this
line becomes "God stands in the divine assembly; among the
divine beings He pronounces judgment!" The Teacher of
Righteousness translates Elohim, not as God, but as
Melchizedek, giving us ‘Melchizedek has taken his place in the
divine council; in the midst of the diving beings he holds
judgment.’ This corresponds to Melchizedek’s presence on the
Urantia advisory council (four and twenty counselors) located
on Jerusem (UB Pg. 5l3). Again scripture and the Urantia
Book cross-corroborate
one another. We now
return to 11Q13,
The Coming of
Melchizedek regarding the identity of Elohim. The
psalmist appeals to "the Lord’s" sense of injustice:
11Q13 Rise, O
Lord, in Your anger,
Assert Yourself against the fury of my foes,
Best in Yourself on my behalf;
You have ordained judgment.
Let the assembly of peoples gather about You,
With You enthroned above, on high. (Ps 7:7-8)
It was concerning him (Melchizedek) that the above Psalm
referred to. (interpretation by TR)
Again, we see Melchizedek identified as the Lord and
Messiah in Psalm 7 by the Teacher of Righteousness.
Melchizedek is the one who comes to rule the nations, the
Messiah of Jewish
expectation. The Teacher selects his next line of scripture:
11Q13 How long
will you (the Lord) judge unjustly and show
partiality to the wicked? (Ps 82:2)
It’s interpretation concerns Belial (devil) and the spirits
of his lot who rebelled by
turning away from the precepts of God to…(missing text). And
Melchizedek will
avenge the vengeance of the judgments of God…(missing text).
And he
(Melchizedek) will drag them (captives)
from the hand of Belial
and from the
hand of all the spirits of his lot. And all the ‘Gods of
Justice’ will come to his aid
to attend to the destruction of Belial. (interpretation by TR)
Here, it is made clear, Belial is the ultimate force behind
the leaders and nations who take God’s people captive in the
latter days. Most serve Belial/Caligastia unknowingly for
promises of wealth, power, and prestige. We literally 'sell
our souls' to get what we think we want most.
Caligastia, The Devil
Belial is no doubt Caligastia who is still "free to
prosecute his nefarious schemes" (UB Pg. 610). "The devil is
none other than Caligastia" (UB Pg. 602). "Adam tried to warn
the races against Caligastia, but the task was made very
difficult because his archenemy was invisible to the eyes of
mortals…there were those confused minds that leaned toward the
Caligastia teaching of
unbridled personal liberty…" (UB Pg. 833). The
‘gods of justice’ mentioned by the Teacher of Righteousness
are probably the Ancients of Days who "reserve power of
decision on a mortal’s extinction." (UB Pg. 210). "It is
evident that Immanuel counseled Michael (Christ) to remain
aloof from the rebels and allow rebellion to pursue a
natural course
of self-obliteration
(suicide)" (UB Pg.
617). "In the event of rebellion of a system headquarters, a
new sovereign is installed within a comparatively short time,
but not so on the
individual planets. …Successor
Planetary Princes are designated for isolated worlds,…but they
do not assume active ruler ship…until the results of the
insurrection are partially overcome and removed by partial
remedial measures
adopted by the Melchizedeks and other ministering
personalities."(UB Pg. 394). We are still in the period of
"partial remediation" under Melchizedek's "comprehensive plan
for rehabilitation of Urantia." The rebellion will end when
Melchizedek arrives and overcomes Caligastia at the time of
harvest, depicted in
Revelation:
Rev 14:14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and
sitting on the
cloud
was what looked like
a son of man. With a
crown of gold on his
head and a sharp sickle
in his hand.
Continuing on with the Teacher of Righteousness and his
interpretations of scripture found in
11Q13 of
the Dead Sea Scrolls,
we find:
11Q13 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 52:7)
It’s interpretation; the
mountains are the
prophets (Old Testament)…and
the messenger is the Anointed one of the spirit concerning
whom
Daniel said, Until an anointed one, a prince…(missing text).
(Dan 9:25)
(TR, Teacher of Righteousness)
To comfort all who mourn, to grant to those who mourn in
Zion. (Isaiah 61:2)
Its interpretation,
to make them understand
all the ages of time…
In truth…(missing text) will
turn away from Belial…by the judgments
of God, as it is written concerning him, who says to Zion;
your
Elohim reigns. Zion is…, those who uphold the Covenant, who
turn from walking in the way of the people. And your
Elohim is
Melchizedek, who will save them (those who uphold the
Covenant) from the hand of
Belial.(TR)
(End 11Q13) As
for that which He said, "Then you shall send abroad the
trumpet
in all the land." (Lev 25:9
The Teacher of Righteousness tells us in his interpretation
of Isaiah 52:7 that the final prophet is a "messenger" who
stands on top of the mountains, the Prophets, by interpreting
"all that they wrote," and who then proclaims "Your Elohim
reigns." By reading between the lines one can also infer that
the messenger, or final prophet makes them (the elect)
understand all the ages
of time in some way.
The final prophet is an "anointed one" whom God has put his
spirit upon.
"Behold my servant…I have put My spirit upon him" (Isaiah
42:1). Elohim means divine being and is identified as
Melchizedek by the Teacher. The Lord of the Old Testament
is
Melchizedek (when not referring to God), and he is the one who
comes to deliver us at the end of the age (messiah).
Final Prophet
The final prophet depends on the olden prophets to explain
and interpret the events unfolding in the messianic age and to
"make them (the elect) understand all the ages of time." The
final prophet is also God’s servant of Isaiah who addresses
the coastlands, and who
"brings forth true religion (or the true way)" in Isaiah
42:10, which is the kingdom of heaven within. He is also the
"Elijah to come before the end" of Malachi.
The Urantia Book
calls this prophet
"another and greater John the Baptist." Why is he greater?
Remember that Jesus said that "there had not been any one
greater (man) than John the Baptist" but that anyone who
entered the kingdom of heaven "was greater than John." This
was true because John as a human being was unsurpassed. He was
courageous, faithful, and steadfast, even in the face of
death.
But as a son of the living God, he had not yet entered the
joyful and transcendent kingdom of heaven within. Therefore,
greater means that the
final prophet will have entered this kingdom of
heaven within, which is the "true way" that he helps bring
forth in Isaiah 42:1-4.
Next, consider the Teacher’s comment that "those who uphold
the covenant (do God’s will), turn from walking in the way of
the people." It may be necessary for those who follow God’s
will, to separate themselves from the opinions, people, and
possessions of our present culture to follow the truth on an
isolated, lonely, and perhaps dangerous road.
Family fault lines may sever; persecution, ridicule and danger
could be ahead. Such painful and trying choices will act to
establish our priorities and expose them to view. Choosing
God’s will in the face of such trials will be the "flame of
affliction," which will soften our mettle (metal) for the
anvil of adversity and the hammer of mercy. And so we will
count the cost and remember that this road is also called the
‘Sacred Way’, and that the ‘redeemed shall walk it.’ Consider
further this road:
Road
Isaiah 57:14 Build up, build up a highway!
Clear a road!
Remove all obstacles
From the road
of My people
This "road" is referred to and described in many places and
by many prophets in the OldTestament. God will be removing
obstacles to its use by those who elect His will.
Isaiah 62:10 Pass through, pass through the gates!
Clear the road
for the people
Build up the highway,
Remove the rocks!
See, the Lord has proclaimed
To the end of the earth…
Your deliverer is coming!
And they shall be called "The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord"
The "people" are the remnant of "Israel," the people who
love God and seek his guidance within and without. The road
has rocks on it that need to be removed so that "the people"
can proceed to Zion, where they will meet up with the
Deliverer who is the World Messiah. "The Holy People" are
probably the group referred to as the elect, elsewhere. This
group is made up of those who
"elect" to
do God’s will in the trial period when many others abandon
Him. There is both a physical road and a spiritual road or
way. They are fused in Isaiah’s poetic imagery.
Isaiah 35:8 And a
highway
shall appear there
Which shall be called the
Sacred Way…
But it shall be for His people
No traveler, not even fools, shall go astray…
But the redeemed shall walk it;
And the ransomed of the Lord return,
And come with shouting to Zion.
The "ransomed" people of God are those who stand up for and
do God’s will amidst the "powers and principalities" that rule
during the trial period. Many of "His people" are persecuted,
and possibly imprisoned. Thus, when the Messiah arrives he
pays "ransom" to release these captives who then:
Isaiah 36:10 Come with shouting to Zion,
Crowned
with joy everlasting. They shall attain joy and gladness,
While sorrow and sighing flee
Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind By a
road they
did not know.
Isaiah 43:19 I (God) am about to do something new… Suddenly
you shall perceive it; I will make a
road
through the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
As we ponder this way, ‘this road’, the repeated decisions
of a lifetime bring their weight to bear on the fulcrum of our
will. What will we do? If we have been faithful before, we
will be
faithful again. The
crown
follows those who elect God’s will.
Isaiah 40:3 The
voice of him who cries in the wilderness, prepare
KJV the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a
highway
for our God.
John the Baptist, took up this verse unto himself to
prepare the people for the Lord Jesus’ arrival. "Another and
greater John the Baptist" (UB) the Final Prophet, will use
this same verse to prepare the way for the Lord Melchizedek’s
arrival. This highway in the desert is a literal road, the
Sacred Way, that will be used by the remnants to travel to
Canaan to be reunited by Melchizedek. The term God in Isaiah
40:3 is an error of designation by which Lord God is confused
with Lord Jesus or Lord Melchizedek. Further about this road
or highway:
Jer 31:2 Set thee up
waymarks,
make thee high
heaps: set thine
KJV heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest,
turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy
cities.
Jeremiah 31:2 describes "Lost" Israel as they leave Canaan
and the Lord tells them to "set up waymarks", which are the
stone altars called dolmens discussed in the chapter on
Isaiah. Israel (The Lost Ten Tribes) told by the Lord that
someday they will use these "waymarks" as markers on the
highway (The Sacred Way) to "turn again" and return to "these
thy cities" of Canaan. These are modern day Christians (The
Lost Ten Tribes), the remnant of "Israel" that returns to
Canaan for reunion with the Jewish remnant. This highway/road
is one and the same as the "highway made straight in the
desert" for Lord Melchizedek, and previously for, Lord Jesus.
Consider further:
Isaiah 19:23 In that day shall there be a highway out of
Egypt to Assyria,
KJV and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian
into
Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.
Here, Isaiah 19:23, we are told that there will be Egyptian
and Assyrian remnants using this road as well.
All who
love and respect the true God will be gathered. To confirm
this:
Isaiah 27:13 And it shall come to pass that day, that the
great trumpet
shall
KJV be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish
in the
land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at
Jerusalem.
"In that day" and the blowing of the "great trumpet"
indicate that these verses apply to the messianic end of the
age. Melchizedek is said to arrive at the beginning of the
tenth Jubilee, on the day of atonement, as discussed in the
last sentence of
11Q13; The Coming of Melchizedek.
There will be remnants coming from many countries all over
the world. Their commonality will be their love and respect
for God. Also note that both Egypt and modern Syria are slated
to be foremost among the countries who come against Modern
Israel during the near future. The
leaders make the wars, but the people may still be among the
faithful.
But who will make
this road; this Sacred Way?
Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall
spring forth;
KJV shall ye not know it? I will even make
a way in the
wilderness,
and rivers in the desert.
God seems to make this road for His returning sons and
daughters. He tells us:
Isaiah 43:5 Fear not, for I am with thee. KJV
Isaiah 43:6 bring my sons from afar and my daughters from
the ends of
KJV the earth.
Isaiah 43:7 even everyone who is called by my name. KJV
Isaiah 43:13 Yea, before the day was, I am, and there is
none that can
KJV deliver out of my hand.
Isaiah 43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they
shall show forth
KJV my praise.
Having completed our study of 11Q13, we will now consider
the
Thanksgiving Psalms
of the Dead Sea Scrolls, very likely, also written by the
Teacher of Righteousness.
Thanksgiving Hymns, Dead Sea Scrolls
The Teacher of Righteousness is the founder and leader of
the Qumran community beginning sometime around 196 BC. The
Qumran community is the community that dwelled in the Judean
desert; who preserved, copied, and sometimes authored the
scrolls found by the Dead Sea.
Through the
Thanksgiving Hymns,
the Teacher of Righteousness tells us much about his deep
convictions, personal history, and intimate relationship with
God. The Teacher of
Righteousness is God’s servant and is a precursor of the Final
Prophet to come who is also God’s servant, but of our time and
age. As such, much of what the Teacher of Righteousness says
about his own experiences and convictions may be mirrored in
those of the Final Prophet.
Therefore, as we read the
Thanksgiving
Hymns, we are
looking into the hearts and minds of both of these servants;
the one who has been and the one who will be. Consider:
Hymn 2 I will bow down and implore Thy mercy
Thanksgiving on my sins and wicked deeds,
Hymns For I have wallowed in uncleanness
and have turned aside from the council of Thy truth…
Preserve Thy servant, O God, lest he sin against Thee,
or stagger aside from any word of Thy will.
Strengthen the loins of Thy servant…
that he may walk in all that Thou lovest…
Having received forgiveness and love from God’s
personal hand, the servant, the Teacher of Righteousness,
devotes himself to the totality of God’s will and tells us:
Hymn 4 The closer I approach (God),
Thanksgiving the more I am filled with zeal
Hymns against all the workers of iniquity
and the men of deceit.
For none of those who approach Thee
rebels against Thy command,
Nor do any of those
who know Thee
alter Thy words…
The Teacher of Righteousness divides people into those who
know God and those who do not.
Anyone who knows God,
will as a result, also love God and His way. God’s
"commands" are the "commands" of righteousness and love. Next
the Teacher tells God:
Hymn 5 Thou hast favored me, Thy servant,
Thanksgiving with a spirit of knowledge,
Hymns that I may choose truth and goodness
and I have loved Thee freely
and with all my heart…
God has anointed His servant, the Teacher of Righteousness,
with His spirit and as a result he is able to understand and
penetrate the mysteries of the Holy Scriptures, as well as
understand the very heart of man. (Dotted lines in this
subsection are breaks in the text,
not
missing original text as elsewhere.)
Hymn 22 For Thou hast made known to me the counsel of Thy
truth
and has taught me Thy marvelous mysteries…
and by the spirit which Thou hast given me…
Thou hast opened knowledge to me…
and Thou hast shed Thy Holy Spirit over dust…
to bring him into the company of the ‘gods’
and unite them (dust and ashes) with the Sons of Heaven.
The Teacher of Righteousness, in the last few stanzas is
amazed at how
God transmutes dust into spirit, the ultimate miracle of the
universe of time and space. Surely, such knowledge
was revealed by a bonafide and powerful experience with God.
In beautiful verse, reminiscent of the beatitudes, the Teacher
of Righteousness conceives of himself as:
Hymn 24 A messenger in the season of Thy goodness,
that to the humble he might bring
glad tidings of Thy great Mercy,
proclaiming salvation from out of the fountain of holiness…
to the contrite spirit, and everlasting joy to those who
mourn.
The Teacher of Righteousness knows the futility of "man’s
way" from his own experience of sinfulness and error.
Hymn 12 The
way of man is not established
Thanksgiving except by
the spirit which God created for him
Hymns to make a perfect
way for the children of men.
With such words, the Teacher of Righteousness reveals a
personal understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven within, the
new covenant of God and man. The Teacher of
Righteousness has learned to abandon himself completely to the
Will of God, through the leading of the spirit within. This
verse (Hymn 12) could also be considered the first critique of
secular humanism ( discussed elsewhere).
Hymn 15 I have not relied upon the works of my hands
to raise up my heart
Nor have I sought refuge
in my own strength.
I have no fleshly refuge,
and Thy servant has no righteous deeds…
But I lean on the abundance of Thy mercies
and hope for the greatness of Thy grace
Like all other
prophets of God, the Teacher of Righteousness experienced
ridicule, persecution, and wrath from the hand of man for
telling them the truth about themselves and their world.
Hymn 13 The wicked and fierce have stormed against me…
Hymn 14 All who have eaten my bread
have lifted their heel against me…
have mocked me with their lips.
The Teacher of Righteousness suffers greatly from
spiritual, emotional, as well as physical causes. His closest
friends and family have rejected him.
Hymn 13 For Thou, God, didst widen my heart
but they straighten it with
affliction
I eat the bread of wailing
and drink incessant tears
Sorrow encompasses me.
Ignominy covers my face…
causing my spirit to stagger
and my strength to fail
Hymn 18 Behold, I am carried away with the
sick;
I am acquainted with
scourges…
my heart laments
within me
my soul languishes day and night without rest
In modern terminology, Hymn 18 could be a description of
severe depression, which is often associated with
sleeplessness so that "the soul languishes day and night
without rest" and where the ‘heart laments within.’ Perhaps
the Teacher did, and/or the Final Prophet will; suffer from
severe depression. And now, the Teacher describes physical
suffering as well.
Hymn 18 My arm is torn from its socket…
My foot is held by fetters…
My arms and legs are bound by shackles…
I have no word for my disciples
to revive the spirit of those who stumble
and to speak words of support to the weary.
The last stanza above causes one to think of John the
Baptist, imprisoned and chained in the dungeon waiting for
death. However, this is written a hundred years before John’s
time and John the Baptist was not a literary prophet as far as
we know. Teacher of Righteousness is probably
.not John the
Baptist, but he plays a similar "character type"
(a Teacher
of Righteousness) as does John the Baptist. Similar
"character types" recur repeatedly over the cycles of
human events. The
good have, until now, always gone down before evil. The
evil has always
occupied worldly power and has always prevailed in every age.
It was probably a very
predictable event,
that the Son of Man would be crucified in short order (three
years of public teaching). And so, prophet after prophet has
gone down throughout the ages.
The Teacher of
Righteousness interpreted Old Testament scripture in a unique
way. He read a large part of scripture as
revealing the events of the messianic latter days.
Previously, the
Psalms were not commonly thought to have reference to the
messianic period, but the Teacher of Righteousness uses the
Psalms as one of his most frequently quoted sources. This is
now easy to understand for us, because
The Urantia Book
tells us about the close relationship between
Melchizedek and the psalms writers (see chapter 1). The
Teacher of Righteousness switches "Melchizedek" for "Lord" in
certain passages of the Old Testament demonstrating that he
was aware of the Melchizedek legacy (as told in the Urantia
Book) at a time when it had been lost to view otherwise.
The Teacher also specifically prophesied the
personality and mission of the Son of Man. His revelatory
experience was accurate and valid.
His only mistake was the timing
of the messianic period, which he felt was shortly
forthcoming. However, this is always the error of the prophet,
he does not always know the time in which his prophesies will
be fulfilled. Nevertheless, the information about the
messianic time period in the Dead Sea Scrolls is still valid
and finds its context, I believe, in the upcoming events of
today’s world. Thus,
it is no coincidence that this archive of knowledge is just
now laid open before us. God’s plan for us is right on track,
just as we should expect. He is revealing his plan to us in a
strategic way. The Thanksgiving Psalms are among the most
beautiful ever to have been penned. The
Teacher of Righteousness will one day take his place in
history as a prophet of the greatest degree.
His writing will inspire the
human race for ages to come, and his prophecy will take its
place in the foundation of God’s Kingdom to come. In
addition, the Teacher of Righteousness is a perfect example of
a "suffering servant" in the tradition of Isaiah’s servant
songs. In general, all human beings who serve God are
"suffering servants" by the nature of the world in which we
happen to live (‘rebellion’ seared and isolated as per the
Urantia Book). To
follow God's way is also to experience the friction generated
by contact with man's way. There will come a day when we will
all be focusing God’s being into the inner unfolding of our
lives. But for now, a short while longer, all such servants of
God will suffer. In addition to the
general
attributes of all servants, prophetic scripture refers to
specific
suffering servants as well, among whom the Son of Man is
foremost. Since all of the previous prophets have been
"suffering servants" it is likely that the messianic prophet
to come will also be. It should also be noted that in addition
to Isaiah, the Psalms are a
great store of information regarding "servants" as they are
flooded with references to such.
We now proceed to the interpretation of psalms found within
the Dead Sea Scrolls. The following are excerpts from
Dead Sea Scrolls,
Geza Vermes.
Biblical
Psalms Commentary, Dead Sea Scrolls
"be not heated against the
successful, the man who achieves his plans."
(Ps 37:7a)
Its interpretation concerns
the Liar
who has lead astray many
by his lying words so that they choose frivolously and heeded
not
the interpreter of knowledge in order to…(missing text). They
shall
perish by the sword and famine and plague.
(TR,Teacher
of Righteousness)
The Liar is a specific figure in the times of the Teacher
of Righteousness. The Liar is also a general character type
that has shown up in all the ends of previous ages. No doubt,
the personification of deceit, the Liar, will be part of this
messianic time period as well. War (the Sword), famine,
plague, and drought also have ended previous ages and they
will undoubtedly again. The
interpreter of
knowledge mentioned by the Teacher of Righteousness
is the end of the age, messianic prophet, also called the
interpreter of the
law elsewhere in the scrolls. "Don’t be angry; it
tends to evil, for the wicked shall be cut off." (Ps 37:9)
Interpreted, all those who are stubborn in turning away from
their iniquity shall be cut off. (TR)
Only a very small percent of the overall population has
anything to do with iniquity,
which is repeated, knowing, and
willful disobedience to God’s laws and will. Unfortunately,
the handful that do, are extremely powerful and are steering
the world toward conflict and disaster. Their actions contain
within them the very seeds of their own destruction, but they
proceed nevertheless, like moths to flame. Prophecy tells us
that they will kill (cut off) one another as they are struck
by their own arrows. Unfortunately, a mass of people will
follow their
leaders – no matter where they lead.
"But those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land."
(Ps 37:96)
Interpreted, this is the
congregation of the elect who do His will.(TR)
The "elect," elect God’s will over their own. (My comment)
Ephraim, America
"The wicked draw the sword and bend their bow to bring down
the
poor and needy and to slay the upright of way. Their sword
shall enter
their own heart and their bows shall be broken." (Ps 37:45-15)
Interpreted, this concerns the
wicked of Ephraim and
Manasseh,
who shall seek to lay hands on the Priest (Final Prophet) and
the
men of his council (the elect) at the time of trial that will
come
upon them. But God will redeem them from out of their hand.
And afterwards, they (the wicked of Ephraim and Manasseh)
shall be delivered into the hand of the violent among the
nations for judgment. (TR)
The people who will go the most wrong in the messianic time
period upcoming are the same people who went the most wrong in
ancient times as well; i.e. the Northern Tribes, who are
Israel,
who in turn are the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, foremost
among the Ten Northern Tribes. The Northern Tribes then become
the Lost Ten Tribes who migrate to northern and western
Europe, and then later to America, surfacing today after 2000
years as Christians, some of whom occupy the equivalent to the
"promised land" of yesterday-- America. Ephraim is very
probably America today and Manasseh is very probably Great
Britain. The "wicked of Ephraim and Manasseh" are the leaders
and power elite of these two countries. American is Ephraim
because the Lost Ten Tribes first settled in Northern and
Western Europe, from there the Lost Ten Tribes later settled
America. The bravest, most courageous, most freedom loving and
most religious of Europe settled America. The "cream of the
crop" of the entire world moved west.
America is directly
related to Ephraim of ancient Israel. Both America
and ancient Northern Israel started out on the right tract
with the love and blessings of God. When both their wealth
grew, both abandoned God and went chasing after the false gods
of money, sex, and power. Both had leaderships that led the
people (the majority) far away from the sustenance of truth.
Deceit, lawlessness and decay beset Israel and beset us today.
Israel’s prophets arose and were ignored even as they were
killed and imprisoned. America, like Israel, will ignore her
prophets as well. The outcome will be the same, making for a
precise repeat of history.
The beginning is like the end. America, like the
Northern Tribes, is blessed with fruitfulness, bounty, and
God’s grace. Both became proud and defiant, lawless and
licentious, arrogant and capricious. Both become blind, deaf,
and dumb to the events around them that ultimately swallow
them up. Not only is America Ephraim by heredity, but America
is also Ephraim by history. It is from America and Great
Britain that the most destructive leaders
of Christendom will come and they will be the ones who lead
the persecution of the elect. They are, and will be, "the
wicked of Ephraim and Manasseh" of Dead Sea Scroll prophecy.
The "Priest" referred to in this passage is another name
used by the Teacher of Righteousness to designate the
messianic prophet, who is usually called the ‘interpreter of
the law.’ The
Teacher of Righteousness sees the future messianic prophet as
the completion of what he himself has become.
One is a forerunner of the
other. The Teacher of Righteousness, like the messianic
prophet, ‘interprets’ prophecy that already exists. Neither
are recipients of new visions of things to come. Both the
Teacher and the messianic prophet are gatherers of
congregations of the elect; both are led from within through
God’s indwelling spirit. Both are persecuted by "the wicked of
Ephraim." Although not stated, perhaps both suffer physically
and emotionally in similar ways. Perhaps both are imprisoned.
Perhaps both confront iniquity boldly. Many of these
characteristics also apply to John the Baptist as well,
excepting only the role as prophetic interpreter. John the
Baptist was a "Teacher of Righteousness" character type for
his time. We are told in the Urantia Book that "sooner or
later another and greater John the Baptist" will arrive, thus
confirming this model of "character types" repeated through
the ages. The Final Prophet will be like both John the
Baptist and like the Teacher of Righteousness. The
messianic age is a consummation and completion of the
precursors expressed earlier in history.
The number seven symbolizes
this completion and is found frequently throughout the text of
"Revelation." Next in the
Commentary on Psalms
section of Geza Vermes' Dead Sea Scrolls we have
Psalm 37:
"And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied, but the
wickedshall perish." (Ps 37:196)
Interpreted, this means that He will keep them (the elect)
alive
during famine and the time of humiliation, whereas many
(others) will suffer from famine and plague, all those who
have
not departed from there to be with the Congregation of His
elect.
(TR, Teacher of Righteousness) (my parentheses)
Hard times will come and those that know and understand,
the elect, will try to lead everyone to safety but many, and
probably most, will not follow. Notice that the congregation
of the elect depart from somewhere, possibly from America the
home of Ephraim and the elect. God is
actively leading and protecting the elect throughout this
trial period, just as he did once before when He led Israel
out from Egypt to Canaan.
The end is like the beginning.
Commentary on Psalms
"Vain is it for you to rise up early and lie down late. You
shall eat
the bread of toil; he shall feed those who love them in
their sleep."
(Ps 127:2)
Its interpretation is that they (elect)
shall
seek…(missing text)
Teacher of Righteousness…priest at the end of the age…
The quote just above clearly demonstrates that the Teacher
of Righteousness is referring to the future (shall), the end
of the messianic age, and not his own time. He
refers to the messianic prophet again as "the priest" and also
as the Teacher of Righteousness, his own title. The Teacher is
fully aware that he is a precursor to a latter ‘interpreter of
the law’ of the messianic age.
Before leaving the study of the Psalms and the Final
Prophet, I would like to present to you a deeply penetrating
portrait of the Final Prophet as revealed in the
Dead Sea Scrolls
and the Biblical
Psalms. This portrait is given to us by Bobby
Rich, Eliyahu
(Elijah) – Online Prophet:
website, www.panola.com/users/brich.
The following quote is verbatim from pages 42 through 46 of
a 62-page text about a variety of prophecy subjects. The
"Online Prophet", Bobby Rich identifies the Teacher of
Righteousness of the Dead Sea Scrolls as John the Baptist.
With this and a few other interpretations I would disagree,
but for the most part I find this portrayal of the Final
Prophet completely convincing.
Remember, even the prophetic passages about Jesus were a
"mixed bag," with some information specific to him and other
information not specific to him. We shouldn’t perhaps,
therefore expect a 100% match with the Final Prophet. Also
note that not all of the following piece, Final
Prophet, by the
Online Prophet is taken from the Psalms themselves. Much of
the information about the Final Prophet below is taken from
the Thanksgiving
Hymns by the Teacher of Righteousness of the
Dead Sea Scrolls.
In my opinion, some of the information in the
Thanksgiving Hymns
specifically reflects the life of the Teacher of
Righteousness of Qumran, rather than the life-to-come of the
Final Prophet. However, the lives and thoughts of the two
prophets may be so similar that there may be a lot of overlap
of the attributes of one to the other. With these qualifying
remarks we can now begin. (The italics and bold text stylings
are my own.)
Online Prophet
Enter the Final Prophet
The third individual identified in the
Thanksgiving Hymns
is the latter
"Elijah" yet to be manifested, and will be considered in the
next chapter.
This "Elijah" come alive is derived from the book of Malachi
and the New
Testament gospels. A specific promise is made by God that He
will send
ELIJAH the Prophet before the GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE
LORD to reveal and restore all things. Some expected an actual
resurrection of Elijah but Jesus made it plain that John the
Baptist was the
symbolic ELIJAH (Mat 11:11-14) of his time and that YET
ANOTHER
was to come later (Mat 17:10-13) preceding the yet future DAY
OF THE
LORD. So much hinges on the ELIJAH to come that some Jewish
believers
have a chair reserved for this individual. At least one
Karaite priest
recognized the "Teacher of Righteousness" of Qumran as being
the former
Baptist. This Karaite was correct! (Bobby Rich, Online
Prophet)
The Final
Elijah – Portrait of a Prophet
The prophet Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den. The people
and the
rulers wanted to kill Jeremiah and he was placed in a dungeon
like a slime
pit where he sunk into the mire. Isaiah may have been sawn
apart alive.
John the Baptist’s head was served up on a platter. Elijah was
forced into
exile with Ahab and Jezebel after his hide.
Biblical prophets are
not
always the epitome of popularity. As the Scrolls describe the
final
symbolic "Elijah" prophet we see the same opposition exists to
his
message, especially among the "seekers after smooth things",
who prefer
their own mental delusions to the vision the prophet carries
as given to
him by God. As with Elijah this Final Prophet will also be
forced into
exile from his land and be
hunted by those who
wish to kill him.
Perhaps this "Elijah" will also have his "Ahab and Jezebel" to
contend
with. The Scrolls
explain that some will understand and believe him and
his vision but some will neither understand or believe him,
and thereby
make a distinction between the wicked and the just. What sort
of
individual would the average person expect the end of age
prophet to be?
One might imagine him to be a well known evangelist, a
successful
businessman with church connections, a family man, pious with
an
unquestioned reputation, with many loyal friends and family
members
around him for encouragement. One might also expect him to be
wise,witty, stable, and financially sound. It would help if he
were young,
charismatic, and handsome in a rakish way with a lovely wife
and several
well behaved children. Perhaps he would be the son of a famous
tycoon or
a war hero or a respected Senator, or was the semi-retired
owner of a fast
food chain and involved in human rights or environmental
issues. Most of
all perhaps – he would be a SOMEBODY! Considering the Scrolls
and
Psalms description this
last prophet will be a disappointment to many
people, being VERY different than we might
envision! In a nutshell he
appears to be a "MAN OF CALAMITIES", of
stumbling
rather than
success. Instead of a staunch family man and pillar of
integrity we see in
this final prophet a man
BETRAYED by those who "eat his bread" and
MALIGNED in gossip with a resultant loss of reputation,
ridiculed and
scorned, beset by
serious illnesses, financially unsuccessful, a
victim of
schemers, being scourged by God for unknown reasons. He has
visited the
gates of death and commonly experiences pain on an ongoing
basis. He is
waiting in bitterness, sorrow, and anger for God to redeem him
– and
probably asking why! Perhaps he feels like Job. This
individual is even at
odds with the church group he had been connected with. Who
would ever
choose such an unfortunate to be the last prophet? Perhaps
only God!
Not likely any human would have made this particular choice.
We would
look for stability at the very least.
But it appears God does
not operate
like we do, because He has chosen an individual that most of
us
would likely consider "a broken vessel" just as some of the
Prophet’s
friends and family do count him to be. The reader
may be acquainted
with this very prophet today! As you read briefly in the
introduction,
this coming prophet is beset by bad health and serious
personal problems
and a variety of trials. However as time advances a different
aspect will
emerge because at some
point God will begin to establish and lift up
this prophet, and the prophet’s situation makes a
dramatic change.
Concerning the Last Prophet’s end time vision the
Scrolls
indicate God at
first keeps the vision hidden and obscured. However, in the
meantime
some have "borne the
yoke" (made privy) to the mysteries of the
vision and BECAUSE of the vision have struck out against the
Prophet and hold him in ridicule, perhaps his church group. We
see
his message as not well received by some! The
attitude of these first to
know is addressed by God who instructs them to "mend their
ways". The
Scrolls make no bones about the fact that the final prophet
has been given
all understanding concerning the Bible. As we look at the
diversity of
beliefs and doctrines among Christianity alone we can
certainly see the
need for a "Plumb line"
to set the Biblical meaning straight. Everyone
simply cannot be correct regardless of sincerity. The Scrolls
also make it
clear that God will not allow this prophet to be put down by
others
forever because in due
time God Himself will strengthen the Prophet
and the mysteries he holds will no longer be hidden.
What if you met
a genuine prophet who knew all of the mysteries and the
prophecies of the
Bible because it was given him from God? Would you ask him the
name of
the beast or what events would take place or some mystery of
life you’ve
wondered about for many years? Consider what you might ask or
say
because we may indeed meet this Last Prophet who is described
in the
Dead Sea Scrolls
by John the Baptist (Teacher of Righteousness) and his
disciples of Qumran. In addition to being called "Final
Teacher of
Righteousness" in the last days he is also described as the
"fountain of
knowledge" bringing rain for the thirsty. Bible students may
easily equate
this prophet to the "latter rain" of the book of Joel which
the "teacher of
righteousness" corresponds. As you will see, the vast majority
of the
details for this coming Prophet are provided by the Baptist
(the Teacher of
Righteousness) in the
Thanksgiving Hymns and for the most part are
based on a specific set of Biblical Psalms. Why no
one has recognized
this before is not clear but most Scrolls researchers assumed
these verses
were made up by the mind of the Teacher of Righteousness. The
first and
.major evidence
of exactly which
Psalms may be seen by an examination of
the Scrolls
interpretations of
Psalms 37
& 45:1. In these commentaries
most of the verses are identified as concerning the Teacher of
Righteousness and the people of his council and his enemies.
Upon
examination of the
Psalms falling between 37 & 45 it is clear the
context
continues in 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43. A close examination
of the
Thanksgiving Hymns
of Qumran reflect a heavy correspondence with
these very Psalms.
The Scrolls
introduces most subjects concerning the
final Prophet based on this specific set of
Psalms but
expands upon them
and adds other details not found in the
Psalms.
There are several portions which are inspired from
Psalms
35 and 88 and
an examination of
Psalms 35 & 88 show them to be very similar to
Psalm
38. Psalms
44, the remainder of 45 & 88 are two of the "Sons of
Korah"
Psalms
which we will discuss in more detail later. Therefore it is
rational
to state that the biblical
Psalms
which pertain to the coming prophet are
35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, and 88 and that
some of these verses
will
also apply to the elect of God in the Last Days,
according to the Dead
Sea Scrolls. Just as all details provided in the
Scrolls
are not found in the
Psalms,
some details are provided in the Biblical set of
Psalms
which are
not found in the
Scrolls. An example is the repeated admonition in
Psalm
37 "not to fret"
indicating the prophet has a particular problem with
fretting or anger over injustices done against him. This does
not seem to be
in the Scrolls
texts restored to date. Also we find in
Psalm
37:25 a
statement which implies
the prophet lives in a land where food is
plentiful and easy to obtain. A reverse example
found in the Scrolls
is
that God has caused the prophet to
"dwell with the many
fishers-and
with the hunters-" which connotes residence near
waters for fishing and
woods for hunting. The writer finds no counterpart for this in
the above
mentioned Biblical
Psalms. No doubt more
Scrolls
information will come
to light, whether not yet reconstructed or not yet released
for public use.
The Habakkuk and Nahum pesherim and other texts contain
information
concerning the Prophet and the people who listen to him,
especially what
appear to be later
attacks and persecutions from the Wicked Priest and
men of Ephraim and Manasseh. The name "Amon" (or
"No-Amon") is
equated to Manasseh (the United States/Bobby Rich) in the book
of
Nahum. Fittingly No-Amon was the principle city of Egypt in
its day.
John the Baptist and the Last Prophet consider themselves
(and all
people) to be "a lump of clay kneaded with a little water."
The final
prophet makes it clear he has no strength, wealth, or earthly
refuge
and is totally dependent upon God for support, protection and
inspiration. He is chronically ill and has been at death’s
door at
some point. A distinction is
made between those who will be AGAINST
the final prophet and those WHO BELIEVE AND HEED the final
Prophet. A
Scrolls comment on
Hab 1:5 reads: this concerns the end of
days. They and the men of violence and the breakers of
the covenant
will not believe when they hear all that is to happen to the
final
generation from the priest in whose heart God established
understanding that he might interpret all the words of His
servants
the Prophets, through whom He foretold all that would happen
to His
people and the land…" The
wicked and the unfaithful are most often
described as "seekers after smooth things" (likely from Isaiah
30:10) who
prefer smooth easy illusions to the real truth of the Bible.
This writer
recently heard a minister state in a sermon that Jesus did not
really mean
He was going to come back with a rod of iron as the Bible
says. The
Scrolls
commentary on the book of
Habakkuk introduces this book as
concerning the final generation at the end of days and
identifies the
Chaldeans (Babylonians) of Hab 1:6 as the "Kittim (power
block)-quick
and valiant in war-causing many to perish-all the world will
fall under the
rule of the Kittim". This is the FIRST of the 3 Kittims-Kittim
Babylon.
This certainly sounds like the world ruling Beast Power
often mentioned
by prophecy writers and later verses serve to affirm the
identity. Then of
Hab 2:1-2: --"he who reads it may read it speedily" [as
concerning the
Teacher of Righteousness to whom God made known all the
mysteries of
the words of His servants the Prophets]…".
There is a delay spoken
of
in this commentary which apparently involves the "waiting" of
the
prophet and uncovering of the vision, but there is
no indication how far
the delay has progressed, except the obvious fact that
the delay is over
when the Last Prophet becomes public. Certain of
the descriptive
verses from the Thanksgiving Hymns concerning this Final
Prophet
(Teacher of Righteousness) are presented along with the
numbers of verses
they correspond with in the particular Psalms: Scrolls Verses
Corresponding Biblical Psalms
(Physical
circumstances) (Vs Nr.]
Until I’m old-until old age 37:25 [Ps 37:25 states he is old
and some
Scrolls texts on –age rules for positions suggest he would be
between 50-
60 years of age] Dim eyesight from waiting 38:10 Lives among
woods
and waters/fishers and hunters Poor health, pain, chronic loss
of strength-heart
fails 38:3-8, 40:12 My soul has journeyed to the gates of
death- 88:3
God has not placed my support in gain-no fleshly refuge- 40:17
(the Prophet’s
opponents) All who have eaten my bread have lifted
their
heel against me- 41:9 Opponents hate wrongfully and render
evil for
good- 38:19-20 By their affliction bitterness-sorrow-ignominy
42:5, 43:5
You (God) widened my heart- they narrow my heart with
affliction- 39:3
object of a treacherous tongue- 41:7 Sin, ill repute, scorn,
mockery, and
byword to traitors- 40:15 Mighty men encircle me-with weapons
of war
38:19, 40:12 wicked plots against the just-gnashes teeth 37:12
Those who
do not esteem me hate and despise me- 41:10 My enemies hate,
speak
evil and devise my hurt- seek my life 42:10, 37:14 Object of
devilish
schemes-snares- seek my destruction- 38:12
[Friends and
companions] Murmuring and protest, dispute and
quarreling- 42:10 Friends and brethren driven far from me-
think me a
broken vessel
38:11
[Concerning Religion]
Devilish scheme to exchange law
in my
heart for smooth things- 37:7 Folly concerning their feast
days- 42:4
(Ps 2:4 states he used to go with the multitude that kept a
pilgrim feast.
This may imply he once kept the seven Levitical old testament
holy days
but no longer does, because if these were not Biblical they
would be called
sin rather than folly. Considering this, he may be found among
one of the
Christian groups which still keep the Levitical holy days
today). The
vision is not sure, despise, no esteem-say lying prophets
42:10 The
foolish shall not know
my steps proceed from You (God)-rage-byword
37:23 [The Prophet]
I’ve stood in realm of ungodliness- my lot was
with the damned- You have purified me of many sins-
39:8 I am
forsaken-42:9, 43:2 You (God) did these things- 39:9 You will
save me for
my steps proceed from you 37:31 I am not forsaken- 43:5 Apart
from
their assembly I will bless Your name- I will announce to the
assembly of
the simple (elect) the judgments by which I was scourged and
to the sons
of man your wonders by which You show yourself mighty in the
"assembly of the simple" (connotes the elect while the "great
assembly"
and "sons of man" used elsewhere means all people of the
earth-author).
You have enlightened me from my youth- 39:9, 40:10 Hymns of
praise in
my mouth- 40:3 (Ps 40:3 states this prophet will compose a new
song
which many will, see and believe).
Those who listen to him
and believe
are called "of my council or of my covenant" and he states of
this
group: simple-steadfastness to the anxious of heart- counsel
of truth
and understanding to the upright- a banner to the elect of
righteousness and a discerning interpreter of wonderful
mysteries to
those who practice truth and test those who love corrections,
man of
peace to those who see truth-a fountain of knowledge to men of
insight…".
[of the Prophet’s Exile]
The poor one was carried away
in the midst of
great tribulation-(1QH).’ They have banished me from my land
like a bird
from it’s nest- (1QH). [There is mention in the book of
Ezekiel (chapter
24, verses 26 & 27) of a "fugitive" who declares certain news.
This is a
curious chapter which seems to have certain parallels with
this prophet.
Also there is a verse in 2 Thess 2:3-8 which mentions
someone being taken
away in connection with the
naming/uncovering of
"the man of sin"
usually thought to be the Beast leader. Interesting enough the
Scrolls
Habakkuk and Ps 127 commentary definitely speaks of
pursuit of and
searching for this Prophet.
[Of Deat h?]
Shaking and trembling seize me-all my bones are broken
(This latter must refer to the later death of the prophet
since the verses do
not concern Christ and John the Baptist who are the only other
two
individuals in the hymns writings) [God establishes the
Prophet] Freed
from my calamities- 37:17 Strengthen my loins,
healing-restoring my
power- 41:3 Rise against my despisers- my hand against my
deriders-
41:10 You will lift my horn and condemn those who assail me-
41:11 I
will be a shame and disgrace to murmurers-40:14 You will
destroy men of
lies-seers of error- 36:12, 37:20
Spirit of zeal & sin to
those who seek
smooth things- Saved from devilish schemes- 41:1-2
[of opponents] Their
net has taken their foot-snares catch them- 37:15 Your rebuke
(God’s) shall
become my joy and gladness- 37:4 Space to my narrowed soul- My
stumbling shall become everlasting might- 37:22 Scorn of my
enemies shall
become a crown of glory- Your safeguarding peace delivers my
soul- 37:11
Online A few items derived solely from the set of Biblical
Psalms follow: Mute
Prophet in presence of
wicked-38:13-4, 39:9 He shall bring forth your
righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday-
37:6 "-I will
restrain my mouth with a muzzle while the wicked are before
me-my heart
was hot-fire burned-" 39:1-3 –my ears You have opened-Then I
said
‘Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of
me, I delight to do
Your will O my God, and Your law is within my heart’. 40:6-8
Online Prophet
Why the Scourge from God?
As we read of this latter day prophet and see the trials
and apparent
injustice he faces we might wonder why would God subject him
to this
scourge? He has sinned, but is counted forgiven. As a human he
continues
to sin but so do we all according to the New Testament. It is
interesting
that we find this person asking the very same question over
and over,
especially in Psalms 42. No doubt he is trying to please God,
but keeps
asking "Why all these woes. Why am I being thrown down?" There
is no
doubt from the Scrolls and the Psalms that God Himself is
doing This!
Perhaps he is asking not only why but also asking God what
answer can
he provide if people say "Is this the way God treats those who
follow
Him?" In order to comprehend WHY we need to go back in time
perhaps
three thousand years and look at the examples of a few
Biblical prophets:
God required Isaiah to go about BARE FOOT AND NAKED for 3
years,
Hosea to marry a harlot to bear children, Ezekiel to lay on
one side 390
days and the other 40 days, and others to do certain things to
DEMONSTRATE the point God was preparing to make. You might say
God was using VISUAL AIDS to insure peoples attention. Keeping
these
demonstrations in mind, we find that once again the Scrolls
commentary on
Psalms 37 (and other texts) provides the answer to this
puzzle. In the
explanation of Psalms 37:14-15 the following is read: attempt
to lay hands
on the priest and the men of his council at the time of trial
which shall
come upon them"…Upon them we see, not just the prophet but
also on
the believers.
Therefore the faithful people of God will face similar
trials to those of the prophet! (God makes it easier for them
by
having His prophet go through various trials before them,
leading
the way, Bobby Rich). In the past God afflicted and
utilized prophets in
unusual circumstances to show humanity what was to befall
them. The
Scrolls indicate the trials of this prophet are only a mirror
of trials
the elect of God may also experience to some extent.
The betray part
also helps to explain some of the verses from Jesus which
indicates coming
divisions even within the family unit which refer back to
Micah chapter
seven. Perhaps also we can better begin to understand the
life/death
decisions Christ speaks of often.
The Scrolls and these
Psalms
certainly do not paint a "smooth" picture for those who would
follow
God. (Bobby Rich, Online Prophet)
Last Prophet
Online From the way the story is unfolding the Prophet may
well be among us
Prophet today and may soon be manifested. Why does God choose
one or another
for a particular job? We are informed in the Scrolls: You
(God) will
establish whomsoever You choose"… (1QH).
As Jesus was about to be betrayed by Judas Iscariot the
Lord gave him a
sop of bread and quoted Ps 41:9b-"the one eating my bread has
lifted his
heel against me". This is a very familiar verse to all
Christians the world
over. Those who carefully studied Psalms 41 however soon
realized this
Psalm was not speaking of Jesus at all. By part of this verse
and His own
authority Jesus predicted His betrayal, though even the first
"trusted" part
could not have applied to Him. We find another instance on one
of these
Psalms being applied to Jesus in Hebrews 10 beginning in verse
5 (quoting
Ps 40:6-8): "sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a
body you
prepared for me-Then I said ‘here I am-it is written about me
in the scroll-I
have come to do your will O God-’ (NIV). The portion which
reads "a
body you have prepared for me" is derived from the Septuagint
and this
is the text used in Hebrews. However in most Biblical Psalms
the
Masoretic (Hebrew) is used and it reads, "my ears you have
pierced
(opened)", which is quoted in the scrolls pertaining to the
final Prophet.
The verse certainly seems to be speaking of the Prophet and
the Scrolls
while the slightly different version applied only to Christ.
The personal
betrayal of the Last Prophet might be connected to the
estrangement of
friends and loved ones if the betrayal involves a marital
dispute. Friends
and relatives become very uncomfortable around those involved
in serious
domestic disputes or divorce. "Eaten my bread" seems to
connote those
who have lived in his household rather than someone who shared
a picnic
lunch. There is also a
time when the Prophet will be on trial but God
will not allow the prophet to be convicted. There
is no evidence this
betrayal is to the death as it was for Christ. One or several
of these
identifying clues might well be applied to a wide number of
people but as
each is added on the odds diminish. With these
Dead Sea Scrolls
painting
a veritable "portrait" of the final Prophet
it will be pretty
difficult for a
phony "Elijah" prophet to impersonate the real one
even if the Creator
would allow it.(Online Prophet, Bobby Rich)
One portion of this portrait of the Final Prophet is taken
directly from the Psalms, which were inspired directly by
Melchizedek 4000 years ago, at which time he already knew the
future history of "Israel." Another portion is taken from the
Thanksgiving Hymns written by the Teacher of Righteousness of
the Dead Sea Scrolls. A large amount of Old Testament
prophecy is
concerned with the messianic, end of the age scenario, at a
time today, when prophecy is nearly forgotten and largely
ignored. Ironically, this ignorance occurs at the very time of
its relevance.
The physical traits and the education of the Final Prophet
are described in the Dead Sea Scrolls and are discussed
earlier in this book, in the chapter on Isaiah, near Isaiah
42. One of the major roles of the Dead Sea Scrolls is to
convey this hidden information about the Final Prophet over
thousands of years of time, until today when the day of its
usefulness and relevance comes due.
I would now like to offer my own composite sketch of God’s
servant, the Final Prophet that is based on a complete
analysis of the information contained in the Biblical Psalms,
the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Prophets. Information from
the Thanksgiving Psalms is not included here
because it has been
covered above and because it is not clear to me whether the
Teacher of Righteousness intended his Thanksgiving Hymns as a
prophesy of the final prophet to come or was speaking about
himself, or both. Separating out this information we have:
God’s Servant, Final Prophet
Names
. Elijah to come (Mal 3:23)
. another and Greater John the Baptist (UB)
. interpreter of the Law (DSC)
. the Priest (DSC)
. interpreter of Knowledge (DSC)
. God’s servant (Isaiah)
. dabela (mountain goat, large horn) 1Enoch
Characteristics, physical
. lentil shaped marks on body (DSC 4Q534 & Merkabah)
. marred appearance (possibly due to the lentil shaped marks
above) (Isaiah 52)
. thick thighs (3Enoch, Merkabah texts)
. tiny marks on thighs, different from one another (DSC 4Q534)
. Red hair (DSC 4Q534)
Education
. the 3 books, before which he knows nothing (DSC 4Q534)
. God makes known all the mysteries and revelations of His
servants the prophets to him
(DSC 4Q171)
. foretells, through the interpretations of the Prophets, all
that will happen to His people and His land.(DSC)
. God teaches him knowledge and to understand His message
(Isaiah 28:9) . Spirit of God alights upon him bringing
wisdom, insight, valor, devotion, reverence.
. knows the secrets of men (understands their inner workings)
(DSC 4Q534)
. knows the secrets of living things (Biologist?, Health
Science?) (DSC 4Q534)
. reveals secrets like Most High (DSC 4Q536)
. senses truth by reverence for the Lord (Isaiah 11)
. God’s servant blind, deaf, gives no heed (Isaiah 42)
. taught from his youth by God (Psalm 71)
. mouth like a sharpened blade (Isaiah 49).
. Lord gives a skilled tongue (Isaiah 50:4)
. God rouses His servant’s ear morning by morning (Isaiah
50:4)
. opens his ears (Isaiah 50:4)
. speaks to people in a stammering jargon (?real stammer) and
alien tongue (strange,unconventional ideas ?) (Isaiah 28:11)
Tasks
. to make people take thought and believe in God (Isaiah
43:10)
. to magnify and glory God’s Teaching (Isaiah 49:18)
. announces happiness, good fortune, victory (Isaiah 52)
. tells Zion "Your divine being reigns." (announces
Melchizedek) (Isaiah 52)
. strikes down a land with the rod of his mouth (probably the
coastlands,-- America?) (Isaiah 11)
. stretches forth his hand to smite Ephraim (America?) (DSC
4Q171)
. announces good fortune to Judah (their Messiah/Melchizedek
is come) (Nahum 2:1)
. reconciles fathers and sons (Micah 3:23)
. to form God a company (congregation, those who elect God"s
will) (Psalms 37:23)
. interprets the words of God’s Prophets (1QHab. DSC)
. foretell what will happen to God’s people through
interpretation of Prophets (1QHab DSC)
. to make them understand all the ages of time (DSC 4Q534)
. brings back Jacob (reunifies Lost Israel and Judah/Jews)
(Isaiah 49)
. be a light to nations (Isaiah 49)
. teaches coastlands (USA ?) (Isaiah 42)
. establishes true way (the Kingdom of heaven within) (Isaiah
42)
. his wisdom comes to all peoples (4Q541 DSC)
Health
. Eyes fail at some point in his ministry (Psalms 119)
. Eyes grow dim (Psalms 88)
. man of suffering, familiar with disease (Isaiah 53)
. smitten, lies awake at night (Psalms 102)
. afflicted before learns God’s statutes (Psalms 119)
. evil disease poured out on him (Psalms 41)
. lies in a bed of languishing (Psalms 41)
. bed fast, illness (Psalms 41)
. changed and transformed by God in his illness (Psalms 41)
. bent and bowed down(?posture), mourning all day (?severe
depression) (Psalms 38)
Personal Characteristics
. does not cry out or shout (Isaiah 42)
. shall not break bruised reed or snuff out a dim wick –
(lifts up any that have even only a flicker of faith left)
(Isaiah 42)
. hid away by God in His hand (comes from out of nowhere)
(Isaiah 49)
. he falls, but is lifted back up by God (Psalms 37)
. stumbles (Psalms 35)
. knows God’s love, mercy and kindness personally.
. Knows God will deliver him, trusts (Psalms 91, Amplified
Bible)
. Love’s God’s words (Psalms 119)
. Calls on God in distress and is answered (Psalms 138)
. consumed by zeal for God (Psalms 119)
. very persistent and determined – ‘face set like
flint’(Isaiah 50)
. no charm, despised and shunned by men (Isaiah 53)
. Says repeatedly in Psalms ‘God is my rock' (servant’s
self-understanding, multiple
Psalms:18, 40, 41, 62, 71, 92, 144)
. in God’s presence at night (Psalms 88)
. God saves him ‘from a pit and sets his feet upon rock’
(Psalms 37)
. delights to do God’s will (Psalms 40)
. muzzles his mouth and guards his ways in the presence of the
wicked so that he will not ‘sin with his mouth’ against the
wicked (detests sin, iniquity) (Psalms 39)
. God records ‘his wanderings, put his tears in His bottle’ in
His book (his life is laid out before him in scripture, where
he reads about himself and his troubles) (Psalms 56)
. all the days of his life written in His book (the Bible)
before he is born (Psalms 138)
. ‘stammering jargon’ (? stammers) (Isaiah 28)
. ‘alien tongue’ ( strange, unheard of ideas, verbiage
unfamiliar ) (Isaiah 28)
. is a prophet from the midst of his brethren like Moses (Deut
18:15)
. A sure clue to be given to his identity (?) (Deut 18:15,
footnote Amplified Bible)
. teaches logically ‘precept upon precept, line upon line,
here a little and there a little’ (Isaiah 28)
. justice the girdle of his loins (Isaiah 11)
. faithfulness the girdle of his waist (Isaiah 11)
. chosen before birth (Isaiah 49)
. feels at one point that ‘he has labored in vain’ (Isaiah 49)
. ‘would have dwelt in the land where there will be silence’
(? exiled from America) (Psalms 92)--
. except for God’s help to bring him to ‘a dry and weary land
where no water is.’ (desert exile described) (Psalms 63)
. hated by many without a cause (those who hate God hate him)
(Psalms 69)
. becomes a ‘stranger to his brethren’ and alien to his
siblings (strange ideas, caught up in zeal for his tasks)
(Psalms 69)
. jeered at, humiliated (Psalms 71)
. at times acts foolishly and blunders (Psalms 69)
. loved ones, friends, stand afar off, aloof (can not
understand him) (Psalms 38)
. challenges authority – ‘who dare contend with or be my
opponent’ (Isaiah 52)
. Kings (rulers) silenced because of him (reveals to them
their negative standing and destiny according to prophecy)
(Isaiah 52)
. grows (spiritually) like a tree-crown by God’s favor.
(Isaiah 53)
. speaks to God’s people about deep things and future events
(DSC 4Q268 fg. l)
. God will hold accountable all those who will not hear his
words DSC 4lQ175)
. ? goes to prison (Psalms 142)
. is a speedy scribe (writes quickly ?), who must read and
interpret prophecy while ‘on the run’ (Habakkuk)
We now have quite a bit of information and should be able
to recognize the final prophet with a fair degree of certainty
based on these characteristics. Though again, we probably
should not expect a 100% match up.
Much of what the servant goes through also applies to those
who elect God’s will because they too will be called ‘to walk
not in the way of the people’ (DSC) and to leave behind
family, friends, lovers, and material possessions. The
Thanksgiving Psalms are an expression of the suffering, as
well as the joy, for those who would choose this path. Emily
Dickinson refers to this way as the ‘interdicted way’ because
it is a path reviled and ridiculed in man’s world,
although sacred and exalted in God’s.
When we are called to follow
God’s way we are also called to leave behind man’s. We must
count the cost, weigh the balance, and make the choice.
How we choose and
why
we choose determine what we
will become.
For now, we leave our study of the final prophet for a
further exploration of the Scrolls and their relevance to the
subject of:
Those who elect God’s will
There are many references in the Dead Sea Scrolls to a
community living in the "latter day" messianic period who are
said to "elect" God’s will. Let’s see what information we can
extract from the Teacher’s inspired interpretations about the
elect from the Dead
Sea Scrolls. Again we quote from
Dead Sea Scrolls,
by Geza Vermes.
4Q174
"Why do the nations rage and the peoples meditate vanity?
Why
do the Kings of the earth rise up, and the princes take
counsel together
against the Lord and His Messiah" (Ps 2:1)
(Interpreted) This shall be the time of trial to come
concerning the house of
.Judah so as to
perfect…(missing text) They shall practice the whole
law…Moses. This is the time which it is written in the book of
Daniel
the Prophet. (TR)
"But the wicked shall do wickedly and
shall not understand,
but
the righteous shall purify themselves and make themselves
white."
(Dan 12:10)
(Interpreted)
The people who know God shall be strong. They are the
masters who understand. (TR)
Clearly, the Teacher conceives of a strong and
knowledgeable group in the messianic period, just as he
understands his own Qumran community as the elect congregation
of his own time.
They are the faithful, the persecuted, and the exiled group
who understand events and who demonstrate the living of God’s
will in action.
4Q215 "…and the stressful constraint and the ordeal of the
pit and they
Fragment 2 shall be
refined by them to become the elect of righteousness…
because of His loving-kindness. For the age of wickedness is
complete and all injustice has passed away. For the time of
righteousness has come and the earth is full with the
knowledge
and praise of God. (Teacher of Righteousness)
He (God) shall raise up the throne of the Kingdom, and
intelligence is
greatly exalted...(probably interpreted by the Teacher of
Righteousness)
The "pit" here represents the snares and assaults of the
workers of iniquity, identified as the leaders of Ephraim
(America) in the "latter days." Again, we see the refining
theme, and for the first time we are told that "intelligence"
will be exalted. The wise men of today’s world will be seen in
retrospect as fools, and the ridiculed ones who know and
understand God’s plan will be seen as the "wise." The upside
down world turned right side up! Continuing on with the
elect, it should be noted that the Teacher of Righteousness
was
well-aware of the danger of self-pride inherent in the concept
of an "elect" group. He countered this by emphasizing their
frailty and total dependence on God. It is God who is elected
by these people:
1QH Clay and dust that I am.
what can I devise unless Thou wish it,
and what contrive unless Thou desire it?
What strength shall I have
unless Thou keep me upright
and how shall I understand
unless by the spirit which Thou hast shaped for me?
I lean on Thy grace
and the multitude of Thy mercies…
For the source of His righteousness
is my justification…
Thou hast upheld me with certain truth…
(Teacher of Righteousness)
As stated before, but emphasized again,
God chooses us all but
only some of us choose Him:
1QS For without Thee no way is perfect and without Thy Will
nothing is done.
Community (Teacher of Righteousness) Rule
This is essentially the religion
of
Jesus himself, one hundred
years before his birth. Jesus stated this truth in a slightly
different way using
seven words in complete perfection: Thy Kingdom
come, thy Will be done. (Lord's Prayer)
Further on the
elect:
4Q381 Fr. 46 Man will not be strong and will not rise
Apocryphal …and Thou has tested all.
Psalms And the elect, like offerings, Thou wilt
purify before Thee…
Fr. 76-77 He has chosen you (the elect) instead of powerful
peoples
and great nations to be his people to rule over all…
…heaven and earth.
and as the highest above all the nations of the earth.
Again, the theme of the purification of the elect is seen
in the first stanza, and in the second stanza, the elect
are chosen for dominion over the earth in preference to the
"great and
powerful." Turning
from the elect, we will now explore other prophecies about the
"latter days" contained in
Commentaries on Nahum,
4Q166-167, Dead Sea
Scrolls.
Nahum, Commentaries, Dead Sea Scrolls
4Q166 "Woe to the
city of blood; it is full of lies and rapine" (Nahum 3:1)
Teacher of Interpreted, this is the
city of Ephraim,
those who seek smooth
Righteousness things during the last days, who walk in lies
and falsehood.
I’m afraid Ephraim is America. America is the modern
counterpart of Northern Israel of 700-800 BC. Both chase after
the false gods of wealth, power and sex. America is a
country populated by the offspring of the Lost Ten Tribes of
yesterday. History ends where it began, so many years ago; and
again it is the most favored, the most blessed, Ephraim who
goes astray. "America, O beautiful, God shed His grace on
Thee!" We have gone
from "In God we trust" to the "God almighty dollar" in just
two hundred years!
The "city of Ephraim" that is full of lies and deceit may
be Washington, D.C. which is also known as the "den of
iniquity." Such places of concentrated evil end in the seeds
of their own destruction. Perhaps those nuclear secrets, we
have been so diligent to give to our enemies will be our
undoing. And just as in ancient days, "the people," the
majority, follow along dancing a merry tune – oblivious and
exultant. Even more frighteningly, we next have:
4Q166-7 "The prowler is not wanting, noise of whip and
noise of rattling
wheel, prancing horse and jolting chariot, charging horseman,
flame
and glittering spear, a multitude of the slain and a heap of
carcasses. There is
end to the corpses; they stumble upon their corpses."(Nahum
3:1-3)
Teacher of Interpreted, this concerns the dominion of those
who seek smooth
Righteousness things from the midst of whose assembly the
"sword of the nations
shall never be wanting." Captivity, looting, and burning shall
be
among them, and exile
out of dread for the enemy…there shall be no
end to their slain.
Again, this is Ephraim suffering the harvest of the seeds
that are being sown now.
The Chinese are being given
control of the Panama Canal. Their weapons have a limited
range, but with the Panama Canal, they’ll have good access to
our cities. We have led the Chinese to our highest weapons
technology. We open the door, show them inside and tell them
where to look and what to look for. All of a sudden, China is
a significant nuclear force which is growing rapidly. Where is
their American made nuclear technology aimed at? Thirteen
American cities at last count. Quite a mystery how these
things happen, don’t you agree? Also notice that
"exile" is in the stars for some of God's people from our
country – just like the Babylonian days. This "exile" during
war may be the trigger for the elect to go into hiding with
the help of divine guidance, which will operate to protect
these people and any others, who will listen.
Prophecy says that many
Americans will not heed their warning, just as the people
didn’t heed in the time of the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and
the Romans. History replayed, for the last dance of man’s
dull-witted sovereignty.
4Q166-7 I will
cast filth upon you and treat you with contempt and render
you despicable, so that all who look upon you shall flee from
you. (Nahum 3:6)
Teacher of Interpreted, this concerns
those who seek smooth
things,
whose evil
Righteousness deeds
shall be uncovered to all Israel at the end of time…When
the glory of Judah shall arise, the simple of Ephraim shall
form
their assembly…and shall join Israel.
Many deep, dark secrets are hidden in our country’s
basement, which will come out in the open for all to see. The
simple of Ephraim are probably Christians who are deceived by
the leaders,but upon realization of this deceit they join
Israel (the elect remnant) and Judah, the Jewish remnant which
is in the process of reuniting now.
4LQ166 Interpreted, this concerns Manasseh in the final
age, whose Kingdom shall be
brought low by (Israel?)…(Teacher of Righteousness commenting
on Nahum
3:10) (Manasseh is probably Great Britain – the second most
blessed tribe of
Israel, my comment)
4LQ166 "You shall be drunk and shall be stupefied" (Nahum
3:11)
Interpreted, this concerns the wicked of Ephraim, whose cup
shall come after Manasseh. (TR)
Our fearless leaders of deceit will go down after
Great Britain’s kingdom is brought low. (My comment)
4LQ166 Because of the many harlotries of the well- favored
harlot, the mistress of
seduction, she who
sells nations through her harlotries and families
through her
seductions. (Nahum 3:4)
Interpreted, this concerns those who lead Ephraim astray,
who
lead many astray through their false teaching, their lying
tongue,
and deceitful lips – kings, princes, priest, and people,
together with the stranger
who joins them. Cities
and families will perish through their council…
There’s that "city" word again. There is a lot of prophecy
about whole cities being
destroyed.
Population centers are not going to be a very safe place to
be. I believe Nahum is referring to Ninevah of ancient times
in 3:4. The Teacher surely knows about ancient Ninevah but
chooses to interpret this verse as applying to the future (to
him) messianic period. If so, America’s power elite (the
wicked of Ephraim) are those referred to who "sell nations,"
"lead many astray," and who lead Ephraim (America) astray.
Next we move to the Habakkuk Commentary,
Dead Sea Scrolls
1QpHab.
1QpHab "How long, O Lord, shall I cry for help and Thou not
hear?" (Hab 1:1-2)
Interpreted, this concerns the beginning of the
final generation.
(Teacher of Righteousness)
This final generation is the final generation of this the
Adamic Age, the end of the age of man’s sovereignty, our age,
the messianic age. God’s answer to Habakkuk follows:
1QpHab Behold the nations and see, marvel and be
astonished; for I
accomplish a deed in your days, but you will not believe it
when told.
(Hab l:5)
Interpreted, this concerns those who were unfaithful
together with
the Liar, in that they did not listen to the word received by
the (future)
Teacher of Righteousness (Final Prophet) from the mouth of
God. And it
concerns the
unfaithful of the New Covenant (Christians) in that
they have
not believed in the Covenant with God and have profaned His
Holy Name.
And likewise, this
saying is to be interpreted as concerning those who
will be unfaithful at
the end of days. They, the men of violence and
the breakers of the Covenant, will not believe when they hear
all
that is to happen to the final generation from the Priest (the
messianic prophet) in whose heart God set understanding that
he
might interpret all the words of His servants the Prophets,
through
whom (the Prophets), he (the final prophet) foretold all that
would
happen to His people and
His land (?America) (My parentheses)
This is an extremely important passage written by the
Teacher of Righteousness. Through his inspired revelation of
truth from God, probably through collaboration with
Melchizedek, he tells us that his interpretations concern
both his
present time, as well as "the end of the days." Character
types and event patterns repeat themselves, each end of the
age time period
has a little different outward appearance, but has the same
inner conflicts of the human condition being played out.
Also, in this same
passage we are explicitly told that the messianic prophet (the
Priest) will in part operate by interpreting "all the words of
God’s servants the Prophets" through whom God foretells "all
that would happen to His people and His land" in the last
days. This prophet strikes down Ephraim with the rod of his
mouth, where Ephraim has been previously identified in these
writings as America.This fits with the prophet, God's servant,
addressing the ‘coastlands’ in the servant passage of Isaiah
42:1. The information contained in the Old Testament prophetic
scripture is under lock and key, sealed until the key is
provided by God to the messianic prophet who is therefore
called "the interpreter of the law" the law here being the
Prophets of Old. This key is an "understanding" set by God in
the "heart" of the Priest, the final prophet. This
understanding unfolds naturally from within, as the Priest
progresses in his personal spiritual journey; there are no
visions, no dreams, no trances, no channeling – just faith,
effort, obedience, and the desire to do God's will. Also, note
carefully that the Teacher of Righteousness of the Dead Sea
Scrolls identifies "those that will not believe when told,"
about the events prophesied to occur in the latter days as
"the unfaithful of the New Covenant." Those of the New
Covenant are Christians of today. This buttresses our previous
identification of Lost Israel as Christendom and Ephraim as
America. Continuing with the Habakkuk commentary, the TR
continues to interpret scripture:
1QpHab For behold, I rouse the Chaldeans (Babylonians),
that bitter and hasty nation. (Hab 1:6)
Interpreted, this concerns the Kittim who are quick and
valiant in
war, causing many to perish. All the World shall fall under
the dominion of the
Kittim, and the wicked…(missing text) they shall not believe
in the laws of God. (TR)
The Kittim are any of a number of those who come against
"God’s people." At the time of Habakkuk the Kittim were the
Babylonians, at the time of the Teacher, the Kittim would have
been Rome. Note again
that prophecies can be applied to more than one time period.
Today, the Kittim may be China or Russia, or both. Here are
some more clues about the Kittim of today:
1QpHab …the Kittim inspire all the nations with fear and
dread. Their evil plotting is done
with intention and they deal with all the nations in cunning
and guile. (Teacher of
Righteousness)
"Their horses are swifter than leopards and fleeter than
evening wolves. Their
horses step forward proudly and spread their wings;
they fly from
afar like an
eagle avid to devour. All of them come for violence; the look
on their faces is like
the east wind."
(Hab 1:8-9)
Interpreted, this concerns the Kittim who trample the earth
with their horses and
beasts. They come
from afar, from the
islands of the
sea, to devour all the
peoples like an eagle which can not be satisfied, and they
address all the peoples
with anger and wrath and fury and indignation. For it is as
He said, the
look on
their faces is like the east
wind.
(TR)
Like Enoch, we find here a clear reference to air flight,
in the context of war, just as described in Enoch earlier in
this book. The Teacher of Righteousness emphasizes the bold
type phrases just above (that are otherwise my emphasis).
Superficially, this prophecy seems to refer only to the
Babylonians, but with deeper insight and analysis the Teacher
of Righteousness also interprets this to refer to the "last
days," as clearly indicated by the reference to air flight.
The reference to "eagles" points to the United States, but the
"east wind" reference points to China. Perhaps another clue:
1QpHab Interpreted, they (Kittim) encircle them with a
mighty host, and out of
fear and terror they deliver themselves into their hands. They
(Kittim)
destroy (their captives) because of the sins of their
inhabitants.
(Teacher of Righteousness) (Hab 1:10)
A "mighty host" sounds like a
large number
of soldiers. These
Kittim are callous and heartless as well.
1QpHab Interpreted, (Hab 1:11) this concerns the commanders
of the Kittim
who, on the council of the House of Guilt, pass one in front
of another,
their commanders come to lay waste the earth. (Teacher of
Righteousness)
Interpreted, (Hab 1:12) this saying means that God will not
destroy
His people by the hand of the nations;
God will execute the
judgment
of the nations by the hand of His elect. And
through their chastisement
all the wicked of His people shall expiate their guilt who
keep His commandments
in their distress. For it is said (of the elect),
too pure
of eyes to behold evil:
Interpreted, this means that they (the elect) have not
lusted after their eyes during
the age of wickedness. (Teacher of Righteousness)
I’m not sure who the "House of Guilt" is. In times past, it
was thought (I think erroneously) that the Kittim, the enemies
of God’s people, were brought by God against His people to
punish them. In fact, it was and is
our own actions,
which bring on such calamities. God does not punish, he
desires only that we walk in the truth and beauty of His Way.
He desires joy for His children, but our lack of obedience in
many cases has taken us off His Path. Why do we blame God for
our own failings? I observe that very often in life we turn
against those who have tried the hardest to help us. It is
painful to look at our own failings, but only because we
expect and pretend that we are and should be perfect.
Liberty is the knowledge that we are expected to
be and have been created imperfect. Mistakes are expected and
actually are necessary for learning. Learning is our real
reason for being.
Learning, growing and changing into an ever more beautiful
expression of God’s (and our own) truth, beauty and goodness.
The Teacher of Righteousness again explains that rather than
God bringing the Kittim against its people, He (God) will
turn the tables on the power elite and instead "execute the
judgment of the nations by the hand of His elect."
The elect we are told have eyes
"too pure to behold evil." Truly, such as these are worthy
children of the Father.
The teacher of
Righteousness continues with commentary on Habakkuk 2:12-13:
1QpHab the spouter of lies led many astray...he raises a
congregation built on deceit…who
vilified and outraged the elect of God. (Teacher of
Righteousness)
The Spouter of Lies, the Liar, and probably the Wicked
Priest all seem to represent the same sort of person. He is a
type, and since we are at the end of the completion of The
Age, this "Liar" type and all other types of this period will
be represented by the zenith and full completion of their
historical precursor types of the past. The Liar will be more
deceitful, the Kittim more merciless and the remnants more
worthy than ever before. But finally, the age initiated by the
failure of Adam will conclude, bringing its harvest of
both good
and evil to judgment, thus making ready the field for plowing
and reseeding when "the waters that cover the sea and the
earth will be filled with the knowledge and glory of the
Lord." (Hab. 2:14) Let’s now turn to the Teacher’s commentary
on Isaiah, 4Q161-5.
4Q161-5 "For ten acres of vineyard shall produce only one
bath, and an omer
of seed shall yield but one ephah." (Is 5:10)
Teacher of
Interpreted, this saying concerns the last days, the
devastation Righteousness
of the land by sword and famine.
My people go into exile for want of knowledge, and their
noblemen
die of hunger and their multitude is parched with thirst…the
nobility of
Jerusalem and her multitude go down, her tumult and he who
rejoices
in her. (Is 5:11-14) (Teacher of Righteousness)
Jerusalem and much of modern Israel are primarily
secular in their outlook at this point in time. They have
drifted away from God for "want of knowledge" and the truth of
God. The majority of these people of modern Israel will suffer
drought, famine, and military disaster as a result. Only a
small faithful remnant of Judah which is comprised of some who
stay in Jerusalem during war and some who are gathered from
exile when Melchizedek arrives in Bozrah (located in Southern
Jordan). In addition to the two components of the Judah
(Jewish) remnant, there will be added the Israel remnant of
faithful Christians, among whom will be the elect, who:
4Q160 Shall take refuge in Thy house…Amid the rage of the
enemies of Thy
Fr 3-5 people…and all
the peoples of Thy lands shall know that Thou hast
Samuel created them
(the elect)…and the multitudes shall understand
that this
Apocryphon is Thy people…Thy holy ones whom Thou hast
sanctified. (Teacher of
Righteousness)
All who would come, can come.
‘Who ever does my
will, let him eat and be satisfied,’
says the Lord (Genesis). Doing
God’s will, many times requires self-sacrifice of our goals,
our desires, our pride, our anger, our grudges, our
self-image, our possessions, our money, our time, and our
plans. On the surface this looks like a "raw deal." What
"idiot" would even consider it? And so, most of us wait until
we are flat on our backs, down for the count, trapped,
desperate, hopeless, and in despair before we open our eyes
and see above us, for the first time, the stars of heaven, and
hear that silent voice of God, ‘follow this way, follow this
way.’ When you are flat on your back, there’s no other choice,
the "deal" looks pretty good now. The bottom of a pit is
the humble
starting place of true wisdom.
The above scrolls were quoted from Geza Vermes,
Dead Sea Scrolls,
published in 1997 for the first time in the United States. As
there is ongoing progress in the decipherment and discovery of
the scrolls, we will now examine a
New Translation,
The Dead Sea Scrolls;
Michael Wise, Abegg & Cook, published 1999. The first excerpt
chosen is from the
Vision of Daniel, 4Q243- 245.
DSC …in that time
those who are called
by name shall be
gathered…
4Q244 from among the
Gentiles…( Teacher of Righteousness italic comment)
A gathering of some kind is foretold – perhaps the formation
of a
sect? (comment, Michael Wise, author)
This passage clearly refers to the elect who are explicitly
stated to be gathered from among the Gentiles.
Why Gentiles is capitalized I don’t know, but I do know that
these
Gentiles are Christians at the end of the age, the Long Lost
Israel of ancient days. Further:
4Q 246 …
until the people of God arise, then all will have rest from
warfare…the great God will be
their help…( Teacher of Righteousness)
According to Enoch, the end of the age scenario is
explicitly for the spiritual progress of the elect, in order
to give them the opportunity for full growth and expression of
their maturing faith and wisdom. Only then does it make sense
that when "the people of God arise; then all will have rest
from warfare." Once the main purpose is achieved (the arising
of the people of God) the destructive events are brought to an
end through the very efforts of this same people, in
partnership with God and Melchizedek.
4Q177 but the angel of God’s truth will help all the
Children of Light from the
power of Belial…and to
scatter them in a dry and desolate land. This
is a time of tribulation that…(missing text) but the righteous
are always
beloved, and the great power of God is with them, helping them
against
the spirits of darkness… but all the Children of Light will be
gathered in… (author of
this commentary is probably the Teacher of Righteousness)
"How long shall my enemy exult over me?" (Ps 13:1)
4Q177 This refers to the inner endurance of the men
of…(missing text) in
Fragments the Last Days, for…to test them and purify
them…(probably Teacher
of Righteousness)
The elect are secluded in a desert at some point during the
time of tribulatio n.
God is actively protecting those who follow His will, possibly
through the agency of Melchizedek. The people of God are being
tested, tried and refined.
Let’s collect a few more comments on the final prophet,
from the Teacher of Righteousness.
Final Prophet
4Q174 This passage (2 Sam 7:11-14) refers to the Shoot of
David, who is to
Col.3 arise with the Interpreter of the Law who will arise in
Zion (all those
who serve God) in the Last Days…(Teacher of Righteousness)
The Teacher of Righteousness predicts at least two messiahs
or anointed ones at the end of the age. One is the final
prophet and the other is the Branch of David who will deliver
Israel. I believe that the Branch of David is a misconceived
notion of the Messiah, who is instead the divine being
Melchizedek. These false ideas about David are so ingrained in
the Jewish tradition that even the bright light of revelation
fails to wash them away from scripture.
4Q175 "I will raise up for them a prophet like you (Moses)
from among
their own people; I will put My words in his mouth and he
shall speak
to them everything that I command.
Anyone who does not
hear the
words that the prophet shall speak in My name, I Myself (God)
will
hold accountable." Deut 18:18-19.
By including this passage from Deuteronomy among other
discussion about the final prophet, the Teacher reveals to us
that this statement made by the Lord to Moses was in reference
to this same final prophet. In similar fashion he includes a
quote from Numbers 24:15-17.
"The oracle of Balaam Son of Beor (prophesies) that the
oracle of the
man (the prophet) who sees clearly, the oracle of one who
hears the
word of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who
sees
the vision of the almighty, who falls down, but with his eyes
uncovered:
I see him but not now, I behold him but not near – a star
shall come
out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel."
The star
would seem to be the final prophet and the scepter the
Messiah; Melchizedek, "King of Righteousness." Next consider:
4Q534 "Speaks of a particular person as the ‘chosen one’ –
chosen it is clear,
to be a Revealer of God’s secrets to others…There is a
prophecy given
of a mighty priest who will arise and ‘reveal hidden
mysteries’ and
whose teaching is ‘like the Will of God’ – much like the
‘chosen one’
of this text" (4Q534, 435 & 536) (comment by author Michael
Wise,Dead Sea Scrolls)
The commentary above, by the authors of the
Dead Sea Scrolls;
Michael Wise, et al., introduces several paragraphs in the
Dead Sea Scrolls
detailing physical traits, education, and other
descriptions regarding this final prophet. These verses are
discussed and presented in the chapter on Isaiah, near Isaiah
42.
Now let’s look at a fascinating scroll, 4Q246,
A Vision of
the Son of God.
Quoting from Michael Wise,
Dead Sea Scrolls
we have:
4Q246 This small text "speaks of a powerful figure who
shall appear in a time
of tribulation and be called, ‘the Son of God’ and the ‘Son of
the Most
High’ and whom all
nations shall obey…The
tyrant’s son
will succeed
him and will begin to accrue to himself the honor due only to
God. Yet
the reign of Father and Son will be brief." (Teacher of
Righteousness)
4Q246 Also his son will be called The Great and be
designated by his name.
He will be called the Son of God…But
like meteors that you saw in
your vision so will be their kingdom. They will
reign only a few
short
years over the land, while people tramples people
and nation tramples nation.
This trampling is reminiscent of "nation will rise
against nation" from the Gospels of the New Testament. Also,
we are explicitly told that the Teacher of Righteousness had a
vision of the last days. This vision is the source of his
insight into scripture interpretation. The "Antichrist" is
called the Great, Son of God, and Son of the Most High. "All
nations shall obey him" indicates great, although brief power.
Deliverance from distress finally comes when the people of
God
arise, bringing peace and
prosperity. God is working through them
and in them and His rule shall finally prevail. (Author’s
comment, Michael Wise)
4Q246 until
the people of God arise; then all will have rest from warfare.
DSC Their kingdom will be an eternal kingdom, and all their
paths will
be righteous. They will judge the land justly, and all nations
will
make peace. Warfare will cease from the land, and all the
nations
shall do obeisance to them.
The great God will be
their help, He
Himself will fight for them, putting peoples into their power,
overthrowing them all before them. God’s rule will be an
eternal rule and all the depths of [the earth are His].
This gives a few more details on the reign of the
"Antichrist" figure. He will call himself the "Son of God," he
will reign but a "few" years, all the nations will obey him,
he will be part of a father and son team, and will be beaten
by God’s help through the elect. (Teacher of Righteousness)
Another possibility is that this father and son team
is a reference to Antiochus the Great and son Antiochus
Epiphanes IV and has nothing to do with the ‘latter days’ of
today. Uncertainty is part of every venture for truth.
Having completed our study of the Dead Sea Scrolls,
let’s continue on the theme of the Antichrist using the
information from Daniel and Revelation.
Fourth Beast
Let’s first consider the
fourth beast,
the final
political and military dominion of our age.
We can list the facts rendered from the various sources as
indicated.
1. Fourth
Beast – Ten Horns
(rulers) Dan 7
2. Terrible &
dreadful, devour whole earth Dan 7
3. Great iron
teeth Dan 7
4. Different
from other three prior dominions Dan 7
5. Devours,
stamps and tears in pieces Dan 7
6. Killed,
thrown in flames Dan 7
7. Iron/clay
feet with 10 toes Dan 2
8. Strong
(iron) & weak (clay), will not hold together Dan 2
9. Claws of bronze Dan 7
10. Ten kings/rulers Dan 7
11. Great red dragon
Rev. 12 & 13 7 heads, 10 horns, 7 crowns
12. Makes war on God’s remnant Rev. 12 & 13
13. Looks like leopard Rev. 12 & 13 feet like bear mouth like
lion
14. Authority from dragon (devil) Rev. 12 & 13
15. One head wounded and heals Rev. 12 & 13
16. Worship given to beast & dragon Rev. 12 & 13
My only comment here is that clay may indicate
democracy and iron may indicate authoritarian power
distribution. Democracy (clay) causes the foundation (feet) of
this mixed power distribution to fail. People in democracies
will not go ‘easily into the night’ without struggle and
resistance. Lastly, the Fourth Kingdom is crushed by a stone,
which breaks loose by itself from a cliff and shatters the
final kingdom of man’s sovereignty as revealed in Daniel 2,
the "smiting of the Great Image." This means that divine
intervention is needed to overcome the Fourth Kingdom and the
Antichrist. From then on blessings are poured down on the
earth and mankind under the new sovereignty of the
Messiah/Melchizedek. (As I watched on T.V. -- bombing, after
bombing, after bombing of the same sites in Kosovo, over, and
over, again. I could not help but think of "trampling,
crushing, and tearing into pieces" as we all stood by and
watched.) Now let’s list the characteristics of the
"Antichrist" figure sketched out in Daniel and Revelation.
Antichrist
1. Little horn – pushes over three Dan 7 out of ten rulers
from the inside.
2. Fearful destructiveness Dan 8
3. Power not his own Dan 8
4. Shall succeed Dan 8
5. Cunning Dan 8
6. Deceit prospers Dan 8
7. Magnifies himself Dan 8
8. Rises up against prince of princes Dan 8
9. Broken by no human hand Dan 8
10. Seems greater than his fellows Dan7
11. Speaks great things Dan 7
12. Wars with saints Dan 7
13. Wears out and prevails over saints Dan 7
14. Speaks words against Most High Dan 7
15. Changes times & laws (or the law) Dan 7
16. Time, times, half duration Dan 7 they are given into his
hand
17. Has eyes of a man Dan 7
18. Mouth speaks great things Rev 13
Now lets make a list for "Babylon," already referred
to in the Dead Sea Scrolls as the "harlot" who sells families
and nations:
Babylon
1. Famous Rev 17
2. Prostitutes itself Rev 17
3. Great city Rev 17
4. Near many waters Rev 17
5. A woman on the Beast. Mother of Rev 17 Obscenity and
Abominations
6. Rules over Kings of East Rev 17
7. Beast hates Babylon/prostitute Rev 17
8. Beast destroys with fire Rev 17
9. All nations drunk with the wine Rev 17 of her lust
10. World grows rich from her lust Rev 17
11. People called to ‘come out from Her!’ Rev 17
12. Struck down in one day Rev 17
13. Kings cry over Rev 17
14. Business men mourn her, Rev 17 her many goods gone
15. Misdeeds against God’s people Rev 17
Babylon is a rich, commercial center of the world.
Businessmen love her for her markets and profit opportunities.
She is famous and powerful and rules over (is stronger than)
other countries (Kings of the East). She will sell anything
(harlot) (Including people and weapons) to anyone in the world
as long as there is profit in it. She is hated for her power,
pride and wealth by the developing world order (see #7 above),
on the back of which she rides supreme
temporarily.
While she is giddy and drunk with power, wealth, and
lust, the world order suddenly turns on her destroying her in
one day with "fire." In addition, the Dead Sea Scrolls links
the harlot (Babylon) with the end of the age leaders of
Ephraim, who are those most blessed with God’s bounty, power,
and fruitfulness. Ephraim is part of Lost Israel, previously
identified as Christendom. Ephraim’s leaders are "wicked,
lustful, and arrogant who seek smooth things (lies)" and are
ruled by The Liar. Ephraim is probably America. Babylon is
probably America, or possibly an American city. New York and
Washington D.C. come first to mind. "Cities and families shall
perish through their (the wicked of Ephraim, the leaders)
council." (4Q169, Dead Sea Scrolls)
Nahum 3:4 Because of the many harlotries of the well
favored harlot, the
mistress of seduction,
she who sells nations
through her harlotries
and families through her seductions.
Babylon (the
harlot) fits the United States of America, also known as
Ephraim. At present, the USA is still sitting on top of the
world order (the beast). However, this developing world order
really hates America (the harlot) because of her arrogance,
power, and wealth. Caligastia (the little horn) is behind the
scenes and he has successfully subverted the three governments
of China, Russia, and the USA. This is done from the inside
and thus the little horn pushes up from beneath and undermines
these three governments/rulers. It is necessary to destroy
America because she is too free, too powerful, and too
haughty. This is why there is a concerted effort to weaken
America’s moral fiber, military, and educational systems. This
is why America has, not so secretly, intentionally
transplanted our high technology to China. China and possibly
Russia are being prepared to take leadership of the newly
developing world order. Caligastia would like nothing better
than to destroy the Judeo Christian peoples because among them
are the lovers of the true God of Abraham, Jacob, and Jesus. I
will leave this
speculative sketch of Babylon and the beast
as food for further thought.
Let’s end this section with another list, a list of
some
end time events from Daniel.
End-Time Events
1. Ancients of Days, present Dan 7
2. One like a son of man coming Dan 7 with clouds
3. Saints of the Most High (Elect) Dan 7 receive Kingdom
forever
4. Michael (the angel) shall arise – great Dan 12 prince of
the people
5. Resurrection of dead (end of the age) Dan 12
6. Wise will shine Dan 12
7. Knowledge increased Dan 12
8. Many have run to & fro Dan 12
9. Troubles as never before Dan 12
10. Ancient of Days, opens book of life, Dan 7 begins judgment
proceedings in heavenly court.
11. Many purified Dan 7
12. Wicked do wickedly Dan 7
It is evident that many of these prophecies have been
repeated in multiple, independent sources of scripture. The
more such sources, the greater the accuracy and certainty of
the prophecy. Also, each prophecy must fit within the
developing themes of the overall prophetic picture. The more
pieces that you have already put in the puzzle, the easier it
is to place each subsequent piece, as there are less and less
ways that each piece can possibly be placed and still fit in
with its surrounding pieces. The total prophetic picture is a
mosaic of the different prophetic sources. Each source fills
in a critical piece of the whole. Melchizedek knows what needs
to be filled in and so he adjusts each revelation to suit the
needs of the overall prophetic picture. |
Said the Master
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Jesus Christ
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