Daniel Lazich

Clearing the temple

“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at the tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” John 2:13 – 15.

The phrase “in the temple courts” above actually reads “in the temple” in Greek. It does not say “in the temple courts.” However, the area surrounding the Temple was not inside the Temple building itself; nevertheless, it was part of it. The entire area surrounding the Temple was considered most holy. “This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy. Such is the law of the temple.” (Ezekiel 43:12). Being in the court was equivalent to being in the Temple. However, only the designated priest could enter the Temple building. When reading this passage, we should focus on its message rather than on chronology or physical location.

By clearing the temple area, Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures foretold in Psalm 69:9. He made a crucial point: he is a High Priest of a higher order than the priests descended from Aaron. The high priesthood in the order of Aaron was an inherited role, so the earthly high priest could not serve forever. Jesus did not inherit the High Priesthood. Instead, God appointed him as the “High Priest in the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6). The High Priest in the order of Melchizedek neither passes the role to a successor nor inherits it. Additionally, the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek did not serve in a temple built by humans. Jesus, the High Priest, served in his body, which is the temple built by God.

The primary role of the high priest in the order of Aaron was to symbolically remove the people’s sins once a year. He did this by confessing the people’s sins onto the head of the scapegoat, as described in Leviticus 16:21-22. In contrast, Jesus, as the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, permanently removed the sin humankind committed in the Garden of Eden and, therefore, all sins against the Objective Moral Law. He accomplished this in His body on the cross at Golgotha. “But the temple he had spoken of was his body.” (John 2:21). God removed our sins by making Jesus SIN, NOT a sinner, on the cross at Golgotha (2 Corinthians 5:21). The sinful human spirit (life) of humankind and the sin itself were destroyed forever in the body of Jesus Christ on the cross at Golgotha. Additionally, our tendency to sin, our iniquity, was laid on Jesus, and therefore it was destroyed (Isaiah 53:6).

Jesus, our scapegoat, carried our sins into the eternal abyss by experiencing separation from the Father. This separation from the Father, the only source of life, was the second death. Our sin can never return or be held against us again! Jesus, our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, serving in His body, removed our sin, which separated us from God the Father. He accomplished this once and for all; there’s no need to repeat it. He didn’t do it by serving in a physical temple, but by serving in the body God prepared for Him. He completed this on the cross at Golgotha. Therefore, Jesus carried our sins to Golgotha, not to heaven. (Hebrews 5:10; 9:24; 1 Peter 3:18). With this act, God made Jesus the Scapegoat who carried our sin and sinful life into the eternal abyss.

You must be born from above. Read the next blog.

The Light.

“In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” John 1:4.

When referring to Jesus’s human life, John used the Greek noun “Zoe” and made it the central subject of his account of the Good News. The Good News is Jesus Christ. Jesus came into this world to give fallen humankind his indestructible human life, the “Zoe.” Thus, self-surrendered believers have Zoe here and now by trusting Jesus and God the Father. “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my words and believes in him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24). The Zoe, the new and perfect human life of Jesus Christ, is not merely biological life but a new human spirit that God gave to humankind at the conception of Jesus. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).

Jesus entered the world with a new human spirit, bringing new life to humankind. The human spirit that God gave to humankind in the first man, Adam, sinned in the Garden of Eden and had to die a second death—there was no way out. Jesus Christ now has our new human life. He is the life-giving representative of the new humankind that God created in Jesus Christ. “So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:45. The life-giving new human spirit in Jesus Christ is also the light of men. Because the human spirit that God placed in Adam at creation sinned in the Garden of Eden, the first or old humankind could not see God as a loving Father. Sin caused darkness between sinful humankind and God, and led humankind to lose the true knowledge of God.

Jesus came to dispel darkness and reveal the true nature of God, the Creator. “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the people, but the Lord rises upon you, and his glory appears over you.” (Isaiah 60:2). Jesus, as the exact and complete representation of God the Father, illuminated the dark world with the full glory of God, his selfless love. As long as time lasts, the Cross of Christ will remain the most important witness to the truth that God is love. Because God is with us forever, there will never be darkness again (1 John 1:5). The Light with us gives us strong confidence that the Zoe, the eternal human life of Jesus Christ, is ours here and now and forever (1 John 5:11, 12). Born-again believers are in the Light—Jesus Christ—and therefore have freedom. They always reflect the glory of the Lord, his selfless love, and are being transformed into his likeness (2 Corinthians 3:17, 18).

The Light, the eternal life of the new humankind that God created in Jesus Christ, shone brightly, yet the dark world did not recognize it as the promised Savior. “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” (John 1:11). Although the people of his time did not accept him, Jesus Christ offered an unearned and unbelievable gift to God’s enemies, the sinners (Romans 5:10). “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12, 13). Additionally, as God’s children, we have full inheritance rights in the Kingdom of God. Yet God’s love did not end with this gift; it continued to give even more. “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” (John 1:16).

Clearing the temple. Read the next blog.

The Word

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” John 1:1.

John begins his Gospel with “In the beginning,” perhaps referencing Genesis 1:1. The “old humankind” began with the first man, Adam. The “new humankind” began with the Second Man, Jesus Christ. Both the representative of the first humankind and the Representative of the New humankind come from God and are by God. Both were with God at the start of His creation of the world and of humankind. Therefore, both are sons of God (Luke 3:38; John 1:34).

The noun “Word” in John 1:1 does not refer to God’s spoken words but to His creative power. The entire Bible testifies to the “Word of God,” as seen in John 5:39. God spoke, and the universe came into existence, as shown in Genesis 1:1 and Hebrews 11:1. In Hebrews 11:1, Paul uses the Greek word “aionas,” meaning times and ages. Time is the beginning of the universe. The Greek noun “Logos,” or the Word, appears in various contexts in Greek philosophy and the Old Testament scriptures. However, in the Gospel of John, the Word clearly refers to God’s creative power. In the Greek New Testament, some passages do not capitalize the noun “Word,” while others do, reflecting ongoing debates among Christians about the true meaning of “Logos.” Does “Logos” refer to a unique divine being equal to God, or to the Creator Himself? Does it represent One God or the “Unified God”? This debate continues endlessly. The Greek phrase “and the Word was God” can also be translated as “and God was the Word,” emphasizing God’s creative power rather than merely His spoken words.

John’s introduction to his presentation of Jesus Christ is not to argue for the plurality of the Godhead but to affirm Jesus Christ’s divine origin. Humankind, as created in its representative Adam, was of divine origin. Consistent with their roots in an Earthly, temple-based religion, the apostles and first-century Christians worshiped only one God. As Paul emphasizes, Gentile Christians are “the wild olive branches grafted among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root” (Romans 11:17). John presents Jesus as the eternal Word of God because God, before creating humankind, determined to unite himself with fallen humankind in flesh and blood and redeem it from the kingdom of sin and darkness. The fall of humankind did not surprise God. God knew it before he began his creative work.

By presenting Jesus as the eternal Word of God, John emphasizes God’s love for humankind. Consequently, he portrays Jesus as the complete, final, and accurate revelation of God the Creator. Only Jesus, who was with God from the beginning, can truly reveal God to people. The Word is God the Father with us—Jesus Christ. “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9). The human spirit that God put in Jesus was with God before the creation. Jesus, as he was on earth, was the Son of God in his spirit; in flesh, however, He was the Son of Man.

The light. Read the next blog.

The day of the Lord.

“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand – a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and blackness.” Joel 2:1, 2. Prophet Joel uses the locust metaphor, a common problem for those who work the land for a living. The imagery of locust destruction illustrates the consequences of apostasy and God’s judgment against the rebellious nation of Judah. Because of Judah’s apostasy, the enemies of Judah would turn the land of milk and honey into an uninhabitable place, unsuitable for comfortable living (Joel chapter 1).

Joel’s warning to Judah encompasses the four consecutive kingdoms that ruled over Judah: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. Satan used these four powers in a coordinated effort to block God’s plans for humankind and, if possible, prevent the birth of the Messiah. The fiercest effort occurred during the Greek rule, when, with help from the corrupt priesthood, there was pressure to Hellenize the Jews and thus eliminate the nation of Judah. But the God of Israel is Sovereign. Therefore, His plans cannot be thwarted by any power.

Satan used the worst kind of evil to prevent the birth of the Messiah because he knew that if the Messiah came, he would never succeed in becoming the Most High (Isaiah 14:14). God loved the rebellious nation of Judah, so he called them to return to him. “Even now, declares the LORD, return to me with all your heart….” Joel 2:12. God promised to bless them as before and to give them the autumn rains in righteousness (Joel 2:23). The rains in righteousness also refer to the righteous Teacher, or the Teacher in righteousness. The verse above points to the Messiah, the Savior of the world, through whom God would remove the sin that separated humankind from Him. God accomplished this on the dreadful day of the Lord. “For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.” Joel 3:14, 15. The prophet Isaiah, almost two hundred years earlier, said the same thing (Isaiah 13:10).

Joel described the day as dreadful and asked, “Who can endure it?” (Joel 2:11). The dreadful day of the Lord occurred nearly two thousand years ago on a Friday, when the righteous Teacher, the Savior of the world, was made to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:21. The Gospel of Luke confirms this description of the dreadful day. “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining.” Luke 23:44. The darkness on that day cannot be explained. On that day, God was in Christ, doing what humanity could not do for itself—reconciling rebels to Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. “Who can endure it? And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” Joel 2:32. What God accomplished at Golgotha on the cross is beyond all human laws. Salvation belongs to the Lord and is offered unconditionally to everyone!

One Lord will reign forever.

“…Then the Lord my God will come, and the holy ones with him.” Zechariah 14:5, last part. The prophet Zechariah uses the devastating effects of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem as a backdrop to proclaim the day when God will destroy all evil. On that day, Zechariah says that the Lord will stand on the Mount of Olives and split it in two, creating a large valley. Zechariah 14:4. Perhaps this valley is where the New Jerusalem, which Zechariah describes in part, will descend from heaven. In the Bible, Jerusalem symbolically represents God’s people. “One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and he showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” Revelation 21:9, 10. In Revelation 19:8, we see that the bride is dressed in bright, clean clothes. The true City, the New Jerusalem, is not dressed in bright, clean clothing. So, this must refer to the saved people who have received the bright white robes of Christ’s righteousness. Zechariah, in chapter 14, also describes the glory of the City.

“And in that day, it shall be that there will not be any light, but there shall be cold and frost for one day, and that day shall be known to the LORD. It will be neither day nor night, but towards evening there will be light.” Zechariah 14:6, 7 (Septuagint). Prophet Zechariah does not say that God’s future dwelling among His people will have no sun, but because God is present there, the City will not depend on the sun for its light. The day when the LORD and the Bride of Jesus descend to the Earth will be dark. Apostle John explains why the City, God’s dwelling, will not rely upon the sun’s light. “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” Revelation 21:23.

Zechariah also states that living water will flow from Jerusalem on that day (Zechariah 14:8). Jesus confirmed this and applied it to the redeemed. “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:38. In the Bible, the living water refers to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit comes from God to all who believe in Him. Therefore, the Spirit will flow into and from each committed believer.

Zechariah continues: “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” Zechariah 14:9. The Apostle Paul confirms it: “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.”

1 Corinthians 15:24, 28. “He said to them, This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Luke 24:44.

The day of the Lord. Read the next blog.

Jesus was sold for the price of a slave.

“I told them, If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it. So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, Throw it to the potter – the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter.” Zechariah 11:12, 13. The prophet Zechariah, almost 550 years before Gethsemane, foretold how people would treat the world’s Savior. The thirty pieces of silver were the price of a slave — Exodus 21:32. The thirty pieces of silver were the lowest price one would pay for the life of a slave. This price for human life was considered an insult. Accordingly, the prophet Zechariah employs irony in saying, the handsome price at which they priced me. So, the prophet Zechariah, a priest, threw the thirty pieces of silver into the house of the Lord, to the potter. When was this fulfilled?

The one of the twelve—called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.” Matthew 26:14, 15. Judas’s action confirmed Jesus’ knowledge that Judas had joined Him with the intent to betray Him. After the Passover meal, Jesus went to Gethsemane, where He prayed in agony, knowing He would face separation from the Father because of the world’s sin. When He finished praying, Jesus was arrested and condemned to be crucified according to the laws of the temple.

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders… So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.” Matthew 27:3–5. What did the priests do with the thirty silver coins? It was against the temple law to keep it there. “So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.” Matthew 27:7. Therefore, what the prophet foretold about 550 years earlier was fulfilled.

One Lord will reign forever. Read the next blog.

The thief and the false prophet were banished.

“I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll. And he said to me, ‘This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.’” (Zechariah 5:1, 3). Ezekiel 2:9 describes the flying scroll as written on both sides. The angel, who earlier spoke to Zechariah, explained the writings on the scroll. Zechariah 4:1. Who is the thief? “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1). Jesus referred to Lucifer as a thief who improperly became the prince of the Earth. Therefore, the open scroll signifies that the ownership of this planet stayed temporarily undetermined. At the right time, the Messiah, the world’s Savior, will resolve it appropriately. The Messiah would restore that which he did not steal. Psalm 69:4.

“The Lord Almighty declares, I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in his house and destroy it, both its timber and its stones.” (Zechariah 5:4). The curse written on both sides of the scroll represents the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who entered the house of the thief—Earth—defeated him, and restored the property to its rightful owner, God. “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:31, 32). We are assured that Jesus defeated the thief and redeemed the property because the book of Revelation tells us that the scroll, the deed to the property—the Earth—is rolled up and sealed with seven seals. (Revelation 5).

No one in heaven was worthy enough to take the scroll and break the seals. John was distressed. “I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll and look inside.” (Revelation 5:4). One of the twenty-four elders then drew John’s attention to the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who had triumphed and was able to open the scroll. (Revelation 5:5–14). Now, Jesus Christ, the only one worthy, is the King of this world and its people. Moreover, at the right time, He will destroy the former prince of this world forever. He will also obliterate those who falsely swear by the Lord’s name—the false prophet—forever. The prophets spoke to the people on behalf of God, revealing His plan for them. All who misrepresent God to others are false prophets and will perish with the thief, Satan, forever. “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown….” (Revelation 20:10). They will never rise again.

Jesus was sold for the price of a slave. Read the next blog.

Snatched from the fire.

“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” Zechariah 3:1, 2. The accuser, Satana in Hebrew, argued that Joshua was a sinner with nothing good in him; therefore, he could not stand in the presence of the Lord and represent God’s chosen people. Did the accuser have a basis for his claim about Joshua, the high priest? Yes, he did! “All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Romans 3:12.

According to the Objective Moral Law, the high priest Joshua was a sinner and therefore judged unworthy. The filthy clothes on Joshua symbolized that he was a sinner. Zechariah 3:3. The angel told those standing with him to remove Joshua’s dirty clothes. ”Then he said to Joshua, ‘See, I have taken away your sin, and will put fine garments on you.” Zechariah 3:4. The fine clothing represents the righteousness from God bestowed on those who surrendered themselves to the Lord, Jesus Christ. Joshua was a helpless sinner, like a burning stick that cannot escape the fire on its own. Only the Lord could rescue the helpless sinner from the fire. Why did the Lord do it? “But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors….” Deuteronomy 7:8.

The surrendered believers, who have given up their old, worthless selves, can come into the presence of the Lord just as they are. The Lord provides what is necessary to stand before Him blamelessly. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, states that he, by God’s grace, has laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. The foundation Paul laid is unchangeable and eternal. “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11. God does not require perfect knowledge, understanding, and excellent works. He asks for the righteous works found in Jesus Christ only.

However, the structure we, as sinners, build with imperfect materials must be established entirely on Jesus Christ, the one and only foundation. As Paul states, the fire at the end will reveal whether the materials used are good or not. If they are not, the fire will destroy them. Yet, the builder will be saved as one snatched out of the fire. If we unknowingly use inferior materials to build on the only foundation, Jesus Christ will not deny us eternity. Changing the one foundation or establishing another one will not be excused. Our righteousness and qualification for eternity with God depend solely on Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness. Romans 3:21.

The thief and the false prophet will be banished forever. Read the next blog.

The dead in sin – revived.

“After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.” Hosea 6:2. About 750 years before the Messiah, Prophet Hosea predicted what God would accomplish for rebellious humankind in the body of Jesus Christ on the cross at Golgotha. Why did humankind need to be revived and restored? The first man, Adam, disobeyed God. As a result, humankind he represented became a natural sinner, a sinner by birth, condemned by the Objective Moral Law to eternal death. Humankind also lost the right to be children of God. God told humankind he created in Adam that once the first man, Adam, eats the forbidden fruit, he and all of future humankind will die forever (surely die). Genesis 2:17. Yet, in His patience, God left sinful humankind unpunished until the “fullness of time,” when the promised grace would come. Romans 3:25. When and how did sinful humankind die as the wages for sin committed in the garden of Eden? Sinful humankind surely died nearly 780 years after Hosea’s prophecy. How?

“But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” John 12:32. When God created the first man, Adam, He breathed the breath of life into him. The breath of life is “nashama,” in Hebrew, which means, in translation, “pneuma” – spirit, in Greek. Therefore, life—the spirit that sinned—had to die forever. Only God can destroy the human spirit because He gave it to humankind. God placed our sinful spirit, our sin, and our inclination to sin into the body of Jesus Christ on the cross at Golgotha. 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:6. By abandoning Jesus on the cross, God destroyed our sinful spirit and our sin forever. Romans 6:6. Then God, as He promised through the prophet Ezekiel, gave mankind a new spirit. Ezekiel 36:26. The whole of sinful humanity died in the body of Jesus Christ on the cross at Golgotha. “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all; therefore all died.” 2 Corinthians 5:14.

The phrase “on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence” was fulfilled at the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We died in him on the cross at Golgotha, and we were raised again in him on the third day. “If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.” Romans 6:5. God did fulfill his promise; He made us alive again. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,” Ephesians 2:6. Because we died in Christ, we also rose in him as a new humankind, and now we live in him. Romans 6:8.

Snatched from the fire. Read the next blog.

The gate of righteousness.

“Open to me the gates of the just king’s temple! I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.” The opening of the gates of righteousness refers to Jesus Christ, the gate through which the righteous will enter. Psalm 118:19. What are the gates of righteousness? The ‘gates of righteousness’ could not refer to the temple gate, because David wrote this before the temple in Jerusalem existed. David identifies the “gate” as the “gate of the Lord through which the righteous will enter.” Where do the righteous enter? They enter through the gate into the Lord’s presence in heaven. This raises two questions. What, or who, is the gate? Also, how do sinners become righteous to enter through the “gate of righteousness”?

Jesus Christ is the gate, or the “door,” to the Father. “Therefore Jesus said again, I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.” John 10:7. Jesus is the only gate for the righteous and the only way to the Father because he is the righteous gate. “Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. Whether we come to the Father to praise him, as David desired, or to petition him concerning our burdens, we must go through Jesus Christ, or in his name, because he is the only way. The only gate for the righteous, Jesus Christ, is always open. Jesus, on the cross at Golgotha, proclaimed, “It is finished.” The curtain in the temple split in two, symbolizing that the soldiers had pierced Jesus’ body. Therefore, the gate for the righteous is irreversibly open forever. Matthew 27:50, 51. However, only the righteous could enter through the open gate, Jesus Christ.

How do sinners become righteous? Could it be achieved through careful observance of the law? “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” Romans 3:20. Long before the Incarnation, God announced through the prophet Isaiah: “But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult.” Isaiah 45:25. The apostle Paul applied this verse to Jesus Christ. “But now apart from law Righteousness of God has been manifested, to which the law and the prophets have borne witness: even the righteousness from God through trustworthiness of Jesus Christ, toward and upon all who believe: there is no difference:” Romans 3:21, 22. (my translation). So, by trusting Jesus Christ, we become righteous and thus qualified to come into the presence of our Father in heaven. We enter through the only gate available, Jesus Christ, and in his name. John 16:23.

The dead in sin. Read the next blog.

God abandoned the Savior of the world.

“Scorn has broken my heart and left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.” Psalm 69:20, 21. Long before the Messiah suffered on the cross at Golgotha, David prophesied what the Savior of the world would endure. On the night of his arrest, Jesus went to Gethsemane to pray. He asked his disciples to stay awake with him, but they fell asleep. The disciples couldn’t grasp the urgency of staying alert and praying. As the night in Gethsemane wore on, the cry, “I look for sympathy, but receive none,” became true. Maybe the apostles didn’t yet understand why the Messiah had to suffer, so they didn’t see why they needed to pray. Matthew 26:38, 40.

“Then he said to them, I am overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death…” Matthew 26:38 (my translation). Why was Jesus overwhelmed with sorrow? He knew that the moment had come for him to separate his perfect life from his body, take on sinful human life, and die an eternal death by being abandoned by the Father. “He who did not know sin was made sin.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Did the Father abandon Jesus? God provided the answer through the prophet Isaiah long before it became a reality. “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will bring you back.” Isaiah 54:7. Our spirit, which sinned in the Garden of Eden, could die an eternal death only if God, who gave it to humankind, forgot it. God accomplished this while Jesus was on the cross at Golgotha. That is why Jesus cried out, “My God…why have you forsaken me?” Mark 15:34, as prophesied by David. Psalm 22:1.

When Jesus finished praying, the mob sent by the high priest arrested him. Peter tried to defend Jesus with a sword, but Jesus told him to put it away. Jesus reminded the arresting crowd and the disciples that this had to happen to fulfill the Scriptures. At that moment, his disciples deserted him. “But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” Matthew 26:56. “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, placed the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.” John 19:29. In this way, the guards fulfilled the prophetic writing of David.

The gate of righteousness. Read the next blog.

He led the captives.

“When you ascended on high, you have led captives in your train.” Psalm 68:18. In Psalm 47, David poetically describes the enthronement of Jesus Christ as the King of kings and Lord of lords on the day of his resurrection. The Bible does not specify who the captives are. Jesus ascended on high and sat down to reign as the King of kings on the day of his resurrection (John 20:17). However, Jesus led all of humankind, whom he had freed from slavery to sin and darkness, into the kingdom of Light and Righteousness and restored them to God as his children. He then received all authority (Matthew 28:16–19). The Bible also tells us that when Jesus died on the cross, graves were opened and many came to life (Matthew 27:50–53). The authors of the New Testament do not clarify whether these were the “captives” Jesus led in his train.

In Revelation, John tells us that when he went to heaven at Jesus’s invitation, he observed, “At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it! … Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.” Revelation 4:2, 4. The white clothing represents the righteousness from God, Jesus Christ. All who surrender their old selves and accept the righteous life of Jesus Christ receive the white robes of his righteousness. The gold crown signifies our victory in Jesus Christ. In him, we are more than conquerors. Romans 8:37.

Some believe the twenty-four elders are exalted heavenly beings, members of God’s counsel. However, God is Sovereign, the eternal One. He created everything; therefore, He neither needs nor has counselors. “Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?” Isaiah 40:13, 14. Therefore, if the twenty-four elders represent the redeemed, they could not be God’s counselors, no matter how righteous and holy they are. Consequently, it is reasonable to conclude that they are the captives Jesus presented as proof of his victory.

God abandoned the Savior of the world. Read the next blog.

The Conqueror.

“You ascended on high, you led captivity captive; You received gifts for mankind, truly for the disobedient, so they may dwell there. The Lord God be blessed;” Psalm 68:18. The Septuagint. Apostle Paul applied this verse to Jesus Christ. Paul states, “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” Ephesians 4:7, 8. The Masoretes, from around the third to the ninth century CE, were responsible for deciphering the Hebrew text and creating a consistent Old Testament text that upholds Jewish tradition. Accordingly, they altered some words and rearranged parts of the Bible that were in use before the ninth century CE. Nonetheless, the Septuagint and Paul’s translation preserve the original text.

In biblical times, victorious kings and generals would return with captives as proof of their triumph. They would usually give gifts to men and receive gifts from men. The early Christians attributed this verse to Jesus Christ, God’s gift to humankind. God, in Jesus Christ, gave the gift of eternal life and His righteousness to rebellious humankind. God gave us the perfect, eternal new human life of Jesus Christ and made self-surrendered believers righteous in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8; Romans 6:23; 1 John 3:1. Jesus defeated God’s enemy, Satan, and rescued humankind—the captives in the kingdom of sin and darkness. Jesus began his mission here on earth by saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18, 19.

Jesus defeated the prince of this world while nailed to the cross at Golgotha. Then he ascended to heaven on the morning of his resurrection. He ascended to the Father to have his victory accepted and to receive all authority. When Jesus revealed himself to Mary on the morning of his resurrection, she wanted to worship him. But Jesus told her, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” John 20:16, 17. What captives did he lead in his train? Read the next blog.

He led the captives. Read the next blog.