Matthew Chapter Four - YayShOo`ah ["Savior", Jesus] stands in trial (compare with Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13)

“The temptation story is ‘double tradition’ (i.e. [in other words], it is found also in Luke, but not in Mark), and therefore it is usually supposed to be from Q [Quelle, a hypothesized proto-document of Jesus' sayings]. But its theology is not identical with that of other Q material, and some form of the incident is known to Mark… This highly stylized anecdote, in which each temptation is answered by a quotation from the LXX [The Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible], could easily be derived from Christian preaching. … Certainly the three temptations – to work miracles for the satisfaction of immediate need, to give a convincing sign, and to exercise political power – continually recurred in the course of his ministry.” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 269)
“The temptation of Jesus (4:1-11). Mark relates this event in a mere two verses (1:12-13). He tells the fact of the temptation but not the details. This is important because it probably accurately reflects the situation of the disciples regarding this event: they knew that Jesus had been tempted (the historicity of the event need not be doubted), but since temptation is essentially a personal, inner experience they did not know exactly what had gone on in Jesus’ consciousness. The Q version in Matt [Matthew] and Luke thus represents a narrative midrash or interpretation of the event in such a way as to make it pastorally useful for believers. This is done by connecting the 40-day fast with Moses and Elijah in the desert and with the great temptation or trial of God’s patience by the people in the exodus who rebelled against the divine nourishment (the manna) and worshiped the golden calf; and by identifying Jesus as the Son of God (v [verse] 2), meaning Israel, the people of God… not the Messiah. All of Jesus’ answers to the tempter are quotations from Deut [Deuteronomy] 6-8.” (Viviano, 1990, p. 638)

-1. Then [אז, ’ahZ] led [הובילה, HOBeeYLaH], the spirit, [את, ’ehTh (indicator of direct object; no English equivalent)] YayShOo`ah unto the desert to be tried upon [the] hands of the adversary [השטן, HahSahTahN].

“Mark 1:12 gives a more lively picture of the Spirit’s activity: and the Gospel According to the Hebrews reads, ‘Just now my mother the Holy Spirit took me by one of my hairs and brought me up to the great mount Tabor’ (in Hebrew and Aramaic the word for ‘spirit’ is feminine) … The devil (ο διαβολος [o diabolos], the slanderer) is the term usually found in the later N.T. [New Testament] books. Paul and the earlier gospel pericopes call him ‘Satan’ (the ‘adversary’ or ‘accuser’; Zech. [Zechariah] 3:1-2; Job 1:6-9, etc.; Rev. [Revelation] 12:9-10.) The rabbis taught that Satan stirs up the yēçer hārā‘ or evil impulse in man, seduces him into sin, denounces him before God, and then punishes him with death.” (Johnson, 1951, pp. VII 269-270)

-2. And after he had fasted forty day[s] and forty night[s] he was hungry.

“He was hungry might be translated as an inceptive aorist: ‘he got hungry.’” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 270)

-3. Approached [נגש, NeeGahSh] unto him, the tryer [המנסה, HahMeNahÇeH], and said,
“If son [of] the Gods you are,
command that these stones be to bread.”

“The name given to Satan… is very emphatic, ο πειραζων [o peirazon], the tempter, or trier, from πειρο [peiro], to pierce through. To this import of the name, there seems to be an allusion, Eph. [Ephesians] vi.16. The fiery DARTS of the wicked one. This is the precise idea of the word in Deut. viii. 2. To humble thee, and to prove thee, TO KNOW WHAT WAS IN THY HEART: לנסתך linesteca, πειρασε σε [peirase se], LXX. that he might bore thee through.” (Clarke, 1832, p. I 46)
“If thou be the son of God] Or, a son of God, υιος του Θεου [uios tou Theou], Υιος [Uios] is here, and in Luke iv. 3. written without the article; and therefore should not be translated THE Son, as if it were ο υιος [o uios] …” (Clarke, 1832, p. I 44)
“The O.T [Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible] and Jewish literature apply the term Son of God to angels or divine beings (Gen. [Genesis] 6:2; Job 38:7), t the Israelite nation (Hos. 11:1), and occasionally to an anointed king (Ps. [Psalm] 2:7). In Semitic idiom it should mean ‘godlike’ or ‘especially related to God.’ … In Judaism it never became a standard messianic title, and it is applied to the Messiah in only a few apocalyptic books (Enoch 105:2; II Esdras 7:28-29; 13:32, 37, 52) and occasionally in a late rabbinical source. Christians used it very early to refer to Jesus. The term is found frequently in the letters of Paul (e.g. [for example], Rom. [Romans] 1:3-4) and the Gospel of Mark; and in John 1:1-18 it denotes the metaphysical relationship between God and his incarnate Logos. When Gentile converts first heard it used, they would naturally think of Jesus as a savior and healer like Asclepius, who had both human and divine traits, though they would understand that there was and could be only one Son of God … In this passage ‘Son of God’ calls attention to Jesus’ unique relation to God and his superhuman powers, and Matthew connects this sonship with the Virgin Birth.” (Johnson, 1951, pp. VII 270-271)

-4. Responded, YayShOo`ah, and said,
“[It is] written,
‘Not upon the bread alone will live the ’ahDahM [“man”, Adam],
for upon all [that] goes out [from the] mouth of YHVH.’”

“by bread alone: Jesus’ reply comes from Deut 8:3. To grasp its full significance one must read the entire context in Deut 6-8. The word of God is made the chief nourishment.” (Viviano, 1990, p. 638)

-5. Took him, the adversary, unto City the Holy,
and stood him upon a corner of [the] roof [of] House the Holy.

“The holy city is Jerusalem. Maccabean coins bear the inscription ‘Jerusalem the Holy,’ and the Arabic name is El-Quds, ‘the holy.’” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 271)

-6. [He] said to him,
“If son [of] the Gods you are,
send forth yourself to below, that behold, [it is] written,
‘For his angels he will command to you,
upon palms he will carry you,
lest strike in stone your legs.’”

“He shall give his angels charge, &c.] This is a mutilated quotation of Psal. [Psalm] xci. 11. The clause, to keep thee in all thy ways, Satan chose to leave out, as quite unsuitable to his design…
“In their hands they shall bear thee up] This quotation from Psal. xci. 11. is a metaphor taken from a nurse’s management of her child: in teaching it to walk, she guides it along plain ground; but when stones or other obstacles occur, she lifts up the child, and carries it over them, and then sets it down to walk again. Thus she keeps it in all its ways, watching over, and guarding every step it takes. To this St. Paul seems also to allude, I Thess. [Thessalonians] ii. 7. We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children.” (Clarke, 1832, p. I 45)

-7. Said to him, YayShOo`ah,
“More is written,
‘Do not try [את, ’ehTh] YHVH your Gods.’” [Deuteronomy 6:16]

“A rabbinical tradition reads, ‘When the King Messiah reveals himself, then he comes and stands on the roof of the Holy Place.’ … Matthew’s third temptation (vss. [verses] 8-10 is a more obvious climax, but this second one might well be the most subtle and dangerous to one who was spiritually sensitive. It is interesting that in Luke 4:9-11 it stands in third place.” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 271)

-8. Took him, the adversary, to a mountain high very,
and showed to him [את, ’ehTh] all [the] kingdoms [of the] world [תבל, ThayBayL] and their honor.

“If the words, all the kingdoms of the world, be taken in a literal sense, then this must have been a visionary representation, as the highest mountain on the face of the globe could not suffice to make evident even one hemisphere of the earth, and the other must of necessity be in darkness.” (Clarke, 1832, p. I 45)

-9. [He] said unto him,
“[את, ’ehTh] all these I will give to you if you fall upon your face and worship to me.”
-10. Responded to him, YayShOo’ah,
“Go away, The Adversary;
behold [it is] written,
‘To YHVH your Gods you will worship,
and him alone you will slave.’”

“Jesus’ reply comes from Deut 6:13, which summarizes the great OT [Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible] message of ethical monotheism.” (Viviano, 1990, p. 638)
“Matthew adds to the source Begone, Satan! In 16:23 (=Mark 8:33), Peter is addressed as Satan because he tempts Jesus.” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 272)

-11. To after from this, left him, the adversary,
and angels approached to serve him.

“The angels serve him, in accordance with the promise of Ps. 91:11-14. Matthew now begins again to copy Mark (cf. [compare with] Mark 1:13).” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 273)

YayShOo`ah begins [את, ’ehTh] his sendings forth in GahLeeYL [Galilee]
(Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:14-15)

-12. As that heard, YayShOo`ah that [כי, KeeY] they had imprisoned [הסגירו, HeeÇGeeYROo] YO-HahNahN, he went out unto the GahLeeYL.

“The story is told in 14:3-12. Luke, for artistic reasons, mentions this before the baptism of Jesus (Luke 3:19-20). The Fourth Gospel assigns Jesus an extensive ministry before John’s arrest (see, e.g., John 3:22-30).” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 273)

-13. He left [את, ’ehTh] NahTsRahTh ["Overlook", Nazareth] and came to reside [לגר, LahGOoR] in KhePhahR NahHOoM [“Village of Comfort”, Capernaum], beside the sea, in [the] region of ZeBOoLOoN [“Fertile”, Zebulon] and NahPHThahLeeY [“Torturous”, Naphtali].

“Galilee was bounded by mount Lebanon on the north, by the river Jordan, and the sea of Galilee on the east, by Chison on the south, and by the Mediterranean on the west.
“Nazareth, a little city in the tribe of Zabulon, in lower Galilee, with Tabor on the West and Ptolemais on the east. It is supposed that this city was the usual residence of our Lord for the first thirty years of his life. …
“Capernaum, a city famous in the New Testament, but never mentioned in the Old. Probably it was one of those cities which the Jews built after their return from Babylon. It stood on the sea coast of Galilee, on the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim, as mentioned in the text. This was called his own city, ch. [chapter] ix. 1. &c. and here, as a citizen, he paid the half shekel, chap. [chapter] xvii. 24. Among the Jews, if a man became a resident in any city for twelve months, he thereby became a citizen, and paid his proportion of dues and taxes. …
“Zabulon, the country of this tribe, in which Nazareth and Capernaum were situated, bordered on the lake of Gennesareth, stretching to the frontiers of Sidon, Gen. clix. 13. Nephtalim was contiguous to it, and both were on the east side of Jordan [sic; Nazareth and Capernaum are both on the west side of the Jordan], Josh. xix. 35.” (Clarke, 1832, p. I 46)

-14. In order to [למען, LeMah'ahN] realize the saying in [the] mouth of YeShah`-YahHOo ["Saved YHVH", Isaiah], the prophet:
-15. “Land of ZeBOoLOoN and land of NahPhThahLeeY, way [of] the sea, over [`ayBehR] the YahRDayN [“Descender”, the Jordan], GeLeeYL [of] the nations,

“The citation is based on the M.T. [Masoretic Text, the authorized version of the Hebrew Bible], but the first half is condensed so that only the geographic references are retained. These five references point to northern Galilee and Transjordan, which had fallen to the Assyrians in 734 BC … Isaiah’s promise of their liberation Matthew sees fulfilled by Jesus’ arrival. …
“Galilee was by Matthew’s day at least half Gentile in population, half pagan in cult (cf. the Venus of Dan), and bilingual (using Greek and Aramaic). These facts may have had some influence on Jesus and earliest Christianity, opening it to the Gentile mission often expressing itself in Greek, shaping its message, set in a Jewish matrix, in such a way as to be readily intelligible to Gentiles of good will. The atmosphere was different from Judean Judaism.” (Viviano, 1990, p. 638-639)
“Galilee of the Gentiles] Or of the nations. So called, because it was inhabited by Egyptians, Arabians, and Phœnicians, according to the testimony of Strabo and others. The Hebrew גוים goyim, and the Greek εθνων [ethnon], signify nations; and, in the Old and New Testaments, mean those people who were not descendants of any of the twelve tribes. The word Gentiles, from gens, a nation, signifies the same.” (Clarke, 1832, p. I 46)
“The quotation differs from the LXX, and it may come from an independent Greek version or an oral Targum [ancient Jewish commentary on the Hebrew Bible] … Galilee’ means ‘circle’ or ‘region’; and Galilee of the Gentiles originally meant ‘region of non-Jews.’ Many of its residents were forcibly converted to Judaism in the Maccabean period.” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 274)
To my ear there is a play on words; GeeL meaning “joy”, so “Joy of the Nations”.

-16. "The people, the walkers in darkness, see a light great, settlers in a land [of] Shadow-of-death, light shines upon them.” [Isaiah 8:23-9:1]

“Originally this referred to the oppressed Israelites… Light-darkness symbolism is not so frequent in Matt as in John, IQM [Milḥāmâ (War Scroll) from Qumran Cave 1], or the gnostic writings, but it is present here: Jesus’ preaching the kingdom is the light of consolation to the suffering people (cf. Luke 1:79).” (Viviano, 1990, p. 639)
“Shadow of death] Σκια Θανατου [Skia Thanatou], used only here and in Luke i. 79. but often in the Old Covenant, where the Hebrew is צל מות tsal maveth. It is not easy to enter fully into the ideal meaning of this term. As in the former clause, Death is personified, so here. A shadow is that darkness cast upon a place by a body raised between it and the light or sun. Death is here represented as standing between the land abovementioned, and the light of life, or Sun of Righteousness…” (Clarke, 1832, p. I 47)

-17. From the time the that began, YayShOo`ah, to proclaim [להכריז, LeHahKhReeYZ] and to say:
“Return in thought

“The Greek word translated repent basically denotes ‘change of mind,’ but in the LXX it often stands for a Hebrew word meaning ‘to grieve for one’s sins.’ Repentance is one of the most important of all Jewish doctrines. It involves profound sorrow for sin, restitution so far as possible, and a steadfast resolution not to commit that particular sin again. Such repentance unfailingly brings divine forgiveness without the need of any mediation or ritual act. … There is a famous saying of R. [Rabbi] Aḥa (ca. [approximately] A.D. 320): ‘If the Israelites would repent for one day, the Messiah Son of David would come immediately.’ Jesus’ teaching on repentance builds on the foundation of the O.T. and Judaism.” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 274)

“for near is [the] kingdom of skies.”

“The terms kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God are used interchangeably in the Synoptic Gospels. The former translates literally the rabbinical phrase malkûth shāmáyîm; ‘heaven’ is used partly to avoid mentioning the divine name… The O.T. thinks of this sovereignty as eternal because God created the world; his reign is present already in so far as he is king of Israel, and it will be manifested perfectly in the future age. Rabbinical thought develops this concept. Man rejected God’s kingship in the days of Noah, and thenceforth God was king only in heaven until Abraham, Moses, and the children of Israel accepted his sovereignty. … the reign of God is realized whenever a man consciously submits himself to God’s will, and an individual takes the ‘yoke of the kingdom’ upon himself by reciting the Shema (Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Num. [Numbers] 15:37-41). …
“The kingdom is central in Jesus’ teaching. He generally emphasizes its future and miraculous aspect; furthermore, it is at hand (literally ‘has drawn near’), and the faithful have not long to wait. … it is already beginning to manifest itself in the events connected with Jesus’ ministry (12:28=Luke 11:20; 11:12-13=Luke 16:16; 13:16-17=Luke 10:23-24), and it is in the disciples’ midst (Luke 17:20-21). In the Lord’s Prayer (6:9-13=Luke 11:2-4) the sanctification of God’s name is closely connected with the coming of the kingdom, and 6:10 equates the kingdom with the doing of God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. This sense of the dawning of the kingdom, the appearance of its first fruits, the combination of thanksgiving for present bliss with the most poignant expectation of glory in the near future – these features run through the whole N.T. and account for the special quality of it eschatology… Indeed, men can enter the kingdom now (5:20; 18:3; 20:1-16), and the Beatitudes (5:3-11) are intended to describe the character of its members. … There is a close relation between the kingdom and the group of disciples, and it is not surprising that Matthew tends to equate it with the church (13:47; 53; 16:18-19). … Jesus is the herald of the kingdom and he is intimately involved in its present manifestations. … There is no necessary logical connection between the kingdom of God and the Messiah or Son of man, but the two types of expectation are combined in the Gospels, as in some Jewish writings.” (Johnson, 1951, pp. VII 274-275)
“The proclamation of the near arrival of God’s kingdom is the central message of Jesus and, along with the resurrection, the basis and object of Christian hope. Derived from the night vision of Daniel (7:13-14), it represents the future final salvation of all humanity socially, politically, and spiritually through an exercise of the sovereignty of God, establishing justice and peace on earth as well as in heaven (6:33; Rom [Romans] 14:17). In Dan [Daniel] 7:14-14 it is given to ‘one like a son of man,’ and Q and Matt identify this mysterious figure with Jesus coming again in glory. Thus, for Christians the kingdom hope includes faith in Christ as end-time savior. Since Christ has already come (in humility and suffering) we have a foretaste of the kingdom (12:28), esp. [especially] in his ministry of healing and feeding the multitude… Matthew avoids the direct mention of God out of reverence… as do the other Synoptics. The circumlocution is unfortunate because it misleads people into thinking that the kingdom is only in heaven and not to be on earth (6:10). The kingdom was also to be the content of the disciples’ preaching. (10:7).” (Viviano, 1990, p. 639)

The call to four fishers
(Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11)

-18. As that he walked beside [the] sea [of] the GahLeeYL he saw two brothers, [את,* ’ehTh] *SheeM`ON** [Simon] (the called KaYPhah’ [Peter]) and [את, ’ehTh] ’ahNDRaY [Andrew] his brother, sending forth a net into the sea, because they were fishers.

“Matt anticipates Jesus’ later renaming of Simon …” (Viviano, 1990, p. 639)
“Simon is a Greek name used in place of the Hebrew ‘Simeon.’ Peter (Πετρος [Petros “Rock”; Hebrew: כיפא KaYPha']) is his nickname …” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 275)
“Seminaries of learning, in the order of God’s providence and grace have great and important uses; and, in reference to such uses, they should be treated with great respect: but to make preachers of the Gospel, is a matter to which they are utterly inadequate; it is a prerogative that God never did, and never will, delegate to man.” (Clarke, 1832, p. I 47)

-19. [He] said to them,
“Come after me and I will make you fishers of ’ahDahM.”
-20. Immediately they left [את, ’ehTh] the nets and went after him.
-21. In his going thence [הלאה, HahL’aH] he saw two brothers other,
Yah-`ahQoB ["YHVH Followed", Jacob], son of ZahBDah-eeY [“Endowed”, Zebedee], and YO-HahNahN, his brother, in a boat with ZahBDah-eeY their father, and they were repairing their nets.

“James and Jacob are variant English forms of the same Hebrew name.” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 276)

He called to them 22. and immediately they left [את, ’ehTh] the boat and [את, ’ehTh] their father and went after him.

YayShOo`ah serves [את, ’ehTh] the throngs
(Luke 6:17-19)

“Matthew omits Mark 1:21, 23-28, 35-38, and postpones 1:22, 29-34. He now constructs an editorial summary out of Mark 1:39; 3:7-8, 10.” (Johnson, 1951, p. VII 277)

-23. He circulated in all the GahLeeYL as that he taught in houses of the assembly and proclaimed [את, ’ehTh] tidings of the kingdom and cured all sickness and all affliction [מדוה, MahDVeH] in people.

“Teaching in their synagogues] Synagogue, συναγωγη, from συν, together, and αγω, I bring, a public assembly of persons, or the place where such persons publicly assembled. Synagogues, among the Jews, were not probably older than the return from the Babylonish captivity.
…
“Synagogue, among the Jews, had often the same meaning as congregation among us, or place of judicature, see Jam. [James] ii. 2.” (Clarke, 1832, p. I 48)
“gospel of the kingdom; This phrase is unique to Matt (three times: here, 9:35; 24:14). … healing every illness and every weakness: That Jesus was a healer was an embarrassment to later Christians; therefore, it is certainly historical. He was among other things an itinerant Galilean wonder-working prophet in the pattern of Elijah.” (Viviano, 1990, p. 639)

-24. Hearing of him went out in all Syria,
and were brought unto him [את, ’ehTh] all the sick,
the burdened from sicknesses and hurts to their varieties,
and also persons seized by demons [שדים, ShayDeeYM], struck by [the] moon, and paralytics [ומשתקים, OoMeShooThahQeeYM];
and he healed them.

“All Syria probably denotes the region north of Galilee. … In the first century ‘Syria’ is sometimes used to include Palestine. Those which were lunatic (i.e., moon-struck) is a literal rendering of the Greek. In 17:15, and according to RSV [Revised Standard Version] here, this rare word is applied to epileptics… these are the demoniacs of the Gospel.” (Johnson, 1951, pp. VII 277-278)
“Our common version, which renders the word, those possessed by devil, is not strictly correct; as the word devil, διαβολος [diabolos], is not found in the plural in any part of the Sacred Writings, when speaking of evil spirits: for though there are multitudes of demons, Mark v. 9. yet it appears there is but one DEVIL, who seems to be supreme, or head, over all the rest.” (Clarke, 1832, p. I 49)
“The Roman province of Syria included four parts (Strabo …): Commagene (Samosata), Seleucia (Antioch), Coele-Syria (Damascus), Phoenicia-Palestine. In Josephus Syria seems to include Galilee and the coast down to Gaza, but not Judea. It embraces Tyre, Sidon and Idumea (cf. Mar). the ‘all’ is plerophoric¹ .” (Viviano, 1990, p. 639)

-25. Throngs, throngs, walked after him from the GahLeeYL and from DayQahPOLeeYÇ [Decapolis],
From Jerusalem and Judea,
and from over the YahRDayN.

“The Decapolis (‘ten cities) was a league of Greek-speaking (and largely pagan) city-states. All the towns which Pliny mentions as forming the group were east of the Jordan except Scythopolis (Bethshan). Some of the best known were Damascus, Gadara, Pella, Gerasa, and Philadelphia (modern Amman). Here the term may include the territory surrounding them.” (Johnson, 1951, pp. VII 277-278)

FOOTNOTES
¹ plerophoric - I can’t find a definition for this word, apparently it means something like “generalization”. An Amateur's Journey Through the Bible

Today marks the first anniversary since the day I found myself in a strange desert. A strange desert where the sandstorms are acidic and the bipedal draconian children of Grendel live in caves. I remember that day fondly, for the most part. It was a strange, exciting, and yet frightening adventure all at once. I think it’s definitely worth commemorating. I took a trip to the Dead Sea and along the way, I stopped to admire the nature of the desert, not far from Qumran. I’m sure everyone’s heard of that place – where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. There’s a unique beauty to the Judean desert. One unlike anywhere else in the world.
Perhaps it’s the ungodly heat of the region that makes it all so unique. There are places hotter than the Dead Sea, but what makes it so hot is the fact it is the lowest point on the surface of the earth. Maybe the area around the Dead Sea has that special feeling because of the contrast in heights. Imagine yourself standing some seven hundred meters above the lowest point on earth looking down, it is a sight to behold. I’ve been there a few times myself.
Anyhow, I’ve roamed around these hilltops for a while, losing myself in the beauty of the whole area. Who would’ve thought that a desert could be so alluring? Well, yeah, the desert can be a lovely place to explore and travel around.
I am digressing, however, I ended up making my way into some cave on the side of the cliff. Not one of the famous Dead Sea caves, one completely unrelated. There isn’t even much of a road in that part of the mountains. If I had to explain how to get there, I’d say one has to get off route 90 just ahead of Kalia and turn left and continue until you’ve reached the middle of nowhere on the Judean mountains. Honestly, just leave your car before the climb gets too stiff and then continue by foot if you’re interested in making the trip. Also, I think this is worth mentioning but I feel like this one was man made, some of the caves in Qumran aren’t natural. This one, it’s definitely a special cave, a special place if you ask me.
Once I stepped into this cave, I felt a hot and thick stream of air and dust brush against my body. So thick I felt the dust make its way into my nose, causing me into a fit of sneezing. My lungs started itching and my eyes immediately welled up. I coughed up whatever dust made its way into my mouth and brushed my face before jogging out of the cave. I thought there was just a build-up of desert sand particles in that cave and bolted out of there. To my surprise, I found myself standing on a completely different clifftop. The desert in front of me was completely different. The sand, it wasn’t typical sand, it was almost glistening in a golden tint under the bright sun.
I turned back to the cave, and much to my surprise instead of one cave there were several of them. I stood there for a few moments, wondering if I had missed the other cave openings, when I climbed up that mountain. My thoughts were cut out by a blast of blistering hot wind hitting my face. I looked to my north and noticed a titanic cloud of dust making its way towards the mountain. I was going to turn into the cave and hide in it until the storm passed, but something caught my eye. Someone, rather. Actually, it was a group of people and some kind of animal in their possession.
Or so I thought. I saw a bunch of human figures running up the side of the cliff, they ran faster than humans should be able to. The whole scenery felt a little surreal. Everybody knows you better lie low if you can’t find shelter in a sandstorm. The storm was growing ever closer with each passing second and before I could even notice, the group nearly on the clifftop. One of them fell down, and the storm caught up to that figure.
I couldn’t tear off my eyes from what came next. The winds tore the clothes and chunks of flesh off of the figure like they were acid. The howls of pain echoed throughout the entire area and within a couple of seconds, they were nothing but snorting and gurgling sounds that barely reached my ears.
The others didn't even look back at their fallen comrade, it's like they were used to that kind of thing.
I was so focused on the grotesque sight before me. I didn’t even notice the storm about to hit the side of the cliffs. Good thing a hand grabbed my collar and pulled me into a cave before I could be smoked too. I turned around to thank whoever it was that saved my life. Then I realized I was surrounded by a group of humanoid entities clad in all black who spoke in syllables and clicks I couldn’t understand. At that point, I’ve noticed their pet was something akin to an over sized wolverine without the excessive aggression of one.
Clearly, they weren’t local, but I was grateful regardless, albeit taken aback a little by the entire ordeal. I was somehow stuck in a sandstorm that melted people and came out of nowhere. On top of that, they were covered in black cloth from head to toe, leaving only their strange eyes visible. Their eyes were weird because their sclerae were some sort of dark brown color, however, these eyes seemed fairly human.
They were talking amongst themselves in what seemed to be like an ever-increasing tone. One of them started pointing and waving its arms in my direction while the other was defending me, I think. Not wanting to escalate the situation even more, I decided to resign myself and at that moment I noticed that the cave we were in was actually a cavern. I told the creatures who probably didn’t understand me I’m going for a walk and made my way into the dark unknown.
I roamed around the cavernous tunnels for a while. My watch was still functioning, so I could monitor the time spent in the cavern. It turns out I was walking around the dark, ever increasingly moldy tunnels for over two hours. In the depths of the underground system, I found a luminous mold. The whole tunnel was lit up with a bright green and blue lights, it’s a sight I’ll never forget. It was truly otherworldly. The whole time I could hear the wails and moans of the acidic sandstorm outside. The idea that I could hear the wind from within the ground made me shudder whenever a particularly loud wail reached my ears.
Without noticing, I’ve ended up making a full circle and returning to the large space near the exit of the cavern. The clan of strange nomads was seated around a makeshift fire. They were eating something, one of them feeding pieces to their equally strange pet. One of the creatures called out to me in a series of squirrel-like squeaks I couldn’t understand. I mentioned not being able to understand it. Once we both finally concluded that there was a language barrier, the creature motioned to me with its arm to sit beside it.
I sat there, and it offered me a piece of whatever they were eating.
Some sort of meat. It was probably the worst thing I’ve ever tasted. If I had to compare it to anything, I’d say it’s like eating the hide of a walrus in structure. It also had a taste reminiscent of what a new boot would smell like. I couldn’t complain though, as I was still stuck with this clan in the middle of a deadly sandstorm. We were eating all together around the fire and the storm seemed to subside.
I was enjoying my time in the company of the alien clan. I almost managed to forget they were practically a bunch of strangers. As we sat there, enjoying our meal, one of them ran out of the depths of the cavern screaming bloody murder. The panicking creature fell right between one of the clan’s members and me. Face first into the fire. Motionless. A metallic-looking rod sticking out of the back of its throat.
I recoiled back, in shock, and I swallowed the piece of meat in my mouth hard. I stared at the fresh corpse at my feet for a few moments. At that point, my stomach turned, and I could sense a bit of the gastric acid making its way up my throat. The other clan’s members shot up to their feet, pulling out daggers and other makeshift weapons they had on their person from the pouches draped across their legs.
A shadow crept closer and closer from the depths of the cavern. Slowly it grew in size. With each passing moment it grew a few inches before its presence devoured the entire space. Casting a frigid carpet of darkness over all of us. Nearly snuffing out the warmth and the light created by the fire in our center.
The animal tensed up and started growling angrily at the source of the shadow. It sounded like the mix of a few dogs growling in tandem. The shadow kept on expanding over us until there was nothing but sheer darkness all over the space. The fire wasn’t sufficient at this point, and a cold sweat made its way across the back of my neck and down my back. The hairs on my body stood up.
From the darkness emerged a creature, clad in all black too, dressed in some sort of gas mask. I couldn’t make out its facial features, but I could clearly see the eyes. They glistened in the as a result of the light of the fire. It had the eyes of a deep-sea fish. Those weren’t human-like eyes. These were eyes suited for the darkness.
The thing made its way slowly. Each step clearly calculated. It was taking its sweet time with us. I swallowed hard again, unable to handle the tension in the air. One of the clan’s members rushed towards the creature attempting to stab it, but their weapon didn’t do much. In fact, it didn’t even butch the monster.
One of the nomads grabbed me by the arm and pulled me upwards and behind them as if to show they were going to protect me. I complied, not thinking too hard about it all. Even though in my heart of hearts I knew we were doomed. If a knife couldn’t harm this thing, none of us really had a chance.
The monster grabbed the hand of the one that assaulted it and then punched them so hard across the face that their jaw flew out of place. The monster then cranked the hand it had seized, forcing a disgusting sound out of the mouth of its victim, one that made my insides twist in knots. It forced the poor nomad to their knees, and then the beast just tore their head off. Orange blood sprayed all over and my vision turned blurry as my heartbeat skyrocketed.
The pet of the clan’s members ran up to the monster and bit it by the leg, the monstrosity didn’t even register the bite. There was a flash of light and the beast convulsed and fell down. The furry creature let go of the leg and ran up to its owners. The beast lay there motionless for a few long moments before anyone dared approach its carcass. My head was spinning, and my senses were all over the place. I was sure I’m hallucinating the whole thing and was about to collapse from a heat stroke.
Finally, one of the nomads approached the fallen beast and removed its mask. I stood up and join in with the group to observe the grotesque thing beneath the strange mask. Its head was something draconian, scaly, and thick. It was gray like a stone, and the features were fairly reptilian. Whatever this thing was, it wasn’t human or even remotely close.
Its luminescent green eyes shot open, and the beast pulled itself back up, startling me. Before I could register anything, I felt someone tug at my arm. One of the nomads pulled me out of the cave and dragged me with them towards another cave. I didn’t even notice how the sandstorm ended. The whole commotion in the cave completely blocked me off from the outside world. All the while they were dragging me, I could only focus on the god-awful screaming and shrieking coming out of the cave. These unearthly sounds took over everything, time moved so slowly, I was entirely sure I’m suffering through heatstroke, or worse.
It had already gotten dark outside by the time the nomad shoved me into the other cave. I looked back only to find the nomad being lifted off the ground, their eyes tearing up and a trail of orange blood leaving their mouth.
The beast was right behind me.
The next thing I know, I’m sneezing and coughing again as bits of dust prickled in my chest causing an irritating itching in my rib cage. I rub my face only to realize I am once again being showered by the heat of the sun. My sun. I was back at the cliff on the mountains overlooking the dead sea. I let out a deep sigh of relief. That wasn’t the end of my troubles, however. I stood there soaking in the rays of the sun and feeling good about escaping my worst nightmare. That's when a cold and ever expanding shadow crept up from behind me. Not thinking too hard, I ran down the hillside and back to where I had left my car.
Then I made my way back to route 90 while my heart was pounding as fast as my car was going. I remember staring at the watch and noticing that only half an hour had passed since I’ve made my stop. This didn’t make any sense at all.
Good thing I saw someone driving by me, so I signaled him to stop. I asked the man what was the time, and he asked me how could I not know the time before affirming what my watch was showing. My heart sank as the man sped by. I didn’t even have time to digest the whole thing then as I noticed a massive, inhuman creature make its way, slowly, toward my car.
No idea how it even got this fast to me with its slow strolling, I just cursed and switched gears. A car had flown by me in the opposite direction before I pressed the gas pedal. I saw it slam into the thing in my wing mirror. The draconian creature fell down, but its weight crumpled the front of the incoming vehicle, forcing it into a violent halt.
I sat and stared at my wing mirror. Watching attentively as the beast rose back up to its feet. It stood up and proceeded to pull the bloodied driver out of the car that just hit it. Not wanting to see the ending of that encounter, I sped the hell out of there. Honestly, if I had stayed there another moment, I might’ve suffered a heart attack from the sheer stress.
I didn’t see the bipedal dragon since, but I know it’s out there, somewhere.
Better be careful out there, because dragons do exist and they seem to enjoy killing for sport.

I am researching how the Bible was formed. For Catholics they can point to definitive councils that decided the old and new Testements (council of Rome, hippo, Carthage, 382-419 AD). However I cannot find a definitive date for when the Jewish cannon was closed. Some point to the council of Jamnia, but that has been Historically debunked. Others point to Josephus, but he was of the Pharisee tradition, while Samaritans, Qumran, saducees, essenes, all had different canons. The talmud even contains quotes from the book of sirach. So what is the Jewish consensus on when the 24 books were authoritatively closed for all jews?

Chapter Twelve – Time ‎[of]‎ the end

“With the death of Antiochus Epiphanes the final consummation begins, and in view of the imminence of the end, Michael, the patron angel of the Jews, bestirs himself. The great tribulation now really becomes great in the final spasms of agony of a dying world period, the ‘birth pangs of the Messiah,’ but it ends with the general resurrection, the great separation of the blessed from the damned, and the coming of the kingdom of the saints. Here the vision ends (vss. [verses] 1-4) and seer is bidden to seal the book.
“This was the end of the original apocalypse, but to it have been added three supplements (vss. 5-13): (a) Daniel sees in a vision two angels by the stream. He inquires of them how long it will be until the end, and is told that the tribulation will last three and a half more years… (b) Another calculation of the duration of the abomination makes it 1,290 days. (c) A final calculation makes it 1,335 days. It is possible that vs. [verse] 13 belongs after vs. 4 and was the end of the original book, the supplements having been inserted between vs. 4 and vs. 13.” (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 540-541)

“12:1-3. Magnificent poetic conclusion of the revelation given in chaps. [chapters] 10-11.” (Louis F. Hartman, 1990, p. 419)
-1. ‘“And in time the that will stand MeeYKhah-’ayL ["Who is Like God", Michael], the prince, the great,
the stander upon sons of your people.
And it will be a time [of] distress,
that never was from existence of a nation until the time the that;
and in time the that will escape your people,
all the found written in [the] account.

“One common feature in descriptions of the great tribulation… is the great war when the Gentile nations assemble for a final assault on Jerusalem and its righteous inhabitants (Zech. [Zechariah] 14:2 ff. [and following]; Enoch 90:16; Rev. [Revelation] 16:14; 19:19).…“In the Persian Empire it had been customary to keep a register of citizens, and in the O.T. [Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible] there appears the idea of a register of the members of the theocratic community on earth, from which for cause a name might be blotted out (Exod. [Exodus] 32:32 ff.; Ps. [Psalm] 69:28; Isa. [Isaiah] 4:3;4:3,… Phil. [Philippians] 4:3; Rev. 3:5…). So here the idea is that those who had been faithful, and thus proved that they belonged to the saints of God, had been recorded as members of the new kingdom. Such would have to be delivered from the great tribulation that they might inherit the kingdom. Perhaps we have also here the idea that the names of the faithful in previous generations have likewise been recorded so that they too may share in the blessed life of the coming kingdom.” (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 541-542)

-2. ‘“And multitudes from sleepers of ground of dust will awake [יקיצו, YahQeeYTsOo],
these to lives of world,
and these to reproach, to abhorrence [לדראון, LeDahR’ON] world.

“Here for the first time in the O.T. we have clear mention of a resurrection of the wicked as well as of the righteous. In Hosea and Ezekiel it is a national, not an individual, resurrection that is prominent, and when emphasis comes to fall on individual resurrection, this is limited to righteous Israelites and denied to others, as in Isa. 24-27; Ezek. [Exekiel] 37:11... A germ of the larger idea is sometimes discerned in Isa. 53:10 ff. … Eccl. 3:3:18-22, and some find intimation of it in Pss. [Psalms] 17; 39; 49; 73. It had not yet, however, become explicit. Even in this verse the resurrection is not general, for it is only many who will rise. It is impossible to say with certainty what groups this writer included…
“That death is a sleep in the dust of the earth, where the dead rest in their graves until roused for the resurrection was a common idea (Enoch 91:10…). Sleep as an image for death is familiar from Jer. [Jeremiah] 51:39, 57; John 11:11; Acts 7:60; I Thess. [Thessalonians] 5:10. From the dust men were created and to dust they return, so dust as the dwelling of the departed is used as early as the Mesopotamian epics and is an O.T. image (Ps. 22:29; Job 20:11). Dust of the earth here, is a peculiar expression, ‘soil of dust’ or ‘land of dust,’ which some think means nothing more than the grave, but others take to be a descriptive name for Sheol…
“Following the resurrection come the great separation, familiar to us form the symbolism of dividing the sheep from the goats or the companions of the right hand from those of the left (Matt. [Matthew] 25:32-33)… Those who rise face the record of their deeds (7:10; cf. Rev. 20:12…). That is the basis on which they will be separated…
“From the separation they go on to their reward. Some to everlasting life, but some to shame and everlasting contempt. Everlasting life occurs only here in the O.T. A somewhat similar expression is used in Ps. 133:3, but there it seems to mean only the perpetual existence of Israel (cf. Ecclus. [Ecclisasticus] 37:25…). It is, however, a common enough expression in apocalyptic (Pss. Sol. [Psalms of Solomon] 3:16… IV Macc. [Maccabees] 14:5…), whence it came into the rabbinical writings (c.f. Targ. [Targum, ancient Jewish commentary] to Lev. [Leviticus] 18:5…).
“Everlasting: Without any ending since the kingdom promised to the saints in 2:44; 7:14, 27 was unending (cf. Rev. 11:15; 22:5). Shame: Lit., ‘reproaches,’… Some think the word was not part of the original but is a gloss explanatory of contempt, which is lit., ‘aversion,’ ‘abhorrence.’ These words say nothing of the actual punishment of the wicked but suggest it. The wicked enter a mode of existence that makes them a byword to the dwellers in the kingdom…: (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 542-543)

-3. ‘“And the schooled will shine [יזהרו, YaZHeeROo] as shines the firmament [הרקיע, HahRahQeeY`ah],
and makers righteous the multitudes as stars to world and perpetuity [ועד, Vah`ehD].

“When those who inherit the kingdom enter into their inheritance all receive their reward, but there are certain groups who are remarkable even in this state of bliss. Two such groups are mentioned here. The first is that of the wise who in 11:33, 35 were called leaders among the faithful. And then they were distinguished among their fellows, so in the kingdom they will be distinguished by their brightness… in Matt. 13:43… we have this nothing of the blessed as luminaries, an idea possibly derived from contemporary astral theology. In this verse they only shine like the stars, but the expression may have come from the same source.
“The second group is that of ‘the justifiers of the many.’ The many apparently means the multitude of common people (Esth. [Esther] 4:3…)… those who turn many to righteousness by their precept and example. They too are to shine brightly like the stars (Wisd. Sol. [Wisdom of Solomon] 3:7…).” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 543)

-4. ‘“And you, DahNeeYay’L, shut [סתם, ÇThoM] the words and seal [וחתם, VeHahThoM] the account until time [of] end.
Will shuttle [ישטטו, YeShoTeTOo] multitudes, and will multiply the knowledge.”’”

“This suggests an author who has been writing an account, not a seer who has been seeing a vision… This book … is apocalyptic, and its writer is very conscious of the written form. In 7:1 there is a reference to the writing of visions. The writer’s literary framework is the court at Babylon, and there must be an explanation somewhere why these matters revealed there were not known to earlier generations. The explanation is that they were written down and sealed up until the time of the end drew near, when they were to be made available to the faithful that they might understand the significance of the events amid which they were living (cf. … Rev. 22:10).…
“Until the time of end refers to the framework of the book. Daniel is in the court at Babylon at the beginning of the Persian period. The visions concern the period of Antiochus Epiphanes, the ‘time of the end’ of 8:19, 26; 11:35… In Rev. 22:10 the seer is admonished not to seal up the vision, for the time was already at hand. It is not unusual to read that apocryphal books are to be concealed in some secret place until an appropriate time (II Esdras 12:37; Assumption of Moses 1:17-18).
"Many shall run to and fro: Shūṭ is ‘to rove,’ ‘to move about,’ and shôṭēṭ is used in Amos 8:12; Jer. 5:1; Zech. 4:10; II Chr. 16:9 in the sense of rapid movement to and fro, which suggests that we should translate here in that sense. But what would that mean? … Montgomery translates, ‘many shall run to and fro that knowledge may increase,’ thinking that the writer is alluding to Amos 8:12, a passage which pictures men rushing about trying to find the word of Yahweh but finding it not… Bentzen compares II Thess. 2:10-12.” (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 543-545) ‎“

‎“

“EPILOGUE (12:5-13) ‎“

“Some regard these verses as a later addition from another hand… Some regard the verses not as a supplement as an integral part of the whole passage.” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 545) ‎“

-5. “And I saw, I, DahNeeYay’L, and behold two others standing,
one, behold, to lip of the river [היאר, HahYe’oR],
and one, behold, to lip of the river. ‎“

“The two others must be two angels other than the angel of 10:5, who has been telling Daniel about the vision. The reason for there being two is the oath in vs. 7, since for any such oath two witnesses were necessary (Deut. [Deuteronomy] 19:15). … Apparently the two stood on either bank of the river, which must be the same as that in 10:4, the stream beside which the seer was when the vision came. Here, however, it is not the usual word for river, which was used in 10:4, but יאר [Ye‘oR], which in the O.T. usually means the Nile. It is used in Isa. 33:21, however, for watercourses (cf. ["compare with"] Job 28:10), and in later Hebrew is a general word for river.” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 545) ‎“

-6. “And he said to [the] man wearing the linens,
that was from upon to waters of the river,
‘Until when end the wonders?’

“The word is addressed to the angel who has all along been speaking to Daniel. This is evident from the facts that his white clothes (cf. 10:5) are mentioned and that as in 8:16 he stands somewhere above the stream. ‎“
“… Pelā’ôth, wonders, ‘marvels’ … The Niphal participle¹ was used in 11:36 of the boastings of Antiochus (cf. 8:24). The reference here is to the wondrous events which have been foreshadowed in the vision…” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 545) ‎“

-7. “And I heard [את, ’ehTh, indicator of direct object, no English equivalent] the man wearing the linens, that is from upon to waters of the river,
and he raised his right and his left unto the skies,
and swore in lives of the world that [כי, KeeY],
‘To season [of] seasons and half,
and as completes shattering [נפץ, NahPayTs] [the] hand [of] people holy,
will be completed all these.’

“It is an angel who swears in Rev. 10:5-6, where the oath is also ‘by him who lives for ever’ (cf. the formula in Judg. [Judges] 8:19; Deut. 32:40).
“‘A time, times and a half’ would mean three and a half years (7:25; 8:14). There is no clear indication as to the date from which the three and a half years are to be reckoned. The calculation in vs. 11 begins at December, 167 B.C., when the daily sacrifice was suppressed, and it may be that this is the case here, though some think the writer is calculating from the mission of Apollonius in 168.
“The conclusion of the verse is a puzzle… The verb nāphaç means ‘to disperse,’ as in Isa. 11:12. Its usual meaning is ‘to dash to pieces,’ and some think that it refers to the persecutions under Antiochus… Yadh, ‘a hand,’ meaning power, is a common idiom (Num. [Numbers] 31:49; Josh. [Joshua] Sam. [Samuel] (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 545-546)

-8. “And I heard, and did not understand, and I said,
‘Lord, what is after these?’

“’Aḥarȋth is ‘latter end’…” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 546)

-9. “And he said,
‘Go, DahNeeYay’L, for shut and sealed are the words until time end.
-10. Will be purified [יתבררו, YeeThBahRahROo] and whitened [ויתלבנו, VeYeeThLahBeNOo] and refined [ויצרפו, VeYeeTsahRPhOo] multitudes;
and will be wicked, the wicked, and not understand, all [the] wicked;
and the schooled will understand.’

“Wise in this sense of understanding the ways of God occurs in II Chr. 30:22; Prov. 15:24; Amos 5:13. In II Esdras 14:46 the reserved revelations are to be delivered ‘to the wise among the people.’” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 547)

“11-12. Here are two fresh calculations of the date of the end.

“There may be doubt as to whether vss. are interpolations, but vss. 11-12 certainly are. Since Gunkel’s work in 1895 it has been generally accepted that they are two successive glosses intended to prolong the term of 1,150 days given in 8:14 as the time which is to elapse from the abolition of the daily sacrifice until the cleansing of the sanctuary. Apparently the 1,150 days had passed, and what had been expected had not happened, so vs. 11 prolongs the period to 1,290 days, and vs. 12 to 1,225 days.” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 547)

-11. ‘“And from [the] time [of] taking away [הוסר, HOoÇahR] the Always,
and to giving Abomination of Desolation,
days a thousand two hundred and ninety.

“The abomination that maketh desolate set up] I believe, with Bp. [Bishop] Newton that this is a proverbial phrase; and may be applied to any thing substituted in the place of, or set up in opposition to, the ordinances of God, His worship, His truth, &c. Adrian’s temple, built in the place of God’s Temple at Jerusalem, the church of St. Sophia turned into a Mohammedan mosque, &c, &c, may be termed abominations that make desolate. Perhaps Mohammedanism may be the abomination; which sprang up A.D. 612. If we reckon one thousand two hundred and ninety years, ver. 11, from that time, it will bring us down to A.D. 1902, when we might presume, from this calculation that the religion of the FALSE PROPHET will cease to prevail in the world. Which, from the present year 1825, is distant only seventy-seven years.” (Adam Clarke, 1831, pp. 354-355)

-12. “Fortunate the waiter and arrives to days thousand three hundred thirty and five.

“…all these conjectures may be founded in darkness. We have not chronological data; and the times and season God has reserved in His own power. (Adam Clarke, 1831, p. 355)

-13. And you, go to [the] end and rest, and stand to your lot, to [the] end of the days.”

“…the end is eschatological. The seer is being told to go his way, the way all flesh will go until the end comes…
“Rest is generally taken to mean rest in the grave, as in Isa. 57:2, or in Sheol, as in Job 3:17…
“… he is being assured that when the last days merge into the coming kingdom he will have his allotted place or portion therein.” (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 548-549)
The end of the Masoretic Text

“At the end of Jerome’s Lat [Latin] translation of the Hebr [Hebrew] Aram [Aramaic] book of Daniel, the Vg [Vulgate - The authorized Latin version] has three other stories about Daniel from the Gk [Greek] text called ‘Theodotion-Daniel’… The type of Greek used in these stories shows that their original language was Semitic, either Hebrew or Aramaic.
“All three stories are haggadic folktales, like the stories in the first half of the book (chaps. 1-6). Fragments for a ‘Daniel Cycle’ found at Qumran indicate that all these stories are but a small part of numerous folktales about a legendary Daniel that circulated among the Jews of the last pre-Christian centuries.” (Louis F. Hartman, 1990, p. 419)

FOOTNOTES
¹ The Niphal [passive or reflective] Participle is formed with the Niphal prefix (נ), the verbal stem, and the inflectional endings that are the same as the Qal Participle. - http://www.becomingjewish.org/pdf/niphal_stem-hebrew.pdf
Bibliography
Adam Clarke, L. F. (1831). The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testament... with Commentary and Critical Notes (first ed., Vols. IV Jer - Mal). New York: J. Emory and B. Waugh.
Jeffery, A. (1956). The Interpreters' Bible, The Holy Scriptures in the King James and Revised Standard Versions with general articles and Introduction, Exegesis, exposition for each book of the Bible. In W. R. George Arthur Buttrick (Ed.). Nashville, Tennessee, USA: Abingdon Press.

Kennedy, G. (1956). The Book of Daniel, exposition. In B. S. Buttrick (Ed.), The Interpreters' Bible (Vols. VI, Lam-Mal, p. 1144). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Louis F. Hartman, C. &. (1990). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. In S. J. Raymond E. Brown (Ed.). Englewood Cliffs,, New Jersey, USA: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

STUDY AIDS

ספר הבריתות, תורה נביאים כתובים והברית החדשה [ÇehPhehR HahBReeYThOTh, ThORaH NehBeeY’eeYM KeThOoBeeYM VeHahBReeYTh HeHahDahShaH – The Book of the Covenants: Law, Prophets, Writings, and the New Covenant] The Bible Society in Israel, Jerusalem, Israel, 1991 Will survive anything short of untrained puppies, but the back is broken now. Easy to read “Arial” type font. A gift from Joy; the one I read and annotate.
Compendious Hebrew-English Dictionary, Comprising a Complete Vocabulary of biblical, Mishnaic, Medieval and Modern Hebrew, complied by Reuben Avinoam (Grossmann) in collaboration with H. Sachs, revised and edited by M. H. Segal, The Dvir Publishing Co. Tel-Aviv, 1950. Part of a three volume set (the other volumes being English-Hebrew and a supplement). A hand me down from dad. It used to be my first recourse when the pocket dictionary fails me; nowadays I just go directly to it.
The New Bantam-Megiddo Hebrew & English Dictionary, by Dr. Reuven Sivan and Dr. Edward A. Levenston, New York, 1975. The pocket dictionary. I had misunderstood my brother to say that he got through seminary Hebrew with just this (plus his fluency). I update it from the other dictionaries. Its pages have fallen away from the glue that bound them. I’ve only lost one page so far; this is my third copy. Still useful for translating the modern Hebrew translation of the Aramaic portions of Daniel.
A Hebrew - English Bible According to the Masoretic Text and the JPS, 1917 Edition, © 2005 all rights reserved to Mechon Mamre for this HTML version. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/
The Comprehensive Concordance of the Bible: Together With Dictionaries of the Hebrew and Greek Words of the Original, With References to the English, by James Strong, Mendenhall Sales, Inc. Also a gift (or appropriation) from my parents. Also essential, although, according to Lenore Lindsey Mulligan, the current standard reference in English is the third edition of Koehler and Baumgartner's Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Excellent binding. A most curious introduction. Lacks perfection; when the number is wrong, you’re really stuck. There is one word in II Chronicles for which I never did find a definition.

The Interlinear Bible, Hebrew, Greek, English, With Strong’s Concordance Numbers Above Each Word, Jay. Green, Sr., Hendrickson Publishers. A gift from my parents. Essential, but even the pocket dictionary has a better binding.
The Biblical Learning Center - https://www.facebook.com/groups/15363590319/
an excellent on-line resource
for other posts, see: An Amateur's Journey Through the Bible

Chapter Twelve – Time ‎[of]‎ the end

“With the death of Antiochus Epiphanes the final consummation begins, and in view of the imminence of the end, Michael, the patron angel of the Jews, bestirs himself. The great tribulation now really becomes great in the final spasms of agony of a dying world period, the ‘birth pangs of the Messiah,’ but it ends with the general resurrection, the great separation of the blessed from the damned, and the coming of the kingdom of the saints. Here the vision ends (vss. [verses] 1-4) and seer is bidden to seal the book.
“This was the end of the original apocalypse, but to it have been added three supplements (vss. 5-13): (a) Daniel sees in a vision two angels by the stream. He inquires of them how long it will be until the end, and is told that the tribulation will last three and a half more years… (b) Another calculation of the duration of the abomination makes it 1,290 days. (c) A final calculation makes it 1,335 days. It is possible that vs. [verse] 13 belongs after vs. 4 and was the end of the original book, the supplements having been inserted between vs. 4 and vs. 13.” (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 540-541)

“12:1-3. Magnificent poetic conclusion of the revelation given in chaps. [chapters] 10-11.” (Louis F. Hartman, 1990, p. 419)
-1. ‘“And in time the that will stand MeeYKhah-’ayL ["Who is Like God", Michael], the prince, the great,
the stander upon sons of your people.
And it will be a time [of] distress,
that never was from existence of a nation until the time the that;
and in time the that will escape your people,
all the found written in [the] account.

“One common feature in descriptions of the great tribulation… is the great war when the Gentile nations assemble for a final assault on Jerusalem and its righteous inhabitants (Zech. [Zechariah] 14:2 ff. [and following]; Enoch 90:16; Rev. [Revelation] 16:14; 19:19).…“In the Persian Empire it had been customary to keep a register of citizens, and in the O.T. [Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible] there appears the idea of a register of the members of the theocratic community on earth, from which for cause a name might be blotted out (Exod. [Exodus] 32:32 ff.; Ps. [Psalm] 69:28; Isa. [Isaiah] 4:3;4:3,… Phil. [Philippians] 4:3; Rev. 3:5…). So here the idea is that those who had been faithful, and thus proved that they belonged to the saints of God, had been recorded as members of the new kingdom. Such would have to be delivered from the great tribulation that they might inherit the kingdom. Perhaps we have also here the idea that the names of the faithful in previous generations have likewise been recorded so that they too may share in the blessed life of the coming kingdom.” (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 541-542)

-2. ‘“And multitudes from sleepers of ground of dust will awake [יקיצו, YahQeeYTsOo],
these to lives of world,
and these to reproach, to abhorrence [לדראון, LeDahR’ON] world.

“Here for the first time in the O.T. we have clear mention of a resurrection of the wicked as well as of the righteous. In Hosea and Ezekiel it is a national, not an individual, resurrection that is prominent, and when emphasis comes to fall on individual resurrection, this is limited to righteous Israelites and denied to others, as in Isa. 24-27; Ezek. [Exekiel] 37:11... A germ of the larger idea is sometimes discerned in Isa. 53:10 ff. … Eccl. 3:3:18-22, and some find intimation of it in Pss. [Psalms] 17; 39; 49; 73. It had not yet, however, become explicit. Even in this verse the resurrection is not general, for it is only many who will rise. It is impossible to say with certainty what groups this writer included…
“That death is a sleep in the dust of the earth, where the dead rest in their graves until roused for the resurrection was a common idea (Enoch 91:10…). Sleep as an image for death is familiar from Jer. [Jeremiah] 51:39, 57; John 11:11; Acts 7:60; I Thess. [Thessalonians] 5:10. From the dust men were created and to dust they return, so dust as the dwelling of the departed is used as early as the Mesopotamian epics and is an O.T. image (Ps. 22:29; Job 20:11). Dust of the earth here, is a peculiar expression, ‘soil of dust’ or ‘land of dust,’ which some think means nothing more than the grave, but others take to be a descriptive name for Sheol…
“Following the resurrection come the great separation, familiar to us form the symbolism of dividing the sheep from the goats or the companions of the right hand from those of the left (Matt. [Matthew] 25:32-33)… Those who rise face the record of their deeds (7:10; cf. Rev. 20:12…). That is the basis on which they will be separated…
“From the separation they go on to their reward. Some to everlasting life, but some to shame and everlasting contempt. Everlasting life occurs only here in the O.T. A somewhat similar expression is used in Ps. 133:3, but there it seems to mean only the perpetual existence of Israel (cf. Ecclus. [Ecclisasticus] 37:25…). It is, however, a common enough expression in apocalyptic (Pss. Sol. [Psalms of Solomon] 3:16… IV Macc. [Maccabees] 14:5…), whence it came into the rabbinical writings (c.f. Targ. [Targum, ancient Jewish commentary] to Lev. [Leviticus] 18:5…).
“Everlasting: Without any ending since the kingdom promised to the saints in 2:44; 7:14, 27 was unending (cf. Rev. 11:15; 22:5). Shame: Lit., ‘reproaches,’… Some think the word was not part of the original but is a gloss explanatory of contempt, which is lit., ‘aversion,’ ‘abhorrence.’ These words say nothing of the actual punishment of the wicked but suggest it. The wicked enter a mode of existence that makes them a byword to the dwellers in the kingdom…: (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 542-543)

-3. ‘“And the schooled will shine [יזהרו, YaZHeeROo] as shines the firmament [הרקיע, HahRahQeeY`ah],
and makers righteous the multitudes as stars to world and perpetuity [ועד, Vah`ehD].

“When those who inherit the kingdom enter into their inheritance all receive their reward, but there are certain groups who are remarkable even in this state of bliss. Two such groups are mentioned here. The first is that of the wise who in 11:33, 35 were called leaders among the faithful. And then they were distinguished among their fellows, so in the kingdom they will be distinguished by their brightness… in Matt. 13:43… we have this nothing of the blessed as luminaries, an idea possibly derived from contemporary astral theology. In this verse they only shine like the stars, but the expression may have come from the same source.
“The second group is that of ‘the justifiers of the many.’ The many apparently means the multitude of common people (Esth. [Esther] 4:3…)… those who turn many to righteousness by their precept and example. They too are to shine brightly like the stars (Wisd. Sol. [Wisdom of Solomon] 3:7…).” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 543)

-4. ‘“And you, DahNeeYay’L, shut [סתם, ÇThoM] the words and seal [וחתם, VeHahThoM] the account until time [of] end.
Will shuttle [ישטטו, YeShoTeTOo] multitudes, and will multiply the knowledge.”’”

“This suggests an author who has been writing an account, not a seer who has been seeing a vision… This book … is apocalyptic, and its writer is very conscious of the written form. In 7:1 there is a reference to the writing of visions. The writer’s literary framework is the court at Babylon, and there must be an explanation somewhere why these matters revealed there were not known to earlier generations. The explanation is that they were written down and sealed up until the time of the end drew near, when they were to be made available to the faithful that they might understand the significance of the events amid which they were living (cf. … Rev. 22:10).…
“Until the time of end refers to the framework of the book. Daniel is in the court at Babylon at the beginning of the Persian period. The visions concern the period of Antiochus Epiphanes, the ‘time of the end’ of 8:19, 26; 11:35… In Rev. 22:10 the seer is admonished not to seal up the vision, for the time was already at hand. It is not unusual to read that apocryphal books are to be concealed in some secret place until an appropriate time (II Esdras 12:37; Assumption of Moses 1:17-18).
"Many shall run to and fro: Shūṭ is ‘to rove,’ ‘to move about,’ and shôṭēṭ is used in Amos 8:12; Jer. 5:1; Zech. 4:10; II Chr. 16:9 in the sense of rapid movement to and fro, which suggests that we should translate here in that sense. But what would that mean? … Montgomery translates, ‘many shall run to and fro that knowledge may increase,’ thinking that the writer is alluding to Amos 8:12, a passage which pictures men rushing about trying to find the word of Yahweh but finding it not… Bentzen compares II Thess. 2:10-12.” (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 543-545) ‎“

‎“

“EPILOGUE (12:5-13) ‎“

“Some regard these verses as a later addition from another hand… Some regard the verses not as a supplement as an integral part of the whole passage.” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 545) ‎“

-5. “And I saw, I, DahNeeYay’L, and behold two others standing,
one, behold, to lip of the river [היאר, HahYe’oR],
and one, behold, to lip of the river. ‎“

“The two others must be two angels other than the angel of 10:5, who has been telling Daniel about the vision. The reason for there being two is the oath in vs. 7, since for any such oath two witnesses were necessary (Deut. [Deuteronomy] 19:15). … Apparently the two stood on either bank of the river, which must be the same as that in 10:4, the stream beside which the seer was when the vision came. Here, however, it is not the usual word for river, which was used in 10:4, but יאר [Ye‘oR], which in the O.T. usually means the Nile. It is used in Isa. 33:21, however, for watercourses (cf. ["compare with"] Job 28:10), and in later Hebrew is a general word for river.” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 545) ‎“

-6. “And he said to [the] man wearing the linens,
that was from upon to waters of the river,
‘Until when end the wonders?’

“The word is addressed to the angel who has all along been speaking to Daniel. This is evident from the facts that his white clothes (cf. 10:5) are mentioned and that as in 8:16 he stands somewhere above the stream. ‎“
“… Pelā’ôth, wonders, ‘marvels’ … The Niphal participle¹ was used in 11:36 of the boastings of Antiochus (cf. 8:24). The reference here is to the wondrous events which have been foreshadowed in the vision…” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 545) ‎“

-7. “And I heard [את, ’ehTh, indicator of direct object, no English equivalent] the man wearing the linens, that is from upon to waters of the river,
and he raised his right and his left unto the skies,
and swore in lives of the world that [כי, KeeY],
‘To season [of] seasons and half,
and as completes shattering [נפץ, NahPayTs] [the] hand [of] people holy,
will be completed all these.’

“It is an angel who swears in Rev. 10:5-6, where the oath is also ‘by him who lives for ever’ (cf. the formula in Judg. [Judges] 8:19; Deut. 32:40).
“‘A time, times and a half’ would mean three and a half years (7:25; 8:14). There is no clear indication as to the date from which the three and a half years are to be reckoned. The calculation in vs. 11 begins at December, 167 B.C., when the daily sacrifice was suppressed, and it may be that this is the case here, though some think the writer is calculating from the mission of Apollonius in 168.
“The conclusion of the verse is a puzzle… The verb nāphaç means ‘to disperse,’ as in Isa. 11:12. Its usual meaning is ‘to dash to pieces,’ and some think that it refers to the persecutions under Antiochus… Yadh, ‘a hand,’ meaning power, is a common idiom (Num. [Numbers] 31:49; Josh. [Joshua] Sam. [Samuel] (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 545-546)

-8. “And I heard, and did not understand, and I said,
‘Lord, what is after these?’

“’Aḥarȋth is ‘latter end’…” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 546)

-9. “And he said,
‘Go, DahNeeYay’L, for shut and sealed are the words until time end.
-10. Will be purified [יתבררו, YeeThBahRahROo] and whitened [ויתלבנו, VeYeeThLahBeNOo] and refined [ויצרפו, VeYeeTsahRPhOo] multitudes;
and will be wicked, the wicked, and not understand, all [the] wicked;
and the schooled will understand.’

“Wise in this sense of understanding the ways of God occurs in II Chr. 30:22; Prov. 15:24; Amos 5:13. In II Esdras 14:46 the reserved revelations are to be delivered ‘to the wise among the people.’” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 547)

“11-12. Here are two fresh calculations of the date of the end.

“There may be doubt as to whether vss. are interpolations, but vss. 11-12 certainly are. Since Gunkel’s work in 1895 it has been generally accepted that they are two successive glosses intended to prolong the term of 1,150 days given in 8:14 as the time which is to elapse from the abolition of the daily sacrifice until the cleansing of the sanctuary. Apparently the 1,150 days had passed, and what had been expected had not happened, so vs. 11 prolongs the period to 1,290 days, and vs. 12 to 1,225 days.” (Jeffery, 1956, p. VI 547)

-11. ‘“And from [the] time [of] taking away [הוסר, HOoÇahR] the Always,
and to giving Abomination of Desolation,
days a thousand two hundred and ninety.

“The abomination that maketh desolate set up] I believe, with Bp. [Bishop] Newton that this is a proverbial phrase; and may be applied to any thing substituted in the place of, or set up in opposition to, the ordinances of God, His worship, His truth, &c. Adrian’s temple, built in the place of God’s Temple at Jerusalem, the church of St. Sophia turned into a Mohammedan mosque, &c, &c, may be termed abominations that make desolate. Perhaps Mohammedanism may be the abomination; which sprang up A.D. 612. If we reckon one thousand two hundred and ninety years, ver. 11, from that time, it will bring us down to A.D. 1902, when we might presume, from this calculation that the religion of the FALSE PROPHET will cease to prevail in the world. Which, from the present year 1825, is distant only seventy-seven years.” (Adam Clarke, 1831, pp. 354-355)

-12. “Fortunate the waiter and arrives to days thousand three hundred thirty and five.

“…all these conjectures may be founded in darkness. We have not chronological data; and the times and season God has reserved in His own power. (Adam Clarke, 1831, p. 355)

-13. And you, go to [the] end and rest, and stand to your lot, to [the] end of the days.”

“…the end is eschatological. The seer is being told to go his way, the way all flesh will go until the end comes…
“Rest is generally taken to mean rest in the grave, as in Isa. 57:2, or in Sheol, as in Job 3:17…
“… he is being assured that when the last days merge into the coming kingdom he will have his allotted place or portion therein.” (Jeffery, 1956, pp. VI 548-549)
The end of the Masoretic Text

“At the end of Jerome’s Lat [Latin] translation of the Hebr [Hebrew] Aram [Aramaic] book of Daniel, the Vg [Vulgate - The authorized Latin version] has three other stories about Daniel from the Gk [Greek] text called ‘Theodotion-Daniel’… The type of Greek used in these stories shows that their original language was Semitic, either Hebrew or Aramaic.
“All three stories are haggadic folktales, like the stories in the first half of the book (chaps. 1-6). Fragments for a ‘Daniel Cycle’ found at Qumran indicate that all these stories are but a small part of numerous folktales about a legendary Daniel that circulated among the Jews of the last pre-Christian centuries.” (Louis F. Hartman, 1990, p. 419)

FOOTNOTES
¹ The Niphal [passive or reflective] Participle is formed with the Niphal prefix (נ), the verbal stem, and the inflectional endings that are the same as the Qal Participle. - http://www.becomingjewish.org/pdf/niphal_stem-hebrew.pdf
Bibliography
Adam Clarke, L. F. (1831). The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testament... with Commentary and Critical Notes (first ed., Vols. IV Jer - Mal). New York: J. Emory and B. Waugh.
Jeffery, A. (1956). The Interpreters' Bible, The Holy Scriptures in the King James and Revised Standard Versions with general articles and Introduction, Exegesis, exposition for each book of the Bible. In W. R. George Arthur Buttrick (Ed.). Nashville, Tennessee, USA: Abingdon Press.

Kennedy, G. (1956). The Book of Daniel, exposition. In B. S. Buttrick (Ed.), The Interpreters' Bible (Vols. VI, Lam-Mal, p. 1144). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Louis F. Hartman, C. &. (1990). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. In S. J. Raymond E. Brown (Ed.). Englewood Cliffs,, New Jersey, USA: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

STUDY AIDS

ספר הבריתות, תורה נביאים כתובים והברית החדשה [ÇehPhehR HahBReeYThOTh, ThORaH NehBeeY’eeYM KeThOoBeeYM VeHahBReeYTh HeHahDahShaH – The Book of the Covenants: Law, Prophets, Writings, and the New Covenant] The Bible Society in Israel, Jerusalem, Israel, 1991 Will survive anything short of untrained puppies, but the back is broken now. Easy to read “Arial” type font. A gift from Joy; the one I read and annotate.
Compendious Hebrew-English Dictionary, Comprising a Complete Vocabulary of biblical, Mishnaic, Medieval and Modern Hebrew, complied by Reuben Avinoam (Grossmann) in collaboration with H. Sachs, revised and edited by M. H. Segal, The Dvir Publishing Co. Tel-Aviv, 1950. Part of a three volume set (the other volumes being English-Hebrew and a supplement). A hand me down from dad. It used to be my first recourse when the pocket dictionary fails me; nowadays I just go directly to it.
The New Bantam-Megiddo Hebrew & English Dictionary, by Dr. Reuven Sivan and Dr. Edward A. Levenston, New York, 1975. The pocket dictionary. I had misunderstood my brother to say that he got through seminary Hebrew with just this (plus his fluency). I update it from the other dictionaries. Its pages have fallen away from the glue that bound them. I’ve only lost one page so far; this is my third copy. Still useful for translating the modern Hebrew translation of the Aramaic portions of Daniel.
A Hebrew - English Bible According to the Masoretic Text and the JPS, 1917 Edition, © 2005 all rights reserved to Mechon Mamre for this HTML version. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/
The Comprehensive Concordance of the Bible: Together With Dictionaries of the Hebrew and Greek Words of the Original, With References to the English, by James Strong, Mendenhall Sales, Inc. Also a gift (or appropriation) from my parents. Also essential, although, according to Lenore Lindsey Mulligan, the current standard reference in English is the third edition of Koehler and Baumgartner's Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Excellent binding. A most curious introduction. Lacks perfection; when the number is wrong, you’re really stuck. There is one word in II Chronicles for which I never did find a definition.

The Interlinear Bible, Hebrew, Greek, English, With Strong’s Concordance Numbers Above Each Word, Jay. Green, Sr., Hendrickson Publishers. A gift from my parents. Essential, but even the pocket dictionary has a better binding.
The Biblical Learning Center - https://www.facebook.com/groups/15363590319/
an excellent on-line resource
for other posts, see: An Amateur's Journey Through the Bible

I am a bot! Please send NotListeningItsABook a private message with any comments or feedback on how I work.
EDIT: As of Wed Feb 26 11:00:42 UTC 2020, the post is at [22pts|20c]

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Submission	CULT
Comments	CULT
Author	Tchalla144
Subreddit	/Bible
Posted On	Mon Feb 24 11:05:22 UTC 2020
Score	22	as of Wed Feb 26 11:00:42 UTC 2020
Total Comments	47

Post Body:

Why are some Christians so quick to call other Christians cult when they can't even biblically explain why they are a cult and they themselves are not? What is the standard of Cult and not a Cult?
Things i hear as a Christian from other Christians is heartbreaking and sometimes i wonder if we say Love is at the core of our beliefs why do we selectively use such harsh words 😔😔😔

Related Comments (20):

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Author	username-K
Posted On	Wed Feb 26 03:48:36 UTC 2020
Score	1	as of Wed Feb 26 11:00:39 UTC 2020
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Well I don't know how I can elaborate on something I didn't talk about. I know you guys like switching subjects.
Not all cults are christian, not all cults are even religious.
This is going to sound like a dig, but it's actually a serious question, those are some awful big words for a JW. Does your elder know you are here using those words?
Also, I can go rounds with textual criticism, exegesis and hermetics with JWs all day. But not here and not today. The heart of the OP is not battling JW theology. It was a question about identifying cults. If you want to rip into that stuff, i'd be happy to do it in another time and place more specifically for that.

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Author	Ayiti79
Posted On	Tue Feb 25 21:36:09 UTC 2020
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So what you are saying is that what Jesus had entrusted the Christian Congregation regarding binding and loosening is cultish and or cult like warning? Biblical, excommunication in practice early on in the first century.
Likewise, I heard and had seen and have spoken. Reasons why I mentioned before in varies. As in toxic, can you elaborate?
Being part of the world means to take up a political standpoint by means of taking sides, hence in this case, we are no part of the world in this aspect because we are neutral. We know that only God can solve the world's biggest problems such as death, sickness and ending wars. We are no part of the world when we ignore and avoid brazen conduct and activities that today's society deems normal, for example, gay marriage in a Christian Congregation. Of course, we do not accept or partake in such things, hence at being part of the world that accepts such with open arms. The list goes on. In this case, with the examples posed, choosing not to participate in such things doesn't deem someone as cultish, as with what it means to not be part of the world. We, as with others are often bullied or attack for it, but we rather side with God in terms of such principles instead of accepted ideologies of the world.
Further isolation? Can you elaborate on this more? If anything, an example of total isolation is an actual cult known as the followers of Christ, who not just believe Jesus to be a woman, but kidnap and or force members for their cause. As for Cults, again, small groups, and they are not the types to expose themselves to a great degree. Another example is Vissarion, who believes he is the Christ, and has literally isolated people in a small town in Sybria.
Also, I don't mean to test you, but 4 times I alluded to marginal Scriptural points, of which you deemed cultish. Out of curiosity, do you deem even what Jesus had said to be cultish, if not, most of what he said?
For, even outside of Jehovah's Witnesses, several points made are absolute, but then again, no one has made an effort to delve into it, let alone Hermenutics of anything said in Scripture.

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Author	Sinner72
Posted On	Mon Feb 24 20:02:50 UTC 2020
Score	1	as of Wed Feb 26 11:00:42 UTC 2020
Conversation Size	26
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True for for the other two languages
Groves, Asherah, Tammuz... all of the religions of the Table of Nations that Israel become involved with is the reason for God scattering them across the world, for them being trodden under foot by various kingdoms of the Gentiles. God (Yahweh) said Israel had played the harlot for becoming involved in those systems of idolatry.
Jeremiah 3:6 (KJV) The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen [that] which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot These religions were not Yahweh’s wife.
No I’m not a JW, I believe much like the Puritans did when they arrived in America... when Christ Mass was outlawed.

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Author	abner25
Posted On	Mon Feb 24 23:07:43 UTC 2020
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What about verses in the Bible where Jesus is indirectly called God? Look at Isaiah 9:6 for example, and Mark 5:19-20, among so many others. It's verses that Jehovah Witnesses delete or change and makes us wonder why. What is the possibility that references to Jesus as God gets "mistranslated" every single time? As opposed to a plethora of verses in the bible that have really big "accuracy issues" that aren't heavily debated or looked at by JWs like the validity of the Psalms, or which apostle wrote Revelation, or if Moses really wrote Job, or conversations around Mary Magdalene, or Jesus half siblings and Salome etc. However with JWs everything about the Godhead--regardless of whether that specific verse had more validity than any other--gets expunged. It's the same concept that the Pharisees back then and Jews today do with Jesus being Messiah. Whole verses and even chapters get omitted and are not even taught in Yeshiva, even the ones in the Tanakh.

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Author	username-K
Posted On	Wed Feb 26 03:28:07 UTC 2020
Score	1	as of Wed Feb 26 11:00:42 UTC 2020
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Well I hate to tell you this, but Jehovah's witnesses score extremely high on every standard. Even on the BITE model which has absolutely nothing to do with religious doctrines. That's one of the reason's it's popular. And as someone that has studied many cults with JWs probably being in my top 5 of study, some of your statements contradict what is "allowed" in your organization from what I have researched and experienced, much of which is there own materials.

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Author	arachnophilia
Posted On	Tue Feb 25 15:23:49 UTC 2020
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JW's are a branch of an apocalyptic cult that failed to predict the second coming...

christianity is too.

Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Mat 16:28)

in the oldest form of christianity, jesus's resurrection was supposed to herald the resurrection of all the righteous dead -- bringing the end times quickly afterwards.

except the JW's believe it actually happened. They just think Jesus is invisible.

if you ask most christians, they will come up with all kinds of rationalizations for why christianity persisted after it became clear that jesus hadn't returned soon.

This goes against the words of Jesus himself and other scripture which proves they do not follow scripture.

i don't think i've ever met a christian that followed scripture entirely. you can't. it contradicts itself. everyone picks and chooses. some more than others, and some more honestly than others. from all of the various sects i've talked to, JWs in general have a better grasp of what scripture actually means in its historical contexts. though obviously that's not without problems, like the whole 144,000 thing.

Sola-scriptura is not a tradition, it's a necessity.

no, it's a tradition. and it's a not very well thought out one, at that. how do you think religious texts come to be? they do not fall out of the sky in modern english. they're not hand delivered to the church by winged messengers from heaven.
people write them based on tradition, people collect them, people construct the critical manuscripts, people translate them, and people tell you what they mean. all sola scriptura does is deny that this is going on. it doesn't prevent it from going on -- the pastor's still up on the pulpit telling you what to think about the bible. if anything, he's just doing it with less information at his disposal, and less education. but you cannot remove tradition from this equation.

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Author	Iceman_001
Posted On	Mon Feb 24 16:15:44 UTC 2020
Score	7	as of Wed Feb 26 11:00:42 UTC 2020
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https://apostles-creed.org/confessional-reformed-christian-theology/ecclesiology/cult-non-christian-cult-christianity/
Basically, the beliefs of Christianity can be summed up in the Apostle's Creed or the Nicene Creed namely:

There is only one God in Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit
Christ was born of a Virgin
Christ is sinless, 100% God and 100% Man
Christ died for our sins
Christ rose from the dead in 3 days in His literal body
Christ ascended to heaven
Christ sits at the right Hand of God
Christ will come to judge the living and the dead.

These are absolutely essential for someone to claim Christianity. Anything different, even though they say they follow Christ, are labeled as Non-Christian cults.
Why Jehovah witnesses are a Non-Christian cult
Jehovah Witnesses are Non-Christian cult because they teach the Holy Spirit is just a force and that Christ was created by God.

Is the firstborn Son equal to God, as some believe? That is not what the Bible teaches. As we noted in the preceding paragraph, the Son was created. Obviously, then, he had a beginning, whereas Jehovah God has no beginning or end.

-Who is Jesus Christ – jw.org

The holy spirit is God’s power in action, his active force.

-What is the Holy Spirit – jw.org
To deny the divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit is against Christianity. Nobody will be accepted as a Christian if they deny these teachings. They are some other religion.
Why Mormon ( Latter Day Saints ) are a Non-Christian cult
The Mormons claim that Christianity is Apostate and the LDS church is the only true church. They teach that The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate gods.

The true doctrine of the Godhead was lost in the apostasy that followed the Savior’s mortal ministry and the deaths of His Apostles. This doctrine began to be restored when 14-year-old Joseph Smith received his First Vision (see Joseph Smith—History 1:17).
The Church’s first article of faith states, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” These three beings make up the Godhead. They preside over this world and all other creations of our Father in Heaven.

-Godhead – lds.org
Mormons also teach that believers will become gods.

Latter-day Saint beliefs would have sounded more familiar to the earliest generations of Christians than they do to many modern Christians. Many church fathers (influential theologians and teachers in early Christianity) spoke approvingly of the idea that humans can become divine.

-Becoming Like God – How have ideas about divinity shifted over Christian history ? – lds.org
Any teaching that there are multiple gods and that humans can become God is completely opposed to Christianity. No Christian will ever accept this teaching. In fact, these teachings are Antichrist.

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Author	Ayiti79
Posted On	Tue Feb 25 20:34:49 UTC 2020
Score	1	as of Wed Feb 26 11:00:42 UTC 2020
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It comes down to what a cult actually is, and often times cults and sects are small groups of a couple 100,000s. Legitimate cults are dangerous however, and I had ran into some by accident during my early Bible years, other times unavoidable due to the area I was in.
We encourage people to follow Bible Principles and to apply good judgment on all things, to some extent, even greater when culture is involved. We do shun apostasy. For apostasy any who adhere to a teaching that is true and preach it in the community that it is true. So any of the sort we keep away from.
There are dangers in today's world, but it doesn't make sense for us to avoid people totally, the Great Commission of gospel truth is something that Jesus commanded Christians to do. Plus that wouldn't make sense for anyone in everyday life. You are constantly among people, always, be it in or outside of your community, no different from other groups, firms, etc, or even one's household.
We do practice excommunication. It was entrusted to the Apostles and on to the Christian Congregation. When someone is excommunicated or in this case disfellowship, they're unable to partake in meetings regarding reading and or commenting. They can attend meetings any time. Congregation ties are cut, yes, but the individual still is within their household. If the person chooses to return they can be reinstated if they wish. Often times, we do visit the ones who are excommunicated, some of us do so to uplift and or encourage them, especially if they want to return. I cannot speak for all JWs, however in my culture's case, it is a bit different, especially if something big happens in a family, JW or not, there is a bit of things that do take place.
To be not of the world is to not partake in anything that would alienate us or draw us away from God. As for cutting off, it's in the Bible regarding excommunication, especially when it is dealing with Apostates.
As for the last bit can you elaborate on it more? Often times if I am not mistaken, this may be the case when met with a JW who doesn't know an answer to something, or has made an attempt to answer something regarding Scripture or some form of reasoning. Then again, not all of us are the same, I think of it like this, we're all students in the same school or college, but each and everyone of us has a different action, approach, or intent regarding something or someone.

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Author	arachnophilia
Posted On	Mon Feb 24 14:29:43 UTC 2020
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but there will be that 'something else' that will make things more controversial if that makes sense?

to be clear, all sects have something else. sola-scriptura is not really a thing in actuality, even among sects that claim to hold to it and eschew traditional frameworks (it is itself a tradition).

I agree that churches can behave like cults at times but the fact that we can look into whether there is a figure or book taking the place of the Bible helps us with our understanding of what a cult is.

JWs place the bible front and center (regardless of the allegations evangelicals will make regarding the watchtower, it's just a magazine and not scripture to them). they do not have a central figure other than jesus, though obviously at one point they had a charismatic leader.
they also exert controlling behavior, shun apostates, and treat the outside world as dangerous and hostile to enforce the in-group/out-group dynamic.
there is frequently a complicated relationship between scripture and application; you might argue that the "blood" thing or the "not celebrating christmas" thing are "something else", but they would argue that those are based directly on the bible.

but there are definitely tell tale signs that I would look out for.

i would argue that the behavior is the tell-tale sign. are they controlling? do they control behavior? do they limit information or misinform? do they tell you there's a correct way to think? do they manipulate your emotions?
the thing that i imagine is giving you some pause here is that this kind of definition pegs a number of mainstream christian churches as cult-like. i have personally been to several evangelical churches that may as well have been cults -- a lack of organizational oversight in unaffiliated churches tends to lead to behavior like this.

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Author	Revelasti
Posted On	Tue Feb 25 02:27:37 UTC 2020
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JWs place the bible front and center

JW's are a branch of an apocalyptic cult that failed to predict the second coming... except the JW's believe it actually happened. They just think Jesus is invisible. This goes against the words of Jesus himself and other scripture which proves they do not follow scripture.
Sola-scriptura is not a tradition, it's a necessity. People are often afraid to call a church a cult or express specific doctrine as necessary but we need to be direct about the truth. There is one way and one gospel. The lack of unity on this drives people away.

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Author	Ayiti79
Posted On	Tue Feb 25 19:39:44 UTC 2020
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I hope you do realize that before the Apostle's Creed, Christians had existed before Constantine and later Theodosius II became involved.
The very root or primitive belief of Christianity is believing in the one True God - YHWH, and we also believe in the one he has sent, Jesus, of whom he made the Christ (Messiah).
Now as for your points...

There is only one God in Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit

In the very beginning, even to the First Century Christians, they believe in the one True God and that he has sent a savior. I haven't seen anywhere in Scripture that the Holy Spirit is spoken of as "God", and using Greek Grammar Forms doesn't justify it either.

Christ was born of a Virgin

Yes. This is agreeable. Jesus was born of the Jewish Woman named Mary. We can also agree with the facts in terms of what was said to Mary by means of God's message spoken by means of an Angel, Gabriel.

Christ is sinless, 100% God and 100% Man

Jesus was indeed a man and was sinless. But he is God's Son (bene elohim). God himself is distinct from Jesus due to the fact that [A] God is incorruptible meaning cannot die or be susceptible pain, hunger, etc, in addition, God is a Spirit, according to Jesus, and 3 times in the Old Testament, it is said that God cannot die and is not a man at all. We have to be careful in knowing the difference between the anointed (God) and the anointed (Christ).

Christ died for our sins

Agreed. His death opens a door for us to seek redemption, and forgiveness of sin. For God gave his only begotten for us men, women and children who are imperfect due to the actions of our earthly parents, Adam and Eve.

Christ rose from the dead in 3 days in His literal body

This may be the case, but we must not forget the first interaction the 11 discples had with Jesus, for it was though they saw a Spirit. And Jesus appeared to Thomas after the discples had told him about Jesus' return.

Christ ascended to heaven

Agreed. A very obvious event in Scripture.

Christ sits at the right Hand of God

Yes. Jesus is indeed at the right had of God. If you read Hebrews, God also exalted Jesus.

Christ will come to judge the living and the dead.

Yes. Because God has given Jesus that authority and power to do so. God has chosen Jesus to sit at the throne of David, son of Jesse, after all.
With all that said. Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians. If you're forgetting, a Christian is A God-given name for the followers of Jesus Christ, Acts 11:26; 26:28. Christians believe in the Christ and take up his teachings and they religious worship the same God that Jesus worshipped as a child among the Jews.
Yes, we don't believe the Holy Spirit to be a person, but we believe that it is a force and or power that emits from God himself, and there are many reasons as to why we believe such, and if we are to go back further, some instances of early Christians, agrees with this too.
That is also true, God has no beginning, but we believe that Jesus has a beginning, for him being the Firstborn of Creation, as well as the most underrated second term referring to Jesus, The Firstborn out of death (or the dead).
Now we have to really be careful of what a cult or a Sect actually is because shooting from the hip blindly gets people nowhere.
As for your other point...
To deny the divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit is against Christianity. Nobody will be accepted as a Christian if they deny these teachings. They are some other religion.
I'll have to agree with what the Bible says, which I am sure the early Christians did as well
John 20:31 But these have been written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and because of believing, you may have life by means of his name.
1 John 5:20 But we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us insight so that we may gain the knowledge of the one who is true. And we are in union with the one who is true, by means of his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and life everlasting.
As far as Mormons go, they Semi-Trinitarians. Parts of their ideology doesn't originate with the early Christians however from around the 3rd or 4th century. They started off with the basic basis of the Christian Teachings, but not sure how they got into the other stuff.

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Author	arachnophilia
Posted On	Mon Feb 24 16:36:17 UTC 2020
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The inspired written word of God wasn’t written in English in 1611, it was written in the koine Greek over 2,000 years ago...

don't forget hebrew and aramaic!

that’s why it’s important to understand what they meant when they said things like “communion” “love” “high places” “every green tree” “grove”.

"groves" and such typically refer to asherah, who was regarded in ancient judea as yahweh's wife.

Because I do not partake of - Christ - Mass - And all of the festivities, I’m labeled hateful and a cult follower, because I uncover the objective truth of it’s origins.

are you a JW? because there are, uh, other reasons they tend to get labelled a cult.

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Author	Ayiti79
Posted On	Tue Feb 25 20:11:53 UTC 2020
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I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses myself. I am unfazed by a claim that cannot be proven, but when it comes to the Bible or Christological history, those same persons cannot speak. 🤔

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Author	Ayiti79
Posted On	Tue Feb 25 19:45:19 UTC 2020
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I don't know. For me, I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. One thing it helped me do is go into in depth research and study of the Bible. More so, I've dived deep into Religious History and history of the Scriptures.
I know what cults are and had witnessed even ran into some, some very dangerous groups, even worse, those who practice ritualistic magic and so forth, this was when I was still a novice in Bible Study, by means of God and his Christ, I was able to move away from such things even helping people get out of it.
Lastly, what some people fail to do when it comes to saying who is Christian and who is not - They don't even apply what the Bible says, specifically 1 John 4:1.
Which begs the question, how can you say someone isn't a Christian if without knowing where they stand? Let alone what form of Christianity they apply, 1st century, 3rd century, 4th century (which is the majority).

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Author	arachnophilia
Posted On	Tue Feb 25 14:57:38 UTC 2020
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What about verses in the Bible where Jesus is indirectly called God? Look at Isaiah 9:6 for example,

if you're looking for verses about jesus's relation to god, you should look to the new testament where texts are obviously talking about jesus, and not the old testament where you have to read into things to even make them about jesus.
regardless, symbolic naming in isaiah shouldn't be taken too literally, especially since hebrew lacks a present tense passive verb "is". that is, "god is mighty" and "mighty god" are the same.

and Mark 5:19-20,

this is probably a bad example. the greek reads:

καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτόν ἀλλὰ λέγει αὐτῷ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου πρὸς τοὺς σούς καὶ ἀπάγγειλον αὐτοῖς ὅσα ὁ κύριός σοι πεποίηκεν καὶ ἠλέησέν σε

"lord", which is frequently used of jesus, and doesn't particularly imply that he is god. the WT translation reads:

However, he did not let him but said to him: “Go home to your relatives, and report to them all the things Jehovah has done for you and the mercy he has shown you.”

which actually implies that jesus identical to god more strongly than the greek. this is actually one of the major problems with the Wt translation -- it's not that it separates jesus and god, it's that it inserts "jehovah" into new testament texts that do not contain the name of god (which, btw, is not "jehovah").

As opposed to a plethora of verses in the bible that have really big "accuracy issues" that aren't heavily debated or looked at by JWs like the validity of the Psalms, or which apostle wrote Revelation, or if Moses really wrote Job, or conversations around Mary Magdalene, or Jesus half siblings and Salome etc.

i have no idea what you mean by any of this.

It's the same concept that the Pharisees back then and Jews today do with Jesus being Messiah. Whole verses and even chapters get omitted and are not even taught in Yeshiva, even the ones in the Tanakh.

lots of the apparent "changes" to the jewish texts are, in fact, because the christian texts are based on greek translations, which have some variations from the hebrew texts. many of the common things you'd expect in your old testament as referring to jesus are a bit different in jewish translations, because they're translating the the hebrew, not the greek.
for instance, we consider isaiah 7:14. the hebrew simply doesn't read "virgin". and we know this wasn't changed in the hebrew because of jesus -- if you can read hebrew, you can find the reference yourself on the great isaiah scroll from qumran, which is at least 100 years before jesus. it reads almah, young woman, same as the masoretic manuscripts.
other issues are a bit more complicated, like psalm 22:16, where both the masoretic and greek seem to be corrupted in different ways, and scholars have to guess at what the original said.

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Author	Ayiti79
Posted On	Wed Feb 26 03:32:08 UTC 2020
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Can you elaborate more please regarding Christian Restorationism (Primitivty) as a whole? Granted that is what predates JWs, Unitarians and modern day Subordinationism. Granted all 3 do stems from all things prior to the 3th-4th century, before the Creeds and the Latinizaton. Granted - not everyone is strong in that aspect regarding history of the Bible, and Christianity.
Also that is your top 5.... I focus on critical information regarding Hermenutical and or the Christological side if things, for it holds a bit more water in this sense.

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Author	ntcplanters
Posted On	Mon Feb 24 14:40:20 UTC 2020
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A cult is anything that strays from the tenets of Scripture.
The Roman Catholic church is the largest and most popular of them. The JWs and Mormons are probably the most recognized as being cults.
Any church can become one (and thereby cease to be a church), if it departs from Scripture.

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Author	arachnophilia
Posted On	Tue Feb 25 21:16:28 UTC 2020
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We do shun apostasy. ... We do practice excommunication.

yes, and this is a common cult warning sign; controlling relationships.

Congregation ties are cut, yes, but the individual still is within their household.

in many cases, no. i've heard many, many stories about family relationships that have been shattered because someone lost faith. that's always difficult, but add a policy of not associating with apostates on top of it, and it adds to something far more toxic.

To be not of the world is to not partake in anything that would alienate us or draw us away from God.

yes, and this is another common cult warning sign. cults will typically find ways to mark their followers -- some specific cultural signifier that will drive a wedge between the cultists and the outside world. something that makes them different, sometimes ridiculed, and sometimes bullied for their beliefs. the cult then provides a safe-haven, telling the cultists they are justified in turning away from the world... and more into the control of the cult.
note that this is a matter of degrees though, not just a binary whether or not the practice happens. all cultures have their cultural signifiers. the question is if its used to enforce and increasingly insular group further into isolation.

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Author	arachnophilia
Posted On	Tue Feb 25 20:11:50 UTC 2020
Score	1	as of Wed Feb 26 11:00:42 UTC 2020
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The reality is, we aren't a cult,

the thing is, i don't really hold a clear cut definition of the word. in the historical and archaeological sense, all religions are cults (and this word is used without negative connotations). in the modern social sense, "cult" behavior is kind of on a spectrum. very few organizations go to the full extreme, but there is cult-like behavior in a lot of religious sects.
JW included. for instance, what i mentioned above:

they also exert controlling behavior, shun apostates, and treat the outside world as dangerous and hostile to enforce the in-group/out-group dynamic.

these are things that cults do, and JWs tend to be a bit more extreme in things like "disfellowshipping" than other christian sects i've seen. many evangelical sects will advise to not associate closely with "the world" or become "unequally yoked" in a relationship, but they also don't have an official doctrine of cutting off all communication with apostates. this particular feature is a cult warning sign, because it's used to prevent those who have found reasons to doubt from spreading that doubt.

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Author	Ayiti79
Posted On	Wed Feb 26 04:01:33 UTC 2020
Score	1	as of Wed Feb 26 11:00:42 UTC 2020
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I'm not jumping subjects. This is true not all Christians are cultist, and not all cults are seen as religious. Big? What is wrong with my wording? Can you elaborate? My elder? Why does an elder, or any for that matter need be concern of my vocabulary?
Textual Criticism/Basis and Hermenutics is indeed important, especially when it comes to manuscript evidence and the like. Moreover, these things help when diving deep into Scripture.
No one is battling haven't even brought up theological points besides Christianity before and after the 4th century (known things by all, not just JWs alone), just points made in a discussion to pave a way to the conclusion.
Ok, we can focus on that, but you would need to have strong credible evidence to Restorationism being a cult, granted going far back to Christian Primitive practices, an err can be pointed out and or misconceptions.
That being said, I know quite a bit about cults and sects myself, some being hard to believe by the common folk (in my case, being in their area was unavoidable).
We can focus on Restorationism, for that is what I coined and alluded to.

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