I would encourage everyone to begin with prayer and then read Revelation Chapter 13. We are looking specifically at the phrase "mark on the hand and on the forehead" from Revelation Chapter 13:16.
We're beginning this study with the 4 verses or parshiyot from the Old Testament (OT) that have the phrase "mark on the hand and on the forehead" to get some background on what this "mark" mentioned in Revelation may be. Why go back to the Old Testament? Because all New Testament (NT) prophecy can be substantiated by the Old Testament! We're not expected to just make this stuff up as we go! We will get into this essential concept more as we go along. For example, later we'll be comparing OT scriptures in Daniel with NT scriptures in Revelation.
TRANSLATION OF THE FOUR PARSHIYOT
Exodus 13:1-10
1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2. Sanctify to me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast; it is mine.3. And Moses said to the people, Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place; there shall no leavened bread be eaten.4. This day came you out in the month Aviv.5. And it shall be when the Lord shall bring you into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month.6. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.7. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with you, neither shall t here be leaven seen with you in20all your quarters.8. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did to me when I came forth out of Egypt.9. And it shall be for a sign to you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s Torah may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand has the Lord brought you out of Egypt.10. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
Exodus 13:11-16
11. And it shall be when the Lord shall bring you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and shall give it to you,12. That you shall set apart to the Lord all that opens the matrix, and every firstling that comes of a beast which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s.13. And every firstling of an ass you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break his neck; and all the firstborn of man among your children shall you redeem.14. And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? that you shall say to him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of slavery;15. And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast; therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that opens the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.16. And it shall be for a sign upon your hand, and for frontlets between your eyes; for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4. Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord;5. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.6. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart;7. And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.8. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.9. And you shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 11:13-21
13. And it shall come to pass, if you shall give heed diligently to my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul ,14. That I will give yo u the rain of your land in its due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, and your wine, and your oil.15. And I will send grass in your fields for your cattle, that you may eat and be full.16. Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and you turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;17. And then the Lord’s anger be kindled against you, and he closed the skies, that there should be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest you perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord gives you.18. Therefore shall you lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.19. And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.20. And you shall write them upon the door posts of your house, and upon your gates;21. That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
A literal modern day application of the parshiyot is the tradition of tefillin. Conservative Jews today wear tefillin or phylacteries. These are little boxes they literally tie on their hands and foreheads that contain the 4 specific verses from the OT. They are literally wearing the 4 pashiyot on their hands and foreheads!!
Here is a link to more information about this tradition:
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/471048/jewish/Wrapping-the-Mind-and-Heart.htm
I will post again this week. Please sign up to follow this blog then you can post comments, suggestions or questions.
I really want to encourage everyone to pray, read your Bible, journal, worship God in your heart and honor Him with your life so you will be aware of the "signs of the times".
God bless,
Kim
I received this question: "I hear they don’t know the author of revelations. They think it was a guy named John but aren’t sure if it’s the apostle John."
ReplyDeleteAnswer: I think historians are pretty sure John of Patmos was the writer, the Apostle John. I think this is a good reference source
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mb-soft.com/believe/txs/revelati.htm
I wouldn't believe just what you hear. Search these things out. There is so much information available. But honestly, regardless of who wrote it, which I think historians have pretty good evidence it was John the apostle, the book itself coincides with Old Testament writings in Daniel, Isaiah, Zechariah, etc. Why would the Jews try to correlate any of their writings to match or duplicate the writings of Christians? They absolutely wouldn't. So really we only have to deal with the subjects of: 1. Did the Christians plagarize the writings of the Jews to fit their own motivations and if so 2. What would have been the motivation for Christians to plagarize Jewish writings?
I received a suggestion to make sure everyone reading this post knows that I am not in any way inferring that the tefillin are "the mark of the beast." I'm only giving a modern day example of a conservative Jewish tradition.
ReplyDelete