What was HE+ DOING down there... for 3 days and 3 nights ?

Courtesy of store.antiochianvillage.com

Scripture recounts 

2 Jewish Sabbaths in that Passover week. 

Thus 

YESHUA+ 

HA MASHIYACH 
was crucified on a Wednesday.  
HE+ spent 

3 

very, very full days and 

3 

very, very full nights 
in the heart of the earth, 

exactly as HE+ said HE+ would, 
like Jonah.

Since Scripture is PRECISE in every detail, 
what exactly was HE+ doing down there 
all that time ? 

Was HE+ sleeping ?    

NO !

HE+ was VERY MUCH ALIVE and active after... 
yes, AFTER... 
His+ Passion and death 
on the Cross.
[ The wisdom and mystery of The ELOHIM... which none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it, they would NOT HAVE CRUCIFIED the LORD+ of Glory. 1 Cor. 2:8 ]  

Was HE+ enduring the wrath of His+ FATHER because of His+ obedience ( in going to the Cross, carrying our sins ) ?

NO !  A thousand times NO! 

Was HE+ being beat up AGAIN by satan and his minions ? 

NO !

HE+ SAID IT WAS FINISHED !

Thankfully, we do not have to guess. Scripture tells us exactly what HE+ was doing in the most active time HE+ had on this earth. 

YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ spent 3 earth days and 3 earth nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40) PREACHING ! ( 1 Peter 3:19)

To whom did HE+ preach ?  To the devil and satan and all the wicked spirits and demons? 

NO ! 

They had already ruined their chance for Eternal Life in the wondrous pleasantries of Heaven. Only the Lake of Fire awaits them in the very near future. (Rev. 20:10) 

YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ preached unto the Spirits in prison. 1 Peter 3:19

Now, who were these spirits?  

This is what we KNOW from Scriptures:

• These "spirits" had form and figure and were recognizable, could speak and feel both emotionally and physically, and had mind and reason. 

(See YESHUA'S+ Words in Luke 16:19-31, which are NOT a parable, but an exact, precise account of those confined in Sheol, both the Righteous Dead and the wicked.)

• These "spirits" awaiting HA MASHIYACH+ were NOT in a place of torment, but in a comfortable place called "Abraham's Bosom." 
• Obviously, from YESHUA'S+ account in Luke, there was a great chasm fixed so that those who died in their sins and were in a place of torment could NOT cross over the chasm to receive any sort of relief. 

Yet, they had feeling, form, emotions, mind, wit, and remembrance... as well as their own, individual identity from their earthly life. They suffered just as they would have suffered on earth, with full physical suffering. 

See Luke 16:24, remembering that this is NOT a parable, but an exact account.  "And he cried and said Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame."  

So, who were the Righteous Dead who did NOT die in their sins... before YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ walked this earth as a man ? 

• The Patriarchs from the time of Adam unto Noah, those who lived righteously before the debauched pre-flood society. 
• The Patriarchs from Noah unto the time of Moses, including Abraham and his 12 sons which headed the tribes of Israel. 
• The Prophets, who so desired to see the day of YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ but fell asleep awaiting the promise.
• Anna, the prophetess, and Simeon, the just and devout man in Jerusalem who was awaiting the CONSOLATION+ of ISRAEL, and all other devout and holy ones. 
• All the innocents, the children and babes,  who died from the beginning of creation.
• All others who lived righteously before the eyes of The ELOHIM... from the beginning of time. 

This would have involved LARGE groups of  people who would be REJOICING to see HIS+ Day! ( John 8:56 )

Furthermore, WHAT was 
YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ 
preaching to those Captive Spirits of the Righteous Dead in Abraham's Bosom ?

HE+ was proclaiming the Good News: 

It is finished !

It is completed !

It is perfected !

What was finished ?

...His+ warfare, His+ battle. The requirement to beat satan, lucifer, as a MAN, i.e., the Second Adam+.His+ Warfare was accomplished and the Victory given. 

What was completed ?

The requirements from The Law. YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ fulfilled it in total. The keeping of the 613 laws is no longer required* in order for us to come before The FATHER. 

* BUT YES, righteousness is still a requirement , yea, even HOLINESS is required, without which no one will see The LORD. (Hebrews 12:14 ) plus the Commandments of YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+, to love ...  yes love , not simply tolerate ... our enemies, to go the second mile, to return good for evil. 

The Apostles' words fortify this: to love not the world, neither the things that are in the world --- the lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life .  We follow YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ our Example+, Who+, when HE+ was insulted, HE+ returned no insult. When HE+ was made to suffer, HE+ did not counter with threats, but instead, HE+ committed HIMSELF+ to the ONE WHO JUDGES UPRIGHTLY.   

What was perfected ?

The Sacrifice. The divine Sacrifice+ of The FATHER: The Unblemished LAMB+ of GOD, Who+ taketh away the sins of the world. 

Now the ONLY Blood sacrifice we can make that is accepted by The FATHER is through The BLOOD of YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+. 

What ELSE did HE+ do 
during those POWER-PACKED
days and nights
HE+ spent 
in the heart 
of the earth ? 
???

PASSOVER PREPARATION.... Fleeing From LEAVEN

or... the time The Apostle John fled from the Heretic Cerinthus .... 

Agnus Dei-- The LAMB+ of GOD
by Giulio Romano
Drawing: ink on paper c. 1540

Courtesy of www.angelfire.com

Fleeing from LEAVEN...

Hippolytus, AD 170-236, 

a Bishop of Portus, 

disciple of Irenaeus

… who was the disciple of Polycarp

… who was the disciple of John. 

from Irenaeus Against Heresies, ANF Vol. 1...

There are also those who heard from him [ i.e., Polycarp / Sr.JH ] that John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, “Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within.” 

And Polycarp himself replied to Marcion, who met him on one occasion, and said, “Dost thou know me?”

“I do know thee, the first-born of Satan.”

Such was the horror which the apostles and their disciples had against holding even verbal communication with any corrupters of the truth; 

as Paul also says, 

“A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”

[ ***  ANF vol. 1, Irenaeus Against Heresies , BOOK 3, Chapter 3, section 4, page 416 (hard copy) [ pages 826-827, Master Christian Library , Version 8, CD-Rom, 2000 Ages Software, Rio, WI / www.ageslibrary.com. See the additional information at the end of the post for references in the Ante-Nicene writers and the context for this excerpt./ Sr. JH ]

Now, WHO was this abominable heretic Cerinthus of AD 100, 

... and what did he teach?  

Here is what the Early Church writers recorded about this man who was considered a fore-runner of some gnostics.  

Unfortunately, the teachings of Cerinthus have made their way into the "golden, best, and historic" version of the Netzarim edition of their New Covenant. 

 CERINTHUS

ANF vol. 5, Hippolytus, The Refutation of All Heresies  Book X, Chapter 17, page 147 hard copy, [Master Christian Library , Version 8, CD-Rom, 2000 Ages Software, Rio, WI / www.ageslibrary.com , page 303-304. ]

Cerinthus, however, himself having been trained in Egypt,determined that the world was not made by the first God, but by a certain angelic power. And this power was far separated and distant from that sovereignty which is above the entire circle of existence, and it knows not the God (that is) above all things.

And he says that Jesus was not born of a virgin, but that He sprang from Joseph and Mary as their son, similar to the rest of men; and that He excelled in justice, and prudence, and understanding above all the rest of mankind.

And Cerinthus maintains that, after Jesus’ baptism, Christ came down in the form of a dove upon Him from the sovereignty that is above the whole circle of existence, and that then He proceeded to preach the unknown Father, and to work miracles.

And he asserts that, at the conclusion of the passion, Christ flew away from Jesus, but that Jesus suffered, and that Christ remained incapable of suffering, being a spirit of the Lord.

 Now, here is the LEAVEN of the Ebionite heresy, which has also made its way into the "golden, best, and historic" Netzarim volume. 

THE EBIONAEANS

ANF vol. 5, Hippolytus, The Refutation of All Heresies  Book X, Chapter 18, page 147 hard copy, [Master Christian Library , Version 8, CD-Rom, 2000 Ages Software, Rio, WI / www.ageslibrary.com , page 303-304. ]

But the Ebionaeans assert that the world is made by the true God, and they speak of Christ in a similar manner with Cerinthus.

They live, however, in all respects according to the law of Moses, alleging that they are thus justified.

  

The item below is from ANF Vol. 5, Hippolytus Refutaion of All Heresies, BOOK 7, page 114, Chapter 22 [  [Master Christian Library , Version 8, CD-Rom, 2000 Ages Software, Rio, WI / www.ageslibrary.com , page 235.]

CHAPTER 22

DOCTRINE OF THE EBIONAEANS

The Ebionaeans, however, acknowledge that the world was made by Him Who is in reality God, but they propound legends concerning the Christ similarly with Cerinthus and Carpocrates.

They live conformably to the customs of the Jews, alleging that they are justified. according to the law, and saying that Jesus was justified by fulfilling the law.

And therefore it was, (according to the Ebionaeans,) that (the Savior) was named (the) Christ of God and Jesus, since not one of the rest (of mankind) had observed completely the law.

For if even any other had fulfilled the commandments (contained) in the law, he would have been that Christ.

And the (Ebionaeans allege) that they themselves also, when in like manner they fulfill (the law), are able to become Christs; for they assert that our Lord Himself was a man in a like sense with all (the rest of the human family).

 +  +  +

Purge out 

therefore 

the old leaven, 

that ye may be a new lump,

as ye are UNLEAVENED.

For even 

CHRIST our PASSOVER

is sacrificed

for us. 

Therefore let us keep the feast,

not with old leaven,

neither with the leaven of 

malice and wickedness,

but with 

the UNLEAVENED BREAD+

of purity and Truth.

I Corinthians 5:7, 8 

+  +  +

 This is the section about POLYCARP AND JOHN in its fullness. 

*** FROM ANF vol. 1, Irenaeus Against Heresies , BOOK 3, Chapter 3, section 4, page 416 (hard copy) [ pages 826-827, Master Christian Library , Version 8, CD-Rom, 2000 Ages Software, Rio, WI / www.ageslibrary.com ]

4. But Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom, departed this life, having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true.

To these things all the Asiatic Churches testify, as do also those men who have succeeded Polycarp down to the present time, — a man who was of much greater weight, and a more steadfast witness of truth, than Valentinus, and Marcion, and the rest of the heretics. He it was who, coming to Rome in the time of Anicetus caused many to turn away from the aforesaid heretics to the Church of God, proclaiming that he had received this one and sole truth from the apostles, — that, namely, which is handed down by the Church.

There are also those who heard from him that John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, “Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within.”

And Polycarp himself replied to Marcion, who met him on one occasion, and said, “Dost thou know me?”

“I do know thee, the first-born of Satan.”

Such was the horror which the apostles and their disciples had against holding even verbal communication with any corrupters of the truth; as Paul also says, “A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”

WORMWOOD...

Photo by www.examiner.com

HEAR, O ISRAEL !

from the 7 Trumpet Judgments

of the Angels sent to earth

in Revelation chapter 8

⁸ And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

⁹ And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

¹¹ And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

No, the meteorite that terrorized and injured people in Chelyabinsk, Russia on 2-15-13 was NOT The Wormwood in Revelation 8. 

But YES, 

it was a warning sent 

unto the souls and spirits of men:

Photo by abcnews.go.com

TODAY

is the Day of Salvation; 

harden not your hearts 

as in the day of provocation. 

While all eyes were upon the fly-by meteor that was roughly 3 x as large as the Chelyabinsk meteorite, The LORD sent HIS+ sign to all... to change the focus of our worship: 

REPENT

for the Kingdom of Heaven

 is at hand...

And we ALL KNOW

what will happen 

when The JUDGE+ 

of the whole earth

shall appear.

Remember: There is NO HIDING PLACE outside of The LORD, The JUDGE+ of the whole earth.

How will HE+ judge ? 

HE+ told us how: 

He that rejecteth ME+, 

and receiveth not My+ Words, 

hath one that judgeth him:  

The WORD 

that I+ have spoken, 

the same 

shall judge him 

in the last day.

+ +  +  

Photo by WWW.ibtimes.com

This WORMWOOD that falls from the Heavens is aptly named. On earth, it is a bitter herb spoken of throughout the Scriptures and is usually coupled with GALL.  Wormwood repels parasites in the human body, among other things.  

Even more interesting is the botanical name of that herb: artemisia absinthium.  

Artemis was a Greek "goddess", equivalent to the Roman's Diana... not a wholesome character, to say the least.   

The absinthium is cited back to the Pre-Greek Pelasgian to mean : UN-enjoyable... perhaps due to the bitter taste of the herb when used medicinally. [ Information from Wikipedia: artemisia absinthium .] 

A Roman philosopher and poet, Lucretius, ( from the same article ) , spoke of tricking children to drink the bitter herb by rimming the cup with honey... which is similar to the Proverbs 7 chapter about the harlot who sweetens her bed to trap the man void of understanding.

In this grossly immoral society which extends around the globe, the society  we call "civilization" ... a civilization where school children are subjected to behavior that is even IN-APPROPRIATE for adults, in its wickedness ... we can see the appropriateness of the WORMWOOD judgment.

+  +  +

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

And they that be wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever. 

Daniel 12:2, 3 

+  +  +

CAL's Dr. Kaufman CLARIFIES Bar Bahlul... and a few others

Photo by britannica.org

"Let's see what CAL calls you,
GaMLa dear. " 

The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon entry for GaMLa... CAMEL or ROPE ( ?)

gml N02

gml, gmlʾ (gmel, gamlā) n.m./f. camel; beam

female camel may also be explicitly gmlh

  1 camel Com. --(a)  dromedary Syr. 

  2 large curved(?) wooden beam Syr. --(a) a plank bridge made of such beams JBA. --(b) as a large measure of length, i.e. "yard" or the like Syr. 

  3 large insect : see s.v. gmln adj. Syr. 

  4 as a part of the name of other animals . --(a)   camelopard, i.e. giraffe Syr. --(b): millipede Syr.

   For the double gender see Bh Gr² 11(13ff.)

See also s.v. gml "camel driver."

In the NT proverbial saying (Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25) about a camel and the eye of a needle, the native Syriac lexical tradition seems to be convinced that our lemma is to be interpreted as a large rope used on ships. See the statement of BarBahlul (500:19): 

[Readers: Please note well the Aramaic dialects abbreviated in bold blue type above. 

• JBA stands for Jewish Babylonian.  
• Take careful note how the COMMON ARAMAIC ( the Aramaic of the common man) and the 
• SYRIAC ( the Aramaic of the New Covenant and Biblical liturgies)  dialects define and use GaMLa in every day speech. Keep this in mind through the end of this post. ] 

The NOTE in red, above, was added to CAL's entry on GaMLa during the week of January 7th, 2013. 

Since a few --- a very limited few --- of  the Greek manuscripts of the 9th and 10th century have KAM-I-LON ( rope ) in them, an effort has been made to LOCATE the Aramaic roots of GaMLa (camel) being used as ROPE.  

Thus, a bona fide Aramaic language authority was  found in Dr. Steve Kaufman  to help unravel this mystery. He is  Professor of Bible and Cognate Literature Emeritus, Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, Ohio, who edits the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon ( CAL ).  

The CAL identifies 30 different dialects in the Aramaic language literature, including Syriac and Christian Palestinian Aramaic. 

Here are the core features of those conversations.

 To Dr. Kaufman at CAL  … Jan 3, 2013

Dear Mr. Kaufman...

I am researching and trying to verify information I have come across while dealing with an Aramaic English translation of verses Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25.

Specifically, this information I am trying to verify states that GaMLa means CAMEL but GaMaLah means ROPE... and the difference in the word comes through the vowel pointings.  

The Aramaic texts on Dukhrana have either NO vowel pointings or else the vowel pointings are GaMLa, in these three verses in question. [ I have spent hours checking that word in each verse in every Aramaic text at Dukhrana. ]

Mr. Lars Lindgren of Dukhrana recommended you to me as a source to help answer my question about GaMLa and GaMaLah, specifically, the information found  in the lexicon by Bar Bahlul at 500:19:1691-9. 

This same reference page is linked in CAL for all three of those verses.

Since I do this work very slowly and try to be as thorough as I can, I usually check the reference works listed in links at the bottom of the CAL entry for words I am researching.... just to make certain I have a thorough understanding of the words in question along with the variety of meanings and usages. 

None [ i.e., of the ones in English / SJH ] have ROPE listed for GaMLa  and the CAL definitions simply do not include ANY indication that GaMLa could possibly mean ROPE.

Also, I cannot find the word GaMaLah ( ROPE) anywhere in the Aramaic resources.  

But, perhaps I am missing something that others can clearly see ? 

  

The CAL listing for GaMLa from the various Aramaic dialects has a variety of definitions, but NONE of them can be construed to mean rope or cable. 

Indeed, the only Aramaic word listed for rope or cable is CHaBL , as per Dukhrana.

~ ~ ~ ~ 

steve kaufman to me	Jan 3

I do not know where you got your information that with a change of vowels the meaning might be "rope".  

There is only a single word.  

Bar Bahlul does say that earlier interpreters in his tradition take the meaning of the word "camel" in the proverb to be " a thick rope used for securing ships". 

Frankly, I prefer the solution followed by some moderns that claims that the "eye of the needle" was a well known narrow passageway through which camels could not easily go.

If you wish to translate the Syriac Biblical text, the best way simply might be to put "camel" in quotation marks.  That would be most true to the Syriac interpretive tradition itself.

In any case, I thank you for your query.  I have added a note to the lexical entry discussing this further.  It will be online after the next update...

~ ~ ~ 

MAY I QUOTE YOU ?

Sister Judith	Jan 9
to steve

Dear Mr. Kaufman...

I have seen your additional notation to GaMLA on the CAL.

Let me ask you another couple of questions:

Is Bar Bahlul the only reference work which is able to be found that has ROPE for GaMLA ?
I noticed that you did NOT ADD the  ROPE definition to the regular definitions, though, so I thought there might be a reason for omitting it  ....such as perhaps the CAL standard requires the usage of a certain word to be found in X-number of  writings, literature, etc. ?

Now, on my blog, I will be doing a posting re: the ROPE side of the issue. I would like to quote you, but I will do so ONLY if you give me permission. [ If you have a title other than "scholar", I would appreciate your permission to use that too, if you will tell me what it is :>) . ]....

~  ~  ~

steve kaufman	Jan 10
to me

I am Prof. of Bible and Cognate Literature Emeritus, Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati

Your question is apt.  

The reason I do not give it as a meaning is the same that a modern lexicographer of English would not say that English "camel" is a rope because of the Synoptics' passage. 

It is only in exegetical work, not attested as an actual word in the language. 

I give the exegetical tradition in the note and think that is sufficient.

You may quote me.

 ~ ~ ~

Sister Judith	Jan 15 (12 days ago)
to steve

Dear Dr. Kaufman... Thank you for your response. I think that your note is quite sufficient also.

I want to make no mistakes in what I understand you saying, though. Please CORRECT me where I am wrong. [ It will save me head-aches later :>)  ! ]

• 1.You are saying here  that GaMLa could  possibly be translated as ROPE, 
  but it is not found so used in language OR LITERATURE  ( of that era or any era ?)

• 2. In other words, that usage [ GaMLa = ROPE ] is found only as a definition that "stretches" the limits of the word and only those digging in the roots ( exegetical) could find it.

• 3. Or... are you saying that usage only exists in theory, but not in actual practice ?

In my studies, I have found exactly 2 verses in the Aramaic text of the New Covenant where cords, cable, or rope is actually used. BOTH places have the word CHaBL... much like the English "cable."  

One place, John 2:15 CHaBL is used for cords of rope in a whip where YESHUA+ cleansed the Temple of the money-changers.   

The other place is in Acts 27:32, where The Apostle Paul is on a ship about to flounder and the soldiers cut the ropes to the life-boats.   

In NEITHER of these verses, however,  is GaMLa used as rope,  even in the one directly talking about roping used on a ship.

The interesting thing is that the Apostle Luke wrote the Acts verse as well as the verse in Luke 18:25, where GaMLa is used as camel, not rope. 

Well, enough said. Thank you for your help; how I appreciate your sharing of your scholarship!

Hoping to hear from you soon.

~ ~ ~

steve kaufman	Jan 15 (12 days ago)
to me

no -- what I am saying is that the word "camel" in that text was explained by some exegetes as referring to a thick rope used on boats.  

Otherwise it is not found in any actual texts.

~  ~  ~

Sister Judith	Jan 15 (12 days ago)		>
to steve

So.... where did they get it ? How could they derive ROPE from GaMLa ?? ( Begging your patience with my questions !)

SrJH + + +

~  ~  ~

steve kaufman	Jan 16 (11 days ago)
to me

The exegetes derive it from the context.

It has nothing to do with Aramaic per se.  

~ ~ ~

~  ~  ~ End of Conversation via email ~ ~ ~ 

Dr. Kaufman can verify this conversation. Only a few spelling errors have been changed. / SJH  + + +