The Essene Story (Part 3)
The esoteric apocalyptic sect by the Dead Sea rejected this world and its ways, governments and evils. They hated the Romans whom they saw as evil and sons of Belial. They were the Essenes and they fought against the Romans in 70 A.D and perished. We have their record from the Dead Sea scrolls.
The believed the Holy Scriptures and were rigorous in their study. But, did the Essenes read these Scriptures? "And he changeth the times and the seasons he removeth kings, and setteth up kings he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding (Dan. 221)
Or these? Dan. 417, 25, 32; 518-21; Exodus 914-17. These passages make it clear that God sets up kings and removes them. God rules in man’s realm and sometimes He gives it to base and immoral men.
Had the Essenes paid attention to the Scripture rather than being immersed in their own interpretations, they might have understood these passages in Isaiah 44. In verse 25 God says that He frustrates the diviners (the ones who try to predict the future). Isn’t it the same today? Do you realize how many people try to "divine" or predict the future. They try to predict events, the economy, the world happenings. But most could not even predict the a presidential election!
Had the Essenes paid attention to Isaiah, they would have seen that God predicted the emergence of Cyrus calling him by name saying `He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfil all my purpose.." (4428). God called this pagan ruler by name and used this uncircumcised Gentile ruler for His own purposes. The primary purpose was to allow His captured nation to come back into their land and rebuild God’s house.
Studying the Scriptures as they did, they would have surely read Jeremiah 27 and 28. Surely the passage from Isaiah 558 applies here "My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways…"
Think of the message Jeremiah had to deliver. Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan Gentile king was an ego manic killing whoever he wished (Dan. 518-21). This Babylonian king had already invaded Judah and took some of the vessels from the very house of God along with many nobles' children including among them Daniel and his three friends.
Nebuchadnezzar was so vain and despotic that he had a "god" designed and built and then demanded that all the people worship it or else be burned in a furnace. Daniel's three friends refused. As a result, no matter how valuable they proved to be in his kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar intended to have them put to death for politely refusing to bow down to his manufactured god. Only God's divine intervention saved them.
In the light of these things, Jeremiah had the very difficult task of telling the people of Judah that they ought to surrender to the king of Babylon (276-8). The false prophets were telling the people that God was on their side against this pagan, uncircumcised Babylonian king. Surely it was easy to believe the false prophets. Everyone wanted to believe it! And if you want to hear it there will always be a voice that will say it!!
They reasoned "After all, don't we have the temple of God in our midst? Don't we keep God’s Sabbaths, His Holy Days and do the temple worship? We are God’s holy people. God would not be on the side of a pagan king. How could He be? Besides that king came unlawfully into the temple and had his men take the vessels of God’s house. He captured some of our children! God will be on our side because God’s very house is here!"
Jeremiah walked around with a wooden yoke on his neck and over his shoulders to tell the people and leaders of Judah that they must submit to the king of Babylon. By doing so they could stay in their own land and live.
Hanniah, the false prophet, removed the yoke and broke it saying that within two years God would bring back the vessels of God’s house and break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 28). Had the Essenes read Jeremiah they might have learned from Biblical history and not have perished.
Jesus knew this when He was in front of Pilate. ‘You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above… "(John 1910-11 RSV). In the next "Sabbath Thoughts" we will understand more what Christ taught and the teaching of the New Testament regarding the governments of this world and their leaders.
The believed the Holy Scriptures and were rigorous in their study. But, did the Essenes read these Scriptures? "And he changeth the times and the seasons he removeth kings, and setteth up kings he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding (Dan. 221)
Or these? Dan. 417, 25, 32; 518-21; Exodus 914-17. These passages make it clear that God sets up kings and removes them. God rules in man’s realm and sometimes He gives it to base and immoral men.
Had the Essenes paid attention to the Scripture rather than being immersed in their own interpretations, they might have understood these passages in Isaiah 44. In verse 25 God says that He frustrates the diviners (the ones who try to predict the future). Isn’t it the same today? Do you realize how many people try to "divine" or predict the future. They try to predict events, the economy, the world happenings. But most could not even predict the a presidential election!
Had the Essenes paid attention to Isaiah, they would have seen that God predicted the emergence of Cyrus calling him by name saying `He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfil all my purpose.." (4428). God called this pagan ruler by name and used this uncircumcised Gentile ruler for His own purposes. The primary purpose was to allow His captured nation to come back into their land and rebuild God’s house.
Studying the Scriptures as they did, they would have surely read Jeremiah 27 and 28. Surely the passage from Isaiah 558 applies here "My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways…"
Think of the message Jeremiah had to deliver. Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan Gentile king was an ego manic killing whoever he wished (Dan. 518-21). This Babylonian king had already invaded Judah and took some of the vessels from the very house of God along with many nobles' children including among them Daniel and his three friends.
Nebuchadnezzar was so vain and despotic that he had a "god" designed and built and then demanded that all the people worship it or else be burned in a furnace. Daniel's three friends refused. As a result, no matter how valuable they proved to be in his kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar intended to have them put to death for politely refusing to bow down to his manufactured god. Only God's divine intervention saved them.
In the light of these things, Jeremiah had the very difficult task of telling the people of Judah that they ought to surrender to the king of Babylon (276-8). The false prophets were telling the people that God was on their side against this pagan, uncircumcised Babylonian king. Surely it was easy to believe the false prophets. Everyone wanted to believe it! And if you want to hear it there will always be a voice that will say it!!
They reasoned "After all, don't we have the temple of God in our midst? Don't we keep God’s Sabbaths, His Holy Days and do the temple worship? We are God’s holy people. God would not be on the side of a pagan king. How could He be? Besides that king came unlawfully into the temple and had his men take the vessels of God’s house. He captured some of our children! God will be on our side because God’s very house is here!"
Jeremiah walked around with a wooden yoke on his neck and over his shoulders to tell the people and leaders of Judah that they must submit to the king of Babylon. By doing so they could stay in their own land and live.
Hanniah, the false prophet, removed the yoke and broke it saying that within two years God would bring back the vessels of God’s house and break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 28). Had the Essenes read Jeremiah they might have learned from Biblical history and not have perished.
Jesus knew this when He was in front of Pilate. ‘You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above… "(John 1910-11 RSV). In the next "Sabbath Thoughts" we will understand more what Christ taught and the teaching of the New Testament regarding the governments of this world and their leaders.
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