Triple Parallelism in a Chiasm in Genesis 9:12-17

 


·         V12 - This is the sign of the covenant between me and you and all living creatures with you

o   V13 - Set bow in the cloud

§  Sign of the covenant between me and the earth

o   V14 - When I bring clouds and bow is seen

§  V15 - I will remember my covenant between me, you, and all kinds of living flesh

o   V16 - When the bow is in the clouds and seen

§  I will remember the covenant between God and all kinds of living flesh on the earth

·         V17 - This is the sign of the covenant between me and all flesh on the earth


Short Video Lessons from the Epistle to the Romans



Some teachers have called Paul's letter to the Romans the most important theological work ever written. Although I'm not sure I'd go that far, it is definitely a theological gold mine! Every phrase is packed with meaning and there probably isn't a single important idea in the Bible that isn't at least mentioned in this one book.

Beginning in the summer of 2023, I started leading a study of Romans with the Common Sense Bible Study community. As I did with Proverbs before, I'll edit out segments of those longer studies, make them public at Rumble and Youtube, and post links below. I will also add videos that I make outside of CSBS as I make them.

I am posting my ongoing notes on Romans here.

Sabbath Silliness

When multiple, unrelated people suddenly start making the same argument/accusation against God's Law, it probably means some antinomian "teacher" out there said it, and his followers are just mindlessly parroting.

One I'm seeing recently is that Sabbath keepers are hypocrites if they aren't doing all the stuff that priests were required to do in the Temple on the Sabbath. They sometimes make up new things that aren't even in the Bible.

How bizarre! This is like saying you're a hypocrite for not murdering people if you're not also personally executing murderers.

God's Law forbids you from executing murderers without due process in the civil courts. The command to execute murderers has no connection whatsoever to your ability to not kill innocent people.

Same with the Sabbath.

God's Law forbids anyone who is not a priest from making sacrifices, offering incense, or lighting the Menorah in the Temple. I'm not a son of Aaron. Even if there was a legitimate Temple in Jerusalem, you and I wouldn't have any  role with the daily sacrifices or anything else going on there on the Sabbath.

Nothing the priests do or don't do has any impact on how I keep the Sabbath. The Temple is completely irrelevant. Anyone saying otherwise is just advertising his ignorance and/or stupidity.


Our New Post-American Mission

The hard truth is that it's good business for companies to pander to the rainbow mafia, at least in the medium term. They'll lose a bunch of money for a few months, but we know from the last few years that the righteous indignation of boycotters will fade and everyone will go back to buying Bud Light just like they continue to buy from Target, the NFL, and Harley Davidson.

Even worse, the upcoming generations overwhelming support perversity and authoritarianism of every kind. Objective standards of morality--or even of reality!--are meaningless to most young people. Right and wrong and reason are whatever they feel at the moment, and they have been trained since birth to let other people control their feelings.

Eventually, of course, it will all collapse under the oppressive hate and pain created by the spirits behind all of this insanity, but stock owners and CFOs rarely care about real long term profits nor the costs of human suffering.

Whose fault is this? Yours, mine, and our parents' going back at least another 3 generations. We abdicated our responsibilities as parents to anti-moral entertainers and to an inhuman and anti-God government, and now we are seeing the entirely predictable results. 

The American dream is dead. It's been dead for decades. Trump, DeSantis, etc., are just postmortem twitches. Our real mission now isn't to Make America Great Again, because resurrections are acts of divine intervention. Our new mission is to prepare the ground for whatever comes next.

Moses on Mars by ChatGPT

The following short story was generated by ChatGPT. There are some gaps and logical problems with the story, and it's really more relating a story than telling one, but it's still pretty impressive for a computer.

Moses on Mars, generated by GabAI


Me: Write me a short story about Moses leading the Hebrews on Mars.

In a distant future, the Hebrews were one of the few remaining human colonies on the planet Mars. They had been living there for generations, struggling to survive in the harsh, barren environment.

Moses, a wise and charismatic leader, had emerged as their guide and mentor. He had a vision of leading his people to a better life, one that was filled with hope and prosperity.

One day, as he was meditating in the rocky hills of Mars, he received a message from a higher power. The voice spoke to him, telling him that he was chosen to lead his people out of the barren desert of Mars and into a new promised land.

Moses immediately called his people to him and spoke to them of his vision. He told them that they would leave Mars and journey to a new planet, one that was filled with abundance and beauty. They would need to be strong and resilient, but with faith and courage, they would succeed.

The Hebrews were initially skeptical, but Moses convinced them that it was their destiny to follow him. He led them on a perilous journey through the harsh terrain of Mars, navigating through treacherous valleys and rocky cliffs.

Finally, they reached a massive spaceship, which Moses had secretly built with the help of a few trusted members of the community. The Hebrews were amazed and frightened by the strange vessel, but Moses assured them that it was their ticket to a new life.

They boarded the ship and set a course for a new planet, one that was said to be full of life and beauty. Moses led them through many trials and tribulations, but eventually, they arrived at their new home.

The Hebrews were overjoyed to discover that the new planet was indeed filled with life and beauty. They built a new community there, one that thrived and prospered under Moses' wise leadership.

For generations, the Hebrews remembered Moses as their savior and leader, the one who led them out of the harsh desert of Mars and into a new promised land.

Crystalline Texas Shabbat, generated by GabAI



Me: Add an antagonist who tries to talk the Hebrews into going back to Mars.

As the Hebrews settled into their new home on the lush planet, they encountered an unexpected challenge. A charismatic and persuasive individual, known only as "the Tempter," appeared among them, claiming to be a fellow survivor from Mars.

The Tempter was a smooth talker, and he quickly gained a following among some of the Hebrews. He argued that they should return to Mars, claiming that it was their true home, and that the new planet was a trap set by their enemies.

Moses and his followers were initially dismissive of the Tempter's claims, but his rhetoric began to resonate with some of the more disaffected members of the community. They began to question Moses' leadership and his decision to leave Mars.

As the weeks went by, the Tempter's influence grew stronger. He played on the Hebrews' fears and doubts, convincing them that Moses had led them astray and that they would never find true happiness on the new planet.

Moses knew that he had to act quickly to counter the Tempter's influence. He gathered his followers and spoke to them with conviction, reminding them of the trials they had faced on Mars and the hope they had found in their new home.

He challenged the Tempter's claims, pointing out that the new planet offered them resources and opportunities they could never have found on Mars. He also warned them that the Tempter's real motives were suspect, and that he was leading them down a dangerous path.

In the end, Moses' words prevailed, and most of the Hebrews remained loyal to him. However, a small group did choose to follow the Tempter back to Mars, convinced that it was their true home.

The Hebrews who stayed on the new planet continued to thrive and prosper, and they remembered the Tempter as a cautionary tale of the dangers of doubt and fear. Meanwhile, the small group who returned to Mars found that it was as barren and inhospitable as ever, and they regretted their decision to leave their new home.

Me: The descendants of the colonists didn't believe the stories and rebelled against Moses, believing that Mars was actually a paradise.

Many years had passed since Moses had led the Hebrews to their new home on a lush planet. The community had grown and prospered, but over time, some began to doubt the stories of their ancestors. They began to question whether their forebears had made the right decision in leaving Mars.

A group of dissidents emerged, claiming that Mars was actually a paradise, a place of beauty and abundance. They argued that their ancestors had made a mistake in leaving, and that they should return to their true home.

Moses, now an elderly man, tried to reason with the dissidents, explaining the harsh conditions they had faced on Mars and the opportunities they had found on the new planet. But the dissidents refused to listen, convinced that they knew better than their forebears.

The dissidents organized themselves into a rebellion, and they began to take over the community. They rejected Moses' leadership and established a new order, with themselves as the rulers.

At first, things seemed to go well for the dissidents. They began to dismantle the infrastructure of the community, tearing down buildings and planting gardens. They believed that they were restoring the natural beauty of Mars, and that their way of life was superior to the one established by their ancestors.

But as time went on, it became clear that their vision was flawed. The dissidents had no experience in building or maintaining a community, and their efforts to return to a simpler way of life quickly descended into chaos.

The dissidents began to face shortages of food and water, and the harsh conditions of Mars began to take their toll. They realized too late that their ancestors had made the right decision in leaving, and that their new home was truly the better option.

In the end, the community was reunited under Moses' leadership, and the dissidents learned a valuable lesson about the importance of listening to the wisdom of those who came before them. They remembered the rebellion as a cautionary tale, and they vowed to never forget the sacrifices of their ancestors in establishing a new home on a new planet.

Resheph and Pfizer

There's a new idea on the interwebz that Pfizer, if pronounced backwards, is the name of a Canaanite god of plague. I can see why the connection resonates with people. I even agree that Pfizer has done some really evil things. Personally, I believe they've even exceeded Hitler and risen nearly to the level of Mao on the scale of crimes against humanity.



But does this phonetical trick actually mean anything?

Let's take a look at the actual words involved...

Pfizer is pronounced fai-zer. The p is silent, the i is long, the z is hard, and the e is short. If you pronounce it backwards, it's rezaif still with a short e, hard z, and long i. If you change the vowels up to make it flow more smoothly for an English speaker, you can pronounce it rezif, with a short i.

Resheph is pronounced reshep or resep, spelled ×¨ֶשֶׁ×£ or resh-shin-peh. The Semitic letter shin can be pronounced either sh or s and the letter peh can be pronounced either p or f, but the f sound is pretty rare. From what I've read, scholars unanimously believe it is pronounced like a p in this case.

Don't let the transliteration to 'ph' fool you. That's been a common way to transliterate Semitic sounds into English for many centuries, and it's misleading to modern English readers. When reading Biblical names, keep in mind that th is always pronounced like a hard t, not a th sound. Ph is almost always pronounced like a hard p, not an f sound. Sh can go either way.

Is rezif the same as resep? It's similar, but not the same.

Rezif would be spelled resh-zayin-peh, while Resheph is spelled resh-shin-peh.

If you use your imagination to invent a fanciful and unlikely pronunciation for Resheph, but it's just fantasy. But that's not the worst part of this idea.

Spelling something backwards is meaningless. God spelled backwards is dog. Atheists get a hoot out of that, but it's only profound to 7 year olds. My name backwards is Yaj. What does that mean? I'm glad you asked. It doesn't mean anything and neither does Rezif or Rezifp or esnesnon yllis. You can work that last one out for yourself.

On the other hand, I am a little amused by people using a phonetic sleight of hand to connect a modern pharmaceutical company to the ancient Phoenicians.

Parallelism in Matthew 21 on the Authority of Yeshua and His Disciples


 

  • V1 - Yeshua approaches Jerusalem via House of Unripe Figs
    • V2-7 - Yeshua claims authority over Jerusalem
      • V8-11 - Jerusalem acknowledges his authority
    • V12-13 - Yeshua claims authority over Temple
      • V14-16 - People acknowledge his authority over Temple
  • V17 - Returns from House of Dates via House of Unripe Figs
    • V18-19 - Yeshua has authority over fruit of Jerusalem
      • V20-22 - Disciples have authority over mount Zion
    • V23-25 - Yeshua's authority questioned by the priests
      • V26-27 - Priests' authority threatened by people & Yeshua
Bethphage was between Bethany and Jerusalem. The first time Yeshua entered Jerusalem in v1, he was coming from Jericho. The second time in v17, he was coming from Bethany, but both times he had to pass through Bethphage, even though the second half of the narrative doesn't make that explicit.

Bethphage means "house of unripe figs" and Bethany means either "house of dates" or "house of misery". Since fruit figures prominently in this story and literary structure, I suspect that Matthew and Yeshua mean for us to understand it as "house of dates".

Notice that both halves of the parallelism follow this pattern:
1. Approaching Jerusalem
2. Authority over Jerusalem/Zion
3. Authority over the Temple/Priesthood

By entering Jerusalem the way he did, seated on the donkey, Yeshua claimed to be a deliverer and King of Israel. By sitting on the cloaks of the Twelve Disciples and accepting the accolades, cloaks, and palm branches of the people, he also accepted the submission of the people of Jerusalem to his authority. He then entered the Temple and asserted his authority there by driving out the merchants and money changers and reasserting its intended role as a house of prayer for all nations. In turn, the people again acknowledge his authority by bringing their sick for healing and crying out "Hosanna to the Son of David!" 

In the second half of the parallelism, Yeshua repeats his assertion of authority over Zion by inspecting the fruit of the land and cursing an unproductive tree. Even though this was spring time and well before the season for ripe figs, there should at least have been immature fruit buds forming. (Based on my personal experience with fig trees in my yard, which I admit are not the same variety and might behave differently.) This tree might represent the people of Israel outside of Jerusalem, but I believe it is much more likely that it represents the religious leadership of Judah, which he was replacing with the Twelve Disciples.

Yeshua caused the Sadducees and Pharisees to wither away and he destroyed the Temple to keep them from continuing to defile it. In historical terms, this withering happened almost immediately, about 40 years later. In their stead, he appointed the Disciples to leadership over the people, evidenced by using their cloaks as a saddle on the donkey which, in turn, rode over the cloaks of Jerusalem. (See 2 Kings 9:1-13.) The disciples didn't become a replacement priesthood, but they did take over as God's national teachers and judges.

Two related resources:


Video teaching on Yeshua's Triumphal Entry, the two donkeys, and the coats and palm branches...

A Chiasm in John 5:19-30 on the Relationship of Father and Son



 Here's an interesting literary structure in John 5:19-30 on the relationship between the divine Father and Son:

  • V19 – The Son does only what the Father does.
    • V20 – The Father does great works, and will do greater for the Son. 
      • V21 – Marvel: The Father raises the dead, so does the Son
        • V22a – Father judges no man
        • V22b – Father gave judgment to the Son
      • V23a – All should honor the Son, as they honor the Father
    • V23b – Failure to honor the Son is failure to honor the Father
    • V24 – Life for those who hear and believe, not judgment.
      • V25 – Hour is coming for the resurrection and repentance of the spiritually dead
        • V26 – Father has given the power of life to the Son of God
        • V27 – Father has given the power of judgment to the Son of Man
      • V28-29 – Marvel: The hour is coming for the resurrection & judgment of the physically dead
    • V29 – Life for the righteous and judgment for the unrighteous
  • V30 – The Son does only what the Father wills.


Google Is the CIA

Yes, Tik Tok is a propaganda and intel collection tool of the CCP. If you were paying attention to tech news, you've known this for years now.

Now you also know that Twitter has been a propaganda and intel collection tool of the FBI. The evidence is pretty solid. Hopefully they continue to root out the fascist moles over there.

Last week, NameRedacted247 revealed that Google is a propaganda and intel collection tool of the CIA. The evidence on this is also very solid. See the link to the thread consisting of 35 tweets.

https://twitter.com/NameRedacted247/status/1607539875712217089

Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates, who is an open proponent of killing off most of the world's population--in the kindest ways, of course--and has always freely cooperated with the intelligence community through "undocumented features" of Microsoft products. I'm willing to bet that the same is true of Apple.

These aren't conspiracy theories (except for the Apple speculation). They are very well documented facts. I'm just waiting to hear which intelligence agency is really running Facebook.

The question now is, what can be done about it? I honestly don't know. These tech companies--the Technomafia--dominate communications and access to information across the entire world. Use alternatives where you can, but most of those alternatives behave like cheap knockoffs with barely half the functionality and no guarantee that they aren't similarly infiltrated.

Yep. I get the irony of posting this on a blogging platform owned by Google, but they're already suppressing access to my sites. Years ago, an anti-freedom change to their search algorithms dropped one of my websites from over 800 visits per day to about 20 visits, over night. If this blog ever gets too popular via backlinks and non-Google search engines, I'm sure they'll just delete it.