03.29. 2. Examples Of Paronomasia
2. Examples Of Paronomasia In this discussion we shall notice only a few examples of this usage, the first of which is Amos 8:1-2 : "Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and behold, a basket of summer fruit. And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said Jehovah unto me, The end is come upon my people Israel; I will not again pass by them any more." The Lord showed the prophet, in vision, a basket of summer fruit. The word rendered "summer fruit" is the Hebrew word, kayits, when transliterated. To the prophet’s answer the Lord said: "The end is come upon my people Israel." The word rendered "the end," when transliterated, is kets. The radicals of each word are the same, with the exception of the "y". But in Hebrew they appear very much alike. There is a play, not upon the idea, but upon the words, which were so very similar that the general impression made upon the prophet’s mind was indelible. Thus when anyone who had listened to the oracle saw a basket of summer fruit, he would automatically think of the oracle that it indicated the end that would come upon the people of Israel.
ANOTHER example of paronomasia is found in Micah, which reads as follows: "Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. And they covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks, neither shall ye walk haughtily; for it is an evil time." (Micah 2:1-3).
The prophet spoke, or rather pronounced, a woe against those who devised iniquity and worked evil upon their beds, when they were lying in the quietude of the night. But when the day arose, they would put into execution their diabolical plans. They were covetous people who would take advantage of others and oppress them in any and every way possible. To them, therefore, the Lord gave the following warning: "Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks, neither shall ye walk haughtily; for it is an evil time."
These people would plot against innocent helpless ones, scheming how they could rob people by every method and device possible. They planned what was indeed outright wickedness and sin. Against them, therefore, the Lord hurled the threat that He would likewise devise an evil against them. He would do some planning and plotting. He, by His omniscience, could out-plan and out-maneuver them. In doing so, He would bring calamity upon them. Since the Almighty is a holy God and is not tempted of evil, that is, moral wrong, we can see that the word "evil" is used in a different sense. The word rendered "evil" in the Old Testament very frequently indicates calamity. As an example of this meaning note the following passage: "I [Jehovah] form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil [calamity]; I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things." In this passage we see, then, when we view all the facts, that God is threatening punishment to the evildoers who were plotting iniquitous acts against their fellowmen. The Lord plans the evil, that is, the punishment, that He must as a holy and just God bring as retribution upon people for their sins. Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for that which a man sows, he shall also reap. Man should ever remember that his sin will find him out.
AS another example of paronomasia, let us notice the following passage: "But ye that forsake Jehovah, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for Fortune, and that fill up mingled wine unto Destiny; I will destine you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but ye did that which was evil in mine eyes, and chose that wherein I delighted not" (Isaiah 65:11-12). In order to understand this passage, one must recognize the fact that, according to the prophetic word, after the church is gone—removed from the earth by the rapture—paganism will spread like a prairie fire all over the world. Men of every nation and tribe will resort to gross idolatry. That they will do this is evident from such a passage as Revelation 9:20-21 : "And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the work of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk: and they repented not of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." There are a number of passages in the Old Testament that foretell the same thing. We see therefore that men will actually revert to gross idolatrous paganism in the Tribulation Period.
In Israel idolatry will spring forth at that future time. Isaiah, therefore, assumed, in the passage under consideration, this flood tide of paganism. There are two idols that are mentioned in Isaiah 65:11, Fortune and Destiny. The word rendered "Destiny" in the original is Meni. This is the name of the Babylonian goddess that corresponded to the Venus of the Roman pantheon. Having accused the people of filling up mingled wine unto Destiny, that is, Meni, the prophet then used the word which when transliterated into the English, is spelled Manithi and which means to appoint, to allot to, or to destine. Thus the prophet chose that verb the simple form of which is Manan, which corresponded most nearly to the name of this Babylonian goddess, which meant to appoint or to allot to, and which, in this case, indicates to destine to. He therefore said that God would "destine you to the sword," since they had engaged in the worship of this goddess.
ANOTHER most important case of paronomasia is found in Daniel 9:1-27. It appears in Daniel 9:24 in the statement, "Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy." What is the meaning of the expression "seventy weeks"? Literally it is "seventy sevens." To translate the second word by our English word, weeks, was a most unfortunate rendition. Our English word, week, has a specific, definite meaning of seven days. This is not true with reference to the original Hebrew term. It simply meant seven. If one, speaking in Hebrew and using the language as Daniel did, should be talking about trees and wanted to let us know that he had seen only seven trees, he would use the same word which the angel Gabriel employed in this verse. On the other hand, if he were speaking of men and wished to indicate that there were seven, he would use the same word. Moreover, if he were talking of chickens and wanted to tell us that there were seven of these fowls, he would use the same word. Thus the term indicates only the number seven in the Hebrew.
What, then, did the angel Gabriel mean by affirming to Daniel that there were seventy sevens decreed upon the people of Israel and upon the Holy City? This query can be answered only by looking at the entire context in Daniel 9:1-27. The key to the proper understanding of this passage is to be found in Daniel 9:1-2, which read as follows: "In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years whereof the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years." Daniel in these verses informs us that he understood by the books the number of the years whereof God spoke to Jeremiah regarding the accomplishment of the desolations of Jerusalem. From this statement it is clear that Daniel was studying the book of Jeremiah, who foretold the Babylonian siege and the consequent Exile, and other books that threw light upon this prediction. One naturally and immediately thinks of the Books of Kings and Chronicles, which record the causes of the downfall of the Hebrew monarchy and the actual collapse of Jewish resistance, together with the Babylonian captivity. Those books gave the historical account of the fall of the Jewish monarchy. In the light of the historical records and significance of the word, year, in those works, and also in the light of Jeremiah’s prediction that the Babylonian captivity would continue for seventy years, Daniel naturally understood the years for the Exile to be seventy of the ordinary solar years—the years mentioned in those books.
In Daniel 9:1 we see that the prophet was studying Jeremiah’s works in the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes. This year was the sixty-eighth of the seventy years of Babylonian captivity. Believing the word of Jeremiah to be the very Word of God and trusting God to say what He meant and to mean what He said, Daniel believed that the Exile would be completed within two years. In this he was correct.
The prediction that the captivity would last for seventy years is found in Jeremiah 25:1-38 and Jeremiah 29:1-32. I invite the reader to turn to these scriptures in his Bible and to study them carefully. I shall, however, quote only from the latter. "For thus saith Jehovah, After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end. And ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith Jehovah, and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith Jehovah; and I will bring you again unto the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive" (Jeremiah 29:10-14).
Note the fact that, in Jeremiah 29:10 of this quotation God says that, at the end of the seventy years, He would bring back the people to the land of the fathers. In Jeremiah 29:11 the prophet shows that this is necessary in order for God to carry out His plans and purposes regarding Israel which reach out into the distant future—"to give you hope in your latter end." Thus Jeremiah 29:11 drops the subject of the Babylonian captivity and the restoration from the same and darts out into the future to the latter end. Still having his attention focused on the end of this age, the prophet continued the prediction. "And ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith Jehovah, and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith Jehovah ..." Observe the fact that in Jeremiah 29:10, in speaking of the restoration from Babylon, he simply said that God would cause them "to return to this place"—Palestine. But with reference to the other regathering of Israel and her being restored to her land, in the latter end, the Lord declared, "I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations ..." Here the word "again" is inserted, indicating that this is another restoration, a second one. This is in perfect accord with Isaiah 11:11 where God promised to put forth His hand again the second time to regather Israel from her world-wide dispersion. Thus it becomes evident to every close student of the Word that there is a blending of the predictions concerning the two restorations of Israel to her own land—the first from Babylonian captivity; the second from her world-wide dispersion. Only the very close Bible student will catch this most important point.
Since Daniel was studying the Book of Jeremiah, and since the seventy years of desolations of Jerusalem are mentioned in these two chapters, we know that he was studying Jeremiah 29:1-32. In his perusal of this passage it is quite evident from what the angel Gabriel said that Daniel did not see the fine point of there being two restorations of Israel to her own land but expected the final and complete restoration after the Babylonian captivity. That Daniel did arrive at this conclusion is reflected in Gabriel’s statement to him, as he (Daniel) had informed us: "And he instructed me, and talked with me, and said, 0 Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee wisdom and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment went forth, and I am come to tell thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision" (Daniel 9:22-23). Daniel needed instruction. For that reason the Lord sent Gabriel to the prophet, who declared that he had been sent to him "to give thee [Daniel] wisdom and understanding." Gabriel felt the necessity of warning the prophet not to dismiss the issue, but to open his heart and to receive the instruction which Gabriel was giving him. From these facts it is very evident that Daniel did not understand thoroughly the message of Jeremiah.
The prophets, when the Spirit of God was upon them, were infallibly inspired and could not and did not make any mistakes. But the Spirit of God was not upon the prophets all the time. The Spirit came on various occasions. Usually the prophets date the time of their reception of a message from God. When the Spirit was not thus upon them and inspiring them, they could make mistakes, as Nathan the prophet did in his advising David to build a temple to the Lord. After he had thus encouraged the king, Nathan was forced by the Lord to go and correct his mistake (2 Samuel 7:1-29).
We can gather from the prediction in Daniel 9:24 the mistake that Daniel made. He concluded that the six things mentioned in Daniel 9:24 would be fulfilled at the end of the Babylonian captivity—within two years of the time. That the reader might see the mistake that Daniel made, I quote this verse again: "Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy." Instead of these six things being fulfilled at the end of that first period of seventy years of the Babylonian captivity, as the prophet had thought, Gabriel said that there were seventy sevens decreed upon the Jewish people and upon Jerusalem for the bringing in of millennial conditions.
Gabriel said that there were seventy sevens (not seventy weeks of days) decreed upon Israel and Jerusalem. Seventy sevens of what? Of the thing about which Daniel had been reading and studying. As we have already seen, he had been reading about and thinking of literal years, regular solar years, consisting of the four seasons—years such as are recorded in the historical portions of the Scriptures. The angel Gabriel therefore said to Daniel that, instead of the Millennium’s coming at the end of that first period of seventy years, there would be seventy times seven years before that vision would become reality.
Thus we see that the Exile lasted for seventy times one year, or seventy years. But there must pass seventy times seven years before the establishment of this reign of righteousness upon the earth.
In view of all the facts we see that the expression, seventy times seven, is an illustration of the principle of paronomasia. The recognition of this fact gives us the keynote to the proper understanding of the passage. A failure to recognize that this is a case of paronomasia throws the entire passage into confusion. As a result, many wild and weird guesses and interpretations have been imposed upon Daniel 9:1-27. In fact, a certain system of a chronological prophetic outline is based upon the conclusion, drawn from this passage, by many who fail to see that this is a plain and evident case of a play upon words.
For a full and complete discussion of the prophecy of Daniel 9:1-27, see either my volume, Messiah: His First Coming Scheduled, or The Seventy Weeks of Daniel.
STILL another important instance of paronomasia is found in Daniel 11:38 in the expression "the god of fortresses" found in the sentence: "But in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things."
In order to understand this marvelous prediction concerning the willful king of the time of the end, it is necessary for one to see this specific prophecy in the light of the entire context. Daniel 10:1-21, Daniel 11:1-45, and Daniel 12:1-13, constitute one complete oracle. In Daniel 11:2-4 we have a rapid survey of the Medo-Persian Empire which was brought to an end by the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great. The collapse and division of Alexander’s empire among his four generals is likewise foreshadowed in Daniel 11:4. In Daniel 11:5-19 is a very rapid survey of the conflict that raged between the Greco-Syrian Empire under the Seleucid kings and the Greco-Egyptian kings of the Ptolemaic line in Egypt. The former king is called "the king of the north," whereas the latter one is called "the king of the south." Thus in these verses appears a survey of the struggle between Egypt and Syria, down to the time of the father of Antiochus Epiphanes of the Greco-Syrian kingdom. In Daniel 11:21 we see Antiochus Epiphanes, the great persecutor of the Jews. A description of the war between Antiochus and the Maccabees is set forth in Daniel 11:21-35. But in Daniel 11:31-35 there begin to appear little glimpses of conditions that will exist in Israel in the end time. Thus in these last verses there is a blending of the immediate future with the far distant period of the end time. This is a very reasonable thing, because a situation similar to that of the Maccabean Period will exist in the end time.
But when we come to Daniel 11:36, we are in the midst of the Tribulation Period. The reason for my saying this is that the things which this willful king will do are described by John in Revelation 13:1-18, as occurring in the middle of the Tribulation.
BUT let us look at the immediate text: "And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things. And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god: whosoever acknowledgeth him he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price" (Daniel 11:36-39).
Here is a determined king who does according to his will. He exalts himself and magnifies himself above every god, he speaks horrible things against the God of gods, Jehovah, the true God, and prospers in his designs to the close of the period of indignation. This information we gather from Daniel 11:36. In the following verse Daniel gives us more explicit information. He disregards the gods of his fathers. This raises the question as to the nationality of this great king. From Daniel 7:1-28, we know that the prince who will rule the world empire of the end time is none other than a person of Roman extraction. This fact is reflected in the statement that the people of the coming prince shall, according to Daniel, destroy the city and the sanctuary. This is a prediction that was fulfilled by the Roman conquest and overthrow of the Jewish commonwealth in A.D. 70. The people who overthrew the Jewish nation were the Romans. Daniel tells us that these who overthrow the Jewish commonwealth are the people of this future coming prince. Since the Romans did that, we know that the future world ruler is to be of Roman extraction. Then the gods of his fathers are none other than the gods of the Romans. The next statement that is made is that he does not regard "the desire of women." For the moment let us pass by this expression to the next one: "neither does he regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all"—that is, above all gods. This passage presupposes the springing up of idolatry all over the world in the time of the Tribulation. Thus there will come back into existence the old Roman gods, the old Norse gods, the Teutonic gods, the gods of the Greeks; in fact, the world will be engulfed by idolatry, as we have already seen in other discussions appearing in this magazine. This condition will continue throughout the first half of the great Tribulation Period. But in the middle of the Tribulation, as we learn from Revelation 13:1-18, this world dictator will demand the worship of all people. He will oppose all idolatry and Christianity as it will be preached by the 144,000 Jewish evangelists during the first half of the Tribulation. He will have an image of himself set up in Jerusalem in the Jewish Temple. At the unveiling of that image, it will be given by Satan the power to speak and will perform miracles, even causing fire to descend out of heaven to earth in the sight of men. Doubtless the ceremonies in connection with the unveiling of this image will be sent by television and by radio to the entire world. In this manner the population of the world will probably witness the great demonstration of satanic power that will be enacted at that time—at the time that this willful king opposes the Roman gods and exalts himself above all gods.
BUT what is meant by the expression in Daniel 11:37, "the desire of women"? The verse is dealing with the gods that are worshiped in the Tribulation. The first phrase, as we have already seen, refers to the Roman gods. The last term signifies the gods of all other nations. But between these phrases is "the desire of women." Since it is thus sandwiched between these two expressions referring to the various gods of the nations, the implication is that it likewise refers to a god. What then does this expression, desire of women, mean in Jewish thought? We learn that it was the desire of the Jewish women to become the mother of the Messiah. Thus the Messiah, then, is probably "the desire of women," of the Jewish women. When we study messianic prophecy, we see that He is God in human form who enters the world by miraculous conception and virgin birth. He is truly a man and at the same time He is God—not God and man (a monstrosity), but the God-man. See such passages as Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-18, Php 2:5-11, and Hebrews 1:1-14 and Hebrews 2:1-18.
When we recognize that "the desire of women" refers to the divine-human Messiah, and when we see that this willful king is opposed to all gods and equally to this one, "desire of women," we see that he is likewise opposed to Christ. Thus this passage shows that though the church is removed from the earth before the Tribulation, Christ will be preached and Christianity will continue to exist during the Tribulation. As suggested above, the banner of Prince Immanuel that the ascending church drops as it wends its way to meet the Lord in the air is picked up by the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, who accept the message which we are now giving to Israel, who rush forth into the breach that has been left by the departing church and go forward into battle, pressing the claims of Jesus Christ upon the world. These evangelists bring about the world’s greatest revival, in which multiplied millions and hundreds of millions of souls will accept Jesus Christ and wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Thus we see from this Old Testament prophecy how the willful king will make a determined stand against the true God, against the Lord Jesus Christ, and also against the idolatry which will at that time have swept over the world.
FURTHER information regarding his activity is given us in Daniel 11:38, which is as follows: "But in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things."
Although we have been told in Daniel 11:36-37 that this willful king, the world dictator, will magnify himself above every god and oppose every thought of a Divine Being, yet in Daniel 11:38 we are told that "in his place [mar. office] shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold ..." Since he puts himself above every god, and since he opposes the very thought of the existence of any god, the expression the god of fortresses cannot refer to an idol or god. This fact shows that our term is not to be taken literally, but rather metaphorically. What figure is this? There is but one answer—paronomasia. In other words, Daniel speaks of force, power, and military equipment to which this willful king gives all of his attention in terms of the topic of the conversation. Since he has been speaking of gods whom this dictator opposes, and since he uses the expression, "the god of fortresses," we know that this term simply speaks of the creation on the part of the world dictator of a great military force with which he intends to conquer the world and bring it under his power and control. Thus the great and unparalleled military force which he creates and marshals proves to be his god—the object of his devotion and the thing upon which he depends for the carrying out of his plans of world conquest and subjection. Hitler built up the greatest war machine that the world thus far has ever seen. He ground down the German people, taking their "gold, and silver, ... precious stones and pleasant things," and poured all of this into the creation of his god—the German armed forces. Just what Hitler did in this respect, the world dictator will do on a much larger scale.
From the following verse we see this willful king, the Anti-christ, as he launches his war of aggression against the ten dictators who are represented by the ten toes of the image vision of Daniel 2:1-49, and the ten horns of the fourth beast of Daniel 7:1-28. "And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god: whosoever acknowledgeth him he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price" (Daniel 11:39).
From Daniel 7:1-28, we see that the world will be headed up in the end of this age into a colossal political octopus, a world government (Daniel 7:23). Then it will, as indicated by Daniel 7:24, fall to pieces, splitting into ten divisions. Over each of these sections will arise a dictator. Following their appearance, will come up the final dictator, or willful king, who will gradually ingratiate himself, by his flatteries, into the favor of these dictators. Thus he will cooperate with them and finally enter into a covenant with the Jews for a period of seven years. When this treaty is signed, the Tribulation begins. During the first half of the Tribulation, there does not appear to be any friction between these dictators and the willful king. He seems to work, however, in an underhanded way, manipulating the affairs of all, and causing great powers to gravitate into his own hands. Finally, when he will have created his "god of fortresses"—his war machine—he launches his power against the strongest fortresses—those of the ten kings who have brought him to power. In other words, this is a clear prediction that this willful king will launch his war of aggression against the armed forces of his ten associates, over whom he will already have won by diplomacy the mastery to a certain extent. He does not launch this war simply in human strength, for we are told that he does it "by the help of a foreign god." Who is this foreign god? It cannot be any of the gods of the nations, when idolatry has a resurgence, a rising again into life, at this future time. This expression, "a foreign god," when read in the light of Revelation 13:1-18, which deals with the same situation as does Daniel 11:1-45, is seen to refer to none other than Satan himself, who turns over his throne and power to this world dictator. Thus Satan is a foreign god so far as the various gods that are made by men are concerned.
Whatever persons, at the time of the launching of this war of aggression, will acknowledge the willful king will be promoted to great honor and power. They will be given positions in the government to rule over many. At that time the Antichrist will "divide the land [Palestine] for a price."
When the Antichrist thus launches this war, he may start out with a war of nerves. In all probability he will do this. But there will be two of these dictators who will accept his challenge and rise up in armed might against him. The first is the king of the south; the second is the king of the north. The conflict will be indeed a blitz or possibly a "push button war." Palestine will figure very largely in this great conflict, for "he [the willful king, the Anti-christ] shall enter also into the glorious land [Palestine], and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon." Let us note that, at the time of the launching of this war, many countries will be overthrown. It will rapidly take on global proportions. But the conflict will not spread to Edom, Moab, and the children of Ammon. God will prevent its entering into that section of the world. Why? My suggestion is that the Jews who will be in Palestine in the Tribulation will flee into these countries where God will protect them. A further description of the spread of this war is seen in Daniel 11:42, which reads: "He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape." The blanket statement is made that this willful king will stretch forth his hand upon "the countries." While this expression is not exactly definite, yet it is general and implies that this war will be waged against the countries of the world in general. The Egyptians, the Libyans, and the Ethiopians will fall under the sledge hammer blows of this mighty world dictator.
While the war is raging in the countries just mentioned, the report, as is seen in Daniel 11:44, will come that there are insurrections in the far east and in the distant north. Thus, according to this prediction, practically the whole world will be engulfed in a titanic struggle between the willful king on the one hand and the ten dictators with whom he will have been associated for the first half of the Tribulation on the other. According to Daniel 11:45 he will be brought to his end and none shall help him. His being brought to an end is what occurs at the end of the Tribulation.
Daniel was very much interested in the length of time from the willful king’s opposing all gods, magnifying himself above the God of gods, and his launching this aggressive war against his associates in government, to the time that he is brought to an end. This question is answered in Daniel 12:6-7 which reads as follows: "And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river. How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces of power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." How long shall these wonders take place? The answer is, "a time, times, and a half." Time, in the Book of Daniel and in Revelation, which quotes this phrase from Daniel, is a year. Times is in the dual number, two years, and a half a time is half a year. Thus the total of time, times, and half a time is three and one-half years. There will therefore be three and one-half years from the time of the willful king’s attempt to abolish idolatry from the world and to require the worship of himself to the end of the Tribulation, when he is brought to his end. When this passage is laid down beside the Book of Revelation, it is quite evident that these three and one-half years of Daniel 11:1-45 and Daniel 12:1-13, are the latter half of the Tribulation Period.
Thus the recognition of the figure of paronomasia in Daniel 11:38 opens up the entire passage of Scripture for an intelligible exposition of the same. Only, therefore, when we recognize that the expression, the god of fortresses, is an instance of paronomasia and interpret it accordingly, can we see this "push button" war of aggression that will be launched in the middle of the Tribulation and that will be so very disastrous to the world. Thus the whole interpretation of this marvelous revelation is contingent upon our recognition of this figure of speech. THE PROPER UNDERSTANDING of Daniel 11:36-45 is absolutely imperative for the correct evaluation of that marvelous revelation found in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17, which is of utmost importance to everyone who wishes to comprehend the prophetic word. Having the correct interpretation of Daniel 11:36-45 as a basis of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we are now in a position to understand correctly, accurately, and grammatically the teaching of this marvelous message. At this juncture, may I state that, apart from the proper grasp of Daniel 11:36-45, it is impossible for one to see the truth of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17.
In I Thessalonians Paul spoke much of the return of the Lord and what is termed the rapture of the church. The classic passage on this point in this letter is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. From all the data which we have, it seems that the Thessalonian Christians with whom Paul had sojourned only a short while, when he brought the gospel to them, were being disturbed by false teachings concerning prophetic matters. From Athens Paul wrote the Thessalonian letters. Moreover, it seems that, although the first letter had been received, there still was a grave necessity for his writing the second one to allay misapprehensions and to correct certain erroneous teachings which had been brought to them. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 the Apostle was very eager that this church should understand the rapture of the saints and its relation to the day of the Lord. Thus he spoke of "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him." Christ’s coming and our being gathered together to Him can refer to nothing except the rapture of the church as set forth in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18. The Apostle wanted these Christians to understand this matter in order that they might not be quickly shaken from their mind in any way—either by someone’s claiming to have a revelation by the Spirit, or by a special message, or by an epistle as from him and his co-workers. We gather from what he says that there was a grave likelihood that these Christians would be disturbed in some of the ways mentioned by those who were claiming that the day of the Lord had already come. The day of the Lord is a technical term used in the Old Testament to refer to, the Tribulation Period, which is of seven years’ duration. The present perfect tense is used in this verse and is translated in the Revised Version "is just at hand"; but the perfect tense here should be rendered "has already come." Since Paul wanted them to understand clearly the doctrine regarding the rapture of the church and did not want them to be disturbed by the teaching that the day of the Lord had already come, it is clear that he wanted these Christians to understand that the rapture would occur before the Tribulation. If this was not his thought, there would be no point in their being disturbed regarding the rapture by the report that the day of the Lord had already come. If the church was to go through the Tribulation, or through the first half of it, the announcement that this period of wrath had already come would give them the assurance that, within a very short time, they would be caught up out of the world, and that all of their troubles would soon be over. But if, as taught in the Scriptures, the rapture occurs before the Tribulation, the teaching that the Tribulation had already begun, and that they had not been caught up in it, would be a matter of great concern. In that event, they would know that they were not pleasing to God, and that He had not taken them up out of this present evil world.
The Apostle continued his exhortation to these Christians by declaring, "Let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition ..." The words, "it will not be," are in italics, which fact shows that they are supplied by the translator. The Greek text is elliptical here. These words must be supplied in order to convey to the reader’s mind the meaning of the text. The question arising at this point is: What is the antecedent of "it," which is here properly inserted? Naturally, since the day of the Lord is mentioned immediately preceding this statement, we would be inclined to take this phrase as its antecedent, or rather the word "day." This is the natural construction. If this be the correct interpretation, Paul tells us that the Tribulation will not begin except two things first occur, "the falling away" and "the man of sin be revealed." On the other hand, the possible antecedent of "it" is the coming of the Lord and our being gathered together unto Him to meet Him in the air—the rapture. This construction is altogether possible. It has much in its favor. Regardless of which thought was that of the Apostle, both are true. The rapture must, as is presented here by strong implication, occur before the day of the Lord. This position is absolutely confirmed by other Scriptures. Moreover, the falling away and the revealing of the man of sin must also come before the Tribulation. Thus in verses 1-3 the Apostle is talking about those things which must occur before the Tribulation.
WHAT is meant by "the falling away"? This word by derivation indicates a departure or a forsaking of one group with which those who are the subject of conversation have been associated. They apostatize or leave this group and go out from it. An illustration of this is seen in 1 John 2:19 : "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us." Those of whom John was speaking had been associated with the Christians to whom the Apostle was writing. But not being born-again and not being Spirit-filled, they on some occasion walked out from the group, forsook it, and went, figuratively speaking, into another camp—that of the enemy of Christianity. Thus there was a deliberate, calculated departure on the part of those leaving. This apostasy, said Paul, must come first before the Tribulation. The second thing which, he affirmed, must also occur before the Tribulation is found in the same verse: the revealing of the man of sin, the son of perdition. The word reveal, in the original text, means to remove the cover. When the cover which has been over an object, and which has been hiding it from view, is removed, it can be seen. This is the primary signification of the word reveal. Thus the man of sin, the son of perdition, according to this prediction, is to be in the world but not be recognized at first. Then there will arise some circumstance or event that will make this one known. In other words, his identity will be revealed to the world. In this prediction Paul therefore affirms that the identification of the man of sin will become a known fact before the day of the Lord, before the Tribulation. Since the language is clear and explicit, there can be no doubt about this position.
In 1 John 4:4 the Apostle identifies the man of sin from the prophetic standpoint. He does this by telling us that this one is "he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God." All reputable commentators with whom I am acquainted take the position that Paul by this language tells us that this man of sin is the very one of whom Daniel, in Daniel 11:36-45, was speaking. In other words, this man of sin of our passage is the willful king of Daniel 11:36 ff. The reason for his being identified as this one is that he does the very things that Daniel said the willful king will do. He is living at the same time, namely, in the end time—in the Tribulation. As we have seen, Daniel’s willful king, opposing all that is called God and that is worshipped as God, prepares for a war of aggression against the world, which precipitates a global conflict. In carrying out his plan, he is successful; for, "he shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished." The term indignation signifies the Tribulation Period and its judgments. But "he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." From the time of this titanic struggle until the indignation is accomplished and he comes to his end, is a period, as we have already seen, of three and one-half years, which culminates with the coming of the Lord to establish His reign of righteousness upon the earth. Paul’s man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, is slain by the Lord Jesus Christ "with the breath of his mouth," and is brought to nought by the manifestation of his [Christ’s] coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8). The facts of both passages are clear and definite and identify the willful king of Daniel’s prophecy as the man of sin of Paul’s prediction. But Daniel discusses only the actions of the willful king in his opposition to idolatry and to the worship of the true God, which precipitates a war of aggression, and his prospering in this one particular enterprise until he is brought to nought at the end of the Tribulation. Since Daniel’s willful king does not launch his campaign of aggression until the middle of the Tribulation, and since Paul identifies the man of sin with Daniel’s willful king by calling attention to what he does in the middle of the Tribulation, it is clear that Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 has moved in his thinking from the days prior to the Tribulation in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 to the middle of the Tribulation in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. That the reader may see this more clearly, I shall again quote 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 : "Let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God."
It is of the utmost importance that we recognize the fact that 2 Thessalonians 2:4 describes the events of the middle of the Tribulation, and that Paul is dealing in it with the willful king’s aggressive action against idolatry and his attempt to seize supreme power. But by reading 2 Thessalonians 2:4 in the light of its background in Daniel 11:36-45, a person cannot possibly avoid seeing that this verse is beyond all controversy referring to the events of the middle of the Tribulation.
The next step forward which we must take in the study of this passage is to examine carefully 2 Thessalonians 2:5-7 : "Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now until he taken out of the way." In 2 Thessalonians 2:5 Paul began by reminding his readers of the fact that, when he was with them, he told them "these things." The things here referred to can be none other than the things mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4; namely, the rapture of the church, the apostasy, the revealing of the man of sin before the Tribulation, and finally the opposition of this willful king to all idolatry and his exalting himself above everything that is called God, in the middle of the Tribulation, which things are mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Thus with 2 Thessalonians 2:4 the Apostle stops momentarily in his advancing thought when he has reached the middle of the Tribulation. He wants his readers to recall the things which he had taught them when he was present with them, and which were in perfect alignment with what he was then writing in the Epistle.
After his question in 2 Thessalonians 2:5 he stated that the Thessalonians knew "that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season." Since he had taught them thoroughly, in regard to these matters, they knew exactly what he meant. That which restrains is in the neuter gender. That which restrains is used of God to keep back and to prevent the coming forth of this willful king, this man of sin, the son of perdition, until the time arrives which is here designated as "in his own season." From this language we see that there is some force or power which is used of God in preventing and hindering the appearing of the man of sin before his time really comes. The reason why God in His providence has that restraining force or power preventing the coming of this man of sin before "his own season" is stated in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, which is "For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way." That which is called "the mystery of lawlessness" is the thing that is being kept back or hindered by "that which restraineth." When that restraining power is removed, this mystery or secret of lawlessness will bring forth this willful king or man of sin, who will play the role that is foretold of him in Daniel 11:36-45 and parallel passages. What is this mystery of lawlessness? In the words of this passage it is that which will eventually bring forth the man of sin. But, according to 2 Thessalonians 2:9, the coming of this man of sin is due "to the working of Satan." When we take these two statements into consideration, it seems quite plausible that "the mystery of lawlessness" is Satan’s working in an underhanded, hidden way in his attempt to bring forth the man of sin. As we have already seen from 2 Thessalonians 2:6, Paul speaks of "that which restraineth," but in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 of "one that restraineth now." That which restraineth, as stated above, is in the neuter gender. One that restraineth is in the masculine gender. That which is an impersonal force in 2 Thessalonians 2:6 is spoken of as a person in 2 Thessalonians 2:7; therefore the expression, he that restraineth, appears here. Such a personification of an impersonal force is appropriate. From all the facts of this context, it would appear that God is using some force or power during the present age to keep back the coming forth of this man of sin, who will play the role that is foretold of him in the Old Testament, as well as in this statement of Paul and others of the New Testament writers.
WHAT is this restraining power, or who is he? Various answers are given. Some excellent Bible teachers assert that this restraining power is the Holy Spirit in the church and that, when the church is removed from the earth by the rapture, the Holy Spirit goes with it and departs from the world. On the other hand, there are those who take a different view of this situation. They are convinced that the restraining power is none other than civil governments led by man. In support of this proposition they call our attention to the fact that when the maneuvers and preparations for war of this willful king in the middle of the Tribulation precipitate a global conflict, he is successful. Three of the ten kings represented by the ten horns of the fourth beast of Daniel 7:1-28, are put down. The other seven become simply subservient to this world dictator, represented by the little horn which comes up after them, and which becomes so much more powerful than they. The other seven, as factors to be reckoned with, cease to be. There is then no civil government whatsoever, that can any longer hinder or retard the coming forth of this man of sin as he is energized by Satan. Thus the restraining power headed up by the ten kings or dictators is removed in the middle to the Tribulation. Only when this is done, does this man of sin, the son of perdition, show his real character. Prior to this time he has been a smooth-speaking, suave flatterer, who seeks to win the favor of all. On the other hand, when all civil governments have been crushed and he alone is supreme in the world, he walks forth upon the stage of human activity as the absolute one who has complete control and power throughout the earth.
There doubtless is truth in both interpretations of this prophecy. When, however, due consideration is given to the latter, it seems most highly probable that the latter one is the correct one; for it meets all the conditions set forth by Daniel and the facts presented by Paul. One should read the explanation of Hogg and Vine in their Commentary on II Thessalonians on this subject.
From our study of 2 Thessalonians 2:5-7 we see that Paul is simply reminding his readers concerning his former teaching to them regarding the rise to absolute dictatorial power of the willful king, the man of sin. When he in this war seizes complete control in the middle of the Tribulation, there is no one to resist him. Thus these verses do not advance the thought of 2 Thessalonians 2:4, but rather explain it. 2 Thessalonians 2:5-7 are therefore parenthetical.
In view of these facts we see that 2 Thessalonians 2:8 picks up the thought that was advanced in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 and develops it. Thus in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 Paul declares, "And then shall be revealed the lawless one ..." The adverb then of this verse ties his thought to the action expressed by 2 Thessalonians 2:4, which we have already seen refers to the events that occur in the middle of the Tribulation. By his bold action this man of sin will enter a new stage of his career. He reveals at that time his real self. Figuratively speaking, he lays aside his mask and manifests to the world his true character of lawlessness. The revealing of the man of sin in the middle of the Tribulation is entirely different from his being revealed as mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, which we have already noted. This latter revealing occurs before the Tribulation. It makes his identity known, but the revealing mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, which occurs in the middle of the Tribulation, unmasks this monster of hideousness who then acts according to his real character and the promptings of Satan.
Having mentioned the fact that this lawless one is revealed in the middle of the Tribulation, the Apostle asserts that the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to nought by the manifestation of His coming, which event occurs at the end of the Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:8). This thought, at this stage of Paul’s unfolding of this future drama, simply by way of anticipation tells the doom which awaits this wicked one at the second coming of our Lord.
The coming of this willful king, this man of sin, is "according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish ..." (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). This quotation is still speaking of the coming forth of this man of sin in the middle of the Tribulation. When he reveals his true character, Satan will back him up and inspire him, thus enabling him to perform every kind of super-natural sign and wonder in order to confirm his false claims of being God himself. The message of 2 Thessalonians 2:9 should be studied very carefully in the light of Revelation 13:1-18, which gives in detail the information concerning his coming. We read also in Revelation 17:8 of this same event: "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come." In this struggle the willful king receives the death stroke. His spirit goes down to Hades where he remains a very short time; then is brought up by Satan. His spirit re-enters his body. Then Satan takes possession of him and performs unprecedented signs and wonders through him in the presence of the people. This display of miraculous power will be the greatest demonstration of superhuman (diabolical) energy that will ever be witnessed by mortal man.
Satan will perform these mighty wonders through the Antichrist, who, at that time, will have been raised to life, in order to deceive those who "received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." There will be a certain portion of the human family for whom Satan and this willful king put on this demonstration of superhuman power. They will have had an opportunity of receiving truth in order that they might be saved, but they do not avail themselves of it—"they believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness." But this is in the Tribulation and the church will have been taken out of the world prior to the beginning of that period of judgment. How will the entire world have an opportunity of hearing and receiving the truth at that period? The answer is to be found in Revelation, chapter 7, which tells of the great ministry of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists who conduct this mightiest of all revivals at which time there will be a turning to God on the part of countless millions, which no man can number.
AS WE give Israel the truth at the present time, it is like sowing seed in a vast dry field with moist spots here and there. That seed which falls in the moist places germinates and produces immediately. But that which falls upon the dry ground will remain where it falls until it is watered by the showers later. Thus the showers of the judgments of the great Tribulation will water the seed which is now being sown in the indifferent hearts of the Jewish people. Then there will spring forth from that seed-sowing the 144,000 Jewish servants of God, evangelists like the Apostle Paul, who will conduct that mightiest of all revivals, in which multiplied millions will come to a saving knowledge of the truth. They wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. This revival continues throughout the first half of the Tribulation. But hosts of men will not turn to the Lord then. After these have had full opportunity to receive the truth, but reject it, God will allow the world dictator, energized by Satan, to perform the great wonders and signs, mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 and in Revelation 13:1-18, in the sight of the people of the world. Not having loved the truth but having had pleasure in unrighteousness, and being blinded by Satan, they will be confirmed in the belief that the Antichrist is God. They will then worship him and receive his mark upon their foreheads and on their right hands.
A WORD by way of recapitulation: The proper interpretation of the expression, "the god of fortresses," unlocks the door for the correct understanding of the marvelous passage concerning the willful king and his victorious struggle against the entire world and the elimination of all rulers as potential rivals for imperial authority and power. Thus the proper understanding of the passage in Daniel gives us a basis upon which to stand as we study the marvelous prediction in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. These two passages show very vividly and forcefully the importance of our understanding the figure of speech known as paronomasia. AS STATED BEFORE, a play on words is such an important matter in the Scriptures that I feel constrained to give another study on this subject.
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus, who was of the Pharisees and a ruler of the Jews, came, as we are told in John 3:1-15, to Jesus by night. Why he came at night no one knows. It is possible that he wanted to have an uninterrupted interview. On the other hand, he may have sought Him in the darkness of the night because he was afraid of the Jews. Since we have no testimony along this line, we shall have to hold our judgment in suspense.
According to the records Nicodemus began his conversation by recognizing that Jesus was a teacher come from God. In fact, he called Him Rabbi. This was unusual. For a man occupying the position which Nicodemus held in the councils of the nation to recognize that Jesus was a Rabbi, although He had never attended the theological seminary in Jerusalem, was an indication of the high esteem in which he held our Lord. The reason for his recognizing Jesus as a teacher sent from God was that no one was able to do the things which He performed unless God was with Him.
Jesus immediately broke off his line of thought by abruptly saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Of course we do not have the full account of the interview. We have only sketches of it here and there. But from what we have, it seems that Jesus was very abrupt. He knew, however, what He was doing; and we may be certain that He did the right thing. He brushed aside all formalities and preliminary discussion and went right to the vital issue of life—the matter of regeneration, salvation. Thus Jesus informed Nicodemus that he had to be born anew or again; otherwise he would not be able to see the kingdom of God which John and He were proclaiming.
Nicodemus did not understand the words of our Lord. He therefore asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?" In reply Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
Why did Jesus use the expression, "be born anew" or, again? We do not see it anywhere else in the Scriptures. Why does it appear here? The reason is easily seen. The Jews doted on the fact that they were the descendants of Abraham. John the Baptist knew that fact and told them not to think that they had Abraham as their father, for God was able to raise from the stones children unto Abraham. Nicodemus, a teacher in Israel, shared the general view of the people, which was that the Jews were the seed of Abraham; therefore, the children of God. The kingdom of Israel is called the kingdom of God in 1 Chronicles 28:4-5. In order for any Gentile to worship the true God he had to come over into the Jewish fold and accept circumcision—become a proselyte; thus he entered the kingdom of God as it then was. But the Jews were born, by natural birth, into this kingdom of God. Thus to be born of Jewish parents was a great thing. In Jewish theology of that day the hopes of the nation for time and eternity were built upon the fact that the Israelites were the seed of Abraham, that they were of the circumcision.
Jesus, knowing this fundamental teaching of Judaism, immediately brushed away these false hopes by stating to Nicodemus that, if he wished to see this kingdom which He and John were proclaiming, he, Nicodemus, and everyone else with the same desire, must have another birth, a spiritual one; for "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Your natural birth, said Jesus to Nicodemus, will avail you nothing so far as this new phase of the kingdom which we are preaching is concerned. You must have a second or new birth.
Thus Jesus spoke of regeneration of the soul in terms of the natural birth of the Jew. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth anything, but a new creation which is in Christ Jesus.
My friend, have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Has the Spirit of God regenerated your heart? If you have not had this experience, you will never see the kingdom of God.
Jesus answered and said, unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
In John 4:1-54 we have a record of our Lord’s leaving Judaea and going into Galilee. Not having the prejudice that the Jews of that day had against the Samaritans—hence going from Judea through Peraea northward into Galilee—our Lord went directly through Samaria on His journey northward. When He came to Sychar, He sent the disciples into the village to buy food, while He remained at the well. As He sat there, a woman of Samaria came for water. (I have been to this very well and have drunk of the same water.) Jesus asked her for a drink of water. She, being a woman of Samaria, recoiled, because the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Moreover, a man, from the Jewish standpoint, would never condescend to speak to a strange woman. Thus she was surprised and asked Him how it was that He who was a Jew would ask her for a drink of water, since she was a Samaritan.
Jesus replied, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water" (John 4:10). Why did Jesus say that He would give her living water if she asked for it? It is clear that this language is a play on words or ideas. He had asked for a drink of water, literal water. Then He had declared that, if she would ask of Him, He would give her, not the water from the well, but "living water." Thus it is clear that the expression, living water, is an echo of the water about which the conversation was being held.
What did Jesus mean here by "living water"? From John 3:14, we learn that He told her "... the water that I shall give ... shall become ... a well of water springing up unto eternal life." Thus we see that He was talking about something which He would give her upon request, and which would result in eternal life—throughout all the ages of eternity. What makes it possible for people to live with God forever and ever? It is the salvation of the soul, the regeneration of the heart, the being "born again." Thus Jesus spoke of salvation in terms of the topic of the conversation.
Our Lord declared that, if she asked, He would give. The proposition was clear, no misunderstanding possible. All she had to do was to ask, which request would simply indicate a desire for salvation. He did not impose any acts of obedience whatsoever; He simply declared that, if she wanted it and asked for it, salvation would be hers.
Salvation is a very simple matter. It is to be had for the asking, if one simply believes, turning to the Lord for that which He alone can give. Friend, have you enjoyed drinking this water of life? It is free to you for the asking. If you have not asked Him for it, may you do so today. Having received, may you go forth serving Him day by day.
They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
The Jews all the time thought in terms of work, of service, of obedience to law. They could not think in any other categories. They therefore asked Him, "What must we do, that we may work the works of God?" His reply was, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Here again we have a play on words. The universal testimony of the New Testament Scriptures is that salvation is by grace through faith. God was under no obligations to save anyone. But He, out of His graciousness, has provided a means of redemption, whereby salvation is made acceptable to all, to the rich and the poor alike. All one has to do is to believe.
The Jew thought that he had to do some work in order that he might work the works of God. Jesus took advantage of this statement and set forth the plan of salvation. If they wanted to do the real work of God, then they should believe on Him, Christ, whom God had sent. In so doing, they would accept Him as their Redeemer and follow Him as the sheep follow the shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is leading the way. All His sheep harken to His voice and follow Him daily. Let us follow Him, not afar off, as Peter did at the time of the crucifixion; but let us follow Him closely and daily.
I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died ... I am the living bread which came dawn out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world ... Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day ... This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever.
How are we to understand the language of this quotation? Was Christ talking about cannibalism, eating His literal flesh and drinking His literal blood? Such an idea is ridiculous and abhorrent. The key to the understanding of this language, however, is to be found in the circumstances which gave rise to this message. The events recorded in the sixth chapter of John occurred at the passover time, one year before the crucifixion. In the John 6:1-14 have a record of Christ’s feeding the five thousand on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. When the people came and were trying, by force, to make Him King, He retired into a mountain alone. At eventide the disciples entered into a boat and were crossing the sea to the west side. As they were sailing along, there arose a storm. Jesus came to them, entered the boat, and brought them safely to the opposite shore. On the next day, the multitudes that had been fed—given a free dinner—ran around the north end of the sea and came to Capernaum. Jesus entered into the synagogue and delivered His message. It was quite evident that the people had come and were following Him in order that they might receive another free dinner, or many of them. Knowing the motives that had prompted them to come, Jesus told them that He was the true bread that had come down out of heaven and that they would have to eat Him—eat His flesh and drink His blood—otherwise they would have no life in themselves.
In view of the circumstances which gave rise to this message, it is very evident that Jesus was speaking of their receiving Him as their Saviour in terms of their receiving the food which He had given to them free the day before. He was therefore speaking of their accepting Him and the gift of salvation in terms of the thought which was uppermost in their minds at the time.
To refer this passage to the Lord’s supper and to build up a doctrine around it that, unless one partakes of the loaf and the cup, he has no life in him is to do violence to this passage. The Bible does teach that the children of God should meet on the first day of the week and remember their Lord by observing the supper, but this thought was farthest from His mind on the occasion of His preaching the sermon recorded in John 6:1-71.
To take this passage literally and to claim that the cup and the loaf, when blessed, are literally converted into the actual body and blood of Jesus is not suggested by anything in the language. Jesus did not intimate that the loaf would be converted into His actual body and the fruit of the vine into His actual blood in order that His disciples might partake thereof and live. Such an idea is paganism.
The extreme and unreasonable positions that have been placed upon this language would never have been thought of if this passage had been recognized as a plain case of paronomasia or a play upon word.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and, the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live.
Why did Jesus declare on this occasion, "I am the resurrection, and the life"? And, "... he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live"?
A glance at the context points instantly to the force of His language. Lazarus had died and his sisters, Mary and Martha, had sent for Jesus, who came. Upon His arrival, Martha met Him and began talking to Him about Lazarus. She was indeed grieved at the loss of her brother. In the course of the conversation Jesus said to her, "Thy brother shall rise again." She rejoined by declaring, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." "I am the resurrection," responded Jesus, "and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live ..." When Jesus told her that her brother would rise, Martha thought that He was talking about the resurrection at the last day. But Jesus said: No, I am the resurrection and the life. Was He the literal resurrection and the life? No. Resurrection is an abstract term. It connotes an action. Since they were talking about the resurrection of the body, and since He is the cause of the resurrection, He declared that, "I am the resurrection ..." In the light, therefore, of these facts we instantly grasp the significance of the language.