This is adapted from an Amazon review for the ESV study bible I posted back on April 12 this year (2023). It turned into a full-blown prophecy report with notes and references before my eyes as I typed. It’s also a sort of overview of many things discussed at length on this blog.
[…] I have removed a star after I found it to be what I consider to be (politically?) compromised in critical places. The best example of this comes from the contribution of Dennis E. Johnson (Westminster Seminary California, Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary) who wrote the commentary for the book of Revelation, which I believe is the most important document on earth at this time – after the Christian has come to a saving grace and solid faith in the work of Christ on the cross thus bringing in the New Covenant which Jeremiah said would not be like the one at Sinai (Jer 31.31-32) with a new law out of Zion, not Sinai (Isa 2.3; Rom 3.27, 8.2; 1Cor 9.21; Jam 1.25, 2.12; John 15.12,17, 6.29, 13.34-35; 1John 3.23-24; Luke 7.50; John 5.17), notwithstanding the increasing barrage of mis-teachings targeting Christians to ‘keep the law/sabbath’ (old covenant) online and in publications consistently taking the same handful of key verses out of context as if coordinated (for example John 14.15 or Rev 12.17, playing on common ignorance of these referring to the “commandments” outlined in 1John 3.23-4, not the 613 commandments of Moses of which Sabbath-keeping is used as the gateway to, flying in the face of the plain reading of Acts 15, etc, etc) — but I digress.
Back to Dr Johnson’s interpretations in the book of Revelation; the place this compromise is most evident is the place where arguably the clearest ‘revelation’ in the whole book of Revelation is given, namely, the identity of “the great city… where also their Lord was crucified” (Rev 11.8) which is also called the woman identified as mystery Babylon (Rev 17.5, 18 — she is also described in the colors and jewels closely describing the garb of the Levitical high priest, Exo 28.4-11 vs Rev 17.4, an important connection missed in the commentary).
These key verses lock in one place alone, and it isn’t Rome, NYC, Edom (which is not a city), Ninevah, or anywhere other than earthly Jerusalem.
A second key witness, Yeshua Jesus Himself, to the true identity of mystery Babylon which also locks in Jerusalem, Jerusalem is Rev 18.24 taken with Mat 23.37 (see also 1Thes 2.14-16).
Oddly enough, Dr. Johnson shows the plain revelation when he cross-references the relevant biblical verses in the notes for Rev 11.8 allowing the bible to interpret the bible, but then quickly tramples upon the clear revelation of mystery Babylon’s identity with a gratuitous, forced interpretation (Rome) which is not from the bible and flatly contradicts it. What a shame, but not at all surprising, I see it all the time. To be partially consistent with the text however he seems to struggle a bit and wavers later admitting Jerusalem is also implicated but only insofar as he merges it with Rome, and further smokescreens the revelation by concluding “but it also stands as a representative symbol for every empire that grasps after divine glory and afflicts Christ’s church even in this present day,” in contradiction to the critical clue of it being “the great city” and not an empire, nor do the scriptures ever compare any of the previous empires or even their capitals as Babylon.
This deception is actually predictable if the revelation is indeed true — the worldwide domination over the kings/rulers and great merchants of the earth as described in the text (Rev 17.18, 18.23) reveals the mystery/secret of her far reaching influence over governments including their military and vast array of secret spies (who are strategically embedded throughout international societies with fingers in all forms of information, communications and media worldwide, be it online, broadcast or print, and institutions including schools, universities, churches, seminaries, govt agencies, NGOs, secret societies/freemasonry, etc.) and transnational corporations like big tech (google, youtube, facebook, twitter and all the rest), which are married together forming a fascist global system where states and corporations are merged — which perfectly sums up the world system today almost 2000 years in advance. In other words, this monstrous Leviathan wrapped around the world would target and come down on anyone of any prominence revealing this amazing revelation, which is why you cannot find anyone doing so but rather inexplicably/mysteriously deploying absurd mental gymnastics and diversions to the old favorite scapegoat of the rabbies: Rome (which they consider to be Edom/Christianity/West and thus slated for destruction before their messiah comes to openly rule earth instead of from the shadows — a destruction well underway).
The small group of teachers who actually will admit the truth on this subject all ‘mysteriously’ seem to be in lock step in their narrative, invariably attaching it to a different set of deceptions (preterism), claiming Jerusalem as mystery Babylon only refers to the time leading up to 70 AD (which cannot be since it was not ruling over the kings or great merchants of the earth/land as the text says) and deploy a series of baseless, allegorical, and unbiblical interpretations to explain away the earthly messianic kingdom in the millennium beginning the unending righteousness and resurrections as already here, brushing off all the unmistakable, obvious and cosmic signs in heaven and earth associated with it and the Son of Man coming in glory which everyone will see and will not be in secret (Mat 24.27), etc, etc, essentially rendering language meaningless and completely subjective to the interpreter’s whim, lulling their would-be followers to sleep, blind to critically important prophecies, never mind that the earliest and best evidence puts the date of authorship of Revelation in the mid 90s, or how Ireneaus, disciple of Polycarp who knew and was a disciple of the apostle John, knew the false messiah/beast of Revelation 13 was still in the future. But I digress, again.
Here are the key verses identifying mystery Babylon, speaking for themselves:
“And their dead bodies will lie on the street of THE GREAT CITY which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.” (Rev 11.8).
“The woman [Babylon per 17.5] whom you saw is THE GREAT CITY which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (Rev 17.18)
”And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth/land.” (Rev 18.24)
”Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!” (Mat 23.37)
“for your [Babylon’s] merchants were the great men of the earth, for all the nations were deceived by your “PHARMAKEIA” (Rev 18.23)
Christ warned people to flee at the end of the age who lived where? NYC? Rome? No, “JUDEA,” when they see the abomination of desolation/idol (given life and able to speak — a.i.?) set up in the holy place/temple (Matthew 24.15-16) which hasn’t happened yet. He also warned those about fleeing in winter or on the SABBATH (Mat 24.20) which shows it will be strictly enforced under the reign of the false messiah.
“Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues.” (Rev 18:4)
Is it a coincidence in Revelation the harlot comes riding on a red beast in the wilderness (the Temple Institute in Jerusalem is preparing a red heifer sacrifice to bring back the temple ministry which in the Torah is prescribed to be sacrificed in the wilderness, i.e., outside the camp per Numbers 19.3) and dressed in the colors and jewels describing the high priestly garment from Exodus 28.4-11? Or that Zech 12.2 describes Jerusalem as a cup of reeling echoing language and imagery from Jer 51.7 used to describe Babylon?
A Jerusalem Post 2017 article lets the cat out of the bag revealing that Israel will be the capital of the nwo, titled “Israel and the unexpected new world order,” which sheds much light on the seismic shifts happening on the international stage with new alliances and partnerships occurring today (April 12, 2023).
I have also noticed a recent sudden surge of what seems to be bot activity on youtube suddenly using the same strawman argument that Babylon cannot be Jerusalem because it is not a port city, but Revelation doesn’t say Babylon (Jerusalem) is a port city. That’s a red herring being spread widely in what appears to be an online campaign (similar to the massive ongoing coordinated campaign to push law/sabbath-keeping, with even the pope endorsing sabbath-keeping in recent years). It just says the smoke of it can be seen from the sea and that it has merchants ships — which is just like in the time of Solomon (king of Jerusalem) who ruled over a trade bloc in the region and had fleets of merchant ships and was at one point even earning 666 talents of gold. The Jerusalem Post article from 2017 (see above) talks about a plan to do this again and even cites the kingdom of Solomon in comparison.
All nations (‘waters’ are peoples/multitudes/nations/TONGUES as explained in Rev 17.15) will gather to where she sits (Jerusalem also sits upon 7 hills/mts) in false worship as they did at the tower of Babel. (This connection was hinted at by the first Pentecost after Christ’s ascension to heaven when the apostles were speaking in the various tongues recalling the various tongues from the tower of babel, hence 1Peter 5.13, and we know Peter’s headquarters was Jerusalem, Acts 15.2,7, and addressed his letter “to those who reside as aliens scattered,” 1Peter 1.1), but first a traumatic global crisis will be be engineered to ‘bring the world together.’
But as Solomon said, what came before will come again and there’s nothing new under the sun, and so just as her allies would eventually turn against her, and destroy her (Ezk 16.35-43, 15-21), save a remnant spiritually marked by the angel upon the forehead (Ezk 9.3-6) as described in the days of Ezekiel, so we see this occur again using similar descriptions and imagery in Revelation (Rev 17.1-6, 16-17; 18.3-8) with a remnant saved, the 144,000 numbered out of the 12 tribes in the land with the name of God in their foreheads and standing with the Lamb of God on Mt Zion (Rev 7.1-4; 14.1).
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Notes pertaining to the above discussion:
“In the Bible the only usage of the phrases “in the hand” and “in the foreheads” are all in the Law of Moses and refer to keeping the commandments, statutes, judgments and holy seasons or days given to Israelites in the time of Moses. The first reference is Exodus 13:9 where it states the Days of Unleavened Bread associated with the Passover were given “for a sign unto you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes [in the forehead].”
The word “sign” in the above verse is translated “mark” in its second occurrence in the Bible and it refers to the “mark” given to Cain (Genesis 4:15). The biblical definition of the “mark” (or “sign”) in the hand and forehead is associated with holy days on the Mosaic calendar. The next usage refers to the commandments, statutes and judgments that the Israelites were to perform when they entered the land of Canaan.
“You shall bind them for a sign [or mark] upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes [in the forehead].” Deuteronomy 6:8
The third reference is similar to this and is given in Deuteronomy 11:18. The weekly Sabbath is described as such a “sign” (or MARK) in Exodus 31:12–17.
If we let the Bible interpret the Bible then the MARK (or sign) in the hand and in the forehead of Revelation 13:16–17 refers to the keeping of the Mosaic legislation — its holy day system and regulations for the people of Israel in the land of Canaan. And this is what the Antichrist will subject the world to when he commences his reign in Jerusalem just before the true Second Advent. He will display to the world his supposed divinity, the world will accept it, he will sit himself with great ceremony in the temple at Jerusalem, and then proclaim himself the true divinity come from heaven to reside among men (2 Thessalonians 2:4).”
From “The Antichrist Will Establish the Mosaic Law” by the late Ernest L. Martin.
More info:
“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were BUYING AND SELLING in the temple” (Mat 21.12)
In Revelation 13 we have the second beast/false prophet who comes imitating the signs of Elijah to do 3 important things the rabbis expect Elijah to do:
1) Renew the Sinai covenant marriage which in the Torah came with sealing the congregation with the mark of the Name of God in the forehead and hand in dedication of thoughts and works through the Aaronic Benediction as symbolized by the tefillin (the Mark of the beast is an imitation of this); “You shall bind them [commandments per Deu 6.1-7] for a SIGN/MARK UPON YOUR HAND, and they shall be as frontlets BETWEEN YOUR EYES [the forehead].” (Deut 6.8)
2) Restore the sacrifices which only those in the covenant (who take the mark of the name in covenant marriage) can participate in with the money-changers and merchants Yeshua previously threw out (buying and selling); “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were BUYING AND SELLING in the temple” (Mat 21.12).
3) Regather and number the tribes in a census as in the books of Numbers and Ezra by heads of family names (number of names/number of men); ”Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to THE NUMBER OF NAMES, every male, head by head” (NUMBERS 1.2), and, “..The NUMBER OF MEN of the people of Israel..” (Ezra 2.2).
These are expected by the rabbis for Elijah to perform before the arrival of their (false) messiah who will enforce the Sinai covenant marriage in defiance of the new covenant marriage announced by Jeremiah who said it would not be like the one at Sinai (Jeremiah 31). Hence, the law is for the lawless (1Tim 1.9) and we know the false messiah is also called the lawless one (2Thes 2.8).
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Regarding the question of Isaiah 66.8 being fulfilled in 1948 when the modern government was established in the biblical land of Israel, let’s first look at a little background including the “Palestine” name’s origins from whence the Romans took it when they renamed the land after the failed Jewish revolts to overthrown them and set up the messianic kingdom: “The area contained the five cities (the Pentapolis) of the Philistine confederacy (Gaza, Ashkelon [Ascalon], Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron) and was known as Philistia, or the Land of the Philistines. It was from this designation that the whole of the country was later called Palestine by the Greeks.” (Britannica.com)
The land has had several different names in history, from Canaan to Israel, Samaria, Judah, Ephraim, etc. In the book of Revelation Jerusalem (“the great city”) is called spiritual Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon (Rev 11.8, 17.5,18).
After entering the land from the exodus, Israel failed to remove all the inhabitants of the land as commanded and as a result the old testament states God would leave a portion in the land as a thorn in their side. The popular narrative today about the land belonging entirely to Israel at this point is biblically illiterate and another kind of revolt by rebellious leaders and their followers trying to force the messianic age (ie, the antichrist kingdom) which will also end in enormous failure and sadly many Christians who will not obey the word of God but rather the word of men are being duped and pressured into supporting this agenda by all their false leaders and preachers working for Babylon.
“But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you. As soon as the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept.” (Judges 2.2-4)
“So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed the covenant I laid down for their fathers and has not heeded My voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did.” (Judges 2.20-22)
Later in 1Chronicles 21.1, Satan stood against Israel and lured David to number Israel (which is forbidden with plagues, 1Ch 21.7, Ex 30.12) in an apparent attempt to conquer the remaining territory. In the scriptures, this census numbering was either to muster an army or for dividing up the land, or both.
We also see curses on apostate Israel or Judah (Jerusalem) during the time of the antichrist with his false prophet, who numbers and seals his followers with his name (cf John 5.43) in his covenant imitating the Sinai covenant in defiance of the new covenant announced by Jeremiah who said it would not be like the one at Sinai (Jer 31.31-32).
The spiritual sealing of the name occurred when the priests raised their hands over the congregation in the Aaronic blessing.
Revelation 14.1 presents God’s people (followers of Yeshua Jesus) sealed upon their heads (not hands) with His Name/Mark in His own covenant to protect them from the impending curses and plagues (Rev 7.1-3; these large scale plagues/curses are caused by the two witnesses, come in the spirit of Moses and Elijah, during the first 3.5 years and will be hated by the world); this depiction of the faithful remnant from the 12 tribes marked with the name of God is adjacent to Rev 13.16-18 describing the mark of the beast/antichrist, which brings the wrath of God upon all who take it, thus providing a neat Hebraic antithetic parallelism, a type of chiastic structure used frequently by biblical authors, to help us understand this spiritual dynamic and the thesis-antithesis tension at play. This echoes the time when God’s faithful remnant were marked on their foreheads (not hands) by the angel before the city and the first temple were destroyed for their abominations (Ezk 9.4-7), which included an image/idol in the temple area similar to what happens in the future in Rev 13.14-15 with the image of the false messiah which is seemingly given life and speech abilities mimicking intelligence (ai?) when the beast appears to be resurrected by his false prophet (the second beast) imitating one of the signs of Elijah as well as calling down fire from heaven.
Compare also the Babylonian king’s golden image made to be worshiped in Dan 3.1-6 and the Levitical high priest’s golden calf made to be worshiped as God in Exodus 32 resulting in the great falling away/apostasy (cp 2Thes 2.3-4). What came before will come again, nothing new under the sun (Ecc 1.9).
With this, let us assess the teachings of many self-described Messianic and Hebrew-Roots groups, who also endorse works of the law pursuant to the Sinai Covenant not the New Covenant, along with Christian followers who repeat the same Hasbara talking point that claims the current government in the land of Israel founded in 1948 is the fulfillment of Isaiah 66.8 speaking about the messianic nation being born from the land in a day. If we continue reading through verses 15-16 we find the context of this event is on the Day of the Lord when He comes as the Son of Man as glimpsed in Daniel 7.13, in fire with a vortex/whirlwind and chariot vehicles (merkabah, plural) like the one described in Ezekiel 1 which the ark of the covenant was patterned after. (The mass-media UFO psyop is prepping the public for this visit and perhaps also for when Satan and his angels are cast down beforehand).
This return in glory from heaven coincides with the resurrection/rebirth of the dead in Christ who are gathered to be His nation born (resurrected from the earth) in a day as described elsewhere including Matthew 24.27-31 [notes in brackets]:
“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west [which Satan imitates as previewed in Luke 10.18, Rev 12.9,12; cf 2Cor 11.14], so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles [ie, angels swift like eagles, see last line] will gather. And immediately after the tribulation of those days [this shows there’s no pretribulation rapture, or from Satan’s “great anger” (Gk “thumos,” Syr “khimta”) per Rev 12.12, which is not the same as the Lamb’s “wrath” (Gk “orge,” Syr “rugza”) per Rev 6.16-17, 1 Thes 5.9] the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars [angels, cp Rev 12.4,9] will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky [Dan 7.13] with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” See also 1Thessalonians 4.14-18.
The imagery of the land giving ‘birth’ in Isaiah 66.8 follows up on Isa 26.19: “Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew [ie, the water of the womb covering a newborn] is as the dew of the dawn [morning dew of the fields of the earth], and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits;”
Psalm 110.3 also indicates our resurrected bodies will be youthful.
Leading up to this rebirth/resurrection is the time cut short, which is the 70th week cut in half when Satan knows his time is short (Rev 12.12) — the 3.5 years of great tribulation likened to birth-pangs of the woman (an image of believers in Christ as a mother, Mat 12.49) before Christ returns in His ‘second birth’ out of the temple in heavenly Jerusalem in Revelation 11.19-12.17 with parallels to His first birth referenced in Rev 12.1-2 on Rosh Hashanah of Sept 11, 3 BC when the star map matched the star sign of the woman/Bethulah/Virgo appearing to give birth to the sun for 90 minutes with the new moon under her feet, the heavens above reflecting the virgin giving birth to the Light of the world (Jn 8.12, 3.19, 9.5) on earth below as signs alluded to in Isaiah 7.11-14, “deep as sheol (grave) or exalted above” in the context of a prophesied sign of the birth of a son which Isaiah 9.6 gives highly exalted titles to including “Mighty God” identified as YHWH in Isaiah 10.20-21 and Jeremiah 32.18. Christ’s conception by the Holy Spirit and power to defeat death and create an entire nation by raising it from death to glorified bodies would fit the ticket and bring Isaiah 66.8 to fruition.
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1Th 4.13-18) Cf 1Cor 15.51-58.
2023-10-17: Adapted from previous replies to the question of Christ’s virgin birth:
Yeshua Jesus could not be the Messiah if he had a human father because of the prophecy of the promised son from Isaiah 7.14 which picks up again in Isaiah 9.6-7 with exalted titles including “Mighty God” (the 2nd century Aramaic Targum used by rabis inserts “Messiah” into the text); Isaiah 53.10 also says of the unnamed servant that His soul may be an “asham” (guilt offering) which in Lev 7.1 is called most holy — this proves the unnamed Servant in chapter 53 is not an ordinary man but born sinless somehow (ie, a virgin birth; Ps 51.5 associates born in sin with יחם, literally “heat” or lust of coitus, absent in Lk 1.34-35; compare spiritual birth of believers by God in Deu 32.18, 30.6; Jn 1.12-13, 3.3-8; Rom 2.28-29) which comports with the exalted titles of Isa 9.6-7; see also Jer 23.5-6 and Isa 11.2-3.
[[Note: the Hebrew verse of Isaiah 7.14 uses the term “almah,” – young maiden, typically unmarried – rather than the typical term for virgin, “bethulah,” (which is the Hebrew name for the star sign Virgo, cf Gen 1.14, referenced in the star-map described in Rev 12.1-2 when Christ was born on the civil new year, as hinted at in connection with the promised son prophecy when a sign from the heights above are mentioned by the Lord in Isaiah 7.11). This use of a more generic term, almah, was necessary for the prophecy to fit a two-fold application: one for the time of Ahaz fulfilling some elements of the prophesy not limited to a virgin birth, and the second for a larger messianic application fulfilling other miraculous or even divine elements that were not fulfilled in the time of Ahaz especially when considering where the promised son theme picks up again in chapter 9. In any case the famous rabbinic commentator Rashi admits “almah” can refer to a virgin depending on context as discussed in Song of Songs 1.3. The Syriac-Aramaic also uses the equivalent of bethulah in Isa 7.14 which is the same term in the Syriac-Aramaic of Matthew; the LXX and Greek NT also agree on the same term typically used for virgin, “parthenos” (the Greek name for the constellation Virgo) – It is well known in the Talmud that names or titles would be altered to create a new name sometimes as a mockery; regarding Mary, a narrative is employed to accuse her of infidelity with a Roman soldier who they name “Panthera,” which is a play on the old Greek word “parthena” (virgin) when the ‘n’ and ‘r’ swap places, thus continuing baseless aspersion cast about even in the gospel of John 8.41, 48. It is also a long-established and accepted Jewish tradition to expand or clarify the biblical text in light of new information or fulfillment which is another practice to consider in view of Matthew 1.23 citing Isaiah 7.14; examples of this tradition going back to at least Nehemiah 8.8 includes how the Hebrew text of Genesis retroactively includes the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) which was only revealed in the time of Moses, or how some Aramaic Targums say God created heaven and earth in/with Wisdom (Holy Spirit) in Genesis 1.1 in light of Proverbs 8.22ff, similar to John 1.1 expanding the fullest understanding of the Word/Memra/Logos, following the Targumim tradition and Word theology, in light of the incarnation of the Word in the flesh as the fullest revelation of God to man yet.]]
There is also a legal precedent transferring inheritance to a son with an adopted name (Deu 25.5-10) which would have been made official when Yeshua Jesus was registered in the the temple with his legal father Joseph (Lk 2.21-23, 39; 3.23). Contrary to most teachings, Luke’s genealogy links Jesus Christ to Joseph legally, not Mary.
“When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, AS WAS SUPPOSED, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli..” (Luke 3.23)
However, the lineage of the Messiah must be through Solomon according to scripture (1Chr 22.9-10), therefore the genealogy of Joseph in Luke’s gospel cannot fulfill messianic prophecy even by legal adoption. Matthew’s genealogy through Solomon however has the potential to fulfill the promise upon closer scrutiny of the wider corpus of New Testament manuscripts.
There is interesting evidence Matthew’s genealogy is from Mary not Joseph when studying the Syriac-Aramaic Peshitta text (which I consider superior for various reasons over the Greek texts which are also excellent, not least of all is how the Greek text contains translation notes not found in the Peshitta text as a tale-tell sign that the Greek text is the translation, not the other way around as most claim, although it may have been updated at a later time similar to how the Old Testament was updated when canonized). Part of the confusion stems from Mary’s FATHER (*or rather some other next-of-kin caretaker) also apparently named Joseph.
The Peshitta uses different terms to distinguish father* Joseph in verse 16 (גברה) “gebrah” from husband Joseph in verse 19 (בעלה) “buelah”.
In fact the use of the noun “gebrah” is also distinguished from the verb used consistently to indicate “fathered” (אולד) all through the genealogy from verses 2 through 16, which suggests the ‘Joseph’ of verse 16 is neither her father nor her husband but rather an older relative. It also suggests when reading the text plainly that Matthew counted the 14 generations listed from the Babylonian exile to Messiah correctly after all!
The Greek text however is ambiguous and uses the generic term for man (ἀνὴρ) in both verses which can be translated as “man,” “husband,” or “brethren” depending on context, and the context of verse 16 would demand that it is translated as something of an older male relative with guardianship to be counted as the 12th generation which would make Mary the 13th generation and Jesus the 14th generation exactly as verse 17 says: “from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.” The decision to translate ἀνὴρ as “husband” in verse 16 creates an error where none exists and is in defiance of the plain meaning of verse 17 which should be used to guide the translation and preserve the logical flow and explicit numbering. Verse 18 then transitions from Christ’s genealogy to his birth and puts the ‘Joseph’ of verse 19 (also of the line of David through Nathan, not Solomon, per Luke 3.23,31) in a different unmistakable context to guide the translation which is that of a husband since verse 18 says Mary was betrothed to him and he is to take her as his wife in verse 20.
The answer to why “gebrah” was used in the Peshitta which breaks the flow of the genealogy is somewhat mysterious but it suggests he was her caretaker and protector while also a family member of the generation previous to Mary. It’s possible Mary’s father was dead and had no sons and the scenario in Numbers 27.1-11 is at play here and the Joseph of verse 16 is her uncle through whom Mary received the inheritance of her paternal lineage going back to Solomon. In this case, Mary would then pass the paternal inheritance, and messianic candidacy, to her son Jesus according to the flesh, in accordance with Torah law, while also satisfying other unique messianic prophesies including the indication of being sinless and worthy of the extraordinary and highly exalted, even divine titles (cf Jer 23.5-6; Isa 11.2-3) given to the promised son in Isaiah’s prophesies accompanied by signs from heaven as mentioned above. One could even say God’s comment in 1Chronicles 17.13 in the Davidic covenant is more literal than previously understood: “I will be his father and he shall be My son.”
The only other two Josephs mentioned in the gospels living during the time of Jesus and Mary are one of Mary’s other sons named Joseph and Joseph of Arimathea. In some deep and very interesting traditions (on which the later holy grail legends are based) Joseph of Arimathea is said to be Mary’s uncle (watch this space for more info). The scriptures describe him as a good and righteous man (Lk 23.50), a secret disciple of Christ (Jn 19.38) as well as a rich and powerful member of the Sanhedrin (Mt 27.57-58, Mk 15.43) who held enough sway to meet with Pilate on short notice and request the body of Christ — which makes sense of why Joseph was allowed to place Him in his own tomb (cf Isa 53.9) which, if not mistaken, could only be done for family members as they are typically family tombs.
In any case, Paul Younan, a native speaker, has an article on this topic and shows how, although rare, “gebrah” can be used as reference to one’s father. You can find his 19 page pdf online by searching, “The Aramaic Solution to Jesus’ Conflicting Genealogies.”
Related Posts:
Top 10 List of Revelation Prophecies for Today
The Antichrist Kingdom for Dummies Vol 1
Bestowing the Mark of the Name in the Aaronic Benediction
666 – The Revelation from Moses and Ezra (UPDATE 2020-05-16)
The Woman of Revelation 12 and the War in Heaven (Iron Beam update)
o p e n. t h e. m a t r i x 