How many of you can tell me what this verse means? 

 Jeremiah 29:10
For thus saith YHWH, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

Before discussing the meaning of this verse, a bit of context is important. This verse is part of a letter the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the Jewish captives in Babylon. In the letter he tells them to get use to their new home because they will be there for another 70 years. Jeremiah also told them that they were not to lose hope, because after this 70 years captivity YHWH would cause them to return to Jerusalem.

Notice in this passage a couple of key words. In the verse Yahweh promises that He was going to perform his good “word” towards the Jewish captives by causing them to “return” to Jerusalem. The Hebrew for “word” in this passage is dabar. According to my concordance dabar is used 1439 times in the Old Testament. As exemplified in this passage, of the 1439 times the word is used in the Bible, the majority refer to the word, speech, or utterance of Yahweh, the living God of the Bible.

Jeremiah 29:10
For thus saith YHWH, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word [dabar] toward you, in causing you to return [shuwb] to this place.

Now let’s look at the word “return” in the passage above. This word “return” is the Hebrew shuwb and it is used over 1000 times in the Scripture. The majority of the time the word is translated return… again, turn…back, etc. The word is most often used in the sense of turning back or returning to something, somewhere, or someone.

As we can see here in Jeremiah 29:10 Yahweh gave His “word” – His dabar that He would cause the Jewish people to “return” – to shuwb to Jerusalem. 70 years later Yahweh’s word was confirmed in 2 Chron. 36:22-23 with the following record:

2 Chronicles 36:22-23   
²² Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word [dabar] of YHWH spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, YHWH stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation [abar]  throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 

²³ Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath YHWH God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? YHWH his God be with him, and let him go up.

It’s important to note in this passage that Cyrus’ “proclamation” (abar) was given because Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to confirm His (Yahweh’s) “word” (dabar) that the Jewish people would return (shuwb) to Jerusalem after 70 years.  As we explore this a bit deeper just remember that Yahweh gave the “word” (dabar) and Cyrus confirmed that word by issuing a proclamation or decree (abar).

 Daniel 9 and the Word to Return and Build
You are probably wondering what this has to do with Daniel 9. Let me show you. Based upon what we’ve learned about the dabar (word) of Yahweh which promised that the Jewish people would shuwb (return) to Jerusalem after 70 years, let’s now apply that understanding to Daniel 9:25. Here is the first part of that verse from the KJV as most of you are probably familiar with it:

Daniel 9:25   
²⁵ Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks,….

Now take a look at the same verse with me pointing out the words dabar and shuwb as they appear in the Hebrew text of Daniel 9:25a:

Daniel 9:25   
²⁵ Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the dabar [word] to shuwb [return] and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks,….

Kind of changes how you understand the verse, doesn’t it? If we used our opening verse of this article in Jeremiah 29:10 as a model for understanding Daniel 9:25, then it makes more contextual sense to see the start of the 70 Sevens prophecy begining with a “word” (dabar) of Yahweh that tells the Jewish people to “return” (shuwb) and build Jerusalem.

You’d think, in light of the context of how dabar and shuwb is used in the Hebrew Bible, that at the very least, those who teach on the subject would mention that Daniel 9:25 and the terminus a quo (starting point) of the 70 Seven might refer to the word of the Yahweh. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.

Why are the vast majority of today’s scholars and teachers blind to the possibility that Daniel 9, arguably the most important prophecy in the Bible, begins with the word of Yahweh? Why won’t they at least offer the “word” of Yahweh as one of the options for the fulfillment of Daniel 9:25? I can’t answer that question. It makes absolutely not sense to me.

To drive home the contextual necessity of seeing the “dabar” of Daniel 9:25 as the dabar (word) of Yahweh, take note of the following. In Daniel 9, dabar is used three other times. Each of those occurrences refer to the “dabar” (word) of Yahweh. Here, take a look:

 Daniel 9:2
In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word [dabar] of YHWH came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

Daniel 9:12
And he hath confirmed his words [dabar], which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

 Daniel 9:23
At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment [dabar] came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

Daniel 9:25
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment [dabar] to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

With this contextual light shining on Daniel 9 and its “word to restore and build Jerusalem”, can you explain to me why the authors in the articles below do not even mention the possibility that the very God they exalt and serve is not one of the candidates for giving the word to restore and build Jerusalem – a word that begins a countdown to the fulfillment of the most important messianic prophecy in the Bible?

Even if you didn’t have a clue how the 70 Sevens were meant to be fulfilled, the most plain sense reading of the verse requires us to at least look for a “word” of Yahweh that commanded the Jewish to return and build Jerusalem.

To give you a sense of the disconnect, here are four of my peers who are highly respected for their views on Bible prophecy. As you read through these quotes, try to find any mention that the “word” of Yahweh commanding the Jewish people to “return” and build, might be one of the options worth considering when interpreting the dabar (word) of Daniel 9:25 and its countdown to the Messiah.

David Reagan
The crucial question relates to when the decree was issued “to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.” There are three possible dates:

• • 538 B.C. — Cyrus, King of Persia, issued a decree to Zerubbabel to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-3; and Ezra 6:1-5).
  • 457 B.C. — Artaxerxes, King of Persia, issued a decree to Ezra authorizing him to reinstitute the Temple services, appoint judges and magistrates, and teach the Law (Ezra 7:11-26).
  • 445 B.C. — Artaxerxes issued a decree to Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:1-8). (David Reagan, Daniel’s 70 Weeks of Years – – For the full context of this quote please see the following Link)

Thomas Ice
There are at least three different decrees that are considered in an attempt to “know and discern” the beginning of the seventy weeks of Daniel.

First, there was the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1:2-4; 6:3-5), issued in 537 B.C., which I will call decree one. Second, the decree of Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:11-26) given in 458 B.C., (decree two). Third, a second decree from Artaxerxes (Neh. 2:5-8, 17, 18) given in 444 B.C., at the time of Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem, (decree three). I want to note at the outset of the examination of these possibilities that the third decree is the only one that literally fits the exact words of Daniel 9:25, as we shall see….

Artaxerxes’ Decree
It is clear to me that of all the options available, the only decree that specifically fits the statements of Daniel 9:25 is the one by Artaxerxes given in 444 B.C. as recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-8. Why? Because decree one and two relate to rebuilding the Temple. Only decree three speaks specifically of Jerusalem. It is clear that Nehemiah received a decree to “rebuild and restore Jerusalem” from King Artaxerxes. (Thomas Ice – The Seventy Weeks of Daniel – – For the full context of this quote please see the following Link)

Joel Richardson
X. WHAT DECREE? (DAN. 9:25)
25 “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.

1. 1. The only position that literally fulfills the requirements of the passage seems to be the decree from Artaxerxes as recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-8,17-18 given on March 5, 444 B.C.
   2. 483 sabbatical years (the first 69 weeks) were fulfilled to the day on March 30, A.D. 33, the date of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. (This is 476 years according to the Julian Calendar). Jesus was crucified four days later on April 3, A.D. 33.
   3. Various “decrees” that have been set forth as the terminus a quo:
      
      
   4. Only one decree matches or fulfills the Scriptural criterion of a decree issued specifically to rebuild the city. (Joel Richardson, Daniel’s 70 Weeks: An Introduction – – For the full context of this quote please see the following Link)

Mark Hitchcock
When the clock starts ticking

1. 5. The divine prophetic clock for the seventy weeks or 490-year period began ticking on March 5, 444 BC, when the Persian king Artaxerxes issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2: 1-8). (Hitchcock, Mark. The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days (p. 68). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.)

Ignoring the Context
Let me illustrate how difficult it is to come up with a reasonable interpretation of Scripture when you ignore the context as has been done by the authors above. Each one of the authors above claims that the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus in 444-445 BC as described in Nehemiah 1-8, 17-18 was the “decree” of Daniel 9:25, a so called “decree” which you now understand is really a dabar (word). I want to reiterate here that I believe each of these authors are well-meaning, sincere, and intelligent brothers in Christ. Yet by ignoring the context of Daniel 9:25 and the “word” to restore and build, they must stretch the credibility of their argument to come up with their terminus a quo (starting point) in 444-445 BC. Here, take a look at the passage, they claim is the “decree” to return and build Jerusalem. As you read this, see if you can ascertain this “decree” and the exact date it was given:

Nehemiah 2:1 – 20
And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king,…

 ⁴ Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.  ⁵ And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.  ⁶ And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return [shuwb]? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. 

⁷ Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;  ⁸ And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.  ⁹ Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters….

⁷ Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.  ¹⁸ Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words [dabar] that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. 

 ²⁰ Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem. 

Notice in the passage above that exact day when Nehemiah and Artaxerxes talked is not given in the text. It only states that Nehemiah went before Artaxerxes in the 1^st month of his 20^th year. Nor does the passage above tell use when Artaxerxes gave Nehemiah the letters which granted him the authority to building the walls and gates of Jerusalem. The fact of the matter is that there is no specific word, decree, or commandment given here in Nehemiah 2 that allows us to begin the 70 Sevens countdown without making several assumptions that we cannot prove. Do you really believe that Yahweh, the living God of the Bible gave a countdown to the coming of His Anointed Prince but instead of giving us an exact starting point left it up to us to guess?

We are not just talking some ambiguous prophecy here. We are talking about the definitive proof of Old Testament prophecy, the central thrust upon which the entire history of the Bible pivots, and the best Yahweh could give us was a text that we had to make several critical assumptions about?

Say it isn’t so!

And if that is not enough to stretch the credibility of their interpretations, in order to make the math work, from the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus in 444-445 BC to the birth of Christ, they then have to use a so called “prophetic year”, which as I’ll try to explain in my next article, has as much basis in Biblical fact and calendric science as those who use the Bible to claim the earth is flat.

Returning to Nehemiah 2, those who’ve read the passage above carefully, I did highlight the Hebrew words shuwb and dabar in the text. Some who read this passage out of desperation might claim the usage of these words fulfills the criteria of Daniel 9:25. This is not the case for several reasons.

• • First all, the usage of return (shuwb) in verse 6 refers to the king Artaxerxes questioning Nehemiah as to when he will return to Shushan and his service to the king. This is not a statement of when Nehemiah will return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls.
  • Second, the usage of dabar in verse 18 refers to the spoken conversation between Nehemiah and king Artaxerxes and does not specifically tell us what the conversation was about.
  • Third, Nehemiah does not provide a specific date for his conversation with Artaxerxes.

Again, even in the most desperate attempt to fit this to the criteria of Daniel 9:25 we must assume several critical pieces of information that the text does not provide us.

A House of Cards
For those who still insist that the Nehemiah’s conversation with Artaxerxes and the letters he was given constitute the “word to return and build Jerusalem” of Daniel 9:25 you still must overcome the chronological impossibility of the position. Here are several real contextual facts that make it impossible to prove Artaxerxes Longimanus and Nehemiah (using and reasonable rending of the facts) were contemporaries.

• • During the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus, the palace at Shushan was destroyed by fire.
  • Ezra, whose father died in the 19^th year of Nebuchadnezzar would have been a minimum of 140+ years old by the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus. By no reasonable interpretation of the text could he have performed the activities attributed to him in these passages.
  • The books of Nehemiah and Ezra show that the priest and Levites who came up with Joshua and Zerubabel in the 1^st year of Cyrus (536 BC) were the literal fathers of the priests and Levites who served during the reign of the unnamed Biblical “Artaxerxes” of Nehemiah. In others words, the sons of the priests and Levites who came up under the decree of Cyrus in 536 BC, still served during the reign of “Artaxerxes” of Nehemiah. These priests and Levites were 1^st and 2^nd generations, not the multi-generational span required by the Artaxerxes Longimanus assumption given by the authors above.
  • Mordecai’s presence in both the Biblical and historical record helps date the chronology of Ezra and Nehemiah and thus confirms that the “Artaxerxes” of Ezra 6 & 7 and book of Nehemiah is the Persian king Darius I (the great) son of Hystaspes. The chronological fact related to his service also help explain the identity of the “queen” mentioned in Nehemiah 2:6.
  • Ezra 4, 6, & 7 provide compelling evidence to show that the events of Nehemiah and Ezra (Ezra 6 onwards) take place during the reign of Darius ‘the Great’ whom the Bible also identifies as “Artaxerxes”.

For those of you who take your Berean duty seriously, here are several articles that more fully explore the chronology of the 2^nd temple era. These articles were part of a response I wrote to an Associate for Biblical Research article by Rick Lanser which was critical of my work on the 2^nd temple era chronology related to the Artaxerxes Assumption made by the authors above and most of their peers. They might help you better understand the challenges of assuming the “Artaxerxes” of Nehemiah and Ezra was the Persian king Longimanus.

Introduction – The Associates for Biblical Research Responds to the Artaxerxes Assumption
Part I – Cyrus to Darius: The 2nd Temple Context of Ezra 4
Part II – Darius & Artaxerxes: The Context of the Word to Restore & Build Jerusalem
Part III – Darius the great Persian Artaxerxes: A Contextual Look at the Book of Ezra in the Light of Persian History
Part IV – Darius and the Kingdom of Arta
Part V – Darius, Artaxerxes, & the Bible: Confirming Royal Persian Titulature
Part VI – Mordecai & the Chronological Context of Esther
Part VII – Esther, Ahasuerus, & Artaxerxes: Who was the Persian King of 127 Provinces?
Part VIII – Darius I: A Gentile King at the Crux of Jewish Messianic History
Part IX – The Priests & Levites of Nehemiah 10 & 12: Exploring the Papponymy Assumption

The Word to Return and Build Jerusalem
So, if Artaxerxes didn’t or couldn’t have give the “word to return and build Jerusalem” as described in Daniel 9:25, who gave this word to return and build and what was it?

As I’ll show you there is only one “word” (dabar) to “return” (shuwb) and build that truly fits the contextual requirements of Daniel 9:25. That “word” was given by Yahweh, the living God of the Bible. Fittingly, not only was this word given by our Creator, He made sure it was witnessed not by one, but two prophetic voices in the Biblical record. Further, those voices were confirmed by the witness of Ezra 6.

I opened this article with a quote from Jeremiah 29:10 in order to help you understand the meaning of the Hebrew word dabar and shuwb.

Jeremiah 29:10
For thus saith YHWH, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word [dabar] toward you, in causing you to return [shuwb] to this place.

I also used this verse to help you understand that every aspect of Daniel 9 and its related chronology should be seen through a Yahweh centric lens. It was Yahweh’s dabar (word) which was the catalyst that stirred Cyrus to make a decree that allowed the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and build the city and temple.

There is little question that Yahweh’s “word” began this process. How many of you can tell me though what happened after Cyrus’ decree that allowed the Jewish people to return and build the city of Jerusalem and the temple? Based upon the Biblical record, basically nothing happened for the next 16 years.

Did you know that Joshua the chief priest, Zerubbabel the governor, and the people only got some of the foundation stones laid on the temple before their construction efforts on Yahweh’s house ceased.  For those 16 years they were still building Jerusalem, only their priorities had shifted from Yahweh’s house to their own houses, and other construction effort in the city.

Then something happened in the 2^nd year of Darius ‘the Great’ that completely changed the dynamics of the 2^nd temple era. Yahweh, through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah gave them a “word” which commanded the Jewish people to – return – and build His house, the very beating heart of the city of Jerusalem which they had been neglecting.

As you read the Biblical passages below keep in mind as I demonstrated in my last article Daniel 9: Building Jerusalem the Bible is clear that building the temple (Yahweh’s house) was in fact “building” the city of Jerusalem. Those who claim that building the temple was not building the city of Jerusalem are making a spurious argument that they – have not – and cannot prove with any reasonable rendering of the Biblical record.

Here are the dabar (words) of Yahweh to return and build Jerusalem:

Haggai 1:1-15
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word [dabar] of YHWH by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,  ² Thus speaketh YHWH of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the YHWH’S house should be built…

 ³ Then came the word of YHWH by Haggai the prophet, saying,  ⁴ Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?  ⁵ Now therefore thus saith YHWH of hosts; Consider your ways… 

 Thus saith YHWH of hosts; Consider your ways.  ⁸ Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith YHWH.

  ⁹ Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith YHWH of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. …

¹² Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of YHWH their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as YHWH their God had sent him, and the people did fear before YHWH.  ¹³ Then spake Haggai YHWH’S messenger in YHWH’S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith YHWH.

 ¹⁴ And YHWH stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of YHWH of hosts, their God,  ¹⁵ In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. 

In the passage above we find the word of Yahweh telling the Jewish people to return, turn back and build His house. Here is the same “word” witnessed by the prophet Zechariah:

Zechariah 1:1-17
In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word [dabar] of YHWH unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,  ² YHWH hath been sore displeased with your fathers.  ³ Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith YHWH of hosts; Turn [shuwb] ye unto me, saith YHWH of hosts, and I will turn [shuwb] unto you,…

¹² Then the angel of YHWH answered and said, O YHWH of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? 

¹⁶ Therefore thus saith YHWH; I am returned [shuwb] to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith YHWH of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

  ¹⁷ Cry yet, saying, Thus saith YHWH of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and YHWH shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

In this passage we have the word of YHWH telling Zechariah that His house would be built and the construction “line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.”  Notice in this passage this “word” of Yahweh came at the end of His 70 years of divine indignation. In other words, up to this point, (including the decree of Cyrus), the Jewish people were still under a divine cloud of Yahweh’s anger. That is why (in part) the construction efforts of the Jewish people could not get any traction during the 16 years following the decree of Cyrus in 536 BC. It was only after this divine indignation was lifted, Yahweh had returned to Jerusalem “with mercies”, and commandment the Jewish people to return (shuwb) and build His house that those efforts shifted into high gear. Four yeas later in the 6^th year of Darius (516 BC) the temple was completed.

For those who might be wondering it was no accident that Yahweh waited until the 2^nd year of Darius to lift his 70 years of Divine anger. The related Biblical chronolgy proves this. As I’ve shown in my book The Jubilee Code: Prophetic Milestones in Yahweh’s Redemptive Plan, (free book download here) the 2^nd year of Darius (Hystaspes) marked an important pivot point in the Yahweh’s redemptive plan for mankind. 520 BC was the end of the 71^st and the beginning of the 72nd jubilee cycle from Adam. This date also marked the end of the 2^nd of three separate 70 year periods of time which all had their origins in the 70^th Jubilee.

In other words, you could see this chronology as represented in the Biblical record as 70 jubilee cycles from Adam, then 70 years of Divine anger, at the end of which began Yahweh’s word (dabar) was given that started the 70 Seven’s countdown to the Messiah Yeshua. (70 Jubilees > 70 years > 70 Sevens = Messiah)

And to wrap this all up with the contextual finality that demands we pay attention; we have a third witness in Ezra 6 to the “word” of Yahweh as given through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. For those of you who must have a “commandment” note in this passage that the “word” of Yahweh through Haggai and Zechariah is described a commandment (ta’am).

Ezra 6:14-15  
⁴ And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment [ta’am] of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.  ¹⁵ And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

This passage then confirms that the dabar of Yahweh was not just a “word” but as seen from the witness of Ezra, this word was also considered a ta’am which is translated in the Bible as a decree or commandment.

Yahweh’s Word begins the Countdown
As you consider the implications of the information, I’ve shared in this article I hope it will challenge you to give Yahweh, the living God of the Bible, the credit He deserves for His part in the Bible’s most important prophecy.

I think it is worth remembering that Revelation 19:10 reminds us that the “spirit of prophecy” is the testimony of Yeshua – that is – Yahweh’s Salvation (Yeshua means Yahweh’s Salvation). Daniel 9 is the Bible’s most detailed testimony of Yahweh’s Salvation, as such why would we expect its countdown (terminus a quo) to begin with anything less than the very word of Him who gave us the prophecy.

Maranatha!

Next Time
Yahweh willing, next time in Daniel 9: What Time is It? we’ll explore how the prophecy of 70 Sevens keeps time. Does Daniel 9 give a specific measure of time to be used in calculating its “sevens”? What about those who claim Gen. 29:27-28 uses the term shabuwa’ to refer to a period of seven years, thus the “sevens” of Daniel 9 should also be understood as periods of 7 years?  Or how about a so called “prophetic year” of 360 days? Was there really ever such a year in Biblical history? I hope you’ll join me next time as we put to rest some of these myths about Biblical “time”.

Every generation has a responsibility to push back against prejudice and ignorance in whichever form it rears its ugly head. This is especially true for those of us who hold to a Biblical world view and call ourselves followers of Christ (Christians). Today I want to push back against a conspiracy theory that seems to be couched in Biblical scholarship but in reality is based upon assumption and error.

 What I’m talking about is the disparagement which claims that certain Jewish Rabbis maliciously manipulated the Hebrew Masoretic (MT) text of the Bible to undermine early Christian faith in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Bible’s promised Messiah. The flip side of this theory states that because of these manipulations of the Hebrew text, the Greek Septuagint (LXX) text of the Bible is a more dependable text and should be restored as the primary translation of the Old Testament.

LXX & MT Background (an overly simplified explanation)
For those who are not familiar with the background of the LXX and MT, in short today nearly every translation of the Old Testament (OT) comes from one of these two older translations of the Old Testament.  The LXX is a translation of the OT in Greek made by 70 seventy translators beginning in the 3^rd century BC from an older Hebrew version of the OT. There is evidence that the LXX or a similar version was quoted from in the New Testament.

The MT is a Hebrew version of the OT copied and edited by Jewish Mesoretes (7^th-10^th centuries) from an older Hebrew version. The oldest extant copies of the MT text date to roughly the 9^th century AD. Today the MT test is the basis for most Bible translations used today.

These two version of the Old Testament differ in certain passages and these differences have been a source of contention amongst Biblical scholars for centuries if not millenniums.

Rebooting a Conspiracy
So let’s look closer at why some scholars believe the MT text of the Old Testament was changed by the Jewish Rabbis after the time of Christ. The manipulation, so the conspiracy theory goes, was undertaken by the Jewish Rabbis beginning nearly 1900 years ago and accomplished in at least two ways:

 The first manipulation (the conspiracy theorists claim) was accomplished by the Jewish Rabbis changing the original Hebrew chronology of the Old Testament so as to make it seem that Yeshua (Jesus) did not arrive at the time the Messiah was expected to appear.

 The Second manipulation (the conspiracy theorists claim) was accomplished by Jewish Rabbis changing certain Hebrew words in the Messianic passages of the OT used by early Christians to prove that Yeshua was the Messiah. This purposeful change of the Hebrew text (by the Rabbis) was in order to undermine the Messianic nature of those passages and again undermine Christian claims that Yeshua was the Bible’s prophesied messiah.

As we dig into this subject you need to understand why this is so important. Today anti-Semitism is once again raging across our world and the adversary hasn’t changed his methods. Did you know that Nazi Germany’s anti Semitism was born out of a racist form of evolutionary Darwinism that believed the Jewish people were an inferior (less evolved) race than the Aryan race and it was for the good of mankind that they were being exterminated? This “scientific” racism was then supplemented by the still earlier seeds of anti-Semitism sown by Martin Luther and other religious leaders centuries before and then used by Hitler and the Nazi’s a further justification for the extermination of the Jewish people. The result of which  we now call the Holocaust.

What many Christians are ignorant of, is that while Martin Luther contributed greatly to the Protestant Reformation, he was a conflicted man and later in life it is evident that he developed a great animosity towards the Jewish people. So much so that he wrote a diatribe against the Jews entitled: The Jews and their Lies. This evil rant by Luther was in fact used centuries later by the Nazi’s as part of the justification for their treatment of the Jews. Here are few of the actions that Luther advised the German Christians to take against the Jewish people of his day: (you can read Luther’s entire vile rant here)

• • • Christians should “set fire to their synagogues or schools and bury and cover with whatever will not burn”
    • That Jewish houses should be “razed and destroyed”
    • That their “Talmudic writings… be taken from them”
    • “Their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb.”
    • “safe conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews”
    • “…that usury be prohibited to them, and that all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them and put aside for safekeeping…”
    • Such a procedure must also be followed in this instance. Burn down their synagogues, forbid all that I enumerated earlier, force them to work, and deal harshly with them, as Moses did in the wilderness, slaying three thousand lest the whole people perish.

Honestly, Luther’s words are hard to distinguish from those of Hitler’s and his murderous henchmen. The point of bringing up Luther’s horrific statements above, is that words and the ideas they engender have consequences, even if those sentiments lie dormant for a very long time. Even if you one tries to claim Luther’s words were given in a moment of person weakness and frustration, nevertheless those seeds of malice lay dormant just waiting for the right growing environment. That season came years later in Nazi Germany.

Reseeding the Garden of Prejudice
I believe that claiming the Jewish Rabbis of past centuries manipulated the Hebrew Bible to undermine Christian faith in Yeshua the Messiah is an evil seed that should not be nurtured in the garden of Christian thought. While such a conspiracy theory may not be rooted in any real anti-Semitism by the Christian scholars who propose it today, if left unchallenged such seeds are sure to find fertile grounds, if not in the anti-Semitic passions of our generation, surely in that of one to come.

God forbid we as Christians (by commission or omission) provide any assistance to those who would persecute Yahweh’s chosen people. As a final thought, before doing my best to refute the rabbinic forgeries conspiracy theory, let me remind you what Yahweh has in store for the Jewish people who He considers “the apple of his eye”. These prophecies of Zechariah are just two of many examples found in the Old Testament.

Zechariah 2:8-13   
⁸ For thus saith YHWH of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.  ⁹ For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that YHWH of hosts hath sent me. 

¹⁰ Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith YHWH.  ¹¹ And many nations shall be joined to YHWH in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that YHWH of hosts hath sent me unto thee.  ¹² And YHWH shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.  ¹³ Be silent, O all flesh, before YHWH: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

Zechariah 8:22-23   
Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek YHWH of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before YHWH.  ²³ Thus saith YHWH of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

Refuting a Christian Conspiracy Theory

“The astonishing story of a 1900-year-old rabbinical conspiracy to corrupt the Bible’s ancient history and thwart belief in Jesus as the Messiah.”

These are the words boldly proclaimed on the cover of Douglas Woodward’s book Rebooting the Bible. In this article and any following articles I’ll be challenging several foundational claims Mr. Woodward makes in his rabbinic conspiracy theory, a theory I might add that is shared by other respected Bible scholars and historian from the past and present. 

At the outset I want to make clear that I do not believe Mr. Woodward is a racist. I’ve read and reviewed several of his books over the years and from what I can determine he is a smart and talented author who in my opinion in this instance has gone far afield of sound and reasonable scholarship. I’d encourage each of you to read the fuller context of the quotes I’ll be taking from Mr. Woodward’s book so you can make your own determination about the validity of his claims and my challenges to those claims. His book can be found on Amazon here: Rebooting the Bible

LXX verse MT
To start of with I’d like to address one of the foundational claims made by Mr. Woodward relating the superiority of the Septuagint (LXX) verses the Masoretic (MT) text of the Scripture. Mr. Woodward believes the Septuagint is superior because the Masoretes forged certain passages of the Old Testament in order to obfuscate the identity of Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah.  I quote Mr. Woodward:

“…the argument this book puts forth is that the King James Version was created using the Masoretic Text (MT), and therefore, was corrupted long before today. It happened nineteen centuries ago. This corruption was intentional. It was carried out by those rabbis who survived the destruction of Herod’s Temple.” (Woodward, S. Douglas, Rebooting the Bible – Preface xii)

“To peek behind the curtains (and to peak your interest), here’s this story in a nutshell: Second-century rabbis deliberately altered the biblical text 1,900 years ago to twist what the original authors wrote.” (Woodward, S. Douglas, Rebooting the Bible – introduction p.11)

Beginning with discussions on Genesis 5 and 11, scholarship reveals what must have been the second-century rabbis’ corrupting principle. If so, it confirms the thesis of this book. And it demonstrates that if they were willing to change the Bible and history in one area, they were equaling willing to change it in another.” (Woodward, S. Douglas, Rebooting the Bible – Chapter 5 Correcting Chronology: The Genesis Timeline Recovered, pp. 217-218, emphasis by Mr. Woodward)

“So why should Christians care? Akiba’s position of authority and interpretive method became the bais for his altering Scripture. You see, if the Bible’s wording didn’t suit Akiba, he (and his disciples) would merely change it to what would. And , as we will document, these unwanted (and unwarranted) changes eventually found their way into the Protestant Bible’s Old Testament.” (Woodward, S. Douglas, Rebooting the Bible – Chapter 2 – Rabbi Akiba & the Bar Kokhba Revolt, p. 90)

“Conclusion
If we seek the most accurate Old Testament available today, the verdict must be the Alexandrian (OG) Septuagint. It was the Church’s Bible for hundreds of years, it has the best textual support, and it offers splendid backing from the affirmation that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Additionally, it was the intent of Rabbi Akiba ben Josef and the Mamnia Academy to muddle the biblical testimony that God Himself would come In the flesh as our Redeemer. Thus, the most essential attribute of the Messiah was rejected by Rabbinical Judaism – that the Messiah was not just “anointed” – He was a member of the Godhead.” ((Woodward, S. Douglas, Rebooting the Bible – Chapter 2,  Rabbi Akiba & the Bar Kokhba Revolt, p. 111, emphasis by Mr. Woodward)

One of the most troubling aspects of Mr. Woodward’s accusations found in the quotes above is that in over 400 pages of arguments and documentation in his book he cannot provide a single verifiable instance where it can be proven that Rabbi Akiba or any other Jewish Rabbi purposely altered the MT text of the Bible to undermine Christian belief in Yeshua as the Bible’s promised redeemer. To the casual reader the quotes above by Mr Woodward appear to be concrete statements of fact. Unfortunately, if you read closely you’ll also find these claims are qualified in other parts of the book with the admission “it appears” and “it is suspected”.  Here are a couple of examples:

Suspected but not Proven

The Evolution of the Protestant Bible
At this point, we need to pause and recap how the Protestant Bible was married to the Masoretic Text, while the LXX was “left at the altar.” Given the suspected perfidiousness of the rabbis altering the text, it seems the Septuagint would be preferred.” (Woodward, S. Douglas, Rebooting the Bible –Correcting Chronology: The Genesis Timeline Recovered, p. 202)

“Chapter Three
The Battle for the Septuagint

Inspecting the Scene of the Crime
AS SHOULD BE APPARENT TO THE READER BY THIS POINT, THERE ARE MANY REASONS TO SUSPECT THAT THE TEXT PROTESTANTS AFFIRM AS THE AUTHORITATIVE STANDARD was intentionally corrupted by rabbinical academies in the early second century. In contrast, the Septuagint, whose Pentateuch translation was completed in the middle of the third century B.C. I Alexandria, Egypt, has escaped this textual sabotage.” (Woodward, S. Douglas, Rebooting the Bible – Chapter 3, The Battle for the Septuagint, p. 113, emphasis by Mr. Woodward)

“Finally, as illustrated in the preceding chapter in considerable detail, there are numerous Jewish scholars and textual experts who confirm that the rabbinic school had “method, means, and opportunity” to alter the text”. (Woodward, S. Douglas, Rebooting the Bible – Chapter 3, The Battle for the Septuagint, p. 117)

Underline emphasis added by WS

“Method, Means, and Opportunity”
I don’t know about you, but I’d hate to be judged about something solely upon circumstantial evidence that indicated I had “method, means, and opportunity” to commit a crime. What’s even worse, we are making (unproven) accusations about Jewish Rabbis who can no longer speak in their own defense. The unsettling truth of the matter is, that Mr. Woodward and those who share the Rabbinic forgeries conspiracy theory cannot provid any solid evidence to back up their conspiracy theory, it’s simply conjecture. It is beyond my comprehension why Mr. Woodward or any Christian, would claim 2nd century Jewish Rabbi’s were guilty of an egregious crime without anything more than circumstantial evidence. Sure the textual differences of the MT & LXX are important subjects to be discussed, but libelous accusations about the source of those differences, based upon nothing more than “motive, means, and opportunity”, in my opinion, are not a sound foundation for any serious discussion of the Bible.

Proof of Manipulation
As quoted above Mr. Woodward believes that the LXX is a more trustworthy translation of the Old Testament because he suspects “perfidiousness of the rabbis altering the text” of the MT. As I’ve said, there are some differences between the LXX and the MT, but by Mr. Woodward’s own admission the unintended consequences of these differences did not amount to much until about 200 years ago. I’ll dig into Mr. Woodward’s reasoning for this later because it is importing to the thesis of his book. The bottom line though is the textual differences between the LXX and the MT do not materially impede the overall Messianic redemptive message of either text. No matter which Bible version you read, the message of Yahweh’s Salvation (His Yeshua) is there for any reader to find.

As a layman I can’t give you fancy textual arguments to show you why the Septuagint is not a superior text. It is my opinion that the MT is a more accurate version of the original Hebrew text because despite what the Jewish Rabbis of the 2^nd temple era are accused of, we know for a fact that the 70 translators of the Septuagint did in fact change the original Hebrew text in order to make their version more understandable and appealing to the Greek speaking audience of their day. Kind of like a “living Bible” of there day instead of a literal translation. Here are some real examples of Greek words used to replace the original Hebrew:

1. 1. When translating the original Hebrew words that described the body of water the Israelites crossed when leaving Egypt, the Septuagint authors used the Greek term Erythraean Sea (Red Sea) instead of the Hebrew Yam Suph (Sea of Reeds).
   2. In Exodus 30:13 the Hebrew Bible describes two weights of measure: the shekel and gerah. The Septuagint changes these weights into the Greek measures of didrachm and oboli. Didrachm is also substituted for shekel in other verses as well. (These Greek measures were not invented until centuries after the book of Exodus was recorded.)
   3. In Genesis 46:34 the MT gives the location as Goshen. The LXX changes the text to read Gesem of Arabia.
   4. In Gen. 46:28 the MT tells us that Jacob sent Judah to Joseph in Goshen. The LXX has it as Heroes (Heroopolis) in the land of Ramessses.
   5. To my mind the example that convinces me that the authors of the Septuagint were comfortable modifying the original Hebrew text to appeal to their Greek audience is their abuse of the most important name in the Bible.

You see the translators of the Septuagint took the proper name of Yahweh and over 6500 times replaced it with the impersonal Greek title Theos which could be applied to any god of the Greek pantheon.

It is an obvious double standard to accuse (with only circumstantial evidence) the Jewish Rabbis of the 2^nd century AD of maliciously corrupting the Hebrew MT because it is believed they had the “motive, means, and ” to modify the original Hebrew text to fit their anti-Christian agenda, yet many of these accusers ignore the patently obvious changes to the text by the authors of the Septuagint.  To give you a sense of just how extensive the modification made by the authors of the Septuagint, here is nearly every instance where the personal name of Yahweh was removed from the Septuagint text and replaced with the impersonal title used by the Greeks to identify any “god”.

Genesis
 2:4f, 7ff, 15f, 18f, 21f; 3:1, 8f, 13f, 21ff; 4:1, 3f, 6, 9, 13, 15f, 26; 5:29; 6:3, 6ff; 7:1, 5, 16; 8:20f; 9:26; 10:9; 11:5f, 8f; 12:1, 4, 7f, 17; 13:4, 10, 13f, 18; 14:22; 15:1f, 4, 6ff, 18; 16:2, 5, 7, 9ff, 13; 17:1; 18:1, 3, 12ff, 17, 19f, 22, 26f, 30ff; 19:2, 13f, 16, 18, 24, 27; 20:4, 18; 21:1, 33; 22:11, 14ff; 23:6, 11, 15; 24:1, 3, 7, 12, 18, 21, 26f, 31, 35, 40, 42, 44, 48, 50ff, 56; 25:21ff; 26:2, 12, 22, 24f, 28f; 27:7, 20, 27, 29, 37; 28:13, 16, 21; 29:31ff, 35; 30:24, 27, 30; 31:3, 35, 49; 32:4f, 9, 18; 33:8, 13ff; 38:7, 10; 39:2f, 5, 16, 21, 23; 40:1, 7; 42:10, 30, 33; 44:5, 7ff, 16, 18ff, 22, 24, 33; 45:8f; 47:18, 25; 49:18;

Exodus
 3:2, 4, 7, 15f, 18; 4:1f, 4ff, 10f, 13f, 19, 21f, 24, 27f, 30f; 5:1ff, 17, 21f; 6:1f, 6ff, 10, 12f, 26, 28ff; 7:1, 5f, 8, 10, 13f, 16f, 19f, 22, 25; 8:1, 5, 8, 10, 12f, 15f, 19f, 22, 24, 26ff; 9:1, 3ff, 8, 12f, 20ff, 27ff, 33, 35; 10:1ff, 7ff, 16ff, 24ff; 11:1, 3f, 7, 9f; 12:1, 11f, 14, 23, 25, 27ff, 31, 36, 41ff, 48, 50f; 13:1, 3, 5f, 8f, 11f, 14ff, 21; 14:1, 4, 8, 10, 13ff, 18, 21, 24ff, 30f; 15:1ff, 6, 11, 16ff, 21, 25f; 16:3f, 6ff, 15f, 23, 25, 28f, 32ff; 17:1f, 4f, 7, 14, 16; 18:1, 8ff; 19:3, 7ff, 18, 20ff; 20:2, 5, 7, 10ff, 22; 22:11, 20; 23:17, 19, 25; 24:1ff, 7f, 12, 16f; 25:1; 27:21; 28:12, 29f, 35f, 38; 29:11, 18, 23ff, 28, 41f, 46; 30:8, 10ff, 20, 22, 34, 37; 31:1, 12f, 15, 17; 32:5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 22, 26f, 29ff, 33, 35; 33:1, 5, 7, 9, 11f, 17, 19, 21; 34:1, 4ff, 9f, 14, 23f, 26ff, 32, 34; 35:1f, 4f, 10, 21f, 24, 29f; 36:1f, 5; 38:22; 39:1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29ff, 42f; 40:1, 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32, 34f, 38;

Leviticus
 1:1ff, 5, 9, 11, 13f, 17; 2:1ff, 8ff, 14, 16; 3:1, 3, 5ff, 9, 11f, 14, 16; 4:1ff, 6f, 13, 15, 17f, 22, 24, 27, 31, 35; 5:6f, 12, 14f, 17, 19; 6:1f, 6ff, 14f, 18ff, 24f; 7:5, 11, 14, 20ff, 25, 28ff, 35f, 38; 8:1, 4f, 9, 13, 17, 21, 26ff, 34ff; 9:2, 4ff, 10, 21, 23f; 10:1ff, 6ff, 11ff, 15, 17, 19; 11:1, 44f; 12:1, 7; 13:1; 14:1, 11f, 16, 18, 23f, 27, 29, 31, 33; 15:1, 14f, 30; 16:1f, 7ff, 12f, 18, 30, 34; 17:1f, 4ff, 9; 18:1f, 4ff, 21, 30; 19:1ff, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21f, 24f, 28, 30ff, 34, 36f; 20:1, 7f, 24, 26; 21:1, 6, 8, 12, 15f, 21, 23; 22:1ff, 8f, 15ff, 21f, 24, 26f, 29ff; 23:1ff, 8f, 11ff, 16ff, 20, 22f, 25ff, 33f, 36ff, 43f; 24:1, 3f, 6ff, 11ff, 16, 22f; 25:1f, 4, 17, 38, 55; 26:1f, 13, 44ff; 27:1f, 9, 11, 14, 16, 21ff, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34;

Numbers
 1:1, 19, 48, 54; 2:1, 33f; 3:1, 4f, 11, 13f, 16, 39ff, 44f, 51; 4:1, 17, 21, 37, 41, 45, 49; 5:1, 4ff, 8, 11, 16, 18, 21, 25, 30; 6:1f, 5f, 8, 12, 14, 16f, 20ff, 24ff; 7:3f, 11; 8:1, 3ff, 10ff, 20ff; 9:1, 5, 7ff, 13f, 18ff, 23; 10:1, 9f, 13, 29, 32ff; 11:1ff, 10f, 16, 18, 20, 23ff, 28f, 31, 33; 12:2, 4ff, 8f, 11, 13f; 13:1, 3; 14:3, 8ff, 13f, 16ff, 20f, 26, 28, 35, 37, 40ff; 15:1, 3f, 7f, 10, 13ff, 17, 19, 21ff, 28, 30f, 35ff, 39, 41; 16:3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15ff, 19f, 23, 28ff, 35f, 38, 40ff, 44, 46; 17:1, 7, 9ff, 13; 18:1, 6, 8, 12f, 15, 17, 19f, 24ff, 28f; 19:1f, 13, 20; 20:3f, 6f, 9, 12f, 16, 23, 27; 21:2f, 6ff, 14, 16, 28, 34; 22:8, 13, 18f, 22ff, 31f, 34f; 23:3, 5, 8, 12, 15ff, 21, 26; 24:1, 6, 11, 13; 25:3f, 10, 16; 26:1, 4, 9, 52, 61, 65; 27:3, 5f, 11f, 15ff, 21ff; 28:1, 3, 6ff, 11, 13, 15f, 19, 24, 26f; 29:2, 6, 8, 12f, 36, 39f; 30:1ff, 5, 8, 12, 16; 31:1, 3, 7, 16, 21, 25, 28ff, 37ff, 47, 50, 52, 54; 32:4, 7, 9f, 12ff, 20ff, 25, 27, 29, 31f; 33:2, 4, 38, 50; 34:1, 13, 16, 29; 35:1, 9, 34; 36:2, 5f, 10, 13;

Deuteronomy
 1:3, 6, 8, 10f, 19ff, 25ff, 30ff, 34, 36f, 41ff, 45; 2:1f, 7, 9, 12, 14f, 17, 21, 29ff, 33, 36f; 3:2f, 18, 20ff, 26; 4:1ff, 7, 10, 12, 14f, 19ff, 23ff, 27, 29ff, 34f, 39f; 5:2ff, 9, 11f, 14ff, 22, 24f, 27f, 32f; 6:1ff, 10, 12f, 15ff, 24f; 7:1f, 4, 6ff, 12, 15f, 18ff, 25; 8:1ff, 5ff, 10f, 14, 18ff; 9:3ff, 16, 18ff, 22ff, 28; 10:1, 4f, 8ff, 17, 20, 22; 11:1f, 4, 7, 9, 12f, 17, 21ff, 25, 27ff, 31; 12:1, 4f, 7, 9ff, 14f, 18, 20f, 25ff, 31; 13:3ff, 10, 12, 16ff; 14:1f, 21, 23ff, 29; 15:2, 4ff, 9f, 14f, 18ff; 16:1f, 5ff, 10f, 15ff, 20ff; 17:1f, 8, 10, 12, 14ff, 19; 18:1f, 5ff, 9, 12ff, 21f; 19:1ff, 8ff, 14, 17; 20:1, 4, 13f, 16ff; 21:1, 5, 8ff, 23; 22:5; 23:1ff, 5, 8, 14, 18, 20f, 23; 24:4, 9, 13, 15, 18f; 25:15f, 19; 26:1ff, 7f, 10f, 13f, 16ff; 27:2f, 5ff, 9f, 15; 28:1f, 7ff, 15, 20ff, 24f, 27f, 35ff, 45, 47ff, 52f, 58f, 61ff, 68; 29:1f, 4, 6, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20ff, 27ff; 30:1ff, 16, 20; 31:2ff, 11ff, 25ff, 29; 32:3, 6, 9, 12, 19, 27, 30, 36, 48; 33:2, 7, 11ff, 21, 23, 29; 34:1, 4f, 9ff;

Joshua
 1:1, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17; 2:9ff, 14, 24; 3:3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 17; 4:1, 5, 7f, 10f, 13ff, 18, 23f; 5:1f, 6, 9, 14f; 6:2, 6ff, 11ff, 16f, 19, 24, 26f; 7:1, 6ff, 10, 13ff, 19f, 23, 25f; 8:1, 7f, 18, 27, 30f, 33; 9:9, 14, 18f, 24, 27; 10:8, 10ff, 14, 19, 25, 30, 32, 40, 42; 11:6, 8f, 12, 15, 20, 23; 12:6; 13:1, 3, 8, 14, 33; 14:2, 5ff, 12, 14; 15:13; 17:4, 14; 18:3, 6ff, 10; 19:50f; 20:1; 21:2f, 8, 43ff; 22:2ff, 9, 16ff, 22ff, 27ff, 31, 34; 23:1, 3, 5, 8ff, 13ff; 24:2, 7, 14ff, 26f, 29, 31;

Judges
 1:1f, 4, 19, 22; 2:1, 4f, 7f, 10ff, 20, 22f; 3:1, 3f, 7ff, 12, 15, 25, 28; 4:1ff, 6, 9, 14f, 18; 5:2ff, 9, 11, 13, 23, 25, 31; 6:1, 6ff, 10ff, 21ff, 34; 7:2, 4f, 7, 9, 15, 18, 20, 22; 8:7, 19, 23, 34; 10:6f, 10f, 15f; 11:9ff, 21, 23f, 27, 29ff, 35f; 12:3; 13:1, 3, 8, 13, 15ff, 23ff; 14:4, 6, 19; 15:14, 18; 16:5, 8, 18, 20, 23, 27f, 30; 17:2f, 13; 18:6; 19:18, 26f; 20:1, 18, 23, 26ff, 35; 21:3, 5, 7f, 15, 19;

Ruth
 1:6, 8f, 13, 17, 21; 2:4, 12f, 20; 3:10, 13; 4:11ff;

1 Samuel
 1:3, 5ff, 9ff, 15, 19ff, 26ff; 2:1ff, 6ff, 10ff, 17f, 20f, 24ff, 30; 3:1, 3f, 6ff, 15, 17ff; 4:3ff; 5:3f, 6, 8f, 11; 6:1f, 4, 8, 11f, 14ff; 7:1ff, 12f, 17; 8:6f, 10, 18, 21f; 9:15, 17; 10:1, 6, 17ff, 22, 24f; 11:7, 13, 15; 12:3, 5ff, 22ff; 13:12ff; 14:3, 6, 10, 12, 23, 33ff, 39, 41, 45; 15:1f, 10f, 13, 15ff, 28, 30f, 33, 35; 16:1f, 4ff, 12ff, 16, 18; 17:37, 45ff; 18:12, 14, 17, 28; 19:5f, 9; 20:3, 8, 12ff, 21ff, 42; 21:6f; 22:10, 12, 17, 21; 23:2, 4, 10ff, 18, 21; 24:4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18f, 21; 25:24ff, 34, 38f, 41; 26:9ff, 15ff, 23f; 28:6, 10, 16ff; 29:2, 6ff; 30:6, 8, 23, 26;

2 Samuel
 1:10, 12, 14, 16; 2:1, 5f; 3:9, 18, 21, 28, 39; 4:8f; 5:2f, 10, 12, 19f, 23ff; 6:2, 5, 7ff, 21; 7:1, 3ff, 8, 11, 18ff, 22, 24ff; 8:6, 11, 14; 9:11; 10:3, 12; 11:9, 11, 13, 27; 12:1, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13ff, 20, 24f; 13:32f; 14:9, 11f, 15, 17ff, 22; 15:7f, 15, 21, 25, 31; 16:4, 8ff, 18; 17:14; 18:19, 28, 31f; 19:7, 19ff, 26ff, 30, 35, 37; 20:6, 19; 21:1, 3, 6f, 9; 22:1f, 4, 7, 14, 16, 19, 21f, 25, 29, 31f, 42, 47, 50; 23:2, 10, 12, 16f; 24:1, 3, 10ff, 14ff, 21ff;

1 Kings
 1:2, 11, 13, 17f, 20f, 24, 27, 29ff, 33, 36f, 43, 47f; 2:3f, 8, 15, 23f, 26ff, 32f, 38, 42ff; 3:1ff, 5, 7, 10, 15, 17, 26; 5:3ff, 7, 12; 6:1f, 11, 19, 37; 7:12, 40, 45, 48, 51; 8:1, 4, 6, 9ff, 15, 17f, 20ff, 25, 28, 44, 53f, 56f, 59ff; 9:1ff, 8ff, 15, 25; 10:1, 5, 9, 12; 11:2, 4, 6, 9ff, 14, 23, 31; 12:15, 24, 27; 13:1ff, 5f, 9, 17f, 20ff, 26, 32; 14:5, 7, 11, 13ff, 18, 21f, 24, 26, 28; 15:3ff, 11, 14f, 18, 26, 29f, 34; 16:1, 7, 12f, 19, 25f, 30, 33f; 17:1f, 5, 8, 12, 14, 16, 20ff, 24; 18:1, 3f, 7f, 10ff, 18, 21f, 24, 30ff, 36ff, 46; 19:4, 7, 9ff, 14f; 20:4, 9, 13f, 28, 35f, 42; 21:3, 17, 19f, 23, 25f, 28; 22:5ff, 11f, 14ff, 19ff, 28, 38, 43, 52f;

 2 Kings
3f, 6, 15ff; 2:1ff, 14, 16, 19, 21, 24; 3:2, 10ff; 4:1, 16, 27f, 30, 33, 43f; 5:1, 3f, 11, 16ff, 20; 6:12, 17f, 20, 26f, 33; 7:1f, 6, 16f, 19; 8:1, 5, 8, 10, 12f, 18f, 27; 9:3, 6f, 11f, 25f, 36; 10:10, 16f, 23, 30ff; 11:3f, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17ff; 12:2, 4, 9ff, 16, 18; 13:2ff, 11, 17, 23; 14:3, 6, 14, 24ff; 15:3, 5, 9, 12, 18, 24, 28, 34f, 37; 16:2f, 8, 14, 18; 17:2, 7ff, 11ff, 23, 25, 28, 32ff, 39, 41; 18:3, 5ff, 12, 15f, 22f, 25, 30, 32, 35; 19:1, 4, 6, 14ff, 19ff, 23, 31ff, 35; 20:1ff, 8f, 11, 16f, 19; 21:2, 4ff, 9f, 12, 16, 20, 22; 22:2ff, 8f, 13, 15f, 18f; 23:2ff, 6f, 9, 11f, 16, 19, 21, 23ff, 32, 37; 24:2ff, 9, 13, 19f; 25:9, 13, 16;

1 Chronicles
 2:3; 6:15, 31f; 9:19f, 23; 10:13f; 11:2f, 9f, 14, 18; 12:19, 23; 13:2, 6, 10f, 14; 14:2, 10, 17; 15:2f, 12ff, 25f, 28f; 16:2, 4, 7f, 10f, 14, 23, 25f, 28f, 31, 33f, 36f, 39ff; 17:1, 4, 7, 10, 16f, 19f, 22ff, 26f; 18:6, 11, 13; 19:13; 21:3, 9ff, 22ff, 26ff; 22:1, 5ff, 11ff, 16, 18f; 23:4f, 13, 24f, 28, 30ff; 24:19; 25:3, 6f; 26:12, 22, 27, 30; 27:23; 28:2, 4f, 8ff, 12f, 18ff; 29:1, 5, 8ff, 16, 18, 20ff, 25;

2 Chronicles
 1:1, 3, 5f, 9; 2:1, 4, 11f, 14f; 3:1; 4:16; 5:1f, 7, 10, 13f; 6:1, 4, 7f, 10ff, 14, 16f, 19, 41f; 7:1ff, 6f, 10ff, 21f; 8:1, 11f, 16; 9:4, 8, 11; 10:15; 11:2, 4, 14, 16; 12:1f, 5ff, 9, 11ff; 13:5f, 8ff, 14, 18, 20; 14:2, 4, 6f, 11ff; 15:2, 4, 8f, 11ff; 16:2, 7ff, 12; 17:3ff, 9f, 16; 18:4, 6f, 10f, 13, 15f, 18ff, 27, 31; 19:2, 4, 6ff; 20:3ff, 13ff, 17ff, 26ff, 32, 37; 21:6f, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18; 22:4, 7, 9; 23:3, 5f, 12, 14, 16, 18ff; 24:2, 4, 6ff, 12, 14, 18ff, 24; 25:2, 4, 7, 9, 15, 27; 26:4f, 16ff; 27:2f, 6; 28:1, 3, 5f, 9ff, 13, 19, 21f, 24f; 29:2f, 5f, 8, 10f, 15ff, 25, 27, 30ff, 35; 30:1, 5ff, 12, 15, 17ff; 31:2ff, 6, 8, 10f, 14, 16, 20; 32:8, 11, 16f, 21ff, 26; 33:2, 4ff, 9ff, 15ff, 22f; 34:2, 8, 10, 14f, 17, 21, 23f, 26f, 30f, 33; 35:1ff, 6, 12, 16, 26; 36:5, 7, 9f, 12ff, 18, 21ff;

Ezra
 1:1ff, 5, 7; 2:68; 3:3, 5f, 8, 10f; 4:1, 3; 6:21f; 7:6, 10f, 27f; 8:25, 28f, 35; 9:5, 8, 15; 10:3, 11;

Nehemiah
 1:5, 11; 3:5; 4:14; 5:13; 8:1, 6, 9f, 14; 9:3ff; 10:29, 34f; Job 1:6ff, 12, 21; 2:1ff, 6f; 12:9; 28:28; 38:1; 40:1, 3, 6; 42:1, 7, 9ff;

Psalms
 1:2, 6; 2:2, 4, 7, 11; 3:1, 3ff, 7f; 4:3, 5f, 8; 5:1, 3, 6, 8, 12; 6:1ff, 8f; 7:1, 3, 6, 8, 17; 8:1, 9; 9:1, 7, 9ff, 13, 16, 19f; 10:1, 3, 12, 16f; 11:1, 4f, 7; 12:1, 3ff; 13:1, 3, 6; 14:2, 4, 6f; 15:1, 4; 16:2, 5, 7f; 17:1, 13f; 18:1ff, 6, 13, 15, 18, 20f, 24, 28, 30f, 41, 46, 49; 19:7ff, 14; 20:1, 5ff, 9; 21:1, 7, 9, 13; 22:8, 19, 23, 26ff, 30; 23:1, 6; 24:1, 3, 5, 8, 10; 25:1, 4, 6ff, 10ff, 14f; 26:1f, 6, 8, 12; 27:1, 4, 6ff, 10f, 13f; 28:1, 5ff; 29:1ff, 7ff; 30:1ff, 7f, 10, 12; 31:1, 5f, 9, 14, 17, 21, 23f; 32:2, 5, 10f; 33:1f, 4ff, 8, 10ff, 18, 20, 22; 34:1ff, 6ff, 15ff, 22; 35:1, 5f, 9f, 17, 22ff, 27; 36:1, 5f; 37:3ff, 7, 9, 13, 17f, 20, 23f, 28, 33f, 39f; 38:1, 9, 15, 21f; 39:4, 7, 12; 40:1, 3ff, 9, 11, 13, 16f; 41:1ff, 10, 13; 42:8; 44:23; 45:11; 46:7f, 11; 47:2, 5; 48:1, 8; 50:1; 51:15; 54:4, 6; 55:9, 16, 22; 56:10; 57:9; 58:6; 59:3, 5, 8, 11; 62:12; 64:10; 66:18; 68:11, 16ff, 22, 26, 32; 69:6, 13, 16, 31, 33; 70:1, 5; 71:1, 5, 16; 72:18; 73:20, 28; 74:18; 75:8; 76:11; 77:2, 7, 11; 78:4, 21, 65; 79:5, 12; 80:4, 19; 81:10, 15; 83:16; 84:1ff, 8, 11f; 85:1, 7f, 12; 86:1, 3ff, 8f, 11f, 15, 17; 87:2, 6; 88:1, 9, 13f; 89:1, 5f, 8, 15, 18, 46, 49ff; 90:1, 13, 17; 91:2, 9; 92:1, 4f, 8f, 13, 15; 93:1, 3ff; 94:1, 3, 5, 7, 11f, 14, 17f, 22f; 95:1, 3, 6; 96:1f, 4f, 7ff, 13; 97:1, 5, 8ff, 12; 98:1f, 4ff, 9; 99:1f, 5f, 8f; 100:1ff, 5; 101:1, 8; 102:1, 12, 15f, 18f, 21f; 103:1f, 6, 8, 13, 17, 19ff; 104:1, 16, 24, 31, 33ff; 105:1, 3f, 7, 19, 21, 45; 106:1f, 4, 16, 25, 34, 40, 47f; 107:1f, 6, 8, 13, 15, 19, 21, 24, 28, 31, 43; 108:3; 109:14f, 20f, 26f, 30; 110:1f, 4f; 111:1f, 4, 10; 112:1, 7; 113:1ff, 9; 114:7; 115:1, 9ff; 116:1, 4ff, 9, 12ff; 117:1f; 118:1, 4ff, 23ff, 29; 119:1, 12, 31, 33, 41, 52, 55, 57, 64f, 75, 89, 107f, 126, 137, 145, 149, 151, 156, 159, 166, 169, 174; 120:1f; 121:2, 5, 7f; 122:1, 4, 9; 123:2f; 124:1f, 6, 8; 125:1f, 4f; 126:1ff; 127:1, 3; 128:1, 4f; 129:4, 8; 130:1ff, 5ff; 131:1, 3; 132:1f, 5, 8, 11, 13; 133:3; 134:1ff; 135:1ff, 13f, 19ff; 136:1, 3; 137:4, 7; 138:4ff, 8; 139:1, 4, 21; 140:1, 4, 6ff, 12; 141:1, 3, 8; 142:1, 5; 143:1, 7, 9, 11; 144:1, 3, 5, 15; 145:3, 8ff, 14, 17f, 20f; 146:1f, 5, 7ff; 147:1f, 5ff, 11f, 20; 148:1, 5, 7, 13f; 149:1, 4, 9; 150:1, 6;

Proverbs
 1:7, 29; 2:5f; 3:5, 7, 9, 11f, 19, 26, 32f; 5:21; 6:16; 8:13, 22, 35; 9:10; 10:3, 22, 27, 29; 11:1, 20; 12:2, 22; 14:2, 26f; 15:3, 8f, 11, 16, 25f, 29, 33; 16:1ff, 9, 11, 20, 33; 17:3, 15; 18:10, 22; 19:3, 14, 17, 21, 23; 20:10, 12, 22ff, 27; 21:1ff, 30f; 22:2, 4, 12, 14, 19, 23; 23:17; 24:18, 21; 25:22; 28:5, 25; 29:13, 25f; 30:9; 31:30;

Isaiah
 1:2, 4, 9ff, 18, 20, 24, 28; 2:2f, 5, 10ff, 17, 19, 21; 3:1, 8, 13ff; 4:2, 4f; 5:7, 9, 12, 16, 24f; 6:1, 3, 5, 8, 11f; 7:3, 7, 10ff, 14, 17f, 20; 8:1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17f; 9:7f, 11, 13f, 17, 19; 10:12, 16, 20, 23f, 26, 33; 11:2f, 9, 11, 15; 12:1f, 4f; 13:4ff, 9, 13; 14:1ff, 5, 22ff, 27, 32; 16:8, 13f; 17:3, 6; 18:4, 7; 19:1, 4, 12, 14, 16ff, 25; 20:2f; 21:6, 8, 10, 16f; 22:5, 12, 14f, 17f, 25; 23:9, 11, 17f; 24:1, 3, 14f, 21, 23; 25:1, 6, 8ff; 26:4, 8, 10ff, 15ff, 21; 27:1, 3, 12f; 28:2, 5, 13f, 16, 21f, 29; 29:6, 10, 13, 15, 19, 22; 30:1, 9, 15, 18, 20, 26f, 29ff; 31:1, 3ff, 9; 32:6; 33:2, 5f, 10, 21f; 34:2, 6, 8, 16; 35:2, 10; 36:7, 10, 15, 18, 20; 37:1, 4, 6, 14ff, 20ff, 24, 32ff, 36; 38:1ff, 7, 11, 14, 16, 20, 22; 39:5f, 8; 40:2f, 5, 7, 10, 13, 27f, 31; 41:4, 13f, 16f, 20f; 42:5f, 8, 10, 12f, 19, 21, 24; 43:1, 3, 10ff, 14ff; 44:2, 5f, 23f; 45:1, 3, 5ff, 11, 13f, 17ff, 21, 24f; 47:4; 48:1f, 14, 16f, 20, 22; 49:1, 4f, 7f, 13f, 18, 22f, 25f; 50:1, 4f, 7, 9f; 51:1, 3, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22; 52:3ff, 8ff; 53:1, 6, 10; 54:1, 5f, 8, 10, 13, 17; 55:5ff, 13; 56:1, 3f, 6, 8; 57:19; 58:5, 8f, 11, 13f; 59:1, 13, 15, 19ff; 60:1f, 6, 9, 14, 16, 19f, 22; 61:1ff, 6, 8ff; 62:2ff, 6, 8f, 11f; 63:7, 14, 16f; 64:8f, 12; 65:7f, 11, 13, 15, 23, 25; 66:1f, 5f, 9, 12, 14ff, 20ff;

Jeremiah
 1:2, 4, 6ff, 11ff, 19; 2:1ff, 8f, 12, 17, 19, 22, 29, 31, 37; 3:1, 6, 10ff, 16f, 20ff, 25; 4:1ff, 8ff, 17, 26f; 5:2ff, 9ff, 14f, 18f, 22, 24, 29; 6:6, 9ff, 15f, 21f, 30; 7:1ff, 11, 13, 19ff, 28ff, 32; 8:1, 3f, 7ff, 12ff, 17, 19; 9:3, 6f, 9, 12f, 15, 17, 20, 22ff; 10:1f, 6, 10, 16, 18, 21, 23f; 11:1, 3, 5f, 9, 11, 16ff, 20ff; 12:1, 3, 12ff, 16f; 13:1ff, 5f, 8f, 11ff, 25; 14:1, 7, 9ff, 13ff, 20, 22; 15:1ff, 6, 9, 11, 15f, 19f; 16:1, 3, 5, 9ff, 14ff, 19, 21; 17:5, 7, 10, 13ff, 19ff, 24, 26; 18:1, 5f, 11, 13, 19, 23; 19:1, 3, 6, 11f, 14f; 20:1ff, 7f, 11ff, 16; 21:1f, 4, 7f, 10ff; 22:1ff, 5f, 8f, 11, 16, 18, 24, 29f; 23:1f, 4ff, 11f, 15ff, 23f, 28ff; 24:1, 3ff, 7f; 25:3ff, 7ff, 12, 15, 17, 27ff, 36f; 26:1f, 4, 7ff, 12f, 15f, 18ff; 27:1f, 4, 8, 11, 13, 15f, 18f, 21f; 28:1ff, 9, 11ff; 29:4, 7ff, 14ff, 19ff, 25f, 30ff; 30:1ff, 8ff, 17f, 21, 23f; 31:1ff, 6f, 10ff, 14ff, 20, 22f, 27f, 31ff, 40; 32:1, 3, 5f, 8, 14ff, 25ff, 30, 36, 42, 44; 33:1f, 4, 10ff, 16f, 19f, 23ff; 34:1f, 4f, 8, 12f, 17, 22; 35:1f, 4, 12f, 17ff; 36:1, 4ff, 26f, 29f; 37:2f, 6f, 9, 17, 20; 38:2f, 9, 14, 16f, 20f; 39:15ff; 40:1ff; 41:5; 42:2ff, 9, 11, 13, 15, 18ff; 43:1f, 4, 7f, 10; 44:2, 7, 11, 16, 21ff, 29f; 45:2ff; 46:1, 5, 10, 13, 15, 18, 23, 25f, 28; 47:1f, 4, 6f; 48:1, 8, 10, 12, 15, 25f, 30, 35, 38, 40, 42ff, 47; 49:1f, 5ff, 12ff, 16, 18, 20, 26, 28, 30ff, 34f, 37ff; 50:1, 4f, 7, 10, 13ff, 18, 20f, 24f, 28ff, 33ff, 40, 45; 51:1, 5ff, 10ff, 14, 19, 24ff, 29, 33, 36, 39, 45, 48, 50ff, 55ff, 62; 52:2f, 13, 17, 20;

Lamentations
1:5, 9, 11f, 14f, 17f, 20; 2:1f, 5ff, 17ff, 22; 3:18, 22, 24ff, 31, 36f, 40, 50, 55, 58f, 61, 64, 66; 4:11, 16, 20; 5:1, 19, 21;

Ezekiel
 1:3, 28; 2:4; 3:11f, 14, 16, 22f, 27; 4:13f; 5:5, 7f, 11, 13, 15, 17; 6:1, 3, 7, 10f, 13f; 7:1f, 4f, 9, 19, 27; 8:1, 12, 14, 16; 9:4, 8f; 10:4, 18f; 11:1, 5, 7f, 10, 12ff, 21, 23, 25; 12:1, 8, 10, 15ff, 19ff, 23, 25f, 28; 13:1ff, 5ff, 13f, 16, 18, 20f, 23; 14:2, 4, 6ff, 11f, 14, 16, 18, 20f, 23; 15:1, 6ff; 16:1, 3, 8, 14, 19, 23, 30, 35f, 43, 48, 58f, 62f; 17:1, 3, 9, 11, 16, 19, 21f, 24; 18:1, 3, 9, 23, 25, 29f, 32; 20:1ff, 5, 7, 12, 19f, 26f, 30f, 33, 36, 38ff, 42, 44f, 47ff; 21:1, 3, 5, 7ff, 13, 17f, 24, 26, 28, 32; 22:1, 3, 12, 14, 16f, 19, 22f, 28, 31; 23:1, 22f, 28, 32, 34ff, 46, 49; 24:1, 3, 6, 9, 14f, 20f, 24, 27; 25:1, 3, 5ff, 11ff; 26:1, 3, 5ff, 14f, 19, 21; 27:1, 3; 28:1f, 6, 10ff, 20, 22ff; 29:1, 3, 6, 8f, 13, 16f, 19ff; 30:1ff, 6, 8, 10, 12f, 19f, 22, 25f; 31:1, 10, 15, 18; 32:1, 3, 8, 11, 14ff, 31f; 33:1, 11, 17, 20, 22f, 25, 27, 29f; 34:1f, 7ff, 15, 17, 20, 24, 27, 30f; 35:1, 3f, 6, 9ff, 14f; 36:1ff, 11, 13ff, 20, 22f, 32f, 36ff; 37:1, 3ff, 9, 12ff, 19, 21, 28; 38:1, 3, 10, 14, 17f, 21, 23; 39:1, 5ff, 10, 13, 17, 20, 22, 25, 28f; 40:1, 46; 41:22; 42:13; 43:4f, 18f, 24, 27; 44:2ff, 9, 12, 15, 27; 45:1, 4, 9, 15, 18, 23; 46:1, 3f, 9, 12ff, 16; 47:13, 23; 48:9f, 14, 29, 35;

Daniel
 1:2, 10; 2:10, 47; 4:19, 24, 36; 5:1, 9f, 23; 6:17; 9:2ff, 7ff, 13ff, 19f; 10:16f, 19; 12:8;

Hosea
 1:1f, 4, 7; 2:13, 16, 20f; 3:1, 5; 4:1, 10, 15f; 5:4, 6f; 6:1, 3; 7:10; 8:1, 13; 9:3ff, 14; 10:3, 12; 11:10f; 12:2, 5, 9, 13f; 13:4, 15; 14:1f, 9;

Joel
 1:1, 9, 14f, 19; 2:1, 11ff, 17ff, 21, 23, 26f, 31f; 3:8, 11, 14, 16ff, 21;

Amos
 1:2f, 5f, 8f, 11, 13, 15; 2:1, 3f, 6, 11, 16; 3:1, 6ff, 10ff, 15; 4:2f, 5f, 8ff, 13; 5:3f, 6, 8, 14ff, 20, 27; 6:8, 10f, 14; 7:1ff, 15ff; 8:1ff, 7, 9, 11f; 9:1, 5ff, 12f, 15;

Obadiah
 1:1, 4, 8, 15, 18, 21;

Jonah
 1:1, 3f, 9f, 14, 16f; 2:1f, 6f, 9f; 3:1, 3; 4:2ff, 6, 10;

Micah
 1:1ff, 12; 2:3, 5, 7, 13; 3:4f, 8, 11; 4:1f, 4ff, 10, 12f; 5:4, 7, 10; 6:1f, 5ff; 7:7ff, 17;

Nahum
 1:2f, 7, 9, 11f, 14; 2:2, 13; 3:5;

Habakkuk
 1:2, 12; 2:2, 13f, 16, 20; 3:2, 8, 18f;

Zephaniah
1:1ff, 5ff, 10, 12, 14, 17f; 2:2f, 5, 7, 9ff; 3:2, 5, 8f, 12, 15, 17, 20;

Haggai
 1:1ff, 5, 7ff, 12ff; 2:1, 4, 6ff, 14f, 17f, 20, 23;

Zechariah
 1:1ff, 6f, 9ff, 16f, 20; 2:5f, 8ff; 3:1f, 5ff, 9f; 4:4ff, 8ff, 13f; 5:4; 6:4f, 9, 12ff; 7:1ff, 7ff, 12f; 8:1ff, 6f, 9, 11, 14, 17ff; 9:1, 4, 14ff; 10:1, 3, 5ff, 12; 11:4ff, 11, 13, 15; 12:1, 4f, 7f; 13:2f, 7ff; 14:1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12f, 16ff, 20f;

Malachi
1:1f, 4ff; 2:2, 4, 7f, 11ff, 16f; 3:1, 3ff, 10ff, 16f; 4:1, 3, 5;

An Obvious Double Standard
In light of this clear evidence, I have a question for you to consider. If the 70 translators of the Septuagint believed they had license to replace Yahweh’s name, arguably the single most important word in the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures, with an impersonal Greek title more than 6,500 times, what other changes would they have felt justified in making? Would lengthening the chronology of the Old Testament by 1300 years in order to make it align more closely with the Ptolemaic Egyptian chronology of their day also fit under this purview?

I admit that I’m baffled by the logic of Mr. Woodward and those who hold the Rabbinic manipulation conspiracy theory. Are we really to believe that the Hebrew MT of the Bible cannot be trusted because (based upon only circumstantial evidence) the Jewish Rabbis are accused of changing certain passages of the original Hebrew text of the Bible to obfuscate the messianic identity of Yeshua (Jesus). Yet astoundingly, the very act (modifying the original Hebrew text of the OT) for which the Jewish Rabbis are libelously accused, we know in fact was committed by the translators of the Septuagint.

 I mean come on. Sure it is important to talk about the differences in chronology and words between the LXX and MT versions of the OT, but why the need to throw the Jewish Rabbis of the 2^nd century AD under the bus with inflammatory rhetoric based only upon circumstantial evidence? What real purpose does it serve other than to inflame passions and provide fertile ground for the seeds of anti-Semitism to be reborn?

I want to repeat something here. I believe both the Septuagint (LXX) and Masoretic (MT) texts of the Old Testament provide more than enough evidence to prove that Yeshua (Jesus) was the Jewish Messiah promised in the Scriptures.  Sure the chronology of the Old Testament is roughly 1300 years longer in the LXX than the MT text. But as I’ll demonstrate in Part II of this series, far from the MT undermining the case for Yeshua as the promised Messiah (as is argued by the Rabbinic conspiracy theorists), the MT chronology of the Old Testament provides compelling proof of the opposite. In fact, it can be demonstrated that the MT  of the Scriptures shows that Yeshua came at the beginning of what the Jewish people considered the Messianic age. Further it can be shown that the major milestones in Yahweh’s redemptive plan for mankind, and Yeshua’s pivotal part in that plan, can only be seen in its intended magnificence within the chronological framework of the Old Testament as given in the MT text of the Old Testament.

Yahweh willing I’ll do my best to demonstrate this in Part II of this series.

Maranatha!

Book 1

Book I - Description

The 13th Enumeration
"A book that will change how you look at the Bible's Messianic Symbolism."

Click for Free Download

Book 2

Book 2 - Description

Daniel's 70 Weeks -
"A book that will forever change how you understand the Bible's greatest Messianic prophecy."

Click for Free Download

Book 3

Book 3 - Description

The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."

Click for Free Download

In many ways it seems unfathomable to me that Yahweh, our Creator, and creator of the physical world around us, desires fellowship with His Creation. If we were to step back and look at the Biblical story with a wider angle lens one could say that the overreaching theme of the Bible is the story of mankind’s lost fellowship with Yahweh (due to our sin) and His merciful efforts to reestablish that fellowship at all costs. For whatever unfathomable reason, Yahweh desires Immanuel, that is, He desires to be with us, to dwell with His creation.

Isaiah 7:13-14
 ¹³ And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?  ¹⁴ Therefore YHWH himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:20-23  
²⁰ But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of YHWH appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  ²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  ²²

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of YHWH by the prophet, saying,  ²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

 In this week’s article I’d like to give you another way of looking at the mystery of Immanuel. We’ll start by stepping back in time to the first Immanuel (God with Us), back to the time when Adam and Eve walked with God in Eden. We briefly look at the consequences of their fall and then moving forward in Biblical history, the thrilling efforts of Yahweh to reestablish that lost fellowship with mankind. Along the way, I’ll mark these events for you within the context of Bible chronology (found in the Hebrew (MT) of the Scriptures) and the Jubilee cycles. This exploration, I believe, will leave you with the profound realization that Yahweh is indeed actively engaged in the affairs of mankind in an effort to reconcile us to Himself. That reconciliation, that salvation, we will see is realized in Yeshua (Jesus) – that is – Yahweh’s Salvation. (Remember it is no accident that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Hebrew word meaning Yahweh’s Salvation)

  Eden – The 1^st Immanuel
  So let’s start in the beginning with the word of Yahweh:

John 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  ² The same was in the beginning with God.  ³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  ⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  ⁵ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 ⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  ⁷ The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.  ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  ⁹ That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.  ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  ¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  ¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  ¹³ Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  ¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Genesis 3:7-8  
⁷ And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. ⁸ And they heard the voice of YHWH God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of YHWH God amongst the trees of the garden.

I think it is fair to say, that as with Adam and Eve so too with us today, sin (no matter the promised benefits) causes separation from our Creator. From that initial act of Edenic rebellion, mankind (in general) fell out of fellowship with Yahweh, and that fall brought death upon the human race. Thankfully, the story didn’t end with Adam and Eve’s death and the demise of the human race. Yahweh graciously offered mankind a seed of hope! That hope came in the form of a promise that Adam and Eve’s own “seed” would someday “bruise” the serpent’s head:

Sinai – The 2^nd Immanuel
Our next stop in our quest to follow Yahweh’s meeting with mankind – His Immanuel (God with Us) comes after Israel’s Exodus from Egypt. 2500 years after Eden Yahweh once more chose to meet with mankind. Indeed there were other instances when Yahweh or his messengers spoke with individuals but it wasn’t until Sinai that the Bible records Yahweh once more choosing a specific location to meet with mankind. That meeting place was a mountain where Yahweh spoke to all of the children of Israel. After this initial meeting with Israel, Yahweh charged Moses to build Him a tabernacle where He could temporarily dwell in the midst of Israel.

Exodus 29:42-46   ⁴² This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before YHWH: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.  ⁴³ And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.⁴⁴ And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office.  ⁴⁵ And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.  ⁴⁶ And they shall know that I am YHWH their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am YHWH their God.

Exodus 33:8-11   ⁸ And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.  ⁹ And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and YHWH talked with Moses.  ¹⁰ And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.  ¹¹ And YHWH spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

A couple things  strike me here from this passage above. First of all, the passage here tells us that Moses spoke “face to face” with Yahweh like someone talks to their friend. This type of intimacy between God and mankind was last recorded in Eden.

Second, Joshua remained in the tabernacle after Moses finished talking to Yahweh. I can’t help but think there is some added significance here as Joshua is but the English version of the Hebrew Yeshua or as the name is commonly known by us today as Jesus – the name meaning Yahweh’s Salvation.

So it was in the wilderness of Sinai in the 52^nd (13×4) jubilee cycle after Eden that Yahweh once more chose a dwelling place to meet with mankind. This new dwelling place was temporary and by its nature created a barrier between God and man.

This barrier was necessary because of mankind’s fallen state. I think it fair to say, that the tabernacle was not constructed to contain Yahweh but rather to protect mankind (in our fallen state) from the righteousness of Yahweh. For the next several centuries the tabernacle made by Yahweh’s instruction in the 2^nd year of the Exodus became the meeting place between God and man.

Jerusalem – The 3^rd Immanuel in Solomon’s Temple
Almost 500 years later during the 62^nd Jubilee cycle from Adam, Yahweh chose a more permanent location to meet with mankind. Gone was the wilderness animal skin covered tent (tabernacle) of Sinai and in its place the gold plated temple of Solomon was built. This new dwelling place, where Yahweh met with mankind was built after a pattern shown to king David and then constructed by David’s son Solomon.

Deuteronomy 12:10-11
¹⁰ But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which YHWH your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;  ¹¹ Then there shall be a place which YHWH your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto YHWH:

1 Kings 8:1-29
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of YHWH out of the city of David, which is Zion. 

² And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.  ³ And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.  ⁴ And they brought up the ark of YHWH, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up…

⁶ And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of YHWH unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims…

⁹ There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when YHWH made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.  ¹⁰ And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of YHWH,…

To give you a little bit of the back story about our next Immanuel, just over 400 years after the completion of Solomon’s temple in the 70^th jubilee from Adam, the book of Ezekiel chapters 8-10 records the departure of Yahweh’s presence from Solomon’s temple. This departure of His shekinah (glory) from His holy temple was due to the abominations committed by Israel. 6 years after Yahweh’s departure, Solomon’s temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar’s armies.

It is worth further noting here that the 70^th jubilee from Adam was particularly pivotal in Yahweh’s plans for Israel and the coming Messiah. As the following chart shows, the 70^th jubilee originated three separate 70 years periods of time that played a particularly important role in the chronology of the 2^nd temple era.

Those 70 year periods were as follows:

70 years captivity of Judah (Jer. 25:12; 29:10)
70 years of Divine anger (Zech. 1:12)
70 year between the 1^st & 2^nd temple (2 Kings 25:8-9; Ezra 6:14-17)

Jerusalem – The 4^th Immanuel
Just 70 years after Yahweh’s departure from Solomon’s temple, the book of Zechariah tells us that Yahweh had returned to Jerusalem “with mercy”.  What’s so important to understand here is that 16 years earlier in 536 BC Cyrus of Persia had allowed the Jewish people to return and build the temple. This return ended the 70 years captivity of Judah. (see chart). Having been granted permission to rebuilt the temple in 536 BC, by 520 BC in the 2^nd year of Darius I (16 years later) the Jewish people had not even completed the temple foundation.

Then as Zechariah 1 and Haggai 1 both describe, Yahweh gave a divine command to the Jewish people to return and build His sanctuary. As you’ll read in the following excerpted passages, Yahweh had “returned to Jerusalem with mercies” and reassured the Jewish people that “I am with you”. Yahweh’s divine anger had ended and He wanted the Jewish people to finish rebuilding His house. Please take a moment to read these passages, so you get a sense of what is going on here in the 2^nd year of Darius.

Zechariah 1:2-17   ⁷ Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of YHWH unto Zechariah…. 

¹²Then the angel of YHWH answered and said, O YHWH of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?  ¹³ And YHWH answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words…

¹⁶ Therefore thus saith YHWH; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith YHWH of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.  ¹⁷ Cry yet, saying, Thus saith YHWH of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and YHWH shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

Haggai 1:1 – 15
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of YHWH by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,  ² Thus speaketh YHWH of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that YHWH’S house should be built.  ³ Then came the word of YHWH by Haggai the prophet, saying,  ⁴ Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?…

 ⁷ Thus saith YHWH of hosts; Consider your ways.  ⁸ Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith YHWH….

¹² Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of YHWH their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as YHWH their God had sent him, and the people did fear before YHWH.  ¹³ Then spake Haggai YHWH’S messenger in YHWH’S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith YHWH.

 ¹⁴And YHWH stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of YHWH of hosts, their God,  ¹⁵ In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. 

The Temple was the Dwelling Place of Yahweh
I love this part of the Immanuel story, it is so wonderful to see the rich context of Yahweh’s redemptive plan for mankind and ordered manner in which He carries it out. Yahweh had returned to Jerusalem and told the people that he was with them in their efforts to rebuild His dwelling place.

Leading the reconstruction efforts were Joshua (Yeshua in Hebrew) the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor. In the book of Haggai and Zechariah a messianic aura is woven around both these men. At the bottom of this article I’ve provided some of the more clearly messianic and prophetic passages for your review. It is so worth your time to read through them and then the fuller passages to get the complete context.

In any case, as here in what I’m calling the 4^th Immanuel, Yahweh had returned to Jerusalem with mercy and desired to once again dwell with His people.

Yeshua – The 5^th Immanuel
In the midst of the window of time in which Yahweh gave His divine command to restore and build Jerusalem to the Jewish people through Haggai and Zechariah, a profoundly important statement is made which had direct bearing on the coming of Messiah. Consider the progressive revelation of the following excerpted passages from Haggai 2:

Haggai 2:5-7  According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.  ⁶ For thus saith YHWH of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;  ⁷ And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith YHWH of hosts.

Haggai 2:9  The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith YHWH of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith YHWH of hosts.

Haggai 2:15-23   And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of YHWH:..

¹⁸ Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of YHWH’S temple was laid, consider it…

 from this day will I bless you.

As I’ve shared with you in my book and articles over the years, if you count forward from 24^th day of the 9^th month in the 2^nd year of Darius I (520 BC) there were 515.05 Biblical lunar/solar years until Hanukah in the year 5 BC. These 515 years fulfill 70 Seven periods of time as prophesied in Daniel 9. (For more details see my article Seven, 70, & Sevens: Daniel 9 & the Bible’s Messianic Symbolism)

A reasonable Biblical and historical case can be made that Yeshua of Nazareth was conceived in the winter of 5 BC and 9 months later was born during the Feast of Tabernacles in 4 BC.

Today the birth of the Yeshua (Jesus) gets is honored as the miracle of the season, but in reality the true miracle of Immanuel was that moment when the divine spark of Yahweh became flesh in the human incarnation of Yeshua – that moment when the hopeless darkness of mankind existence was pierced by the light of God and Yahweh took on the temple of human flesh.

John 8:12  ² Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 9:5   As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

John 10:22-23   ²² And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.  ²³ And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.

Do you realize that Yeshua made the above statements at the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) – a festival where the Jewish people commemorated the cleansing and rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabaeus? Can you picture Yeshua standing in the brilliant light of the temple mount candelabra telling His audience that He was “the light of the world”? Do you understand how congruent this picture is?

John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  ² The same was in the beginning with God.  ³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  ⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  ⁵ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Isaiah 9:2-7
² The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined….

 ⁶ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  ⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of YHWH of hosts will perform this.

As we’ve followed Yahweh’s Immanuel appointments with mankind through the Biblical ages I hope that I’ve strengthened your faith in the Biblical case for Yahweh’s love for you and His willingness to humble Himself and take on humans flesh so that He could stand in our place when the righteous penalty for our sins was carried out. Yeshua conception and birth in the 82^nd jubilee cycle from Adam fits precisely in Yahweh’s ongoing redemptive plan for mankind. It is my hope that this year as you remember the reason for the season you’ll consider the conception and birth of Yeshua in light of Yahweh’s desire to restore mankind to their intended state.

Maranatha!

Acts 3:25 – 4:1  Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.  ²⁶ Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. 

Isaiah 9:6-7   ⁶ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  ⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of YHWH of hosts will perform this.

Revelation 21:10-16  ⁰ And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,  ¹¹ Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;  ¹² And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:  ¹³ On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.  ¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.  ¹⁵ And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

 ¹⁶ And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

The Promised Seed
For those who would like to explore another thread of this wonderful story. Here is some symmetry to the jubilee cycles and their relationship to the promised seed.

The Birth of Seth Confirms the Promise of the Seed
In Adam’s 130^th year (13×10) the line of the promised seed was keep alive in the birth of Seth. Seth’s birth took place in the 3^rd jubilee of Adam’s life.

Noah’s Flood – the Consequence of Unrestrained Sin
Sin has profound consequences. We only need to move forward roughly 1656 years from Adam and Eve’s sin to see that the darkness, that Satan’s deception wrought, far from elevating mankind to the status of gods, it had metastasized to the point that it had nearly brought about mankind’s demise.  

Genesis 6:11-13  
¹¹ The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.  ¹² And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.  ¹³ And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Genesis 9:1  
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

Sobering, isn’t it? After 1656 years from Adam’s sin only 8 souls where left who were thought worthy to escape the judgment of the flood.

Abraham and the Covenant of the Seed
Yahweh’s promise concerning the “seed” of Adam and Eve was confirmed after the flood with the birth of Isaac in Abraham’s 100^th year which was 40 jubilee cycles from birth of Adam’s seed Seth in the 3^rd Jubilee from Adam.

Genesis 17:17-22   ¹⁷ Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?  ¹⁸ And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!  ¹⁹ And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

 ²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.  ²¹ But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time [mow’ed] in the next year.  ²² And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

A few years later, when Isaac was still a boy or young man, in Genesis 22 Yahweh unfolds a bit more of His redemptive plan by swearing (shaba) an oath (shebuw’ah) with Abraham which explained that through Abraham’s “seed” all nations of the earth would be blessed. (For more on this see Seven, 70, Sevens: Daniel 9 & the Bible’s Messianic Symbolism)

This oath swearing with Abraham by Yahweh was in response to Abraham’s demonstration of faith in his willingness to offer up Isaac as Yahweh commanded and Abraham’s unwavering faith that he and Isaac would come back down from that mountain together. Don’t forget it was Isaac who was Abraham and Sarah’s son of their old age and Yahweh had already promised that in Isaac, Yahweh would establish His covenant of the seed.

Genesis 22:11-18  ¹¹ And the angel of YHWH called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.  ¹² And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

 ¹³ And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.  ¹⁴ And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of YHWH it shall be seen.  ¹⁵ And the angel of YHWH called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,  ¹⁶ And said, By myself have I sworn [shaba], saith YHWH, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:  ¹⁷ That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 

¹⁸ And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

One of the fascinating aspects of this subject is the symmetry with which these events were fulfilled when seen within a continuous jubilee cycle originating with the creation of Adam. From the birth of Seth to the birth of Isaac there was an interval of 40 jubilee cycles. 40 jubilee cycles after the birth of Isaac the oath Yahweh sworn with Abraham concerning his “seed” blessing all nations of the earth was fulfilled when Yeshua reconciled all mankind to Yahweh by His death and resurrection.

Romans 5:8-12
⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  ⁹ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.  ¹⁰ For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.  ¹¹ And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.  ¹² Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Also worth noting is that Seth was born in the 3^rd jubilee of Adams life, Isaac was born in 2^nd jubilee of Abraham’s life, and Yeshua fulfilled His destiny as the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world in the 1^st jubilee of His life.

Here are some verses related to the Messianic theme of Haggai and Zechariah

Zechariah 2:1-5 
I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.  ² Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.  ³ And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,  ⁴ And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:  ⁵ For I, saith YHWH, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

Zechariah 2:10-13
¹⁰ Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith YHWH.  ¹¹ And many nations shall be joined to YHWH in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that YHWH of hosts hath sent me unto thee.  ¹² And YHWH shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.  ¹³ Be silent, O all flesh, before YHWH: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

Zechariah 3:8-10
⁸ Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.  ⁹ For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith YHWH of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.  ¹⁰ In that day, saith YHWH of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

Zechariah 4:6-10
⁶ Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of YHWH unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith YHWH of hosts.  ⁷ Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.  ⁸ Moreover the word of YHWH came unto me, saying,  ⁹ The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that YHWH of hosts hath sent me unto you.  ¹⁰ For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of YHWH, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Zechariah 6:11-13
 ¹¹ Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;  ¹² And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh YHWH of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of YHWH:  ¹³ Even he shall build the temple of YHWH; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

Zechariah 8:1-3
Again the word of YHWH of hosts came to me, saying,  ² Thus saith YHWH of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.  ³ Thus saith YHWH; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of YHWH of hosts the holy mountain.

Zechariah 8:22-23
Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek YHWH of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before YHWH.  ²³ Thus saith YHWH of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

Zechariah 11:10-14
 ¹⁰ And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.  ¹¹ And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of YHWH.  ¹² And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.  ¹³ And YHWH said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of YHWH.  ¹⁴ Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

Zechariah 12:2-10
 ² Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.  ³ And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.  ⁴ In that day, saith YHWH, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.  ⁵ And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in YHWH of hosts their God.  ⁶ In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.  ⁷ YHWH also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.  ⁸ In that day shall YHWH defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of YHWH before them.  ⁹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.  ¹⁰ And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Zechariah 13:1-2
In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.  ² And it shall come to pass in that day, saith YHWH of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

Zechariah 14:1-9
Behold, the day of YHWH cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.  ² For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.  ³ Then shall YHWH go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.  ⁴ And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.  ⁵ And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and YHWH my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.  ⁶ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:  ⁷ But it shall be one day which shall be known to YHWH, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.  ⁸ And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.  ⁹ And YHWH shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Zechariah 14:20  ⁰ In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO YHWH; and the pots in YHWH’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.