New eBook: One God, Many Faces

[Richard Amiel McGough]

My friend Craig Paardecooper just sent me a link to his free new eBook:

http://www.craigdemo.co.uk/craig.htm

It presents the amazing "coincidence" that all the primary religions of the world (except Hinduism and Islam) sprang into existence during the time of the Babylonian Exile (600 - 539 BC) which marked the beginning of the "Times of the Gentiles."

It's a quick read, well written. I'd love to know what others think about this "coincidence."

Richard

[Craig.Paardekooper]

You can download the book - "One God Many Faces" at -

http://www.craigdemo.co.uk

Craig

[Richard Amiel McGough]

You can download the book - "One God Many Faces" at -

http://www.craigdemo.co.uk/onegod.pdf

Craig
Hi Craig!

Welcome to our forum!

:welcome:

I look forward to discussing your book(s) with you, and I also would be delighted to have your contribution on the many other threads we have here.

Do you have any thoughts about Hinduism and Islam that don't fit the pattern you found in your book?

Richard

[Craig.Paardekooper]

A LIGHT TO THE INDIANS

Hinduism

'The roots of Hinduism can be traced to around 1500 BC, but it was very different to the Hinduism of today. It was polytheistic and ritualistic and originally the rituals were generally performed at home. They gradually became more complex and a priestly class was created and trained in order to carry out the rituals. The priests thus became the means of access to the gods.
In 600 BC the people revolted against the priests, who had become controlling. A new form of Hinduism gradually developed, with more of an emphasis on personal meditation.'
http://www.omf.org/omf/uk/about_asia/religions/hinduism

'After many years of total dependence upon the priests for all religious activity, the people of the early Hindu religion revolted around 600 B.C. They focused their religion on internal meditation and wrote the Upanishads, their version of the New Testament. They believed that behind many gods stood one ultimate reality, which is called Brahman. Gradually, their perception of Brahman began to be that of a personal God called Ishvara. Ishvara manifested as a trinity - Brahama the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer
www.cccstudents.org/pdf/Hinduism.pdf

'The sixth century B.C. saw a revolt against the power of the priests. It was not only in India. A tidal wave seems to have swept across the ancient world, from Zoroaster in Persia, to Buddha and Mahavir in India, to Confucius and Lao-tze in China. They all represent a move away from dead ritual to something more inward – ethical behaviour, or withdrawal from desire, or conformity to the Way. One group in India, the Charvakas, were atheists. They denied the existence of any gods and said that happiness was the highest goal.

Buddha and Mahavir became the founders of new religions, Buddhism and Jainism. Buddhism spread rapidly among those who were frustrated with the priestly religion. Jainism emphasized right conduct, especially Ahimsa or non-violence. It was through Jainism that vegetarianism spread throughout India.'


Hinduism was completely transformed in 600 B.C.. There was a movement away from polytheism, ritual and animal sacrifice, towards an inward religion of compassion, devotion, and ego-transcendence. The new Scriptures of Hinduism were called the Upanishads.


The Upanishads (basic scriptures of Hinduism proper) are the records of the teachings and discussions of forest hermits, holy men who accomplished the task of transforming Vedism into Hinduism during and after the 6th century B.C.E. The earliest Upanishads date from 900 to 600 B.C.E., and represent the first development of philosophical reflections in Sanskrit literature. According to a widespread tradition the oldest Upanishads are the Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, Brhadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, Kaushitaki, and Maitri Upanishads. The fundamental concern of the Upanishads is the nature of reality. The basic theme of the Upanishads is the unity of the individual soul (Atman) with the impersonal, absolute world soul (Brahman) as expressed in the famous formula tat tvam asi ("that art thou"), the realization that the self within and the ineffable holy power sustaining and pervading the universes are essentially one. The Vedic gods are reinterpreted as manifestations symbolizing a single divine reality, multiple reflections of one single truth. Because they are the final portions of the Vedas, the Upanishads are also known as Vedanta, "the end of the Vedas."

Quoted from http://www.usao.edu/~usao-ids3313/ids/html/hinduism.html


We see from these quotes that Vedism was transformed into Hinduism 'during and after the 6th century B.C.'

The Sanskrit term upaniṣad literally means "sitting down beside"[1] or rather, sitting close, laying siege to. This is rather a coincidence, since the Upanishads were written at the very time that God was literally 'laying siege' to the old priestly system of temple sacrifice in Israel. It is of interest that Upanishad also means 'Secret Knowledge' or 'Secret Doctrine'. Remember that Daniel was given wisdom to understand secrets.

Just as the Greeks found philosophy at this time, so in the Upanishads we find 'the first development of philosophical reflections in Sanskrit literature.'


Monotheism

Here we find a movement towards worshipping a single divine reality - in Hinduism 'the Vedic gods are reinterpreted as manifestations symbolizing a single divine reality, multiple reflections of one single truth.' This coincides with the decline of idolatry and the establishment of monotheism in Israel.

'The Upanishads were the foundation of Hindu thought and philosophy and introduced some of it’s most distinctive beliefs. They provided a way of thinking about God and reality called Monism. They offered a way to the knowledge of God without ritual, a deeper meaning behind the sacrifices. They said that the inner Self was as much a reflection of absolute reality as the absolute Brahman. The goal in life was union with the One.'

Unity

In the Penguin Classics Series 'The Upanishads' the author says that
'The spirit of the Upanishads can be compared with that of the New Testament summed up in the words – ‘I and my father are one’ and ‘the Kingdom of God is within you’'.
'The basic theme of the Upanishads is the unity of the individual soul (Atman) with the absolute world soul (Brahman) as expressed in the famous formula tat tvam asi ("that art thou"), the realization that the self within and the ineffable holy power sustaining and pervading the universes are essentially one'
The Upanishads – Penguin Classics
Paul Deussen provides an overview of the Upanishads. In his discussion of their history and significance, Deussen makes analogies to Christianity, stating that the Upanishads

'are for the Veda what the New Testament is for the Bible.'
Philosophy of the Upanishads By Paul Deussen, A.S. Geden

He shows that in the old Vedic religion moral behaviour was based on fear and retribution or reward – and appealed to people’s self-interest to elicit obedience. Whereas the Upanishads say that true good lies in going beyond self-interest. True love and compassion are inward, and go beyond the ego. Herein we encounter the truly divine.

So we can see how the central themes of the Upanishads mirror the themes in the New Testament. But it wasn’t just the central themes that we find mirrored. Scholars (George Wolfe – 'Parallel Teachings in Hinduism and Christianity') have noted that many passages of text in the Upanishads seem to reflect, word-for-word, similar passages in the New Testament – as if they both came from the same mouth – or rather as if both were inspired by the same Mind.

In 600 B.C., when God turned from the Jews to the Gentiles, what happened? Was the essential heart of the Christian message, the spirit of the New Testament, made known to the different nations of the world? Could it be that God really did put the Gentiles first and the Jews last – revealing to the Gentiles what would only become clear to the Jews 600 years later?

Such questions can only be answered when we see the full picture, but such a scenario now seems plausible.

It certainly seems the case that the religious movements of 600 B.C. 'prepared the way' for Christianity. When God turned to the Gentiles, He gave them light.
"Thus philosophy, a thing of the highest utility, flourished in antiquity among the barbarians, shedding its light over the nations. And afterwards it came to Greece. First in its ranks were the prophets of the Egyptians; and the Chaldeans among the Assyrians; and the Druids among the Gauls; and the Sramanas among the Bactrians ("Σαρμαναίοι Βάκτρων"); and the philosophers of the Celts; and the Magi of the Persians, who foretold the Saviour's birth, and came into the land of Judaea guided by a star. The Indian gymnosophists are also in the number, and the other barbarian philosophers. And of these there are two classes, some of them called Sramanas ("Σαρμάναι"), and others Brahmins (Βραφμαναι)."
—Clement of Alexandria "The Stromata, or Miscellanies" Book I, Chapter XV[21]( 2nd Century A.D).


All the nations are God’s children and always have been.

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Craig,

That was an excellent post! I am enthralled with this insight.

But how do you understand this in light of the primary message of Christianity ... that we become children of God through faith in Christ? That seems to imply that not everyone is a child of God "by default." Of course, we have the competing passage from Acts 17:29 that says everyone is the "offspring of God." But that is only one passage versus many that seem to teach that not everyone is a child of God. Perhaps it is like the prodigal son - eveyone is born a child of God but has gone astray through sin, and when we return to God through faith it is like being born again?

Richard

[Craig.Paardekooper]

As regards Islam,

Broadly speaking, the religions of the world fall into a number of families -

Family 1 - India
Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism
Sikhism

Family 2 - Near East
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Zoroastrianism

Family 3 - Far East
Confucianism
Taoism
Shintoism

Family 3 - Western
Philosophy

As you are aware, Islam belongs to the Judaeo-Christian family of religions.

Just as Sikhism developed out of Hinduism at a much later date, similarly Islam developed out of a Judaic culture at a much later date.

As we have seen, Judaism was a foundation block for Islam. So Islam fits into the pattern as being a child of an Axial Age religion - just as for example Plato (who lived after the Axial Age) was part of the stream of thought that began with The 7 Sages, Pythagoras and Socrates.

The axial age religions spawned many offspring - some deviating somewhat from the original axial vision.

[Richard Amiel McGough]

As regards Islam,

Broadly speaking, the religions of the world fall into a number of families -

Family 1 - India
Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism
Sikhism

Family 2 - Near East
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Zoroastrianism

Family 3 - Far East
Confucianism
Taoism
Shintoism

Family 3 - Western
Philosophy

As you are aware, Islam belongs to the Judaeo-Christian family of religions.

Just as Sikhism developed out of Hinduism at a much later date, similarly Islam developed out of a Judaic culture at a much later date.

As we have seen, Judaism was a foundation block for Islam. So Islam fits into the pattern as being a child of an Axial Age religion - just as for example Plato (who lived after the Axial Age) was part of the stream of thought that began with The 7 Sages, Pythagoras and Socrates.

The axial age religions spawned many offspring - some deviating somewhat from the original axial vision.

Wow - this is getting deep. I had never heard of the concept of the "Axial Age." Here is how it is defined on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_Age):
German philosopher Karl Jaspers coined the term the axial age (Achsenzeit in the German language original) to describe the period from 800 BC to 200 BC, during which, according to Jaspers, similarly revolutionary thinking appeared in China, India and the Occident. The period is also sometimes referred to as the axis age.[1]

Jaspers, in his Vom Ursprung und Ziel der Geschichte (The Origin and Goal of History), identified a number of key axial age thinkers as having had a profound influence on future philosophy and religion, and identified characteristics common to each area from which those thinkers emerged. Jaspers saw in these developments in religion and philosophy a striking parallel without any obvious direct transmission of ideas from one region to the other, having found no recorded proof of any extensive inter-communication between Ancient Greece, the Middle East, India and China. Jaspers held up this age as unique, and one to which the rest of the history of human thought might be compared. Jaspers' approach to the culture of the middle of the first millennium BC has been adopted by other scholars and academics, and has become a point of discussion in the history of religion.

In my own studies of World History I have discovered a symmetric pattern that links each century with a Hebrew letter. I call it the "Key to the Kingdoms (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/KingdomKey.asp)" because the two great theocratic Kingdoms - of Israel and the external Church - are aligned at opposite extremes that "just happen" to be spanned by the central letters of the Hebrew alphabet that spell out the word MLK (Melek) = KING:

http://www.biblewheel.com/History/KingdomKey.gif


Now the thing that is really intriguing is that the "Times of the Gentiles" began in the 70 year period of the Babylonian Exile (606 - 536 BC) which corresponds on the chart to the Letter Ayin which means "Eye" and which has the numerical value of 70, and the Number 70 is itself understood in the ancient Jewish tradition as a symbol of the Gentiles because of the 70 nations listed in Genesis 10.

And yet there is more, since the letter Ayin means Eye and is a symbol of "enlightenment" and it seems that the eyes of the whole Gentile world were enlightened during the period corresdonding to Ayin. And this, of course, corresponds to the title you chose for the conclusion of your book, "A Light to the Gentiles."

Richard

[Craig.Paardekooper]

Thanks Richard for your comments.

The Book of Isaiah also indicates this World revelation in 600 B.C.

It should be noted that in chapter 39 Isaiah narrates the history of Israel up UNTIL THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. He then "jumps" to the "Light for the Gentiles"

Could it be that Isaiah forsaw the light coming to the Gentiles in 600 B.C. with the Babylonian Captivity - this being a fore-shadowing of the Light that was to come into the world in the time of Christ.

What is remarkable is that Isaiah seems to predict both the Axial Age and the New Testament - both being a Light to the Gentiles.

The more I investigate the content of the world religions that emerged in 600 B.C., the more I come across the most amazing parallels to the New Testament. It's like I can feel God's hand working behind the scenes.

[Craig.Paardekooper]

But how do you understand this in light of the primary message of Christianity ... that we become children of God through faith in Christ? That seems to imply that not everyone is a child of God "by default." Of course, we have the competing passage from Acts 17:29 that says everyone is the "offspring of God." But that is only one passage versus many that seem to teach that not everyone is a child of God. Perhaps it is like the prodigal son - eveyone is born a child of God but has gone astray through sin, and when we return to God through faith it is like being born again?

It is not clear why God seems to have worked through the Gentile nations in this way. Why He seems to have created 7 + "different" centres of religious insight.

But God's voice is detectable....and the teachings about compassion
and renouncing the ego (taking up ones cross) seem to echo the central themes of christianity

The Spirit of God moved across the world - it touched people through their hearts rather than through the logic of doctrine. This movement of the heart inspired the enthusiasm and creativity of thought rather than it's content.

But even so, as one goes deeper, one comes across uncanny parallels that bear a familiar Signature

[Craig.Paardekooper]

In 590 B.C. Ezekiel records that Gods Spirit left the Temple - only to return 70years later in 520 B.C.

The presence of God in the Temple had always manifested in the Light of the Menorah - the 7 flames of the candle stick - the light of revelation.

One flame was eternal - and the other flames were lit from it each day.

When God departed from the Temple, it seems His spirit was poured out upon the world. During the seventy years of his departure a flame went to every nation -

1. Zoroaster
2. Buddhism
3. Jainism
4. Confucianism
5. Taoism
6. Philosophy
7. Shintoism

However, all were lit from the central flame - the flame of Israel.

[Craig.Paardekooper]

What Jaspers did not fully realise was that the Axial Age thinkers are far more concentrated in time than he suspected. Many of them emerged within one or two years of one another - and all emerged within a single generation - the generation of captivity. Both before and after Jaspers, many writers have noted the almost simultaneous appearance of the different movements.

[Richard Amiel McGough]

What Jaspers did not fully realise was that the Axial Age thinkers are far more concentrated in time than he suspected. Many of them emerged within one or two years of one another - and all emerged within a single generation - the generation of captivity. Both before and after Jaspers, many writers have noted the almost simultaneous appearance of the different movements.
That is the most amazing thing about the insight that you documented in your ebook. It really does have the feel of something that goes quite a ways beyond a "mere coincidence."

[Victor]

Craig,

You did an excellent work. Very enlightening! It is really amazing how many religious movements independently popped up around the world at that time. And that was the exact time when Israel had lost its position as a light to the world.


The Number 70 that signals the time of Babylon's supremacy and Israel's fall is really a number that has much to do with the Gentiles. As RAM points out, Genesis 10 records the name of the seventy nations of mankind. And the 70 years of Jeremiah's prophecy similarly links 70 to the Gentiles:
Jer 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Seventy is the standard value of Ayin, the 16th letter that governs the 6th century BC, when these seventy years were finished.

In that same century was written the book of Zechariah, on Spoke 16 (Ayin) of the Bible Wheel. There we read of a period of seventy years as well:

Zec 7:4 Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,
Zec 7:5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
The Lord here refers to the 70 years that began with Jerusalem's destruction. Therefore, the Number 70 saturates the century governed by Ayin in pre-Christian History.

Victor

[Victor]

In 590 B.C. Ezekiel records that Gods Spirit left the Temple - only to return 70years later in 520 B.C.

The presence of God in the Temple had always manifested in the Light of the Menorah - the 7 flames of the candle stick - the light of revelation.

One flame was eternal - and the other flames were lit from it each day.

When God departed from the Temple, it seems His spirit was poured out upon the world. During the seventy years of his departure a flame went to every nation -

1. Zoroaster
2. Buddhism
3. Jainism
4. Confucianism
5. Taoism
6. Philosophy
7. Shintoism

However, all were lit from the central flame - the flame of Israel.

Here's a thought: God showed in 70 AD that He had left the building of Jerusalem's temple. Carnal Israel ceased to be a light to the world in the first century. Judaism experienced what the Lord Jesus said could happen to the church of Ephesus if they didn't repent:

Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Israel's spiritual loss is graphically reflected in the Arch of Titus which depicts the Menorah being removed from the Jews and transferred to the Gentiles:

http://www.biblewheel.com/history/TitusArch.gif

So there can be a similarity between the destruction of Jerusalem in the 1st century AD and in the 6th century BC in this regard. Babylon subdued Jerusalem and the Light of God was "transferred" to the Gentiles, as it were. Many unusual beliefs unexpectedly began to be held by them because of the new religious movements.

But of course the true Light to the Gentiles, Jesus Christ, would yet appear, at the consummation of the age in the first century. The Gentile soil was prepared to the outspread of the Christian message.

The sevenfold list you offer above is interesting. It should be precise before we can further link it to the concept of "sevenfold light". Is this cathegorization accurate? Can't they be grouped differently, yielding a distinct result?

Thank you for you insights and research Craig!

[Victor]

Here is a quote from philosopher Lasaulx taken from your book:




It cannot possibly be an accident that, six hundred years before Christ,Zarathustra in Persia, Gautama Buddha in India, Confucius in China, the prophets in Israel, King Numa in Rome and the first philosophers—Ionians, Dorians, Eleatics—in Hellas, all made their appearance pretty well simultaneously as reformers of the national religion.


Note that all of these are called "reformers" of their religions. If you take a look at the Wheel of World History above you'll find that the 6th century BC corresponds to the 16th century AD in the cycles before and after Christ. They are both governed by the letter Ayin. In the 16th century the Protestant Reformation (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/C16_Reformation.asp) took place.

That really sounds interesting because the common theme of "reformers" is significant in both centuries governed by Ayin. The events in the 16th century were like a fountain producing the "waters of knowledge" commonly known as the Enlightenment that would flow in the centuries that followed, as most notably manifest in the Scientific Revolution (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/C17_Science.asp) (17th century), the French Revolution (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/C18_Revolutions.asp) (18th century) and Materialism (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/C19_Materialism.asp) (19th century).

Victor

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Here is a quote from philosopher Lasaulx taken from your book:


It cannot possibly be an accident that, six hundred years before Christ,Zarathustra in Persia, Gautama Buddha in India, Confucius in China, the prophets in Israel, King Numa in Rome and the first philosophers—Ionians, Dorians, Eleatics—in Hellas, all made their appearance pretty well simultaneously as reformers of the national religion.

Note that all of these are called "reformers" of their religions. If you take a look at the Wheel of World History above you'll find that the 6th century BC corresponds to the 16th century AD in the cycles before and after Christ. They are both governed by the letter Ayin. In the 16th century the Protestant Reformation (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/C16_Reformation.asp) took place.

That really sounds interesting because the common theme of "reformers" is significant in both centuries governed by Ayin. The events in the 16th century were like a fountain producing the "waters of knowledge" commonly known as the Enlightenment that would flow in the centuries that followed, as most notably manifest in the Scientific Revolution (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/C17_Science.asp) (17th century), the French Revolution (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/C18_Revolutions.asp) (18th century) and Materialism (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/C19_Materialism.asp) (19th century).

Victor
There is an extremely powerful connection between the BC and AD time periods governed by Ayin and Pey. These periods are the 6th and 5th centuries BC and the 16th and 17th centuries AD. The AD periods correspond to the beginning (16th c.) and full flowering (17th c.) of the Scientific Revolution (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/C17_Science.asp). The corresponding BC period contains very similar events, most notably the life of Pythagorus (ca. 580-490 BC). Here is a quote (http://pythagoras-divineharmony.com/pythagoras.htm) I found after about 23 seconds of searching the internet:

Best known today for the so-called Pythagorean theorem, the sixth-century BC Greek mystic and philosopher Pythagoras taught far more than geometry at the school, or ashram, he founded in Kroton, Italy. Widely traveled throughout Asia Minor as well as in ancient Egypt, Babylon, Persia and India, Pythagoras absorbed the sacred knowledge of the ancient world, and re-cast it in a form that would form the basis for modern science, philosophy, mathematics, and music theory. ... The central concept of Pythagoras’ teachings, was harmonia, the Divine Harmony at the core of both cosmos and psyche, a concept derived from the religious tradition of Orpheus, but which was to lead to the teachings of Plato, and later to both the seven liberal arts of medieval education, the trivium and the quadrivium, and, eventually, to the development of empirical science in the seventeenth century.
Again, it is particularly intriguing that we have the Ayin-Pey connection (Eye = enlightment/knowledge, Mouth- expression/development of that knowledge) governing these two periods. We could spend months documenting the correspondences. They are two of the most stunning "bursts of light" that have broken forth into the world of the intellect.

Richard

[Victor]

There is an extremely powerful connection between the BC and AD time periods governed by Ayin and Pey. These periods are the 6th and 5th centuries BC and the 16th and 17th centuries AD. The AD periods correspond to the beginning (16th c.) and full flowering (17th c.) of the Scientific Revolution (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/C17_Science.asp). The corresponding BC period contains very similar events, most notably the life of Pythagorus (ca. 580-490 BC). Here is a quote (http://pythagoras-divineharmony.com/pythagoras.htm) I found after about 23 seconds of searching the internet:
Best known today for the so-called Pythagorean theorem, the sixth-century BC Greek mystic and philosopher Pythagoras taught far more than geometry at the school, or ashram, he founded in Kroton, Italy. Widely traveled throughout Asia Minor as well as in ancient Egypt, Babylon, Persia and India, Pythagoras absorbed the sacred knowledge of the ancient world, and re-cast it in a form that would form the basis for modern science, philosophy, mathematics, and music theory. ... The central concept of Pythagoras’ teachings, was harmonia, the Divine Harmony at the core of both cosmos and psyche, a concept derived from the religious tradition of Orpheus, but which was to lead to the teachings of Plato, and later to both the seven liberal arts of medieval education, the trivium and the quadrivium, and, eventually, to the development of empirical science in the seventeenth century.
Again, it is particularly intriguing that we have the Ayin-Pey connection (Eye = enlightment/knowledge, Mouth- expression/development of that knowledge) governing these two periods. We could spend months documenting the correspondences. They are two of the most stunning "bursts of light" that have broken forth into the world of the intellect.

Richard

Great finding Richard! I have long been impressed with the historic flow of secular thought from the 16th century onward linked to the thematic chain of symbols of the Hebrew Alphabet. And now you point to another link, this one uniting symmetrical periods between and after Christ. Astounding!

Victor

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Great finding Richard! I have long been impressed with the historic flow of secular thought from the 16th century onward linked to the thematic chain of symbols of the Hebrew Alphabet. And now you point to another link, this one uniting symmetrical periods between and after Christ. Astounding!

Victor
Hey Victor,

Everywhere I look I see new glory revealed. Consider the 18th Century AD governed by Tzaddi. Just as the Gospel first GOES FORTH (Tzaddi KeyWord Tzey) from Spoke 18 of the Bible Wheel (http://www.biblewheel.com/Wheel/Spokes/Tsaddi.asp)(in the book of Matthew) and the corresponding 40th Chaper of Isaiah (http://www.biblewheel.com/InnerWheels/Isaiah/Isaiah40.asp), so in the 18th Century AD (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/C18.asp) we behold the great evangelical explosion marked by the Gospel going forth in a new and amazing way into all the world. I have had this documented on my site for years.

And now I just glanced at the 4th Century BC which also corresponds to Tzaddi, and what did I see? That century was absolutely dominated by one individual - Alexander the Great - who WENT FORTH to unite the world with the single language (Greek) and to pave the roads in prepartion for the coming of the Gospel in the first century. A quick internet search yields great insights. Here is something from George R. Beasley-Murray (http://www.galaxie.com/article.php?article_id=7474):


The Preparation of the Gospel
George R. Beasley-Murray

The title echoes a phrase which was once not uncommon in theological writings, namely praeparatio euangelii. By this was generally indicated the process whereby the divine providence prepared the world for the gospel. It was a frequent theme of Christian apologists to trace the steps by which the ancient world was made ready for the coming of Jesus and the spread of the good news. These features included the preparation of the chosen people through their long history, the development of religion and philosophy among the pagans [beginning in the 6th c. BC], the provision by Alexander the Great of a unifying culture and language of communication for all peoples [in the 4th c. BC], and the political unification of the world through the Romans, by reason of which the early Christian missionaries were able to take the gospel to the nations in a way which had been previously impossible. There is actually a section in the library of Southern Baptist Seminary devoted to the theme, “the preparation of the world for Christianity,” and some at least of the works in that section elaborate this idea in a variety of ways.

And here's another http://www.focusongod.com/luke01s.htm:
Much of that preparation for Christ birth took place during the 400 years of prophetic silence between the closing of the Old Testament and the New Testament. During the years of 356-323 BC. Alexander the Great came on the world scene. As Alexander moved his conquering troops throughout the world, he set up cities and libraries for the express purpose of spreading the Greek culture and language. By the time Rome came to power, the Greek language had become a universal language. It was this influence that brought about the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into the Greek language. That Greek translation is the Septuagint. This Greek translation of Jewish Scriptures acquainted the non-Jew with the principles of the Jewish faith, which played an important role in fulfilling God's plan of redemption.

The apostles of the New Testament were able to travel [GO FORTH] through the Greek-speaking world preaching from the Greek Septuagint. As the New Testament was revealed it was disseminated throughout the world in the universal language of Greek. As we view this aspect of divine history, we see God moving men and nations through 400 silent years preparing for Christ birth and the reception of his teaching. Alexander the Great believed his mission was divine, although he never knew Jehovah God. He sought to become a son of the Sun god of Egypt. But he never really knew how divine his mission was. God used him in preparation for the birth of his Son.

The insights are pouring forth! I will post more as time permits.

Richard

[Craig.Paardekooper]

The correspondence between the number of flames on the Menorah, and the springing forth of the Gentile religions is

Zoroastrianism
Greek Philosophy
Hindu Upanishads
Buddhism
Jainism
Taoism
Confucianism

As you can see, there are 7 - which is suggestive but not conclusive - just as there were 7 churches that sprang up in Revelations.

Perhaps the answer will only become apparent as you go deeper.

[Roya Dayspring]

My friend Craig Paardecooper just sent me a link to his free new eBook:

http://www.craigdemo.co.uk/craig.htm

It presents the amazing "coincidence" that all the primary religions of the world (except Hinduism and Islam) sprang into existence during the time of the Babylonian Exile (600 - 539 BC) which marked the beginning of the "Times of the Gentiles."

It's a quick read, well written. I'd love to know what others think about this "coincidence."

Richard
I Am a light in a dark place ... yes RAM "I Am"

http://thestarthatwouldbegod.blogspot.com/ GODDESS at your service

[Victor]

Here's some more info about the 70 years of Babylonian supremacy that I forgot to post:

The most important passage concerning this time period is found in Jeremiah 25. It reads:

Jer 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Now what makes this passage even more interesting is that Jeremiah 25 is Bible Chapter 770.

770 = 70 + 700 !
770 = 70 + (70 x 10)

Is it merely a coincidence? ;)

[Craig.Paardekooper]

Thanks Victor,

That is interesting

[Craig.Paardekooper]

It is interesting that the seventy years of Jeremiah occur in chapter 770 of the Bible.

Also, modern scholars often refer to the reformation as the second axial age.
If you google "second axial age" you will see a host of references to this.

The parallels between the demise of the First and Second Temples is very interesting. The emergence of approximately 7 major religious movements in the 6th century B.C. parallels the 7 churches that emerged at the time of the destruction of the second temple.

As I note in my book "Sign of the Son of Man", the destruction of both the First and Second Temples occurred on the same day, and 4 years before both events a sign appeared. Also both events were preceded by 40 years of warning.

I can only refer you to the book - which is provided as a free e book here -
http://www.craigdemo.co.uk/craig.htm

Thankyou for your insights regarding the larger patterns in world history.

Regards

Craig

[Victor]

Thank you for bringing that up again, Craig! There's a lot to be discussed.

Axial age, parallelisms between the first and second destructions of the temple, and so on.

Hang around the board, your insights are appreciated.
Victor

[Craig.Paardekooper]

Here's some more info about the 70 years of Babylonian supremacy that I forgot to post:

The most important passage concerning this time period is found in Jeremiah 25. It reads:
Jer 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Now what makes this passage even more interesting is that Jeremiah 25 is Bible Chapter 770.

770 = 70 + 700 !
770 = 70 + (70 x 10)

Is it merely a coincidence?


I have come across a period of 770 years before. -

There are 770 years from the date of the miraculous salvation of Jerusalem from the Assyrian Army in 701 B.C. until the final destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

What is more, if we take the date of the Exodus as the traditional one, according to Usher chronology (1492 B.C.) - then there are 770 years from the Exodus until the miraculous salvation of Jerusalem from the Assyrian army in 701 B.C.

[Victor]

I have come across a period of 770 years before. -

There are 770 years from the date of the miraculous salvation of Jerusalem from the Assyrian Army in 701 B.C. until the final destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

What is more, if we take the date of the Exodus as the traditional one, according to Usher chronology (1492 B.C.) - then there are 770 years from the Exodus until the miraculous salvation of Jerusalem from the Assyrian army in 701 B.C.

It is nice to find a round number that rings the Number 7 in association with the period between Jerusalem's deliverance from Sennacherib and its destruction by the Romans. Seven features prominently in all three numbers: 701, 70 and 770.

As for the second time period you mention, it is not correct. There are 791 years between the Exodus and Sennacherib's defeat according to Ussher's chronology, not 770.

[Craig.Paardekooper]

Well, the Northern Kingdom perished in 721 B.C. , 770 years after the Exodus.
The Southern Tribes escaped destruction and where miraculously delivered in 701 B.C. - they were given an extension of 770 years.

1492 - 721 = 770 years
701 + 70 = 770 years (we do not count 0 B.C.)

The Northern Kingdom perished after 770 years. It was utterly destroyed by the Assyrians. However Hezekiah repented, and the Southern Kingdom was spared. Just as Hezekiah was given an extension of his life, so the Southern Kingdom was given an extension for 770 years - a second chance.

[Victor]

Well, the Northern Kingdom perished in 721 B.C. , 770 years after the Exodus.
The Southern Tribes escaped destruction and where miraculously delivered in 701 B.C. - they were given an extension of 770 years.

1492 - 721 = 770 years
701 + 70 = 770 years (we do not count 0 B.C.)

The Northern Kingdom perished after 770 years. It was utterly destroyed by the Assyrians. However Hezekiah repented, and the Southern Kingdom was spared. Just as Hezekiah was given an extension of his life, so the Southern Kingdom was given an extension for 770 years - a second chance.

Brilliant!

[Craig.Paardekooper]

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?'

Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.f




I have written a short book on Isaiah that covers this subject in more depth - http://www.craigdemo.co.uk/craig.htm

[Richard Amiel McGough]

I have written a short book on Isaiah that covers this subject in more depth - http://www.craigdemo.co.uk/craig.htm
Hi Craig,

Congratulations on finishing another eBook! I see there are eight on your page now. Good work. I'll take a look at the new one called "Isaiah."

[Richard Amiel McGough]

I have written a short book on Isaiah that covers this subject in more depth - http://www.craigdemo.co.uk/craig.htm
Well, that was a pretty quick read! I only had to skim the stuff with the Isaiah-Bible correlation since it was what I had written long ago. Thanks for acknowledging my contribution.

One question on the date of the Exodus. You have Solomon's reign beininning in 1015 BC. I would very much like that to be true because then it would fit perfectly with my work on the symmetrical correlation of the centuries before and after Christ with the Hebrew alphabet as described in my article Aleph Tav: The Key to the Kingdoms. (http://www.biblewheel.com/History/KingdomKey.asp) The record of his reign in the 11th book would correspond to the actual time of his reign in the 11th century. But unfortunately, it seems that the scholastic concensus (including conservative Christians scholars) has it that he began reigning in 971 BC and his kingdom was divided in 931 BC. Do you know of any modern scholars that would agree with the timeline you present in your book?

[Craig.Paardekooper]

Well, that was a pretty quick read! I only had to skim the stuff with the Isaiah-Bible correlation since it was what I had written long ago. Thanks for acknowledging my contribution.

One question on the date of the Exodus. You have Solomon's reign beininning in 1015 BC. I would very much like that to be true because then it would fit perfectly with my work on the symmetrical correlation of the centuries before and after Christ with the Hebrew alphabet as described in my article Aleph Tav: The Key to the Kingdoms. The record of his reign in the 11th book would correspond to the actual time of his reign in the 11th century. But unfortunately, it seems that the scholastic concensus (including conservative Christians scholars) has it that he began reigning in 971 BC and his kingdom was divided in 931 BC. Do you know of any modern scholars that would agree with the timeline you present in your book?

Yes I did quote some lines from your website on the Isaiah-Bible correlation, but also added observations of my own such as the natural division of Isaiah 40-66 into 3 sections each of 3 x 3 chapters, and the centre of the central section being Isaiah 53 - the Cross.

Sorry for not mentioning you in the references. I wrote this long ago, and neglected to put in any references. I will amend this shortly.

With regards to the dating of Solomon's reign, here are my notes -


With the almost unanimously accepted date of 586/7 B.C (a few accept 588 and WTS uses 607) for the destruction of Jerusalem, this chronology starts by adding back the total of the ruler-ships of the kings of Judah from Rehoboam to Zedekiah. This amounts to approximately 390 years. Ussher look a literal reading of the Bible. He did not try to reinterpret the Bible in the light of any non-biblical source.
586 B.C + 389 years = 975 B.C for the 1st year of Rehoboam.
1 Kings 11:42:
'…the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was 40 years.'
975 B.C + 40 years = 1015 B.C for the beginning of Solomon’s reign.
1 Kings 6:1 NJB:
'In the 480th year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel...he began building the temple of Yahweh.'
1015 B.C less 3 years = 1012 B.C for Solomon’s fourth year.
1012 B.C + 479 years = 1491 B.C for the date of the Exodus.

It is 390 years from Rehoboam’s first year to Zedekiah’s last year. During this period there is only one co-regency which is that of Jehoshaphat and his son Jehoram, whose rulerships overlap by 4 years (2 Kings 3:1; 8:16; 8:25; 9:29).
Ussher assumed:
1. That he knew for certain the date of the death of Nebuchadnezzar II--which was 562 BC.[1][2][3]
2. That this was also the date that Nebuchadnezzar's son Evil-Merodach began to reign.
From this date, he worked backward, using the meticulous dates that appear throughout I and II Kings, each of which gives a date of a king's accession with references to a year of reign of another king--except that kings of the Southern Kingdom after the conquest of the Northern Kingdom are listed only with their ages and lengths of reign, and King Jehoiachin is referenced by how many years he had been a captive when Evil-Merodach acceded to his throne. That sequence definitely places the division of the kingdoms at 975 BC, and the beginning of Solomon's reign at 1015 BC. I_Kings 6:1 states that Solomon broke ground on the Temple in the fourth year of his reign--and that this event took place in the four hundred eightieth year since the Exodus of Israel. This places the Exodus at 1491 BC. (The sequence also places the Fall of Jerusalem at 588 BC, because it happened 11 years after Jehoiachin was taken captive.)

2. Based on Assyrian Data
Modern scholars seek to make the Bible fit in with the chronologies of other nations. For example, Thiele makes a number of assumptions from observations of Assyrian stone tablets that, he believes, warrant a revision of the king list in I and II Kings. Thiele's sole warrant for favoring his date over Ussher's is his attempt to reconcile the king lists of the Divided Kingdoms Northern and Southern with the chronology of the Assyrians. The point being that in the absence of non-biblical sources, Thiele too would adopt Usshers chronology, since Usshers Chronology is based on exactly what the Bible says when taken at face value.
Ussher calculated King Jehu as having acceded to the throne of Israel (and also killed King Ahaziah of Judah) in 884 BC. However Thiele argues that The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III mentions a king identified as Jehu, son of Omri as paying tribute to King Shalmaneser III in 841 B.C. Shalmaneser III mentions that in the eighteenth year of his reign he went against "Hazael of Aram", shut him up in "Damascus, his royal city", and "received tribute of the men of Tyre, Sidon and of Jehu, the son of Omri".’
This is a 43 year difference with the Bible. Which is correct - the Bible or the Assyrian inscription? Thiele opts for the later and moves forward the date of Jehu's campaign from 884 BC to 841 BC. That movement alone accounts for 43 of the 45 years by which the Ussher and Thiele dates of the Exodus and the Temple are discrepant.
Thus Thiele assumes that the Assyrian inscription is correct, and that the Bible is in error.
Is the Assyrian inscription correct?
Faulstich discovered that much of the information on the Black Obelisk that is attributed to Shalmaneser was taken from earlier monuments. This plagiarism was so common in Assyrian history that the father of Shalmaneser III pronounced a special curse on kings who tried to steal his fame by ascribing to themselves deeds he had done. Faulstich goes on to document inconsistencies among the Black Obelisk, the Tigris Inscriptions, the Statue Inscriptions and the Bull-Colossi. This type of historical revisionism results in the collapsing of historical events into a shorter time frame. Ref: Faulstich, E.W., History, Harmony & The Hebrew Kings, Chronology Books, Spencer, Iowa, pp. 143—157, 1986.
Does Thiele's proposed revision fit in with the rest of the Bible?
To make the Bible fit in with the Black Obelisk, Thiele was forced to compress greatly the history of the Northern Kingdom after Jehu. To collapse the Biblical history, he created overlapping reigns of kings so that the total length of the period is significantly shortened.
For example, the Bible says that Uzziah was 16 years old when his father (King Amaziah) died, and Uzziah was made king. And Uzziah reigned 52 years. Thiele argues that Uzziah's reign overlaps with that of his father, so when his father died, Uzziah had already been reigning 24 years!! This would mean that Uzziah began to reign 8 years before he was even born!!. This is illustrative of how much Thiele has to twist the straightforward reading of the Bible inorder to fit it in with the Assyrian chronology. He has to insist that a person was made king eight years before that person was even born - and in direct contradiction to the clear reading of Scripture. Scripture actually says -
‘And they brought him [Amaziah, Uzziah’s father] on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. And all the people of Judah took Azariah [Uzziah] who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah’ (2 Kings 14:20,21).
‘In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah [Uzziah] the son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem …’ (2 Kings 15:1,2).
By all rules of exegesis, one would conclude that Uzziah was made king after the death of his father when he was 16 years old. This event happened in the 27th year of Jeroboam.
A second example.
The Bible clearly says that: 1) Menahem began to reign in the 39th year of Uzziah, and Menahem reigned for 10 years, followed by his son, Pekahiah, who reigned for two years (Tables 1 & 2); 2) Pekahiah was murdered by his commander, Pekah, who in turn reigned for 20 years. By normal rules of exegesis, this would be the most normal way to understand the text.‘In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah [Uzziah] king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, ten years in Samaria’ (2 Kings 15:17).
‘And Menahem slept with his fathers. And Pekahiah his son reigned in his place. In the fiftieth year of Uzziah [Azariah] king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, two years. … But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a commander of his, conspired against him and struck him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and fifty men of the Gileadites with him. And he killed him and reigned in his place. … In the fifty-second year of Uzziah [Azariah] king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, twenty years’ (2 Kings 15:22—27).
However Thiele states that Pekah began to reign in the 39th year of Uzziah!!! This is not a reinterpretation of Scripture. It is a direct contradiction. Thiele is throwing the Bible out of the window.
Once again, a simple reading of Scripture DOES NOT SUPPORT the secular chronology proposed by Thiele. Rather a straight forward reading of Scripture gives the Ussher chronology. This may vary from our current understanding of secular history, archaeology or evolution, but IT IS WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY SAYS.
While Ussher assumed the primacy of Scripture, Thiele assumed the primacy of secular historical records (what Ussher called "profane history"). Pierce in particular contends that Thiele had no right, according to the accepted canons of Biblical scholarship, to impart different meanings to verses that follow the same pattern without sufficient reason--an argument that William of Occam might have made. Even if Thiele did have that right, Pierce maintains that Thiele's clues, such as they are, are not even grounded in anything approaching certainty.

In summary
A straight forward reading of Scripture fixes the date of the Exodus at 1491 B.C. THIS IS THE DATE GIVEN BY A STRAIGHT FORWARD READING OF THE BIBLE. This is only contested by the existence of a single Assyrian tablet that mentions a king named Jehu, son of Omri. If we follow through with Thiele's adjustment, we are forced to compress or deliberately omit many succeeding reigns and so are forced to deny the overt meaning of Scripture in many places. See http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i1/chronology.asp

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Yes I did quote some lines from your website on the Isaiah-Bible correlation, but also added observations of my own such as the natural division of Isaiah 40-66 into 3 sections each of 3 x 3 chapters, and the centre of the central section being Isaiah 53 - the Cross.

Sorry for not mentioning you in the references. I wrote this long ago, and neglected to put in any references. I will amend this shortly.

With regards to the dating of Solomon's reign, here are my notes -
Thanks for sharing the fruit of your labors Craig. It will take me a littel while to review it all and compare it with the modern academic concensus to find the reasons for the discrepancies, but I wanted to acknowledge your post.

[Craig.Paardekooper]

It is interesting that Ezekiel divides the Times of the Gentiles into a period of 390 years and a period of 40 years. This reflects the 390 years of the Divided Kingdom that followed the 40 years during which the Kingdom was united under Solomon. This can hardly be a coincidence.

[Richard Amiel McGough]

It is interesting that Ezekiel divides the Times of the Gentiles into a period of 390 years and a period of 40 years. This reflects the 390 years of the Divided Kingdom that followed the 40 years during which the Kingdom was united under Solomon. This can hardly be a coincidence.
Interesting insight. I hadn't noticed that before. It does fit very well with your calculation that puts Solomon's reign beginning in 1015 BC, since 1015 - 40 - 390 = 585 BC (one year off from the destruction of 586 BC).

I always wanted Solomon's reign to begin in the 11th century so it would fit with the record of his reign in the 11th book (1 Kings). But I never felt confident that that date was accurate because all the scholars have concluded otherwise. But your work is making me rethink that conclusion. Thanks!

[Craig.Paardekooper]

Here's some more info about the 70 years of Babylonian supremacy that I forgot to post:

The most important passage concerning this time period is found in Jeremiah 25. It reads:

Jer 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Now what makes this passage even more interesting is that Jeremiah 25 is Bible Chapter 770.

770 = 70 + 700 !
770 = 70 + (70 x 10)

Is it merely a coincidence? ;)


The Fall of Babylon is described in Chapter 21 of Isaiah. This is the 700th chapter from the beginning of the Bible, and the 70 x 7th chapter from the end.

Remember that the fall of Babylon occurred in 537 B.C. when Cyrus conquered Babylon. At this time Daniel prophesied that there would be 70 sevens until the end. Well, there are 70 x 7 more chapters until the end of the Bible.

The conquest of Babylon occurred at the end of the 70 years of captivity, and chapter 21 of Isaiah is 700 chapters from the beginning of the Bible.


What all this suggests is that God is not completely open and readable like an open book. The Bible is more like a parable with hidden meanings all the way through. He projects an outward appearance that might satisfy a primitive audience - but also reveals himself at a deeper level to those with ears to hear - normally hidden from sceptics, the unbelievers and those who are not pure in heart.

Christians have described it as almost subliminal - as if a secondary voice were speaking through the Bible. So whilst it's outward primary voice might appear primitive, it's inner voice seems trans-temporal - from outside of time.