DIY Salvation

Indian Piercing Ritual 1908 [1]

In a TV show I watched recently, a man undertook a Native American ritual of self inflicted pain to "set things right in the universe". He suffered severe pain and deprivation to make amends for wrongs he had done, after which his daughter was healed. Of course, that's TV. But the notion of self inflicted pain for spiritual gain is not confined to Native Americans, it is in many religions. The Roman Catholic Church has a well developed theology concerning what they term penance. Usually, a priest would decide on the act of penance, also called epitemia. But it appears the more zealous can add to the penances.

Acts of self-discipline are used as tokens of repentance. Easier acts of self-discipline include devoting time to prayer or reading of the Bible or other spiritual books. Examples of harder acts of self-discipline are fasting, continence, abstaining from alcohol or tobacco, or other privations. Self-flagellation and the wearing of a cilice* are more rarely used. Wikipedia - Penance [2]

 *Cilice - a garment or undergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair (a hairshirt) worn close to the skin

Other religions are mentioned in the Wikipedia article. The Eastern Orthodox Church practices penance similar to the Catholics without the confession to a priest. Anglicans practice confession and penance, so do Methodists. Apparently, Lutherans do not. To show how universal self inflicted pain for spiritual reasons, consider this.

Rituals of expiation and satisfaction appear in most religions, whether primitive or developed, as the means by which the religious person reestablishes or strengthens his relation to the holy or divine. Atonement is often attached to sacrifice, both of which often connect ritual cleanness with moral purity and religious acceptability. Britannica [3]

We see above two reasons for self inflicted pain, one is to make amends for one's sins, and two is to gain spiritual favor, insight, or closeness to God. Does it work? Is God pleased with flagellants? [4] It appears self inflicted pain makes the person feel less guilty. In an experiment with college students, Dr Bastian of The University of Queensland observed this.

Humans have been socialised over ages to think of pain in terms of justice. We equate it with punishment, and as the experimental results suggest, the experience has the psychological effect of rebalancing the scales of justice and therefore resolving guilt. Medical Xpress [5]

But logically, the person who self-inflicted pain is exactly as guilty as they were before the pain - they only felt less guilty. Say one breaks a traffic law, like running a stop sign, does contrition and remorse or even pain make them any less guilty? No.

Does this "Do It Yourself Atonement" work? Can I make it right with the universe by inflicting pain on myself? Can I do acts of charity to balance out the score? In my own life, I have committed plenty of wrongs I would like to right, many people I've hurt, beginning with my parents. I wish I could say that was before I began to believe in God and believe God, before striving to live by His word, that is, before I knew Him. But I've committed wrongs since then I would like to undo. And in many ways those hurt me more, because I should know better, because I've let my Father down, and I want to make it up to Him. So, how do we make it right with God?

It's All About the Tabernacle

It may surprise you that the Tabernacle of ancient Israel is a template of how to approach God, and it is full of other symbolism as well. To approach God, who dwelt in the innermost part of the Tabernacle, called the Holy of Holies, one entered the Tabernacle through its only door, on the east side. That door is Jesus Christ, "I am the door of the sheep." - John 10:7,9. "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" - Acts 4:12. The first item one encounters in the Tabernacle is the bronze altar, used for animal sacrifices. You can't go any further towards the Holy of Holies till a sacrifice is made.

But the Bible is very specific about the sacrifices, a lot of "column inches" are devoted to them. The point here is that it is not a do-it-yourself sacrifice. You and I don't get to decide the sacrifice God must accept. Sacrifices were substitutions, an animal's life instead of a human. These sacrifices ultimately picture Jesus, substituting Himself, that is some aspect of His life and ministry, for us. And the priest who performed the sacrificial ceremony also pictures Jesus, especially the High Priest. It's all about Jesus' sacrifice, not ours.

What about fasting? It is a voluntary self denial (mandatory on Yom Kippur), a kind of self inflicted pain. Fasting is known in the KJV Bible as "afflict your soul", it's not talking about a health fast. But fasting is not about making the universe right. Fasting is not a hunger strike to get your own way from God. Fasting tells God that His ways are more important to you than food itself. Fasting is about humbling your self. Then He will restore you, read Isaiah 58:1-11 below. 

So people have the rightful notion that a sacrifice is the first step towards reconciliation with God, but we have twisted that sacrifice to be one of our own choosing. Self inflicted pain may make us feel less guilty, but it is Jesus sacrifice that actually makes it so. I want to make it up to God, I'm disappointed in myself for letting him down. I think this impulse is in all of us based on the fact that all religions have some sort ritual of expiation as explained above. This may be why we have an intuitive notion of sacrificing in order to reconcile with God. But there are many wrongs we can't right. The obvious examples would be things like murder or crippling someone. We can't reconcile with people who have passed away. We can't take back adultery, etc. Alcoholics Anonymous Step 9 says "Be willing to make amends" AA [6]. And the Bible says "Bring forth fruits in keeping with your repentance" -  Mt 3:8. Yes we should make amends, but we can't fix everything. We can't do it all ourselves.

Jesus did the heavy lifting. Our part is to "repent and believe the gospel" - Mark 1:15. As a nation, we've got a lot of repenting to do. Then live in such a way as to "present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" - Rom 12:1.

---

Isaiah 58:1-11 

1 Cry loudly, do not hold back;
Raise your voice like a trumpet,
And declare to My people their transgression
And to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,
As a nation that has done righteousness
And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God.
They ask Me for just decisions,
They delight in the nearness of God.
3 ‘Why have we fasted and You do not see?
Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’
Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire,
And drive hard all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist.
You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.
5 Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed
And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
7 Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
10 And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
11 And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

---

References
1. http://historic.al/image/apsaroke-indian-man-during-a-piercing-ritual-1908-black-and-white-by-jvpd-7372
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penance

3. http://www.britannica.com/topic/atonement-religion

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagellant

5. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-self-inflicted-pain-eases-guilt.html
6. http://www.alcoholic.org/research/aa-step-9/

The French Connection

The day of the Shemitah [1] came and went. Skeptics feel justified in their skepticism, that life goes on just as it did before. Or in Bible language "For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." 2 Peter 3:4 Maybe one needs to look in the right place for events associated with the Shemitah, which according to Jonathan Cahn was Sept 13, 2015. While the focus of the Shemitah warnings were given to America, perhaps we should also look at Israel.

Al Aqsa Mosque - ITV

ITV REPORT 13 September 2015 at 9:12am [2]

Violence breaks out at al-Aqsa mosque as Israeli forces storm building in search of Palestinian suspects





I have to admit that's not the shaking I expected, in fact Israeli/Palestine conflicts don't seem unusual. What happened next? Due to the violence, a month later France proposed the UN place "international observers" on the Temple Mount - World Bulletin [3]. You can read a more cynical take on France's proposal in this article entitled "This Time Peacekeepers Won’t Rape Anyone, We Promise" - PreOccupied Territory [4]. The proposal did not pass the UN. And Israel opposed it. United With Israel [5] characterized the proposal with the headline "France stabs Israel in the back". It appears France is assuming Israel is the guilty party.

This isn't the first move France has taken against Israel at the UN. In Dec 2014, France supported establishing "the State of Palestine" and requiring Israel to return land captured in the 1967 war - RT News [6]. In fact the French Parliament had already recognized Palestine earlier.

On Tuesday evening, the French National Assembly came out in favor of recognition of “Palestine” as a state. The decision, one of largely symbolic value, is further compounded by the fact that in recent months Spain, Britain, Ireland and Sweden have also made similar proclamations, indicative of the growing international polarization over the conflict. Dec 3, 2014 - United With Israel [7]

And the Palestinians? Their goal is to destroy Israel. Here is what Mahmoud Abbas said on Sept 16, 2015, three days after violence erupted on the day of the Shemitah.

The Al Aqsa mosque is ours and they (Jews) have no right to defile it with their filthy feet. We will not allow them to do so. We bless every drop of blood that has been spilled for Jerusalem, which is clean and pure blood, blood spilled for Allah, Allah willing. Every martyr will reach paradise, and everyone wounded will be rewarded by Allah. MEMRI TV [8]

 In short, Allah will bless you for your violence (against Israel). And this is no surprise, remember that the HAMAS charter really does call for the destruction of Israel - Hamas in the Bible [9].

As You Do To Israel

Israel's West Bank
Wikipedia

Israel has been dealing with hostile neighbors from its second beginning in 1948. Acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism are ever present dangers for them. But there is a reciprocity effect also in play. Way back before Jews or Palestinians existed, God said to Abraham, "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Gen 12:3. Those who try to harm Israel will themselves be harmed, probably in like manner. Those who tried to take land from Israel lost theirs instead, twice. Here is how one commentor put it.

Try to destroy Israel, you will be destroyed. Try to divide Jerusalem, you will be cut to pieces. Curse Israel, you will be cursed. Reject Israel, you will be rejected. God made a promise to Israel, this World combined are too weak and powerless to change that. Russel Lang - Times of Israel [10]

The Eiffel Tower has gone dark following 

the attack on the City of Light. 

People Magazine

France too has been dealing with terrorist incidents, most infamous are the Charlie Hebdo and Kosher Market [11] killings Jan 7, 2015, and the November 13 2015 Paris [12] attacks. Smaller terror attacks are recorded at Wikipedia [13]. Note the pattern that one month after France recognizes the "State of Palestine" is the Charlie Hebdo attack. One month after proposing UN peacekeepers on the Temple Mount is the November Paris attack (and that was a response to the Day of Shemitah violence in Jerusalem). Curse Israel, and be cursed yourself.

Where is the terror coming from?

Historically, the Assyrians are the fathers of terror. According to The Ancient History Encyclopedia  [14]

"By these methods of siege and horror, technology and terror, the Assyrians became the unrivalled masters of the Near East for five centuries". 

Here's how Jonathan Cahn described them.

The Assyrians made terror into a science. They systematized it, perfected it, and employed it as no other people or kingdom had ever done before. They burned cities to the ground, mutilated their prisoners, flayed alive those who rebelled against them, and nailed their skins to the wall for public display. The Assyrians were the masters of terror.” The Harbinger [15]

While there is some disagreement on this point, but the consensus is that the descendants of ancient Assyria live in Iraq and Syria today. ISIS means Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Ancient Assyria terrorized ancient Israel and Judah, their descendants are doing the same to Israel, France, the USA, Germany, Sweden, and more today. Ancient Assyria used public beheadings to terrorize, ISIS uses the internet to publicize their beheadings.

The French Connection

Syrian Refugees in Europe CNN

It may sound alarmist to link two terrorist attacks in France to the actions of France towards Israel, after all it's not much of a pattern. However, William Koenig [16] in his book "Eye To Eye, Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel" [17] documented 89 events and catastrophes in the United States between 1991 and 2005. These are natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes; and unnatural disasters like terror attacks, downed airplanes, anthrax scares. The catastrophes have not stopped since the book was published, and seem to have intensified since the day of the Shemitah. Every one of the events and catastrophes in Koenig's book can be tied to a US action against Israel, most notably pressuring Israel to trade "land for peace".

Koenig documented US disasters only, but consider terror attacks in London, Madrid, and now Paris. Could they be the direct result of siding against Israel, pressuring Israel to trade land for peace? Cahn describes the terror as a return of the second harbinger. You can watch his analysis here - Shocking France and Harbinger Connections [18]. If the concern over terror attacks seem exaggerated, consider that there have been 27,649 deadly Islamic attacks since 9/11/2001, not counting rapes. Twenty seven thousand!!! The Religion of Peace [19]

How to Heal the Land

A nation that turns its back on God, and tries to curse Israel, can only expect God to return the favor. The only answer is repentance on a national scale. Whether the nation repents or not, individuals can.

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished. Proverbs 22:3 and Proverbs 27:12

If my people, which are called by my name (Christians), shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chron 7:14

References

1. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2015/07/shemitah-she-what.html
2. http://www.itv.com/news/2015-09-13/violence-breaks-out-at-al-aqsa-mosque-as-israeli/
3. http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/165369/france-pushes-for-intl-troops-on-temple-mount
4. http://www.preoccupiedterritory.com/this-time-peacekeepers-wont-rape-anyone-we-promise/
5. http://unitedwithisrael.org/france-stabs-israel-in-the-back-at-un/
6. https://www.rt.com/news/251833-middle-east-un-peace-israel/
7. http://unitedwithisrael.org/french-parliament-recognizes-palestinian-state/
8. http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/5080.htm
9. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2014/08/hamas-in-bible.html
10. http://www.timesofisrael.com/france-preparing-draft-for-un-resoluton-on-palestine/
11. http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/middleeast/paris-kosher-store-funeral/index.html
12. http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/middleeast/paris-kosher-store-funeral/index.html
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in_France
14. http://www.ancient.eu/Assyrian_Warfare
15. http://www.amazon.com/The-Harbinger-Ancient-Mystery-Americas/dp/161638610X
16. http://www.watch.org/
17. http://www.amazon.ca/Eye-Facing-Consequences-Dividing-Israel/dp/0971734704
18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D10qrKK9xwA
19. http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/ 

Was Jesus Angry at the Leper?

In Mark 1:41, we read a story of Jesus healing a leper, simple enough on the surface, but with a puzzling aspect.

40 And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be  cleansed."

In some of the most reliable Greek manuscripts, verse 41 reads

Becoming angry, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

That's quite a difference, "moved with compassion" versus "becoming angry". One translation says "Jesus was indignant". It's not a simple copyist error, the  ancient version of a typo. Some manuscripts say SPLANGNISTHEIS, some say ORGISTHEIS Misquoting Jesus [1]. Typical copyist errors include misspelled words, missed or added letters, even a whole line could be skipped or duplicated. But it is too much to think SPLANGNISTHEIS was miscopied as ORGISTHEIS  or vice versa.  Is it even possible to know the intent?

Leprosy 101

What is leprosy anyway? The disease leprosy that we are familiar with in the modern world is called Hansen's disease, named after G. H. Armauer Hansen, who discovered the causative bacteria in Norway in 1873 Wikipedia [2]. Hansen's Disease is somewhat preventable with a vaccine and quite treatable with antibiotics.

But Biblical leprosy appears not to be Hansen's Disease, though some include Hansen's Disease under the Biblical definition of leprosy. Leprosy is translated from the Hebrew word tsara'ot. "The Hebrew word for leprosy is tzaraath which is derived from the word tsara, which means to be struck. To be struck, is to be affected by something overwhelming, in which a primitive root of "tsara" means to scourge, which to scourge means to whip or inflict punishment" Chaim Bentorah [3].

Biblical leprosy is a broader term than the leprosy (Hansen’s disease) that we know today. The Hebrew tsara’ath included a variety of ailments and is most frequently seen in Leviticus, where it referred primarily to uncleanness or imperfections according to biblical standards. A person with any scaly skin blemish was tsara’ath. The symbolism extended to rot or blemish on leather, the walls of a house, and woven cloth. Other Old Testament references to leprosy are associated with punishment or the consequences of sin.  

Others have suggested that the translation of tsara’ath includes “molds.” The recent discovery of a highly toxic mold (Stachybotrys sp.), which contaminates buildings and causes respiratory distress, memory loss, and rash, lends support to the translation of tsara’ath to include “mold.” As noted, tsara’ath incorporates a collection of contemporary terms, including Hansen’s disease, infectious skin diseases, and mold (or even mildew) diseases. Biblical Leprosy [4]

The fact that it can extend to leather or cloth or even houses suggests it is more than Hansens's Disease. Strong's simply defines tsara'ot as "perhaps some fungus or mould" Strong's [5].  And Wikipedia [6] argues "Tzaraath is sufficiently dissimilar from leprosy to be considered a different disease altogether"

Translators, Again

How did tsara'ot become associated with Hansen's Disease? It's not entirely clear, but part of the answer is that tsara'ot was translated as "lepra" in the Septuagint, a Hebrew to Greek translation of the Old Testament done before Christ was born. Hebrew to Greek, Greek to English, and tsara'ot became leprosy. Only problem is that lepra didn't mean leprosy as in Hansen's Disease Jewish Encyclopedia [7]. Nonetheless, nowadays Biblical tsara'ot is confused with leprosy.

Shun Me

Sufferers of tsara'ot were forced to live outside the camp, a sort of quarantine. They were diagnosed by the Levitical priests, and it was also the priests who allowed them back into the camp if they were cleansed. Being forced to live outside the camp gave rise to the other meaning of leper, that of outcast. But tsara'ot meant something more in that culture - punishment. "The Talmud, and the majority of historic Jewish literature in general, regards tzaraath as a punishment for sin" Wikipedia [6].  "Every leper mentioned in the Old Testament was afflicted because of some transgression" Jewish Encyclopedia [7].  In the eyes of the community, those with tsara'ot were being punished for sin, they deserved it. In modern parlance "you must have done something". In the church today, do we look at a person with health problems and think to ourselves, "he must have done something"? Do we shun that person? Treat them like a leper?

The Bible doesn't actually say that tsara'ot is always punishment for sin however.  According to the historic sources, tsara'ot is the result of certain sins, chief among them "an evil tongue" or gossip. But why would gossip have such a severe penalty? We understand that everyone sins, we should all have tsara'ot or worse. If someone you know is cast out of the camp for tsara'ot, do you look down on them because they must have done something, or feel compassion because you are guilty too?

WWJD

What would Jesus do? What did Jesus do? So far, we know he either felt compassion or was angry with the metsora, the one impure with tsara'ot. We saw that the New Testament manuscripts disagree on one word in Mark 1:41. How do we know which is right? The people who study the ancient manuscripts are called textual critics. Since the original letters penned by the authors don't exist anymore, all we have are copies of copies of copies (at best). The early copyists made mistakes as well as deliberate changes to "improve" the text, at least improve it according to their own thinking. We do have 5700 manuscripts of the New Testament, some are only fragments the size of a postcard, others are complete copies. We also have early church writers who quoted those original documents. Sadly, there are tens of thousands of discrepancies  among the manuscripts. Hence the job of textual critics is to seek out the words of the original authors.  In 85% of the cases, the correct reading is straightforward, a simple copyist error that got propagated by later copyists. Sometimes, like Mark 1:41, it isn't so easy to tell what did Mark actually write.

Critics look at lots of factors to make their educated guesses, age of manuscripts, reliability of manuscripts, etc. One factor is to ask which reading best explains the existence of the other. Bart Ehrman explains:

The question to be asked is this: which is more likely, that a scribe copying this text would change it to say that Jesus became wrathful instead of compassionate, or to say that Jesus became compassionate instead of wrathful? Which reading better explains the existence of the other? When seen from this perspective, the latter is obviously more likely. The reading that indicates Jesus became angry is the “more difficult” reading and therefore more likely to be “original.” Misquoting Jesus [8]

Mr. Ehrman has lots more to say about Mark 1:41, as well as other problematic texts. His book is well worth reading. It is easier for us to think of Jesus as feeling compassion to heal the metsora. It appears Matthew and Luke thought so too because in their accounts, they omit any mention of Jesus' emotional reaction (Mt 8:1-4, Lk 5:12-15). Critics believe that Matthew and Luke wrote their gospels from Mark's, that is, they had Mark's letter in hand and copied much of it word for word, making their own changes for their own reasons. If that is true, neither of them wanted to mention Jesus' anger, but didn't go so far as to change the text to say compassion. Some copyist centuries later probably did.

WWJD (Why Would Jesus Do That?)

Assuming Mr. Ehrman is correct, we now have two problems. 1) The wrong text was used  for centuries (not that it affects anything significant), and 2) we now have to ask what it means that Jesus was angry at the leper. Or in Ehrman's words, "At what, though, would Jesus be angry? This is where the relationship of text and interpretation becomes critical." Misquoting Jesus [9]. Some scholars think Jesus was angry at all the disease in the world, some think He was angry the metsora was outcast, some think He was angry at the law of Moses. These theories don't really hold water. Ehrman's explanation is that Jesus was angry at the inference in the question of the metsora, "If you are willing, You can make me clean." Jesus was willing and able. The times Mark records Jesus being angry, it is when someone questioned his willingness, ability, or authority.

Maybe we assert doubt by asking "If you're willing". Although it sounds to me like a valid question, maybe it is actually expressing doubt.  After all, we are to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" Heb 4:16. On the other hand, Jesus Himself prayed "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." Lk 22:42 On the third hand, SPLANGNISTHEIS may have meant something different to Mark than it did to the copyist centuries later, so he really did improve the text for later generations.

Was Jesus angry at the leper? Why? Do any of these theories ring true to you? I would invite your comments.

References

1. http://www.amazon.com/Misquoting-Jesus-Story-Behind-Changed/dp/0060859512, Kindle Location 2134
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprosy
3. http://www.chaimbentorah.com/2013/02/word-study-leprosy/
4. https://answersingenesis.org/biology/disease/biblical-leprosy-shedding-light-on-the-disease-that-shuns/
5. http://biblehub.com/hebrew/6883.htm
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzaraath
7. http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9774-leprosy
8. http://www.amazon.ca/Misquoting-Jesus-Story-Behind-Changed/dp/0060859512, Kindle Locations 2162-2166

9. http://www.amazon.ca/Misquoting-Jesus-Story-Behind-Changed/dp/0060859512, Kindle Locations 2197-2198

Ten Little Known Facts About the Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments are famous. Many Christians will know them by heart, at least the short form of each. Non Christians will even know some of them, or at least be aware they exist. Jewish people certainly know them. But how well do we know them? Can you recite them in their short form? In their long form? Is there more to them than just memorizing the list? See how many of these "little known facts" about the Ten Commandments you already knew.

1. They Aren't Called The Ten Commandments in the Bible

That's right. The Hebrew scriptures don't call the Ten Commandments the Ten Commandments. The Hebrew word for commandment is mitzvah, plural is mitzvot. But when it refers to these it calls them the Ten Words (Aseret ha Devarim), not Aseret ha Mitzvot. Of course, Devarim means words in the broader context, not literally ten words. We might say, "what's the good word?" not expecting a one word answer. Or we might say "spread the word", meaning a thought or saying, not just one word.

The Ten Words are listed in their entirety twice in the Bible, Ex 20 and Dt 5. Neither passage breaks them into a numbered list. In fact, if you read it without knowing there were ten sayings, you might find more like 13 or 14. Numbering them is discussed below. So how do we know there are ten? The Bible tells us so in three places, let's look at one. Moses is rehearsing the events from Egypt to the Promised Land for the people of Israel, he says this.

Dt 10:4 And he wrote on the tablets, in the same writing as before, the Ten Commandments[a] that the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. And the Lord gave them to me.

[a] Deuteronomy 10:4 Hebrew words 

So we know there are ten, we know the text doesn't number them, and we know they are not called commandments but rather words. Then there must be at least one word that is not a commandment, a devar that is not a mitzvah.

2. God Introduces Himself

Consider the first thing God said to the whole nation of Israel, not to Moses alone.

Ex 20:1 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

 After centuries of slavery, it is unlikely many if any knew God. There is some indication they knew His name, which He actually used in verse one, saying "I am Yehovah". [insert your own argument about spelling and pronunciation of YHVH here]. In many of the numbering schemes, this Word is tacked on as an introduction to the first Commandment. While this may be logical, in the Hebrew reckoning, verse one stands alone as the first Word. And you can see, it is not a commandment. It is an introduction to the entire Ten Words, not the first actual commandment.

The New Testament does refer to commandments. In Mt 19, a man comes to him and asks "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"  Christ tells him to keep the commandments (Greek entole). By Hebrew reckoning, there are 613 commandments (mitzvot) in the Torah, so it is understandable that the man asked "which ones?" And Christ answers by listing five of the Ten Words plus the famous line "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself", which may be implied in the Ten Words, but is not explicitly in the text of Ex 20.

According to Jeff Benner, writing for the Ancient Hebrew Research Center [1], a more accurate meaning of entole is the same as Hebrew mitzvah, which is precept, or principle, but is usually translated as commandment.

3. How the Ten Words Are Numbered

Well, it depends on who you ask. As I showed above, there is disagreement right from the first Word. Some include it in the numbering, some do not. The disagreements continue with the second and third words. Some split "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" and "Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image" into two Commandments, while others make it into one. Apparently the Lutherans omit graven images altogether. Then there is fair agreement till the Word about coveting - is it one or two commands? Here is a chart from Sunday Software showing the major variants [2]. Wikipedia [3] has an even more comprehensive chart on the numbering.

4. How Are the Ten Words Divided?

Many churches teach that the first four Commandments show how to love God, and the last six show how to love your neighbor. That's not a bad way to look at them, but it's not the only way. The parchment at left depicts the two tablets as having five on the left, five on the right. The Word in question, the fifth Word, is "Honor thy father and mother".  How does honoring parents fit with the first four Words more than the last five? The first five Words make us look up, the second five make us look eye to eye. It's like two hands, one with fingers pointing vertically, one with fingers pointing horizontally. Writing in Mosaic Magazine [4], Leon Kass has a lot to say about the fourth and fifth Words, Keep the Sabbath, and Honor your Parents. He likens the upward focus on parents as the "embodiment of, and our first encounter with, the gracious beneficence of the world— and of its bountiful Source", that parents "embody and model the Lord God of Israel". In other words, to a child, parents are like gods. Another quote from Kass:

The experience of awe before parents is the germ of the religious disposition; for within God’s covenant, parents stand as representatives of divine authority and care, and the honor and reverence they are owed has purposes beyond family integrity and stability. Indeed, as I pointed out, honoring and fearing/ revering mother and father are, at once, paths toward and manifestations of the holiness to which the children of Israel are called, in imitation of God Himself.

In other words, authority begins with parents.

5. The Words are Second Person Male

What do I mean by that? I have been quoting the King James here because King James English expresses something modern English can't, specifically, there is a difference between Ye and Thou. In modern English we use the word You to speak to a man, a woman, or a group of people. But in Old  English, you could differentiate your audience a little. "Thou shalt not kill" means something different from "Ye shalt not kill". Thou is singular, Ye is plural. When Jesus said "Drink ye all of it", he meant for everybody present to drink.

But it is even more precise than that in the Old Testament. Hebrew distinguishes when addressing single male (atah), single female (at), group of males (atem), and group of females  (aten). That is, the single word You in English may be translated from one of four Hebrew words. Old English can at least distinguish between single and plural, modern English not at all. Unless you're from the South, where y'all is singular and all y'all is plural.

The Ten Words use second person male (atah). That's right, they are addressed to the men. No that doesn't mean women are exempt - consider adultery, both the man and the woman were stoned to death. I think it may have more to do with the patriarchal structure of ancient Israel.

But it also means that God spoke these Words to each individual. Millions of people were on Mt. Sinai that day, and God effectively spoke to each one personally. And He is speaking to each one of us today. And that personal message still comes through in the King James "Thou shalt not ..."

6. Synesthesia

There's a puzzling verse in Exodus immediately after God spoke the Ten Words. It says (Ex 20:18)

And all the people saw the thunder, and the lightning, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

Usually, we focus on the fact that the people were afraid and removed themselves. But look at what it says "the people saw the thunder". How can this be? According to Rabbi Rashi [5], a medieval French rabbi, it is not a mistranslation. It was an intense revelation from God. Rabbi Akiba [6] "They saw what was audible and heard what was visible". It was mass synesthesia Seeing the Sounds [7]. Synesthesia means "union of the senses" Wikipedia [8]. Carol Steen, co-founder of the American Synesthesia Association sees sounds as color. She said simply "We see it in our mind's eye." Pitchfork [9] ,

Extra-Biblical sources add some other details on this mass synesthesia event. 

Rabbi Akiba again

They saw the fiery word coming out of the mouth of the Almighty as it was struck upon the tablets. Torah Class [10]

Rabbi Johanan [11] 

every nation heard the voice in its own tongue and was amazed Coming Home Network [12]

Words of fire. In their own tongue. That sounds exactly like the New Testament Day of Pentecost, sometimes referred to as Second Sinai. Indeed, most agree that the Giving of the Ten Words happened on the Day of Pentecost.  Note that on the OT Pentecost (Shavuot), the Words were written on tablets of stone, but in the new covenant, the Words will be written on our hearts and minds [Jer 31:33]. To be clear, it is the same Ten Words that will be written on our hearts and minds that ancient Israel received on Sinai on that day of Pentecost.

We accept the old adage "seeing is believing", but the Bible also says that "faith comes by hearing". Many, like Rabbi Dov Ber Weisman [13] liken seeing to the physical and hearing to the spiritual. God's voice, His words, were so powerful, the experience so transcendent, that it crossed from spiritual to physical. By being visible, the Words became all the more real to the hearers.

7. The Ten Words Are The Old Covenant

Let's look at one of the other places Moses uses the phrase "Aseret ha Devarim", the Ten Words, in Ex 34:28 "And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments." Actually there is more to the covenant than just the Ten Words, read all of Exodus 21-24. The Ten Words are the only part that God spoke to all the people. In Ex 24 the people said "All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!"

This was the first time God made a covenant with a nation. Before this, he had made covenants with individuals, like Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now He made a nation of Jacob's descendants and made a covenant with them. The children of Israel had to obey the voice of God, in return, God promised them this:

Ex 19:5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'

But it was more personal than that. It was also a marriage covenant.

Jer 31:32 Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD.

Treasured possession, kingdom of priests, holy nation, and wife. Today, we understand that the church is to be the bride of Christ, but that idea is very old. Many more blessings are promised elsewhere like Lev 26 and Dt 28, but Ex 19:5 shows what the people were promised less than two months after deliverance from Egypt and slavery. And they said YES. But we know it didn't last even the forty days while Moses was on the mountain receiving the tablets of stone, which brings us to:

8. The Meaning of the Broken Tablets

Now that we understand that the Ten Words are a covenant, the symbolism of Moses breaking the tablets is easy to see. The tablets represented the covenant which Israel broke while Moses was on the mountain. They broke the covenant, Moses broke the tablets.

9. What Was Written on the Stone Tablets?

Above I showed a graphic of the Ten Words with five Words on each tablet, but the Bible says 

Ex 32:15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

The Ten Commandments (shortened version)
 written in 10th century BC characters,
like on Cecil B. DeMille's tablets in the movie.
Wikipedia "The Ten Commandments (1956 film)"

 Some Jewish writers claim that the text went all the way through from both sides, including letters with holes in them. I'm skeptical. But why writing on both sides? Maybe the Words are written out in long form, not just the summaries, and it required that much space. We don't know exactly how big the tablets were, other than the fact that they fit in the ark of the covenant, and were carried by an 80 year old man. Another plausible explanation is that there were two copies. Since the Ten Words formed a covenant (similar to a contract), two copies were required. It is standard practice for each party to a contract to receive a copy for proof of what each agreed to. No cheating. But why would God give both copies to Israel? The first set of tablets were broken, the second set lost to history, so we can't just look and see. Someday...

10. Sign of the Covenant

God made a covenant with Noah to not destroy the earth by flood. He gave the rainbow as a sign of His word. God made a covenant with Abraham to make his descendants a great nation. He gave circumcision as a sign. The covenant with Noah (and his descendants) was unconditional - there was nothing Noah could do to "set the bow in the cloud", but the covenant with Abraham (and his descendants) was conditional, in that Abraham  (and his descendants) had to do something - circumcision. 

What is the sign of the Old Covenant? The consensus is that the Sabbath is the sign of the Old Covenant, even by people who believe it was done away in the New Covenant. Everyone cites Ex 31:12-17

16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Some (like me) view Sabbath keeping as essential, as John G. Reisinger wrote "To break the sign is to despise the entire covenant"  Sabatismos [14], and Sabbath breaking is one reason the Israelites who left Egypt died in the wilderness without entering the promised land. Ezek 20:

15. Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

Others (not me) argue it is no longer in force. Others argue that the Sabbath command in Ex 31 was a separate covenant apart from the Ten Words, ie Old Covenant  Forerunner Commentary [15]. As proof, they argue that the Old Covenant had already been ratified and therefore could not be modified, so the Sabbath covenant is a separate one. However that leaves the original question "what is the sign of the Old Covenant?" All roads lead to the conclusion that the Sabbath IS the sign of the Old Covenant, separate covenant notwithstanding. It is part of the New Covenant as well. The Sabbath is an identifying mark, "a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever." But don't let anyone tell you it was only for Israel - Christ said the Sabbath was made for mankind. If you wish to be under the Old or the New Covenant, you must keep the Sabbath.

The Ten Words and the Covenants are very important in the Bible. These aren't the only little known facts about them. There are many other facts about the Ten Words. Perhaps you have some you would like to share in the comments.

References

1. http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/50_command.html

2. http://www.sundaysoftware.com/ten/number.htm

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments

4. http://mosaicmagazine.com/essay/2013/06/the-ten-commandments/

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashi

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiva_ben_Joseph
7. http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2587173/jewish/Seeing-the-Sounds.htm

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

9. http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/229-what-the-hell-is-synesthesia-and-why-does-every-musician-seem-to-have-it/
10. http://www.torahclass.com/new-testament-studies-audio-text-and-illustrations/1967-acts-lesson-4-chapters-1-and-2
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johanan_bar_Nappaha
12. http://forum.chnetwork.org/index.php?topic=3881.0

13. http://www.tfdixie.com/parshat/yitro/021.htm 

14. http://www.sabbatismos.com/the-sabbath/sign-of-the-mosaic-covenant/#sthash.UtDsAqzR.dpuf

15. http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/2262/Sabbath-as-Sign.htm

Incensed

Model of the Golden Altar [A]

In the 70's, we used incense to cover other smells, not as an odor to enjoy on its own. But in the tabernacle of ancient Israel, incense, often referred to as fragrant incense, was burned twice daily for God's enjoyment,. Since we are made in the image of God, let us assume that smells that please us also please Him and vice versa. 

Why Smell?

Olfactory - Brain Connection [B]

Smell is unique among human senses. Smells can trigger deeply hidden memories [1]. "Why is smell so sentimental? One possibility, which is supported by this recent experiment, is that the olfactory cortex has a direct neural link to the hippocampus." [2] That is, smells go straight to the brain, triggering memories and emotions. Who hasn't experienced a smell that took them back to a specific time in their life?

One theory why smell is so powerful goes back to the garden of Eden.

After Eating the Forbidden Fruit [C]

Why incense? the Bnei Yissakhar explains that when man sinned in Eden all the senses were corrupted, save one: Eve listened to the words of the Serpent, she saw the tree, touched the tree, ate from the tree; the only sense not corrupted was the sense of smell. Therefore when the kohen gadol (high priest) enters the Holy of Holies to seek forgiveness for the transgressions of the nation, he arms himself with incense, falling back on the one remaining oasis of purity. (Echoes of Eden: Sefer Shmot, By Ari D. Kahn) [3]

One could argue that smell is involved in taste, which would invalidate Mr Kahn's assertion, but smell is not mentioned in the text of Gen 3. And note that incense is put on the golden altar twice a day, not just on Yom Kippur.

What does incense have to do with the birth of Christ?

The priests that served at the temple in Jerusalem gathered every morning to cast lots for their service that day. 

The first lot was for cleansing the altar and preparing it; the second, for those who were to offer the sacrifice, and for those who were to cleanse the candlestick and the altar of incense in the Holy Place. The third lot was the most important. It determined who was to offer the incense. If possible, none was to take part in it who had at any previous time officiated in the same capacity. The fourth lot, which followed close on the third, fixed those who were to burn the pieces of the sacrifice on the altar, and to perform the concluding portions of the service. [4]

Then something miraculous happened concerning Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist.

Zacharias Sees Gabriel [D]

It is this burning of incense which in the Gospel is alluded to in connection with the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:9). Zacharias had come up from the hill country of Judea, from the neighbourhood of priestly Hebron, to minister in the Temple. His course--that of Abia--was on duty for the week, and the house of his fathers' for that special day. More than that, the lot had fallen on Zacharias for the most honourable service in the daily ministry--that of burning the incense on the golden altar within the Holy Place. For the first time in his life, and for the last, would this service devolve on him. As the pious old priest ministered within the Holy Place, he saw with such distinctness that he could afterwards describe the very spot, Gabriel standing, as if he had just come out from the Most Holy Place, between the altar and the table of shewbread, on the right side of the altar.' So far as we know, this was the first and only angelic appearance in the Temple. [5]

Luke's account is more modest, not mentioning the fact that being the "incensing priest" was a big honor, once in a lifetime. But that big honor was dwarfed by meeting angel Gabriel and receiving news that he and Elizabeth would have a son, who would be great in the sight of the Lord. What a day for Zacharias. Then he was struck dumb until John was named.

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. 8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; 

Edersheim fills in details. Note the expectation of silence

Slowly the incensing priest and his assistants ascended the steps to the Holy Place, preceded by the two priests who had formerly dressed the altar and the candlestick, and who now removed the vessels they had left behind, and, worshipping, withdrew. Next, one of the assistants reverently spread the coals on the golden altar; the other arranged the incense; and then the chief officiating priest was left alone within the Holy Place, to await the signal of the president before burning the incense. It was probably while thus expectant that the angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias. As the president gave the word of command, which marked that the time of incense had come,' the whole multitude of the people without' withdrew from the inner court, and fell down before the Lord, spreading their hands in silent prayer. [6]

But if it had been the duty of Zacharias, as incensing priest for the day, to lead in the priestly blessing, we can all the better understand the wonder of the people as he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless' (Luke 1:22) while they waited for his benediction. [7]

Zacharias was alone in the Holy Place, and all the people outside waited in silent prayer till he lit the incense and came out to do the blessing. In other  words, they expected silence, but not that long. 

Zacharias' wife Elizabeth became pregnant in her old age, her son was John the Baptist - he would have been a priest. Elizabeth was a cousin of Mary, mother of Jesus. John the Baptist would be six months older than Jesus.

Bible scholars use these events to date the birth of Jesus. Unfortunately, they don't all agree.

Silence In Heaven For Half An Hour

One piece of foreshadowing occurs in this story as well. Just as silence is expected from the worshipers before the lighting of the incense, there is silence in heaven "for about a half hour" right after opening the seventh seal, right before lighting the incense.

Scroll With Seven Seals [E]

Rev 8;1And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. 2And I saw the seven angels that stand before God; and there were given unto them seven trumpets. 3And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. 5And the angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there followed thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

My take is it's like a parent who is really mad doesn't say anything at all. Or maybe the divine silent treatment.

Bitter Makes It Better

Ferula gummosa, from which galbanum comes. [F]

Tabernacle incense was made from sweet spices plus frankincense, stacte, onycha, and galbanum. The problem is that galbanum smells bad. According to Wikipedia, it "has a disagreeable, bitter taste, a peculiar, somewhat musky odour, an intense green scent". [8] But when combined with the other ingredients, the sum is greater than the parts, that is, the incense smells better with galbanum. Some liken this to the unrepentant sinner among the righteous, bringing out the best of the righteous. I think there might be other interpretations. Incense represents prayer, not people, so maybe galbanum represents a certain type of prayer, like prayers of bitter anguish. I would welcome comments on the symbolism of galbanum.

One More Thing

In Heb 9:3-4 we read "Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant." But in Exodus, it clearly says the golden altar is in front of the veil. Is God rearranging furniture in the tabernacle? Does the author of Hebrews not know where the golden altar is? Not at all. The confusion is in the word translated as golden altar. The commentaries agree that it also means golden censer, the pan used to burn the incense. Many translations in fact say golden censer. Beware of theology based on the altar inside the Holy of Holies. By tradition, the golden censer was only used on Yom Kippur  - every other day it was silver. That is, the subject of Hebrews 9 is Christ entering the Holy of Holies in heaven itself pictured by the High Priest on Yom Kippur.

References

1. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120312-why-can-smells-unlock-memories
2. http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2009/11/09/smell-and-memory/
3. https://books.google.com/books?id=pXYIf4BeOkQC, p228
4. Edersheim, Alfred. The Temple- Its Ministry and Services (Kindle Locations 1486-1489).
5. Edersheim, Alfred. The Temple- Its Ministry and Services (Kindle Locations 1581-1587).
6. Edersheim, Alfred. The Temple- Its Ministry and Services (Kindle Locations 1678-1681).
7. Edersheim, Alfred. The Temple- Its Ministry and Services (Kindle Locations 1713-1715).
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galbanum

Clipart

A. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Timna_Tabernacle_Incense_altar.jpg/500px-Timna_Tabernacle_Incense_altar.jpg
B. https://emmaisaconsumer.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/smell-memory.jpg?w=270&h=165
C. http://www.supercoloring.com/sites/default/files/styles/coloring_medium/public/cif/2009/07/Adam-and-eve-under-the-tree-coloring-page.jpg
D.http://worshiphousemedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/main/s/mo/ima/mo/gabrielappearstozacharias.jpg
E. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/04/d4/54/04d454d4c204ad4b3473c801c1febd8c.jpg
F. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Ferula_gummosa_-_K%C3%B6hler%E2%80%93s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-205.jpg/440px-Ferula_gummosa_-_K%C3%B6hler%E2%80%93s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-205.jpg

The Unpublished Bible

There are lots of Bible translations published these days. According to Wikipedia [1], the Bible has been translated fully into 531 languages and paritally into 2883. There are 450 versions in English alone (Wikipedia) [2]. And of course, the Old Testament is readily available in Hebrew, the New Testament available in Greek. But one combination does not exist.

What if you want the OT Hebrew and the NT Greek in one volume? Granted most people wouldn't be interested, perhaps only Biblical scholars, but as far as I know, this particular combination is not published*. And it would require NO translation, how easy is that? I suspect the reason this hasn't been done is political, not technical. The keepers of the Hebrew** (Masoretic) text would have to work with the keepers of the Greek (Stephens) text.

Having No Beginning and No End

Let's look at one technical problem to publishing Hebrew plus Greek -- where is the beginning? Hebrew reads right to left, and Greek read left to right. Pages are also numbered right to left in Hebrew and left to right in Greek. So no matter how one arranges the Testaments, you can't turn the page from the end of the OT to the beginning of the NT. We have two choices where each language would read in its native direction.

Begin at the outsides

Begin at the center

Imagine a Bible bound this way, where the Hebrew book of Genesis is on the right, and the Greek book of Matthew is on the left. The end of each Testament would be in the middle.








Now imagine a Bible bound this way, where the Hebrew book of Genesis and the Greek book of Matthew are next to each other in the middle of the Bible, but the end of each Testament would be at the outside of the volume.

Old Testament Hebrew [3]

New Testament Greek [4]

Each arrangement makes sense. Personally I prefer the first because when you look at either cover of the book, it is meaningful. That is, whichever way you pick the Bible up, it will be correct, each direction would begin with page 1.

There are 531 different languages you can get the whole Bible (Old plus New Testaments), but not in the original languages.That includes Greek Old Testament translations dating back to the Septuagint, and Hebrew New Testaments dating back to the 1300s (hebrewnewtestament.com) [10].  Why has no one published the Hebrew/Greek Bible? The Christian churches are anti-Semitic, thanks to Constantine, and the Jews deny Jesus as Messiah. That is changing, as shown by the Messianic movement among Jews and Christians. But for now, ironically, the best way to get the whole Bible is in a translation. Go figure.

Into the Holy Of Holies

Cutaway view of the Tabernacle [1]

The Holy of Holies was a cube shaped room in the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and later in the Temples in Jerusalem. It was the inner room of the Holy Place. To get into it, one would have to enter the Tabernacle courtyard, pass the bronze altar, the bronze laver, enter the holy place, pass the showbread and lampstand and altar of incense, enter a special curtain on one side and walk to the other side to finally enter the Holy of Holies. It was a big deal. But only the High Priest (Cohen Ha Gadol) could make that trip, and he could only make it once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).




A nation of millions of people, and only one person could enter the Most Holy Place once a year. This is the room that God Himself (YHVH) would speak from. Ex 25:22 "There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel." His earthly throne, the mercy seat over the ark of the covenant, was the only furniture in the room. (By the way, the word for ark used here is Aron, not the same word as Noah's ark, Tibah.) And the High Priest couldn't just stroll in there on Yom Kippur, he had very detailed instructions on clothing, bathing, sacrifices, and other rituals he had to perform just so in order to enter.

It suggests how far from God we are, how difficult it is to approach Him with our own righteousness. Indeed, Israel couldn't even approach Him directly, they needed a High Priest to intervene for them. Is there no other way in? How do we enter that curtain?

There Is Another Way In 

2D Diagram Of The Tabernacle [2]

The Holy Place is a tent within a tent, covered on all sides. But look at what is next to the Holy of Holies, right outside the curtain - the Table of Incense.

The smoke from the incense makes its way past the veil. The formula for this incense is given right in the Bible.

Ex 30:And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight

These ingredients, stacte [3], onycha [4], galbanum [5], and frankincense [6] make "sweet incense" to be burned twice daily in the Tabernacle. The High Priest was responsible for making sure this happened every day.

Ex 30:7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.

Incense is an aroma that God enjoys and wants every day. It bypasses the veil, and the High Priest, and drifts into the Holy of Holies.

Why would anyone care?

Because incense is prayer -- Our prayers. 

Our prayers go straight to God's throne. Directly. It is our way in!

Ps 141:2 May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering

Rev 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand

In other words, "The fragrance of our words wafts through the throne room" John Paul Jackson [7].

Our Prayers Are Like Incense

We have access to the Holy of Holies in heaven because of Christ's death on the cross. This was pictured in a very real sense when He died.

Mk 15:37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last.
Mk 15:38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

The Ark visible through the torn veil [8]

Looking out through the torn veil [9]

Heb 10:19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus

But we aren't in heaven, we are here. Christ is the High Priest, not any of us. Our way into the Holy of Holies is by our prayers like incense coming before God the Father as a sweet aroma. That's how we enter.

Effective Prayers

Well, effective prayer is a whole topic unto itself. But from the point of view of the Tabernacle of Moses, consider that the incense was a specific formula. And the one who offers the incense must first be clean. And the incense must be offered daily. In terms of our everyday life, here is what Maria Merola [10] said, "Praying the effectual fervent prayer is a lifestyle that is lived out daily...he is after a sincere heart of worship and humility." That's a good place to start.

I never thought of my prayers as being sweet incense, and many days, they aren't sweet incense, more like whining in the Holy Place, but our heavenly Father sees them as sweet incense. Lighting the incense twice a day? Still working on it.

References

1. http://www.israel-a-history-of.com/tabernacle-of-moses.html
2. https://www.jesuswalk.com/spirit/05_spirit_within.htm

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacte
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onycha
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galbanum
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankincense
7. http://www.streamsministries.com/resources/discipleship/prayers-like-incense
8. http://doubleportioninheritance.blogspot.com/2011/01/effectual-fervent-prayer-of-righteous.html
9. https://withmeagrepowers.wordpress.com/tag/gospel-of-matthew/
10. http://doubleportioninheritance.blogspot.com/2011/01/effectual-fervent-prayer-of-righteous.html