Torah of Manna

Torah of Messiah

. Original

Chapter 1 Torah of Messiah

Chapter 2 Torah of God

Chapter 3 Torah of Passover

Chapter 4 Torah of Unleavend

Chapter 5 Torah of Manna

Chapter 6 Torah of Internal Affaris

Chapter 7 The Old and New Torah

Chapter 5 - - The Fourth Torah - Part 1

Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you;

and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may

prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

ויאמר יהוה אל משה הנני ממטיר לכם לחם מן השמים ויצא העם ולקטו דבר יום ביומו למען אנסנו הילך בתורתי אם לא׃

Before we discuss the Torah of manna in particular, at the beginning of the chapter we will talk about the design of the New Testament. This seems to be essential for understanding the Bible, especially the New Testament. We briefly outline the structural relationships between the 21 teaching letters and the seven letters to the seven assemblies in Revelation 2 and 3. On the following two pages there are tables that show the structural connections. They provide, as we think, a good help to follow the traces of the structures in self-study. Many details can then be easily understood. Using the church of Philadelphia as an example, we will show how the teaching letters assigned to it, three in number, result from today's canon of the New Testament, and how they apply to the church with regard to content. Following the same pattern, the other teaching letters can also be assigned to the other six churches from Revelation. The assignment is a purely mechanical matter which can already be carried out by a twelve-year-old boy.

The structure of the New Testament

The canon of the New Testaments contains 27 books which are divided into four groups.

The first group consists of the four Gospels:

Group I

Matthew 1,
Second Mark,
Three. Luke,
Fourth John.

The second group is the Acts of the Apostles:

Group II.

1. Acts of the Apostles.

In the third group the 14 teaching letters of Paul:

Group III.a

1. the Romans
2. the Corinthians, first letter,
3. the Corinthians, second letter,
4. the Galatians
5. the Ephesians
6. the Philippians
7. and the Colossians;

Group III.b

8. Thessalonians, first letter
9. Thessalonians, second letter,
10. Timothy, first letter,
11. Timothy, second letter,
12. Titus
13. Philemon
14. the Hebrews.

In the 4th group the 7 further letters, written by:

Group IV.

15. James
16. Peter, 1st letter
17. Peter, 2nd Letter
18. John, first letter
19. John, second letter
20. John, third letter
21. Judas.

We now carry out a purely mechanical assignment of the 21 teaching letters. They are assigned to the letters of Revelation 2 and 3 one after the other, namely according to today's canon.

From groups III.a, III.b and IV, the first of the groups are now assigned to the first letter of Revelation 2, the letter to Ephesus. Then we will assign the respective second of the groups to the second letter from Revelation 2, the letter to Smyrna. We will continue our assignments until each teaching letter has been assigned to one of the churches. We then receive the following assignments for the seven churches:

Group III.a; the first seven letters of Paul;

Group III.b; the other seven letters of Paul;

Group IV; the letters of James, Peter, John and Judas.

Ephesus

1. Roman
2. 1.Thessalonians
3. James

Smyrna

1. 1. Corinthians
2. 2. Thessalonians
3. 1.Peter

Pergamos

1. 2.Corinthians
2. Timothy
3. Peter

Thyatira

1. Galatians
2. 2.Timothy
3. 1. John

Sardis

1. Ephesians
2. Titus
3. 2. John

Philadelphia

1. Philippians
2. Philemon
3. 3. John

Laodicean

1. Colossians
2. Hebrews
3. Jude

The seven feasts of the Lord after Exodus 25 in connection with the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3. The circular walk begins with the church of Laodicea, which celebrates Passover. Then it goes off to Ephesus, Smyrna, Philadelphia, Sardis, Pergamos and at the end to the church Thyatira.

We already know the spiral from the description of the metaphors, here it is used as an example for the seven festivals on the circular route of Asia Minor.

The order of the feasts is ordered in the spiral from bottom to top and begins with

the red dot that marks the feast of Passover.

The second feast: the unleavened breads;

the third feast: The firstlings of the barley harvest;

the fourth feast: The feast of Pentecost;

the fifth feast: The feast of the trumpet sound;

the sixth feast: The great day of atonement; Yom Kippur;

the seventh feast: the Feast of Booths.

After we have assigned the 21 teaching letters to the seven churches from Revelation 2, we now examine by way of example those letters which we have assigned to the church of Philadelphia. In this way we show how the teaching letters reveal things to us that we did not consider to be possible. Then every reader can see: Here God has given the structures and ingeniously designed the content of the texts. The Eternal Being even watched over the canon of the Bible. Strictly speaking, the 21 teaching letters belong to the Torah of inner affairs, which we will not discuss until the next chapter.

Table 1 explains the meanings of the names of the seven churches from Revelation 2 and 3 and which parable was assigned to them. The key words are not exhaustive, everyone can expand the list. The color of the lines is taken from the list of materials in Exodus 25.

The 7 Churches in Connection to the 7 Parable Matthew 13
Name	Meaning of the Name	Parable	Key Words
Ephesus	approve, permitted	Sower	Four: Symbolic of the four corners of the earth: field, world;
Smyrna	bitter	Weeds	Enemy, devil, distress;
Pergamos	Fortness	Mustard Seed	tree, throne, Satan, Antipas;
Thyatira	Odour of pain	Sourdough	acidified, bread, spit out;
Sardis	The Red One	Treasure in the field	hidden treasure;
Philadelphia	Brotherly Love	Precious Pearl	perfect, unity
Laodicean	Justice of the People	Big Fishing Draught	The net does not tear, many large fish, water, blind, eye ointment for the fish.
Tabelle 1

In Table 2, the 21 teaching letters of the New Testament are assigned to the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3. The letters in the same line form a special unit. For this reason, the topics within the groups must be examined more closely. They help us studying the letters.

The 14 Epistles of Paul combined with the 14 materials from Genesis 25
	Materiala	Epistles	Sons	Mothers
1	Gold	Romans	Ephraim	Rahel
2	Silver	1. Corinthians	Manasseh	Rahel
3	Copper	2. Corinthians	Benjamin	Rahel
4	Blue Purple	Galatians	Joseph	Rahel
5	Red Purple	Ephesians	Sebulon	Lea
6	Crimson	Philippians	Issaschar	Lea
7	Byssus	Kolossians	Aser	Silpa
8	Goat hair	1. Thessalonians	Gad	Silpa
9	red ram skins	2. Thessalonians	Naphtali	Bilha
10	deerhides	1. Timothy	Dan	Bilha
11	Acacia wood	2. Timothy	Judah	Lea
12	Oil	Titus	Levi	Lea
13	Spices	Philemon	Simeon	Lea
14	Onyx stones / Stones	Hebrew	Reuben	Lea
Tabelle 3

An eye-catching feature

The Lord has nothing against the church of Philadelphia. They keep his word and have not denied their faith. In their time God has given an open door that no one can close except the LORD alone. Prophetically, the time of the church of Philadelphia points to an epoch that followed soon after the Reformation and has lasted almost 500 years.

Before we take an exemplary look at the three teaching letters that we have already assigned to the congregation of Philadelphia above, we would like to draw your attention to an inconspicuous peculiarity. Philadelphia, Philipper and Philemon are three words, each beginning with the same letter, the Greek Phi. Is this again one of the pure coincidences or is there more behind it? Let's search for traces and take a closer look at the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet.

The Phi - Φ

The letter consists of a circle and a vertical bar. What is so special about it? A circle encloses an area that is halved by the bar. God has made a full circle out of two half circles. The circle represents a two-dimensional structure. If we look at a sphere with one eye, then it also appears to us like a circle. Only with the second eye do we see better. With two eyes we recognize the three-dimensional figure, the shape of a very precious pearl. The circle of the Phi symbolizes the precious and perfect pearl. But what about the vertical bar? If we look at it in isolation, it could be a column. And what does the column stand for? In Revelation 3 the Lord says: "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. That would be one way to explain the vertical bar. But it could also be one of the two pillars of the temple of Solomon. One of them is called Boaz and the other Jakin. But it could also be the abstract representation of the merchant who acquired a very precious pearl. We must now examine whether this is really the case. Where does the merchant first find his mention in the scriptures of the Bible? He appears indirectly in Genesis 23. Abraham buys a piece of land for 400 seconds of silver. The silver had been paid in small coins, because it is called: four hundred seconds of silver, passable at the merchant. If we look at the Hebrew word, which is the basis of the English translation of the word merchant, then we experience amazing things. The Hebrew word according to Zakhar סחר with the Strong No. 5503 and can be translated with:

1. travel around (like a (travelling) trader);
2. in the intensive form it means: throbbing, knocking.

In which area might the merchant travel around and knock on doors? Isn't it all around the world? Didn't Jesus himself say in Matthew 13, 38: "But the field is the world." Jesus looks for precious pearls on this earth. But when he had found a very precious pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.

What did the merchant call his own to buy this precious pearl? Did Jesus not say himself: The foxes have caves, and the birds of heaven have nests, but the Son of Man has not where he lays his head? Everyone knows it. Jesus was born into poverty and died destitute. So what did Jesus have to sell? We think that he gave himself, himself to ransom everyone. 1 Timothy 2:6.

Of what kind was the ransom? When Abraham bought the field of Ephron, he paid with silver thighs. The word silver derives from the root word casaph and means among other things: to desire. Abraham so longed for the field that he was willing to pay 400 silver thighs in small coins.

Why 400? The number 4 stands for worldwide validity and includes all mankind. Whether firstly from the north, secondly from the east, thirdly from the south or fourthly from the west, all people on this earth are provided for in God's plan of salvation. The Messiah has paid a silver thigh for all of them, because such a coin made of silver represents the individual human being. Why should the merchant have paid the price for one of us for free?

And the traveling salesman knocks

The merchant knocks at the door of the Laodicea church. He has a lot to sell. Eye ointment, gold, clothing. The church of Laodice represents the worldwide community of the believers, whether Jew or Greek, no one can exclude himself there. The Christian testimony is perceived as lukewarm by Jesus himself and will soon be spat out. The Lord knocks nevertheless, more or less regularly. Now and then, between the knocking signs, he listens. Whether an audible "Come in" is called from within? What might happen in Laodicäa that so many overhear the knocking signals?

Genesis 22 and The Letter Phi - Φ

The Phi - Φ - could also be a reference to Genesis 22. Judah, Tamar's father-in-law, hands over three things to his daughter-in-law as a pledge. Judah holds a ring, a string and a staff in his hand. All three things are in Judah's hand. After the pledge is given, the three things are in the hand of the Canaanite. Has Tamar ever returned the pledge? We read nothing of it. But we get a hint. Verse 23 says, "Judah said, "Keep it to herself that we do not become a mockery. Although the three objects are used as evidence against Judah's death verdict, he did not get the pledge back.

Now to the interpretation of the Phi - Φ: The staff speaks of a shepherd's staff, because Judah is a shepherd of sheep. The string consisted of a twisted yarn that came from the furs of the sheep. And the ring surrounds the whole thing and serves as a symbol for a seal. Jesus is the one shepherd and has made a flock out of the sheep of the Jews and Greeks. This is also told in Genesis 22 by the twins of the Tamar. Perez and Zerah form a flock. Even if Perez caused a break, the Messiah healed it. And because Zerah wears a red thread of crimson, it indicates a great guilt that he committed with his hand. In the prophet Isaiah, who stands for the nations, we read how God longs to pay the debt: Come then and let us judge one another, says Yahweh. If your sins are like scarlet fever, let them be white like snow; if they are red like scarlet fever, let them be like wool.

The Sun and the Phi in the Third Letter of John

The Phi - Φ - points figuratively to the sun, which is divided in two in the Scriptures. The parts are assembled in Philadelphia. One half depicts the rising sun of the first six hours and the other half points to the setting sun. The semicircles are formed into a figure that is geometrically perfect. To understand the two parts and to assign them correctly, let us look at a verse from John's third letter, which we have assigned to the congregation of Philadelphia in Table 2 above. The apostle writes in verse 14: "Peace be with you!" This applies to the recipient of the letter, Gaius. Then he writes further: "The friends greet you." From the point of view of meaning, it should actually read: Feel embraced by us in a friendly way.

The friends who are with John embrace their friend Gaius. That we translate correctly becomes clear in our translation variant of the last sentence: Greet the friends by name. The sentence makes no real sense. How do you greet friends with names? The sentence only becomes understandable when we translate it as follows: Embrace the foreign friends by calling their names. No short handshakes and also no stereotypically muttered "good morning". No, Gaius should call the friends who come to him by their name and embrace them like a friend. In this way the strangers are to be welcomed. And now we take the curve to the two semicircles of the sun. Both John's friends and Gaius' friend form a semicircle through their embrace. We call this double embrace and the Hebrew expression for it is then: Habakkuk.

A hug therefore points to a semicircle and a double embrace to two semicircles. Just as Gaius was allowed to feel a friendly embrace, John wants him to show exactly this gesture of closest affection to his friends who are still strangers to him. Thus the embrace on the part of John represents one half of the sun and the embrace that Gaius is supposed to show to the strangers in a friendly way represents the second half. Thus the embraces represent the two half-circles of Phi. The Lord, who is in their midst, is the pillar, the staff, the bond of love and has made two into one.

Prophetically, the 14th verse indicates the full number of nations. John wishes the addressee peace. Then he sends many greetings - Philoi. Immediately afterwards he writes: Greetings to the friends - Philous . We are dealing here with two groups of friends. The first group is with John and the second group is with Gaius. Who might be the lover, our Gajus? The name derives from Latin and means "Lord".

Philadelphia and yet problems?

Before we get to the three letters we have assigned to this church, let us take a closer look at the word Philadelphia. Usually it is translated into English with brotherly love. But does the translation really make sense? The word is composed of two terms, the first being Philos and the second Adelphos. Philos has the meaning of friend and Adelphos denotes a brother. If we now connect Philos and Adelphos and give the two Greek terms a English equivalent, then we can also translate Philadelphia with " brothers become friends " or " friends become brothers ". The first variant, brothers become friends, prophetically points to the twin brothers Esau and Jakob. These in turn point to the Jews and the Greeks, whereby the Greeks, as always, stand for all other nations. And when two hostile brothers, like Esau and Jacob, are reconciled, they become friends.

Now the second variant of translation, "friends to brothers". It can be applied to any friendly relationship. As Christians we should indeed be a friend to all people, because we should love our Rea, our neighbor, as ourselves, as Jesus showed us. Jesus himself cultivated a friendly relationship with his traitor and even in the night when he had been betrayed by Judas he could say with all his heart: "Friend, what have you come for?" Matthew. 26:50.

When a friend repents and comes to the Lord, that is, goes through the open door, he becomes a brother to those who are already in Philadelphia. When the twin brothers, Esau and Jacob, repent and come to the Lord in the time of the open door, they become friends. This also happens in the Philadelphia assembly. And this seems to us to be the deeper meaning of the text.

Prophetically we are told that the brothers for whom the door is open were bodily brothers from birth, but for a time they were not friends. Jacob betrayed Esau and Esau sought to kill Jacob. Friends do not do that. They do not cheat on each other and certainly they do not want to murder their friend. Isn't it the case that friends stick together, what wants to come? This is not always the case with brothers. How often do we experience how brothers live and act in rivalry with each other? It was exactly the same in the lifes of Esau and Jakob. Esau craved the red that Jacob had. And Jacob longed for the birthright of Esau. But Jacob deceived his father. And Esau was not honest either, for he should have told his father that he had sold the birthright, instead he harassed his father and wished him to bless him.

After this incident Esau sought to murder his brother Jacob, so Jacob fled to Haran. And so the brothers lived for a long time in conflict, each for themselves, but not for and with one another. God intervenes. He gives them an open door. The text in Revelation 3, 7-13 therefore indicates the reconciliation between Jacob and Esau, reconciliation between Jews and Greeks. During the epoch of Philadelphia the brothers can experience reconciliation. The enemy brothers and sisters can even become permanent friends there.

In Philadelphia you become a brother if you haven't been and you become a friend even if you're already a brother. The hidden reconciliation alluded to here can and must make our hearts beat faster, because Philadelphia also points to the forthcoming Great Day of Reconciliation.

He who is reconciled with God cannot do otherwise and also reconciles himself with his brother. The sixth church from Revelation 3 thus also refers to the sixth feast in the Jewish calendar, the great Day of Atonement, called Yom Kippur in Hebrew. Every one of us who is invited by God and then turns to him and listens to his words soon experiences his personal Yom Kippur feast with the Messiah. The high priest Jesus opened the door and gave each one of us the chance to enter Philadelphia. The invitation is not only for the nations, but also and especially for the Jews. Everyone who enters through the narrow gate experiences reconciliation, reconciliation with God, in the house of the Father. Consequently, sooner or later, after the personal Yom Kippur with the Father, the reconciliation with the neighbor, the Rea, takes place. Whoever is so reconciled cannot help but love his neighbor, whether the Rea is a friend or an enemy.

Philadelphia and the Letter to the Philippians

The Philippians are horse lovers. Horses speak of power, usually human power. Paul reminds the Philippians: "For we are the circumcision that we serve by the Spirit of God and boast of Christ Jesus and do not trust in flesh." (The horses as a metaphor for the flesh).

Was the church in danger of relying on its own abilities? Why were some circumcised on the foreskin? In a brief outline, the apostle outlines his career as a Benjaminite. How does he judge his career? He regards everything as loss, in other words: Paul does not consider his entire past to be just a loss, even more so, he declares it to be a damage.

Why loss or damage? Because his Jewish religiosity led him to agree to the stoning of Stephen. Religious fanaticism has still caused its dead. Paul reinforces his rejection of his old behavior by saying, "I consider it dirty." The Greek term used here refers to something that can only be thrown to the dogs. Such a strong expression for his Jewish-religious education and training is already solid. He turns away from such rubbish. And what did Paul exchange for it? He says: To whom I win Christ. The Greek word for win can also be translated as: attain, reach, receive, gain, acquire. It is a yield, a profit, an enrichment and a yield of special things. To win Christ then means to achieve everything.

This is to make clear to the Jews the uselessness of keeping the Mosaic law, for one's own actions attain nothing. The righteousness he has worked out himself does not make a man just, but leaves him poor. But the righteousness which Jesus did makes rich and lasts forever. Self-righteousness also does not really make us happy, but it does promote our arrogance, because we think we have achieved something. Yes, keeping the rules is exhausting, very exhausting and must be felt especially for young people in the long run and rightly as drudgery, because keeping the law is a heavy and hard yoke. Day in, day out, you have to be on your guard all the time; just don't break any rules.

Jesus comes to our aid and calls to all people: My yoke is gentle and my burden is light. The one who allows himself to be clasped under the yoke of Jesus experiences how the Lord carries the yoke and he may experience how Jesus leads to the goal to be reached. The door to the kingdom of heaven is open not only for Jews, but for every one of us. This is what the Lord wanted to say to the church of Philadelphia, an open door for Jews and Greeks. There brothers become friends and friends become brothers. The house of the Church is even lovelier.

Paul writes in chapter 2 of the Letter to the Philippians:

1 If there is any encouragement in Christ,
2. if any comfort of love,
3. if any community of the spirit,
4. if any inner feelings and mercies, then fill my joy,
5. that you are of one mind,
6. having the same love,
7. unanimously,
8th of a sense,
9. doing nothing out of party addiction or vain glory,
but
10. in humility, respecting one another more than oneself;
each
11. not looking upon his own,
but
each one
12. also on the other's.
13. to be this mind in you,
14. which was also in the Messiah Jesus.

From these lines we can learn how brothers become friends. Paul even goes so far in his description that he introduces us to Christ, who as a friend made himself to nothing and was ready to become a slave and to obey for our sake. The Philippians follow their Lord, for Paul praises the church in chapter 2, 12, when he writes: "As you have always been obedient, not alone as in my presence, but now rather in my absence." Can everyone hear the voice of the good shepherd when Paul writes: "As you have always been obedient, ... rather in my absence?" Jesus is with the Father and he rejoices very much when our love for Him and the Father is expressed in it, that we willingly obey the Lord.

In chapter 5 Paul describes the Philippians and what they are for him. Here again we can hear the voice of our Lord: "Therefore, my beloved and longed for brethren, my joy and crown." It is precisely here, in the last chapter, that the apostle comes to speak of something that also opens up in the other letters assigned to the Philadelphia congregation and is found in the letter to Philemon and in John's third letter. It is repeatedly addressed in all three letters and is probably unknown to most readers. Let us take a closer look at the problem of Philadelphia. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul exhorts the sisters Evodia and Syntyche: "They may be of the same mind." What does it mean to be of one mind? Paul has explained it before and addresses his admonitions to all of us. No one is excluded. Everyone in the congregation is being asked to do what? What should everyone do?

1 Each of us should encourage the other,
2. to pass each one on to the other comfort of love,
3. meet and care for everyone with equal love,
4. and everyone shall stand in the community of the Spirit.

This is what Paul reminds us when he speaks personally to the two sisters, Evodia and Syntyche.

The word "minded" includes:

1. exercises of love,
2. exercises of consoling love,
3. exercises of encouragement,
4. exercises of compassion and feelings,
5. exercises leading to a common opinion.

All the efforts of the Philippians, including Euodia and Syntyche, should be directed in a certain direction. This is the work in the vineyard of God. One's own interest should be directed to the concerns and needs of others. And last but not least, our personal concern should also be to listen to the Lord and then do what he demands us to do. In other words: at first listen, then obey. Listen with open ears and open hearts and then practicing love for our neighbor and for God.

Euodia and Syntyche still hold a secret. Euodia means "good journey" and describes the long or short journeys to pass on the Gospel. Syntyche means chance, but it can also mean accident, mishap, oversight, etc. In its most intense form it could also be an accident. What had happened? The solution is actually quite simple. Go back to the previous page of this book and work through the section on the fifth chapter of the Letter to the Philippians again and you will recognize the incident. And not only this one, also the one in your church. Hopefully it is not a Super Gau, as it was so often the case with the Exclusives Brothers and continues to be.

One of the sisters had rather coincidentally ignored the love for her neighbor and already the house blessing was hanging crooked. The others have not yet noticed it and Syntyche, who was the cause of the small incident, did not notice her carelessness in the beginning and so Evodia left with unpleasant feelings. After her return Syntyche felt Evodia's reserved behavior, but could not make sense of it. The subtle teasing started here and continued. And so it came to pass, as it had to, that at some point the two of them lay in a violent clinch. It has always been the little foxes who want to spoil the vineyard. Before it threatens to escalate, Paul lovingly exhorts both of them and reminds them of their common work in the vineyard of God. And because similar incidents will occur again and again in future times, Paul wrote it down for us. Euodia - good journey, I exhort, and Syntyche - the accident, I exhort, to be of one mind in the Lord.

The church of Philadelphia holds fast to his word, the Lord finds that praiseworthy. What the LORD cannot praise is taken up, among other things, in the Letter to the Philippians. Disunity and strife should be sent to the door. They have nothing to do in the assembly of God. If the poison of discord is not neutralized by the Lord and our obedience, then it works in us and leads, sooner or later, to division.

Philadelphia and the Letter to Philemon

Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow laborer,And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, Hearing of your love and faith, which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; That the communication of your faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by you, brother.

Why, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin you that which is convenient, Yet for love's sake I rather beseech you, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: Which in time past was to you unprofitable, but now profitable to you and to me: Whom I have sent again: you therefore receive him, that is, my own bowels: Whom I would have retained with me, that in your stead he might have ministered to me in the bonds of the gospel:

But without your mind would I do nothing; that your benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that you should receive him for ever; Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? If you count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.

If he has wronged you, or owes you ought, put that on my account; I Paul have written it with my own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to you how you owe to me even your own self besides. Yes, brother, let me have joy of you in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord. Having confidence in your obedience I wrote to you, knowing that you will also do more than I say. But with prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given to you.

There salute you Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus; Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow laborers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Employees write to employees, but Philemon is the one the writers address in particular. His name means "friendly". Philemon, how could it be any different, is a sympathetic and benevolent comrade-in-arms. The other addressees are Sister Appia, Archippus, the other combatants, and of course the entire community that gathered in Philemon's house.

Philemon lived in Colosse, where everything is so pompous and huge, an allusion to the Roman Catholic Church. Sister Appia means fruitful, productive, thriving. One of the fellow fighters calls himself Archippus. His name means: ruler or master of the horses. Horses always appear where we do not really suspect them, but they always seem to stand for human and fleshly power. Our Archippus understands horses. He can control their temperaments. In Psalm 32:9 David says: "Do not be like a horse, like a mule that has no mind; with bridle, their ornaments, you must tame them, otherwise they will not near you. The adornments will be put in the horses' mouths. The adornment is an apt metaphor for erudition, which is, however, presented with one's own and fleshly strength, i.e. with unruly temperament. Such an unbridled horse has smashed many a fine porcelain by its wildness. Often it are people who first talk and then switch on the brain. Why this paraphrase?

Isn't that so? What a person has learnt from his earliest youth, he just reels down without thinking about it later. And because of the words so much, they usually miss purpose and goal. Archippus has to help here. Also in the letter of James the horses are treated. James writes that one should note that it is James: "If anyone thinks he serves God, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, whose worship is vain. James 1:26.

In the third chapter he writes in verse 2: "If anyone does not stumble in words, he is a perfect man, capable of restraining the whole body".

And that James compares a man with a horse is made clear in the third verse: "Behold, we put bits in the mouths of horses, that they may obey us, and guide all their bodies."

Did David not say, "Be not like a horse, like a mule?" There shouldn't be anyone among us with horses going through. Nor should anyone be found among us who stands stubbornly and stubbornly and refuses to move. In the house community of Philemon, Archippus seems to have his hands full, since his job is to master the horses. Archippus had to put the reins on quite a few of them. But Paul writes mainly to Philemon and with his lines the letter forms a contrast to the temperamental.

Paul's letter to Philemon is one of the most tender in the Bible, and for good reason. The theme that the apostle treats is so explosive that he pulls out all the stops of love to reach the heart of Philemon. Paul wants to send the slave Onesimus back. We do not know why Onesimus was no longer with Philemon. Was there an argument and that's why Onesimus left? Or did Philemon even chase him away because he could no longer bear him. Also in this letter internal quarrels resonate. It is not really dealt with, but the caution that Paul takes when writing the letter suggests a delicate matter. Because the letter, as already said elsewhere, also represents a kind of gap text, many scenarios can be devised for it. Everyone can put in his own story and the story remains coherent in itself. Let us also treat the feelings of others with velvet paws and loving words. Pressure creates counterpressure, but gentleness opens hearts.

If greetings are given at the end of a letter, then we should always take a closer look at the greetings. The first person who wants to get rid of his greetings is Epaphras. His name means beautiful, sweet, charming, wonderful, very sweet, graceful, etc. etc. Then follow the greetings of Mark - His name means defense, then greets Aristarchus - His name means: the best ruler. (Who might that be? You suspect it already?) Now something solid Demas - country governor or governor of the people and last but not least Luke - the light-giver. Now we may assume that the letter has reached the addressee and that Philemon and Onesimus have again become one heart and one soul, for in the last chapter of the letter to the Colossians Onesimus is mentioned. Paul writes: ... with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother who is of you; they will tell you (these are Tychicus and Onesimus) everything what is going on here. Only with his tender letter could Paul bring the hearts of both of them together.

Let us take Paul, the little one, as an example.

Philadelphia and the Third Epistle to John

First the text, otherwise we fear that the reader fails to understand the content of the letter. We consider it a good custom to reproduce the scriptural passages.

The elder to the well beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brothers came and testified of the truth that is in you, even as you walk in the truth.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do to the brothers, and to strangers; Which have borne witness of your charity before the church: whom if you bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, you shall do well: Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow helpers to the truth.

I wrote to the church: but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, receives us not. Why, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither does he himself receive the brothers, and forbids them that would, and casts them out of the church.

Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that does good is of God: but he that does evil has not seen God.

Demetrius has good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yes, and we also bear record; and you know that our record is true. I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write to you: But I trust I shall shortly see you, and we shall speak face to face.

Peace be to you. Our friends salute you. Greet the friends by name.

The third letter of the apostle John is the shortest of the Bible. We know that when someone writes to a dear friend in a few words, the addressee immediately understands the few words and decisive concepts, because friends know each other well. The letter seems to be, as it were, a dispatch, a kind of urgent message of the highest urgency. John only comes to the actual reason in verse 9: I wrote something to the Church, but Diotrephes, who wants to be the first among them, does not accept us.

The second person mentioned is also on the wrong track, his name is Demetrius. Everyone, that is the entire congregation, testifies to him, but not only the congregation, but also the apostle testifies to the truth and the most important testimony he mentions is the truth itself.

But who are the two men who obviously do not want to accept the truth? Let us first take a closer look at Diotrephes. The first thing we notice is that his name is a Hapax Legomenon, a word that appears only once in the Bible and points to the end times. Diotrephes derives from the name Zeus or Dis; in Latin he is called Jupiter or Jove. He was the main god of the Greeks. The second part of the word, trepho, means nourished. Diotrephes is nourished by Zeus. This points to another meal during the service. It is not the Lord's Supper, but Zeus's Supper. In the Catholic Easter Mass he is addressed as Lucifer. See Appendix II for more details.

Which church do we have to think of here that John had written about? When such inconspicuous hints come, then the Holy Spirit wants to point out something special to us. So we think it was the letter to the Laodicean congregation, which would then be the second reference to this congregation. We find the first one in the letter to the Colossians. Why the seventh church? John tells it indirectly, as it were as an allusion, when he says: Diotrephes wants to be the first, so he has occupied the middle of the church and the truth is no longer in the middle. Furthermore, he does not accept the brothers and then even pushes them out, so that the brothers are at the door with the truth.

Now we look at the meaning of his name, which characterizes his public appearance:

1. gossip; the emphasis is on the monotonous rant;

2. sluggish and tired insulting; therefore it is not noticeable at first that he is evil.

3. the chatting is mischievous and malicious.

On television and the Internet he was heard talking in this way.

Later we will discuss the arrival of the son of destruction. Now we look at the second man whom John mentions in his short message. It is Demetrius: His name derives from the deity Demeter, which is called Ceres by the Romans. She is considered a mother goddess and represents the Catholic Mary, like her, she has the following names: The mistress and goddess and their main characteristics are represented by a wheat ear and the poppy. Demetrius worships and prays to Catholic Mary. Does he not want to let go of this, although so many witnesses explain the idolatry which is in the Marian cult? Demetrius also seems not to want to obey the truth. Perhaps also because his spiritual father forced the cult of lies? Demetrius has a problem both with the figure of Mary and with the understanding of true fatherhood. In short, Demetrius has a problem with the truth, a problem with Jesus.

We recognize that the theme of the third Epistle to John can be expressed with one word, the word truth. The rebellious Diotrephes, who wants to be the first, does not even obey John, who must be seen as the highest authority in the writing of the letter, because he is the only living disciple who is an authorized apostle of the Lord himself. But no, Diotrephes considers himself the representative of Christ on earth and resists the truth-loving brothers to live and act according to the truth and finally pushes them out of the church.

"What is Truth? Pilate already asked the accused, only to condemn the truth to death shortly afterwards. The question still open to the governor at that time can be answered, among other things, in the second letter to the Thessalonians, after which we will recognize even more clearly who Demetrius is pointing to. Now we will go a little further. We hope that after our explanations the reader has got to know the unruly man better and can make the prophetic assignment of John's third letter to the congregation of Philadelphia during the third and last round himself. Let us first go into the Gospel of John, because the following lines are important for understanding.

In John's Gospel Jesus is introduced to us as the eternal Son of God who became man. Almost unnoticed we are introduced to another person. Let us listen to what Jesus says in the Holy of Holies: "I have glorified you on earth; I have accomplished the work which you gave me to do. In John 17 the Son is in the place where the ark of the covenant is; the Son stands before the throne of God. He glorified the Father to whom he speaks. This is the work that Jesus accomplished. The Son has revealed the Father and the name of the Father. (The sentence "I have done the work" does not refer to Golgotha. Now there are further arguments which describe the work as completed: The word "accomplished" stands in the aorist, a Greek past tense. The word poieo, which was translated in the Elberfelder with the expression "I should do it", is also in the aorist - ποιησω).

But let us remember that Jesus did not reveal the Father to the world, but to the elves, these are the 11 apostles without Juda. Jesus puts it this way: "I have revealed your name - Abba - to the people you have given me. They were yours, and you gave them to me." The eleven are children of the father, and a child knows his father. He who is not his child cannot call God his Father and therefore cannot address him with the term Abba, which in English means dad. That is the name that the son has proclaimed.

The fact that the Son reveals the Father is already told prophetically in the Book of Judges in Chapter 14. First of all we would like to remind all of us that all Scripture speaks of the Word of God made flesh, meaning Jesus Christ. Without this focus we will not get any light to recognize the depths of the Scriptures and their prophetic dimension.

And Samson - the sunlight - went down with his father and mother to Timnath. The sunlight stands for Jesus. After Samson told his father that the Philistine is sincere and just, Hebrew jaschar, the Father, who stands for God the Father and the Mother, who metaphorically stands for the Holy Spirit, "descended" to Timnath with her Son. Therefore we can say: All three persons of the Godhead came down from heaven and were in Timnath. Each of the THREE had his own share in the revelation. We are told this in the New Testament, the Torah of the Messiah.

1. The Father: And behold, a voice comes out of heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found pleasure. Matthew 3:17

2. The mother of the Holy Spirit: And when Jesus was baptized, he ascended immediately out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and coming upon him. Matthew 3:16

3. the Son, Jesus saith unto her: It is I who talketh with thee. John 4, 25.

And no man ascended into heaven except he that descended out of heaven, the Son of man that is in heaven. John 3:13

As we can see, all three persons of the Godhead descended from heaven and testified through their presence on earth not only the Trinity of God, but also the oneness of the true God. All three always work together.

And his father went down to the woman, and Samson made a meal there. The father reveals himself to the woman by telling the young woman about his son. In John 17 it is the other way round, the Son speaks, but not to the disciples, but to the Father; but his followers listen attentively to the words of their Lord. While in Samson's story the father promotes a relationship with his son, in John 17 we see Jesus tightening the bond of love with his own. But not only the connection between the Son and the disciples should become more intimate, also the bond between the children and the Father should become more familiar.

For this Jesus asks the Father in verse 17: "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." And in verse 19 he adds, "And I sanctify myself for them, that they also may be sanctified by truth." We can also read the verses as follows for better understanding: Separate them through me - the truth; your word - this is me, your son - is truth - this is also me, your son. I set myself apart for them, that they also may be set apart through me - the Word of Truth. In summary, we may now say: Jesus is the Word, he is the Truth, and he is the Separate among his brethren, or to put it even more briefly: Jesus is everything. The one who knows Jesus recognizes him, recognizes the truth. But we have another truth, so let us put it this way. Let us read verse 17 again, there the Son asks: "Sanctify them by the truth: Your word is truth." If the Father's words are truth, then who is the truth? We give our opinion because we do not really understand the Trinity of God. If the Father's words are truth and the Son is truth, how close must Son and Father be to one another? One thing seems to be certain, son and father can hardly be distinguished, because Jesus says of himself and of the Father: "He who has seen me has seen the Father, and how do you say - Philip: Show us the Father."

In the Epistle to Pergamos a man named Antipas is murdered. His name means anti father. Prophetically, the name refers to Jesus, who was murdered there, where the throne of Satan is still standing until today, on the Temple Mount. Jesus became, as it were, the adversary of another father. Another one has taken the position of a father and calls himself pope and carries in the 3rd John letter the name Diotrephes, that is the one who is nourished by Zeus.

The truth in 2. Thessalonians 2

Now we go to the second letter to the Thessalonians and read the second chapter. Also in this chapter it is about the truth which the son of destruction denies. First we read the text.

Now we beseech you, brothers, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together to him, that you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Remember you not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now you know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he who now lets will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all delusion of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brothers beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, brothers, stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or our letter.Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which has loved us, and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work.

The apostle Paul begins right at the beginning of the second chapter by comforting the Christians in Thessaloniki and at the same time addressing the false teachings about the Day of Christ when he writes: Neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by a letter as if it were from Paul, the church should not be frightened. Well, these are encouraging words when the apostle writes in his authority that the Thessalonians should not be frightened. This would have taken a heavy burden off the shoulders of the addressees.

Paul uses the term "day of Christ" in conjunction with two other terms. First with the word coming and second with the word being gathered.

The Greek term coming means:

1. be close, also known as Advent;
2. then also return;
3. appearance.

To 1: The Lord will be near on the day of Christ.

To 2: On the day of his return he will return.

To 3: His appearance will be seen by all.

The word describes a period and not a point in time, so the word coming can refer to both the Rapture and the Second Coming.

Now we look at the word getting gathered. It is in Greek Episynagoge - επισυναγωγη - and means:

1. a complete assembly (as nouns);
2. especially the recurring gathering of Christians for worship.

The word derives from episynago - επισυναγω - and means:

1. to gather as a whole, i.e. all come to the same place to gather;
2. gather together completely.

The root of the word can also refer to both the Rapture and the Second Coming. At the Rapture, all those who are raptured will be raptured to one place. On the Second Coming all 12 tribes will be brought into the land of the Lord.

Before the Rapture happens, the Son of Destruction must be revealed, for Paul writes: Let no one deceive you in any way, for this day, the day of Christ, does not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of sin, the son of destruction, has been revealed.

It is indisputable that the expression, the Day of Christ, in Greek both in the textus receptus and in the scientific nestle Aland text, reads as follows: η ημερα του Χριστου. Even a layman can easily see that the last word is not Kyrios, but Christ. It already borders on seduction if one continues to assert, according to our explanations: No, in fact it is meant "the day of the Lord". It is seduction because the son of perdition can enter the stage quietly, secretly and nobody wants to identify him as the Antichrist, because the day of Christ has not yet come, as they claim and thus do not recognize his appearance because of his sick eyes. Even the Exclusive Brethren teach that the Rapture comes first and then the Son of Destruction would be revealed, but exactly the opposite is the case. First the evil one will be revealed and then the day of Christ will come. If one continues to hold fast to this evil doctrine, then it is to be feared that those will be the first to fall into the deception.

But that is exactly what we must now prevent, even with our clear and forceful words.

To be continued!

Annex II

Lucifer: The name comes from Latin and in the past it was always used to describe Satan. When Catholic priests and bishops claim otherwise, they are not entirely telling the truth. On a website a worried user is answered: The name stands for Jesus and the song, in which the name Luzi-fer is mentioned, is sung at Easter all over the world and not only by today's pope, but all other popes of the past would also have sung the song. Now some background information that can help to resolve the confusion.

Fact is: In church Latin the name Lucifer is always applied to Satan or the devil. The Duden, version of the Internet version of 23.08.2019, defines Lucifer: church Latin proper name for devil and Satan.

History: How is it that the name Lucifer is used for Jesus? In the early days of Christianity, the name Lucifer was used by the faithful because it had a positive connotation. The word Lucifer was also used for Satan, because in Isaiah 14 the Hebrew expression Heylel is also translated as morning star. And so, over the centuries, the term Lucifer mutated into the proper name of Satan. Now there is a second term in Latin for the morning star and it reads: Stella (Splendida) Matutina, which is reproduced in the Greek text of Revelation 2, 28 with Astera ton Proinon (ΑΣΤΕΡΑ ΤΟΝ ΠΡΩΙΝΟΝ or written in small letters: αστερα τον πρωινον).

It seems to us that the reinterpretation of the Latin Lucifer, so used in 2 Peter 1, 19 (from Greek: Phosphoros) from Jesus to Satan is an anticipation of what the 2nd Thessalonian indicates by turning away from the Christian faith. Through the antichristian spirit, which already worked in earlier times, it is possible that the singing of the Easter praise could no longer mean Jesus, but Satan.

Here is the verse from the song, the Exsultet:

It (the candle) shines until the morning star appears,

that true morning star that will not perish forever:

your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

who rose from the dead,

who shines for mankind in the paschal light;

Who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

The German text is kept neutral and it becomes clear that the term morning star can only refer to Jesus.

What is to be done? Nobody today would use the name Lucifer to refer to Jesus. The hearts of the faithful should not be made insecure, but such irritations should be avoided. It therefore makes sense to replace the name in the Latin text with Stella Matutina,

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