by Gary L. Evans
74 — When Jesus said “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken Me? ” in what language did he speak?
Hebrew: the words are “Eloi, Eloi…“(Matthew 27:46)
Mat 27:45-47 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
The Sixth Hour was 12 noon, and the Ninth Hour was 3 pm. So from noon until 3 pm there was darkness over all the land. Jesus fulfilled all Prophesy concerning Him and died at about 3 pm.
Dr. Bullinger states: “about. Greek. peri. App-104. Eli, Eli, lama sabachtnani. The English transliteration of the Greek, which is the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic, ’eli, ’eli, lamah ’azabhani. The whole expression is Aramaic. See App-94. Words not reported in Luke or John. Quoted from Psa_22:1. See the notes there. Thus, with the Lord’s last breath He gives Divine authority to the O.T. See App-117. Note the “seven words” from the cross: (1) Luk_23:34; (2) Luk_23:43; (3) Joh_19:26, Joh_19:27; (4) Mat_27:46; (5) Joh_19:28; (6) Joh_19:30; (7) Luk_23:46.”
Jesus was reciting all of Psalm 22 in Aramaic while nailed to the cross.
Aramaic: the words are “Eloi, Eloi… “(Mark 15:34)
Mark 15:33-35 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
Smith’s Bible DIctionary states: “Sabachtha’ni or Sabach’thani. (why hast thou forsaken me?). Part of Christ’s fourth cry on the cross. Mat_27:46; Mark_15:34. This, with the other words uttered with it, as given in Mark, is Aramaic, (Syro-Chaldaic), the common dialect of the people of Palestine in Christ’s time, and the whole is a translation of the Hebrew, (given in Matthew), Mat_27:46, of the first words of the 22nd Psalm. — Editor. Psa_22:1.”
Jesus was not saying that His Father had forsaken Him. He was quoting all of Psalm 22 to teach everyone standing near Him, including the centurion, that everything that had happened to Him that day was the fulfillment of Prophesy. And the centurion was a witness, having stood next to Jesus all afternoon, who then proclaimed his conclusion of what Jesus had proven with overwhelming evidence:
Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
75 — According to the gospels, what were the last words of Jesus before he died?
“Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46)
Luk 23:44-47 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
Jesus spoke these words in prayer to God, His Father, not to the public.
“It is finished” (John 19:30).
Joh 19:28-30 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Dr. Bullinger states: “It is finished. Greek. teleo, as in Joh_19:28. Psa 22 ends with. the word “done”. Of the seven sayings from the Cross, Matthew (Joh_27:46) and Mark (Joh_15:34) record one (Psa_22:1); Luke three (Joh_23:34, Joh_23:43, Joh_23:46); and John three (verses: Joh_19:26, Joh_19:27, Joh_19:28, Joh_26:30). It is clear from Luk_23:44 that the promise to the malefactor was before the darkness. The words of Psa_22:1 were uttered at the beginning or during the course of the three hours darkness. Probably the Lord repeated the whole of Psalm 22, which not only sets Him forth as the Sufferer, but also foretells the glory that is to follow. Perhaps other Scriptures also, as a terrible witness against the chief priests, who were present (Mark_15:31. Luk_23:35), and must have heard.”
Psa 22:30-31 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
Dr. Bullinger states “He hath done this = It is finished. Compare Joh_19:30. Thus concluding the Psalm. Compare the beginning. Hebrew. ’asah, to accomplish or finish, as in 2Ch_4:11.”
John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
So immediately after Jesus had finished quoting Psalm 22 to the public around Him which ended with the line “it is finished”, He died.
The accounts of Luke and John provide different details of the words Jesus spoke on the cross before He died. They are complements of each other.
76 — When Jesus entered Capernaum he healed the slave of a centurion. Did the centurion come personally to request Jesus for this?
Yes (Matthew 8:5)
Mat 8:5-10 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
The Roman Centurion humbled himself before Jesus, calling Him Lord. And he knew that Jesus had the authority to heal his servant just by speaking the words to command it to be so. That’s why Jesus marveled at how great was his faith in God.
No. He sent some elders of the Jews and his friends (Luke 7:3-6)
Luk 7:1-9 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Matthew presents a summary of what happen with the centurion. Then Luke provides us with more detail of what took place. Both accounts complement each other.
77 — Adam was told that if and when he eats the forbidden fruit he would die the same day (Genesis 2:17)
Gen 2:15-17 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
2Pe 3:7-9 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Peter taught the meaning of the word “day” in God’s sense of time. And his purpose was to explain that “the last days” were in fact in terms of “thousands of years.” So it would be unreasonable for anyone to get impatient that the Prophesies concerning the end of this flesh world have not been fulfilled even after a long time.
So we can then understand that when The Lord told Adam that if he rebelled (sinned) then he would physically die in “that day,” that is, within that one thousand year period. And that is exactly what happened to Adam.
Adam ate the fruit and went on to live to a ripe old age of 930 years (Genesis 5:5)
Gen 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
So Adam did not live beyond that “day” in which he had sinned.
78 — God decided that the life span of humans will be limited to 120 years (Genesis 6:3)
Gen 6:1-3 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
The word “strive” is from the Hebrew “deen” which means “to rule; by implication to judge (as umpire); also to strive (as at law).”
Dr. Bullinger states: “strive = remain in, with Septuagint, Arabic, Syriac, and Vulgate; Occurs only here.”
So The Lord said that His Holy Spirit would not always “rule” (by “dwelling in”) man.
Dr. Bullinger also states: “also: i.e. the man Adam also, as well as the others. (Not “men”; if so, as well as what?)”
Gen 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
There were giants in the earth in those days when the Fallen Angels came and took the female descendants of Adam and impregnated them…
That is why God decided to send a great flood into that region, to exterminate all of the hybrids, those that were half angel and half human, produced by The Fallen Angels. And no doubt those Fallen Angels were genetically modifying the animals and birds also, so they also had to be exterminated.
Many people born after that lived longer than 120. Arpachshad lived 438 years. His son Shelah lived 433 years. His son Eber lived 464 years, etc. (Genesis 11:12-16)
Gen 11:10-17 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah: And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber: And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
Our Lord’s declaration, “his days shall be an hundred and twenty years,” was a Prophesy of the eventual reduction of the expected lifespans of the descendants of The Man Adam in the future. Note that The Lord did not say “when” this Prophesy would come to pass. But, my friends, we are witnesses. It did come to pass.
79 — Apart from Jesus did anyone else ascend to heaven?
No (John 3:13)
Joh 3:10-13 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Dr. Bullinger States: “hath ascended = hath gone up (of himself). It does not say: “hath been taken up by God, “as Enoch and Elijah. But Christ had “gone up” when the Evangelist wrote these words. ascended. Greek. anabaino. As in Joh_1:51, Joh_2:13; Joh_5:1; Joh_7:8, &c. Mat_20:17. Mar_6:51. Rom_10:6.”
So no one other than Jesus Ascended into Heaven of himself.
Yes. “And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2:11)
2Ki 2:9-12 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
The Lord took up Elijah into Heaven, no doubt the same way He had taken up Enoch. Elijah did NOT ASCEND of his own self. But Jesus did.
80 — Who was high priest when David went into the house of God and ate the consecrated bread?
Abiathar (Mark 2:26)
Mark 2:24-27 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Dr. Bullinger States: “Abiathar. Called Ahimelech in 1Sa_21:1; 1Sa_22:9, 1Sa_22:11, 1Sa_22:20; and Ahiah in 1Sa_14:3. The father and his son Abiathar must have had two names, as was frequently the case. And why left, as in our own day? In 2Sa_8:17, and 1Ch_18:16, we have Ahimelech the son of Abiathar; and in 1Sa_22:20 Abiathar the son of Ahimelech (who was the son of Ahitub). There is no “confusion in the Hebrew text”. The Lord’s enemies are the best witnesses of this, for they would not have missed such an opportunity of effective reply (See Mark_3:8). They knew what modern critics do not know.”
2Sa 8:15-17 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;
So Ahimelech was the son of Abiathar and Abiathar was the son of Ahimelech.
Smith’s Bible Dictionary states: “Abi’athar. (father of abundance, that is, liberal). High priest and fourth in descent from Eli. (B.C. 1060-1012). Abiathar was the only one of the sons of Ahimelech, the high priest, who escaped the slaughter inflicted upon his father’s house by Saul, in revenge for his father’s house by Saul, in revenge of his having inquired of the Lord for David and given him the shew-bread to eat. 1Sa_22:1.”
Ahimelech, the father of Abiathar (1 Samuel 21:1; 22:20)
1Sa 21:1-6 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
Smith’s Bible Dictionary states: “Ahim’elech. (brother of the king). Son of Ahitub, 1Sa_22:11-12, and high priest of Nob, in the days of Saul. He gave David the shew bread to eat, and the sword of Goliath; and for so doing was put to death, with his whole house, by Saul’s order. Abiathar alone escaped. See Abiathar. (B.C. 1085-1060).”
1Sa 22:18-23 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD’S priests. And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house. Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
Doeg, the Edomite (descendant of Esau), murdered all of the Priests at the command of King Saul. The only survivor was Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech.
Recall that Dr. Bullinger explained above that Abiathar is also called Ahimelech, and Ahimelech is also called Abiathar.
1Ch 18:16 And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech (Ahimelech) the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe;
Dr. Bullinger states: “Abimelech. Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulg, read “Ahimelech”. Compare 2Sa_8:17.”
So Abimelech is also called Ahimelech who was the son of Abiathar.
Jesus knew the name of the Priest who helped David and his men. It was Abiathar (also called Ahimelech).
81 — Was Jesus’ body wrapped in spices before burial in accordance with Jewish burial customs?
Yes and his female disciples witnessed his burial (John 19:39-40)
Joh 19:38-42 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
So the body of Jesus was anointed with “a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.”
No. Jesus was simply wrapped in a linen shroud. Then the women bought and prepared spices “so that they may go and anoint him [Jesus)” (Mark 16: 1)
Mark 16:1-4 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
These women came to anoint our Lord’s body again, but He had already arisen. And all that was left was the linen cloth that His body had been wrapped in.
These accounts complement each other.
82 — When did the women buy the spices?
After “the Sabbath was past” (Mark 16:1)
Mark 16:1-3 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
Note that this passage states that those women “had bought sweet spices BEFORE the High Sabbath,” which we know was late afternoon on the Preparation day immediately after Jesus had died on the cross. So the claim that this passage shows that they bought them afterward is false.
Before the Sabbath. The women “prepared spices and ointments.” Then, “on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment” (Luke 23:55 to 24:1)
Luk 23:53-24:2 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
The original claim was incorrect. There is no contradiction here.