DEAD SEA SCROLLS
(Written approx. 100 B.C.)
20
"The Dead Sea Scrolls have revolutionized the study of the Bible, early Judaism, and early Christianity." (Dead Sea Scrolls, Michael Wise, 1996) Here are some facts about their discovery and publication taken from, Dead Sea Scrolls, Michael Wise.
Dead Sea Scroll Facts
1. 100
BC The vast majority of scrolls
were written in first century BC.
2. 1947 AD The first scrolls were found in the
Judean desert.
3. 1948 The first scrolls were published.
4. 1947-1956 Eleven caves with scrolls were discovered.
5. 1947-1956 There were 15,000 fragments found in cave
four alone.
6. 1948 The jurisdiction at this time was
the government of Jordan.
7. 1950-1977 The "official team" of a small
number of scholars published six
volumes
of scrolls during this time period; less than half of the total
volume.
8. 1977-1991 The "Official team" refuses to
release the scrolls for public study.
This is
called "the scandal of the century" by prominent scholar Geza
Vermes.
9. 1991 Zion
Wacholder reconstructs scrolls from a detailed concordex using
a desktop computer.
10. 1991 Legal action was threatened against
the monopoly
11. 1991 Emanuel Tov, the new editor-in-chief announced the free and
unconditional access to all
photographs of Dead Sea Scrolls.
Whenever there is such flagrant abuse and secrecy, one must suspect the worst. Perhaps someday we will know the true history of the scrolls as it transpired in the first fifty years after their discovery.
Let’s start by examining the most important Dead Sea Scroll, 11Q13, first. This scroll establishes Melchizedek as a "Lord" in the Old Testament. The other "Lord" in the Old Testament is God of course. With one sentence this document establishes: Melchizedek as Lord of the Old Testament and coming Messiah, confirms the truth and validity of The Urantia Book, and validates the Teacher of Righteousness as a true prophet of God. As a true prophet, the Teacher deserves to have all of his words carefully scrutinized.
In the following discussion of 11Q13, The Coming of Melchizedek, verses of scripture are quoted and then commented on by the Teacher of Righteousness, the Leader of the Qumran.Community.
11Q13 The Coming of
Melchizedek
In
this year of jubilee, each of you shall return to his property. (Lev
25:13) And this is
the manner of release: every creditor shall release that
which he has lent to
his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor and
his brother, for
God’s release has been proclaimed. (Deuteronomy 15:2)
The Jubilee occurs every fiftieth year and its purpose, established by God, is to release all who have been enslaved financially or physically. It evens the playing field and closes the gaps that otherwise develop between the rich and the poor. (My comment)
Below, I have given the full quote of Isaiah that the Teacher of Righteousness is commenting on in the Dead Sea Scroll 11Q13.
Isaiah 61:1,2 The
spirit of the Lord God is upon me(Isaiah),
Because the Lord
has anointed me;
He has sent me
as a herald of joy to the humble,
To bind up the
wounded of heart,
To proclaim
release to the captives,
Liberation to
the imprisoned;
To proclaim a
year of the Lord's favor.
11Q13 It
will be proclaimed at the end of days concerning the captives.
Its
interpretation is that He (God) will assign them (the captives, People
of God) to the
Sons of Heaven and to the inheritance of Melchizedek;
for He (God)
will cast their (the captives’) lot amid the portions of
Melchizedek, who
will return them there (Canaan) and will
proclaim to them
liberty, forgiving them the wrong doings of
their
iniquities. (Interpretation of Isaiah 61:1 given by TR)
(Teacher of
Righteousness)
The Teacher of Righteousness quotes three passages of scripture (Leviticus 25:13, Deuteronomy 15:2, & Isaiah 61), which he feels are connected and then goes on to give his interpretation in the last paragraph above. Notice that the Teacher of Righteousness identifies "the Lord's favor" as Melchizedek's favor, thus substituting Melchizedek in place of Lord in the scripture passage given above in the King James translation of Isaiah 61. This substitution reverses the very error of using Lord to designate Melchizedek discussed in The Urantia Book . This mutual understanding between the Dead Sea Scrolls and The Urantia Book, corroborates The Urantia Book and also establishes the Teacher as a valid source of accurate prophetic information. In addition, since this verse of Isaiah is embedded in a messianic end of the age scriptural context, we can also deduce that Melchizedek is identified by the Teacher as the Messiah who comes at ages end in the Old Testament. More evidence that Melchizedek is the Messiah is presented just below, in the remaining analysis of 11Q13.
The Teacher tells us that these verses apply to the future, final end of the age when Melchizedek comes and literally releases the faithful (Christians and Jews) who are "being held captive" by the hostile leaders and nations of that time. Melchizedek frees them and reunites these remnants in Canaan, thus restoring a reunified "Israel." The Teacher continues:
11Q13 And
this thing (release of captives) will occur in the first week of the
Jubilee that
follows nine Jubilees. (TR). (my parentheses above).
A Jubilee is declared on every 50 th year, on Yom Kippur, which is ten days after the beginning of the Jewish New Year. This is the holiest day of the year and is also called the Day of Atonement – usually a somber day of repentance. Yom Kippur occurred this year on 9/20/99. I believe Melchizedek will return on or near Yom Kippur one of these years and will turn a day of mourning into a day of joy. (My comment.) The Teacher continues:
Teacher
of And the Day of Atonement is the end
of the tenth Jubilee, when
Righteousness all the Sons of Light
and the men of the lot of Melchizedek will
11Q13 be atoned for. And
a statue concerning them to provide them
(Captives/Sons of Light) with their rewards. For this is the moment
of the Year
of Grace for Melchizedek. And he will by his strength
judge the
holy ones of God, executing judgment as it is written
concerning
him in the Songs of David (Psalms) who said:
Elohim has taken his place in the divine
council; in the midst of the
Gods he holds
judgment. (Psalms 82:1)
Elohim is translated as God in our present Bible translations and this line becomes "God stands in the divine assembly; among the divine beings He pronounces judgment!" The Teacher of Righteousness translates Elohim, not as God, but as Melchizedek, giving us ‘Melchizedek has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the diving beings he holds judgment.’ This corresponds to Melchizedek’s presence on the Urantia advisory council (four and twenty counselors) located on Jerusem (UB 5l3). Again scripture and the Urantia Book cross-corroborate one another. We now return to 11Q13, The Coming of Melchizedek regarding the identity of Elohim. The psalmist appeals to "the Lord’s" sense of injustice:
11Q13
Rise, O Lord, in Your anger,
Assert Yourself
against the fury of my foes,
Best in Yourself on my behalf;
You have
ordained judgment.
Let the assembly
of peoples gather about You,
With You
enthroned above, on high. (Ps 7:7-8)
It was concerning him
(Melchizedek) that the above Psalm referred to.
(interpretation
by TR)
Again, we see Melchizedek identified as the Lord and Messiah in Psalm 7 by the Teacher of Righteousness. Melchizedek is the one who comes to rule the nations, the Messiah of Jewish expectation. The Teacher selects his next line of scripture:
11Q13 How
long will you (the Lord) judge unjustly and show
partiality to
the wicked? (Psalm 82:2)
It’s interpretation concerns Belial (devil) and the spirits of his lot
who
rebelled by
turning away from the precepts of God to…(missing text).
And Melchizedek
will avenge the vengeance of the judgments of
God…(missing
text). And he (Melchizedek) will drag them (captives)
from the hand of Belial and from the
hand of all the spirits of his lot. And
all the ‘Gods of Justice’ will come to his
aid to attend to the destruction of
Belial.
(interpretation by TR)
Here, it is made clear, Belial is the
ultimate force behind the leaders and nations who take God’s people captive in
the latter days. Most serve Belial/Caligastia unknowingly for promises of
wealth, power, and prestige. We literally 'sell our souls' to get what we think
we want most.
Belial is no
doubt Caligastia who is still "free to prosecute his nefarious
schemes" (UB 610). "The devil is none other than Caligastia" (UB
602). "Adam tried to warn the races against Caligastia, but the task was
made very difficult because his archenemy was invisible to the eyes of mortals…there
were those confused minds that leaned toward the Caligastia teaching of unbridled personal liberty…" (UB
833). The ‘gods of justice’ mentioned by the Teacher of Righteousness are
probably the Ancients of Days who "reserve power of decision on a mortal’s
extinction." (UB 210). "It is evident that Immanuel counseled Michael
(Christ) to remain aloof from the rebels and allow rebellion to pursue a natural course of self-obliteration (suicide)" (UB 617). "In the event of
rebellion of a system headquarters, a new sovereign is installed within a
comparatively short time, but not so on
the individual planets. …Successor
Planetary Princes are designated for isolated worlds,…but they do not assume
active ruler ship…until the results of the insurrection are partially overcome
and removed by partial remedial measures adopted by the Melchizedeks and
other ministering personalities."(UB 394). We are still in the period of
"partial remediation" under Melchizedek's "comprehensive plan
for rehabilitation of Urantia." The rebellion will end when Melchizedek
arrives and overcomes Caligastia at the time of harvest, depicted in Revelation:
Revelation 14:14 Then
I looked, and there was a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud
was what looked
like a son of man. With a crown of gold on his
head and a sharp
sickle in his hand.
Continuing on with the Teacher of Righteousness and his interpretations of scripture found in 11Q13 of the Dead Sea Scrolls, we find:
11Q13 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who
proclaims peace,
who brings good news, who proclaims salvation,
who says to
Zion: Your ELOHIM reigns. (Isaiah 52:7)
It’s interpretation; the mountains are the prophets (Old Testament)
…and the messenger
is the Anointed one of the spirit concerning whom
Daniel said,
Until an anointed one, a prince…(missing text). (Daniel 9:25)
(TR, Teacher of
Righteousness)
To comfort all who mourn, to grant to those who mourn in Zion.
(Isaiah 61:2)
Its interpretation, to make them
understand all the ages of time…
In truth…(missing
text) will turn away from Belial…by the judgments
of God, as it is
written concerning him, who says to Zion; your
Elohim reigns.
Zion is…, those who uphold the Covenant, who
turn from
walking in the way of the people. And your Elohim is
Melchizedek, who
will save them (those who uphold the
Covenant) from
the hand of Belial.(TR)
(End 11Q13) As for
that which He said, "Then you shall send abroad the trumpet
in all the
land." (Leviticus 25:9)
The Teacher of
Righteousness tells us in his interpretation of Isaiah 52:7 that the final
prophet is a "messenger" who stands on top of the mountains, the
Prophets, by interpreting "all that they wrote," and who then
proclaims "Your Elohim reigns." By reading between the lines one can
also infer that the messenger, or final prophet makes them (the elect)
understand all the ages of time in some way. The final prophet is an
"anointed one" whom God has put his spirit upon. "Behold my servant…I have put My spirit
upon him" (Isaiah 42:1). Elohim means divine being and is identified as
Melchizedek by the Teacher. The Lord of
the Old Testament is Melchizedek (when not referring to God), and he is the one
who comes to deliver us at the end of the age.
The final prophet depends on the olden prophets to explain and interpret the events unfolding in the messianic age and to "make them (the elect) understand all the ages of time." The final prophet is also God’s servant of Isaiah who addresses the coastlands, and who "brings forth true religion (or the true way)" in Isaiah 42:10, which is the kingdom of heaven within. He is also the "Elijah to come before the end" of Malachi. The Urantia Book calls this prophet "another and greater John the Baptist." Why is he greater? Remember that Jesus said that "there had not been any one greater (man) than John the Baptist" but that anyone who entered the kingdom of heaven "was greater than John." This was true because John as a human being was unsurpassed. He was courageous, faithful, and steadfast, even in the face of death. But as a son of the living God, he had not yet entered the joyful and transcendent kingdom of heaven within. Therefore, greater means that the final prophet will have entered this kingdom of heaven within, which is the "true way" that he helps bring forth in Isaiah 42:1-4.
Next, consider the Teacher’s comment that "those who uphold the covenant (do God’s will), turn from walking in the way of the people." It may be necessary for those who follow God’s will, to separate themselves from the opinions, people, and possessions of our present culture to follow the truth on an isolated, lonely, and perhaps dangerous road. Family fault lines may sever; persecution, ridicule and danger could be ahead. Such painful and trying choices will act to establish our priorities and expose them to view. Choosing God’s will in the face of such trials will be the "flame of affliction," which will soften our mettle (metal) for the anvil of adversity and the hammer of mercy. And so we will count the cost and remember that this road is also called the ‘Sacred Way’, and that the ‘redeemed shall walk it.’ Consider further this road:
Isaiah 57:14
Build
up, build up a highway!
Clear a road!
Remove all
obstacles
From the road of My people
This "road" is referred to and described in many places and by many prophets in the OldTestament. God will be removing obstacles to its use by those who elect His will.
Isaiah 62:10 Pass
through, pass through the gates!
Clear the road for the people
Build up the
highway,
Remove the
rocks!
See, the Lord
has proclaimed
To the end of
the earth…
Your deliverer
is coming!
And they shall
be called "The Holy People,
The Redeemed of
the Lord"
The "people" are the remnant of "Israel," the people who love God and seek his guidance within and without. The road has rocks on it that need to be removed so that "the people" can proceed to Zion, where they will meet up with the Deliverer who is the World Messiah. "The Holy People" are probably the group referred to as the elect, elsewhere. This group is made up of those who "elect" to do God’s will in the trial period when many others abandon Him. There is both a physical road and a spiritual road or way. They are fused in Isaiah’s poetic imagery.
Isaiah 35:8 And
a highway shall appear there
Which shall be
called the Sacred Way…
But it shall be
for His people
No traveler, not
even fools, shall go astray…
But the redeemed
shall walk it;
And the ransomed
of the Lord return,
And come with
shouting to Zion.
The "ransomed" people of God are those who stand up for and do God’s will amidst the "powers and principalities" that rule during the trial period. Many of "His people" are persecuted, and possibly imprisoned. Thus, when the Messiah arrives he pays "ransom" to release these captives who then:
Isaiah 35:10 Come
with shouting to Zion,
Crowned with joy everlasting.
They shall attain
joy and gladness,
While sorrow and
sighing flee
Isaiah 42:16 I
will lead the blind
By a road they did not know.
Isaiah 43:19 I (God) am about to do something new…
Suddenly you shall perceive it;
I will make a road through the wilderness
And rivers in
the desert.
As we ponder this way, ‘this road’, the repeated decisions of a lifetime bring their weight to bear on the fulcrum of our will. What will we do? If we have been faithful before, we will be faithful again. The crown follows those who elect God’s will.
Isaiah 40:3 The
voice of him who cries in the wilderness, prepare
KJV the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway
for our God.
John the Baptist, took up this verse unto himself to prepare the people for the Lord Jesus’ arrival. "Another and greater John the Baptist" (UB 1866) the Final Prophet, will use this same verse to prepare the way for the Lord Melchizedek’s arrival. This highway in the desert is a literal road, the Sacred Way, that will be used by the remnants to travel to Canaan to be reunited by Melchizedek. The term God in Isaiah 40:3 is an error of designation by which Lord God is confused with Lord Jesus or Lord Melchizedek. Further about this road or highway:
Jeremiah 31:2 Set
thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine
KJV heart toward the
highway, even the way which thou wentest,
turn again, O
virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.
Jeremiah 31:2 describes "Lost" Israel as they leave Canaan and the Lord tells them to "set up waymarks", which are the stone altars called dolmens discussed in the chapter on Isaiah. Israel (The Lost Ten Tribes) told by the Lord that someday they will use these "waymarks" as markers on the highway (The Sacred Way) to "turn again" and return to "these thy cities" of Canaan. These are modern day Christians (The Lost Ten Tribes), the remnant of "Israel" that returns to Canaan for reunion with the Jewish remnant. This highway/road is one and the same as the "highway made straight in the desert" for Lord Melchizedek, and previously for, Lord Jesus. Consider further:
Isaiah 19:23 In
that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria,
KJV and the Assyrian
shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into
Assyria, and the
Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.
Here, Isaiah 19:23, we are told that there will be Egyptian and Assyrian remnants using this road as well. All who love and respect the true God will be gathered. To confirm this:
Isaiah 27:13
And
it shall come to pass that day, that the great trumpet shall
KJV be blown, and they
shall come which were ready to perish in the
land of Egypt,
and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at
Jerusalem.
"In that
day" and the blowing of the "great trumpet" indicate that these
verses apply to the messianic end of the age. Melchizedek is said to arrive at
the beginning of the tenth Jubilee, on the day of atonement, as discussed in
the last sentence of 11Q13; The Coming of
Melchizedek. There will be remnants
coming from many countries all over the world. Their commonality will be their
love and respect for God. Also note that both Egypt and modern Syria are slated
to be foremost among the countries who come against Modern Israel during the
near future. The leaders make the wars,
but the people may still be among the faithful.
But who will make this road; this Sacred Way?
Isaiah 43:19
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth;
KJV shall ye not know
it? I will even make a way in the
wilderness,
and rivers in
the desert.
God seems to make this road for His returning sons and daughters. He tells us:
Isaiah 43:5
Fear not, for I am with thee.
KJV
Isaiah 43:6 bring
my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of
KJV the earth.
Isaiah 43:7
even everyone who is called by my name.
KJV
Isaiah 43:13
Yea, before the day was, I am, and there is none that can
KJV deliver out of my
hand.
Isaiah 43:21
This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth
KJV my praise.
Having completed our study of 11Q13, we will now consider the Thanksgiving Psalms of the Dead Sea Scrolls, very likely, also written by the Teacher of Righteousness.
The Teacher of
Righteousness is the founder and leader of the Qumran community beginning
sometime around 196 BC. The Qumran community is the community that dwelled in
the Judean desert; who preserved, copied, and sometimes authored the scrolls
found by the Dead Sea. Through the Thanksgiving Hymns, the Teacher of
Righteousness tells us much about his deep convictions, personal history, and
intimate relationship with God. The
Teacher of Righteousness is God’s servant and is a precursor of the Final
Prophet to come who is also God’s servant, but of our time and age. As such,
much of what the Teacher of Righteousness says about his own experiences and
convictions may be mirrored in those of the Final Prophet. Therefore, as we
read the Thanksgiving Hymns, we are
looking into the hearts and minds of both of these servants; the one who has
been and the one who will be. Consider:
Hymn 2 I will bow down and implore Thy mercy
Thanksgiving on my sins and wicked
deeds,
Hymns For I have wallowed in
uncleanness
and have turned
aside from the council of Thy truth…
Preserve Thy servant, O God, lest he sin against Thee,
or stagger aside
from any word of Thy will.
Strengthen the
loins of Thy servant…
that he may walk
in all that Thou lovest…
Having received forgiveness and love from God’s personal hand, the servant, the Teacher of Righteousness, devotes himself to the totality of God’s will and tells us:
Hymn 4 The
closer I approach (God),
Thanksgiving the more I am filled with
zeal
Hymns against all the
workers of iniquity
and the men of
deceit.
For none of
those who approach Thee
rebels against
Thy command,
Nor do any of those who know Thee
alter Thy words…
The Teacher of Righteousness divides people into those who know God and those who do not. Anyone who knows God, will as a result, also love God and His way. God’s "commands" are the "commands" of righteousness and love. Next the Teacher tells God:
Hymn 5 Thou
hast favored me, Thy servant,
Thanksgiving with a spirit of
knowledge,
Hymns that I may choose
truth and goodness
and I have loved
Thee freely
and with all my
heart…
God has anointed His servant, the Teacher of Righteousness, with His spirit and as a result he is able to understand and penetrate the mysteries of the Holy Scriptures, as well as understand the very heart of man. (Dotted lines in this subsection are breaks in the text, not missing original text as elsewhere.)
Hymn 22 For
Thou hast made known to me the counsel of Thy truth
and has taught
me Thy marvelous mysteries…
and by the
spirit which Thou hast given me…
Thou hast opened
knowledge to me…
and Thou hast
shed Thy Holy Spirit over dust…
to bring him
into the company of the ‘gods’
and unite them
(dust and ashes) with the Sons of Heaven.
The Teacher of Righteousness, in the last few stanzas is amazed at how God transmutes dust into spirit, the ultimate miracle of the universe of time and space. Surely, such knowledge was revealed by a bonafide and powerful experience with God. In beautiful verse, reminiscent of the beatitudes, the Teacher of Righteousness conceives of himself as:
Hymn 24 A
messenger in the season of Thy goodness,
that to the
humble he might bring
glad tidings of Thy great Mercy,
proclaiming
salvation from out of the fountain of holiness…
to the contrite
spirit, and everlasting joy to those who mourn.
The Teacher of Righteousness knows the futility of "man’s way" from his own experience of sinfulness and error.
Hymn 12 The way of man is not established
Thanksgiving except by the spirit which God created for him
Hymns
to make a perfect way for the children of men.
With such words, the Teacher of Righteousness reveals a personal understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven within, the new covenant of God and man. The Teacher of Righteousness has learned to abandon himself completely to the Will of God, through the leading of the spirit within. This verse (Hymn 12) could also be considered the first critique of secular humanism (discussed elsewhere).
Hymn 15 I
have not relied upon the works of my hands
to raise up my
heart
Nor have I sought refuge
in my own
strength.
I have no
fleshly refuge,
and Thy servant
has no righteous deeds…
But I lean on
the abundance of Thy mercies
and hope for the
greatness of Thy grace
Like all other prophets of God, the Teacher of Righteousness experienced ridicule, persecution, and wrath from the hand of man for telling them the truth about themselves and their world.
Hymn 13 The
wicked and fierce have stormed against me…
Hymn 14
All who have eaten my
bread
have lifted
their heel against me…
have mocked me
with their lips.
The Teacher of Righteousness suffers greatly from spiritual, emotional, as well as physical causes. His closest friends and family have rejected him.
Hymn 13
For
Thou, God, didst widen my heart
but they straighten it with affliction
I eat the bread of wailing
and drink incessant tears
Sorrow encompasses me.
Ignominy covers my face…
causing my spirit to stagger
and my strength to fail
Hymn 18
Behold, I am carried away with the sick;
I am acquainted
with scourges…
my heart laments within me
my soul
languishes day and night without rest
In modern terminology, Hymn 18 could be a description of severe depression, which is often associated with sleeplessness so that "the soul languishes day and night without rest" and where the ‘heart laments within.’ Perhaps the Teacher did, and/or the Final Prophet will; suffer from severe depression. And now, the Teacher describes physical suffering as well.
Hymn 18 My
arm is torn from its socket…
My foot is held
by fetters…
My arms and legs
are bound by shackles…
I have no word
for my disciples
to revive the
spirit of those who stumble
and to speak
words of support to the weary.
The last stanza above causes one to think of John the Baptist, imprisoned and chained in the dungeon waiting for death. However, this is written a hundred years before John’s time and John the Baptist was not a literary prophet as far as we know. Teacher of Righteousness is probably .not John the Baptist, but he plays a similar "character type" (a Teacher of Righteousness) as does John the Baptist. Similar "character types" recur repeatedly over the cycles of human events. The good have, until now, always gone down before evil. The evil has always occupied worldly power and has always prevailed in every age. It was probably a very predictable event, that the Son of Man would be crucified in short order (three years of public teaching). And so, prophet after prophet has gone down throughout the ages.
The Teacher of Righteousness interpreted Old Testament scripture in a unique way. He read a large part of scripture as revealing the events of the messianic latter days. Previously, the Psalms were not commonly thought to have reference to the messianic period, but the Teacher of Righteousness uses the Psalms as one of his most frequently quoted sources. This is now easy to understand for us, because The Urantia Book tells us about the close relationship between Melchizedek and the psalms writers (see chapter 1). The Teacher of Righteousness switches "Melchizedek" for "Lord" in certain passages of the Old Testament demonstrating that he was aware of the Melchizedek legacy (as told in the Urantia Book) at a time when it had been lost to view otherwise. The Teacher also specifically prophesied the personality and mission of the Son of Man. His revelatory experience was accurate and valid. His only mistake was the timing of the messianic period, which he felt was shortly forthcoming. However, this is always the error of the prophet, he does not always know the time in which his prophesies will be fulfilled. Nevertheless, the information about the messianic time period in the Dead Sea Scrolls is still valid and finds its context, I believe, in the upcoming events of today’s world. Thus, it is no coincidence that this archive of knowledge is just now laid open before us. God’s plan for us is right on track, just as we should expect. He is revealing his plan to us in a strategic way.
The Thanksgiving Psalms are among the most beautiful ever to have been penned. The Teacher of Righteousness will one day take his place in history as a prophet of the greatest degree. His writing will inspire the human race for ages to come, and his prophecy will take its place in the foundation of God’s Kingdom to come.
In addition, the Teacher of Righteousness is a perfect example of a "suffering servant" in the tradition of Isaiah’s servant songs. In general, all human beings who serve God are "suffering servants" by the nature of the world in which we happen to live (‘rebellion’ seared and isolated as per the Urantia Book). To follow God's way is also to experience the friction generated by contact with man's way. There will come a day when we will all be focusing God’s being into the inner unfolding of our lives. But for now, a short while longer, all such servants of God will suffer. In addition to the general attributes of all servants, prophetic scripture refers to specific suffering servants as well, among whom the Son of Man is foremost. Since all of the previous prophets have been "suffering servants" it is likely that the messianic prophet to come will also be. It should also be noted that in addition to Isaiah, the Psalms are a great store of information regarding "servants" as they are flooded with references to such. We now proceed to the interpretation of psalms found within the Dead Sea Scrolls. The following are excerpts from Dead Sea Scrolls, Geza Vermes.
Biblical Psalms Commentary, Dead Sea Scrolls
"be not
heated against the successful, the man who achieves his plans."
(Psalms 37:7a)
Its interpretation concerns the Liar who has lead astray many
by his lying words so that they choose
frivolously and heeded not
the interpreter
of knowledge in order to…(missing text). They shall
perish by the
sword and famine and plague.
(TR, Teacher
of Righteousness)
The Liar is a specific figure in the times of the Teacher of Righteousness. The Liar is also a general character type that has shown up in all the ends of previous ages. No doubt, the personification of deceit, the Liar, will be part of this messianic time period as well. War (the Sword), famine, plague, and drought also have ended previous ages and they will undoubtedly again. The interpreter of knowledge mentioned by the Teacher of Righteousness is the end of the age, messianic prophet, also called the interpreter of the law elsewhere in the scrolls.
"Don’t be angry; it tends to evil, for the wicked shall be cut
off."
(Psalm 37:9) 4Q171
Interpreted, all those who are stubborn in turning away from their
iniquity shall be cut off. (TR)
Only a very small percent of the overall
population has anything to do with iniquity, which is repeated, knowing,
and willful disobedience to God’s laws and will. Unfortunately, the handful
that do, are extremely powerful and are steering the world toward conflict and
disaster. Their actions contain within them the very seeds of their own
destruction, but they proceed nevertheless, like moths to flame. Prophecy tells
us that they will kill (cut off) one another as they are struck by their own
arrows. Unfortunately, a mass of people
will follow their leaders – no matter where they lead.
"But those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land."
(Psalms 37:96) 4Q171
Interpreted,
this is the congregation of the elect who
do His will.(TR)
The "elect," elect God’s will over their own. (My comment)
Ephraim, America
"The wicked draw the sword and bend their bow to bring down the
poor and needy
and to slay the upright of way. Their sword shall enter
their own heart
and their bows shall be broken." (Ps 37:45-15)
Interpreted, this concerns the wicked
of Ephraim and Manasseh,
who shall seek
to lay hands on the Priest (Final Prophet) and the
men of his
council (the elect) at the time of trial that will come
upon them. But
God will redeem them from out of their hand.
And afterwards,
they (the wicked of Ephraim and Manasseh)
shall be
delivered into the hand of the violent among the
nations for
judgment. (TR) 4Q171
The people who will go the most wrong in the messianic time period upcoming are the same people who went the most wrong in ancient times as well; i.e. the Northern Tribes, who are Israel, who in turn are the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, foremost among the Ten Northern Tribes. The Northern Tribes then become the Lost Ten Tribes who migrate to northern and western Europe, and then later to America, surfacing today after 2000 years as Christians, some of whom occupy the equivalent to the "promised land" of yesterday-- America. Ephraim is very probably America today and Manasseh is very probably Great Britain. The "wicked of Ephraim and Manasseh" are the leaders and power elite of these two countries.
American is
Ephraim because the Lost Ten Tribes first settled in Northern and Western
Europe, from there the Lost Ten Tribes later settled America. The bravest, most
courageous, most freedom loving and most religious of Europe settled America.
The "cream of the crop" of the entire world moved west. America is directly related to Ephraim of
ancient Israel. Both America and ancient Northern Israel started out on the
right tract with the love and blessings of God. When both their wealth grew,
both abandoned God and went chasing after the false gods of money, sex, and
power. Both had leaderships that led the people (the majority) far away from
the sustenance of truth. Deceit, lawlessness and decay beset Israel and beset
us today. Israel’s prophets arose and were ignored even as they were killed and
imprisoned. America, like Israel, will ignore her prophets as well. The outcome
will be the same, making for a precise repeat of history. The beginning is like the end. America, like the Northern Tribes,
is blessed with fruitfulness, bounty, and God’s grace. Both became proud and
defiant, lawless and licentious, arrogant and capricious. Both become blind,
deaf, and dumb to the events around them that ultimately swallow them up. Not only
is America Ephraim by heredity, but America is also Ephraim by history. It is from America and Great Britain that
the most destructive leaders of Christendom will come and they will be the ones
who lead the persecution of the elect. They are, and will be, "the
wicked of Ephraim and Manasseh" of Dead Sea Scroll prophecy.
The "Priest" referred to in this passage is another name used by the Teacher of Righteousness to designate the messianic prophet, who is usually called the ‘interpreter of the law.’ The Teacher of Righteousness sees the future messianic prophet as the completion of what he himself has become. One is a forerunner of the other. The Teacher of Righteousness, like the messianic prophet, ‘interprets’ prophecy that already exists. Neither are recipients of new visions of things to come. Both the Teacher and the messianic prophet are gatherers of congregations of the elect; both are led from within through God’s indwelling spirit. Both are persecuted by "the wicked of Ephraim." Although not stated, perhaps both suffer physically and emotionally in similar ways. Perhaps both are imprisoned. Perhaps both confront iniquity boldly. Many of these characteristics also apply to John the Baptist as well, excepting only the role as prophetic interpreter. John the Baptist was a "Teacher of Righteousness" character type for his time. We are told in the Urantia Book that "sooner or later another and greater John the Baptist" will arrive, thus confirming this model of "character types" repeated through the ages. The Final Prophet will be like both John the Baptist and like the Teacher of Righteousness. The messianic age is a consummation and completion of the precursors expressed earlier in history. The number seven symbolizes this completion and is found frequently throughout the text of "Revelation."
Next in the Commentary on Psalms section of Geza Vermes' Dead Sea Scrolls we have Psalm 37:
"And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied, but the wicked
shall perish." (Psalms 37:19) 4Q171
Interpreted, this means that He will keep them (the elect) alive
during famine
and the time of humiliation, whereas many
(others) will
suffer from famine and plague, all those who have
not departed
from there to be with the Congregation of His elect.
(TR, Teacher of
Righteousness) (my parentheses)
Hard times will come and those that know and understand, the elect, will try to lead everyone to safety but many, and probably most, will not follow. Notice that the congregation of the elect depart from somewhere, possibly from America the home of Ephraim and the elect. God is actively leading and protecting the elect throughout this trial period, just as he did once before when He led Israel out from Egypt to Canaan. The end is like the beginning.
"Vain is it for you to rise up early and lie down late. You shall
eat
the bread of
toil; he shall feed those who love them
in their sleep."
(Psalm 127:2) 4Q173
Its interpretation is that they (elect) shall seek…(missing text)
Teacher of Righteousness…priest at the end of
the age…
The quote just above clearly demonstrates that the Teacher of Righteousness is referring to the future (shall), the end of the messianic age, and not his own time. He refers to the messianic prophet again as "the priest" and also as the Teacher of Righteousness, his own title. The Teacher is fully aware that he is a precursor to a latter ‘interpreter of the law’ of the messianic age.
Before leaving
the study of the Psalms and the Final Prophet, I would like to present to you a
deeply penetrating portrait of the Final Prophet as revealed in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Biblical Psalms. This portrait is given to us by
Bobby Rich, Eliyahu (Elijah) – Online
Prophet: website, www.panola.com/users/brich.
The following quote is verbatim from pages 42 through 46 of a 62-page text about a variety of prophecy subjects. The "Online Prophet", Bobby Rich identifies the Teacher of Righteousness of the Dead Sea Scrolls as John the Baptist. With this and a few other interpretations I would disagree, but for the most part I find this portrayal of the Final Prophet completely convincing. Remember, even the prophetic passages about Jesus were a "mixed bag," with some information specific to him and other information not specific to him. We shouldn’t perhaps, therefore expect a 100% match with the Final Prophet. Also note that not all of the following piece, Final Prophet, by the Online Prophet is taken from the Psalms themselves. Much of the information about the Final Prophet below is taken from the Thanksgiving Hymns by the Teacher of Righteousness of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In my opinion, some of the information in the Thanksgiving Hymns specifically reflects the life of the Teacher of Righteousness of Qumran, rather than the life-to-come of the Final Prophet. However, the lives and thoughts of the two prophets may be so similar that there may be a lot of overlap of the attributes of one to the other. With these qualifying remarks we can now begin. (The italics and bold text stylings are my own.)
The third individual identified in the Thanksgiving Hymns is the latter
"Elijah"
yet to be manifested, and will be considered in the next chapter.
This
"Elijah" come alive is derived from the book of Malachi and the New
Testament gospels. A
specific promise is made by God that He will send
ELIJAH the Prophet
before the GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE
LORD to reveal and
restore all things. Some expected an actual
resurrection of
Elijah but Jesus made it plain that John the Baptist was the
symbolic ELIJAH (Matthew
11:11-14) of his time and that YET ANOTHER
was to come later
(Mattthew 17:10-13) preceding the yet future DAY OF THE
LORD. So much hinges
on the ELIJAH to come that some Jewish believers
have a chair reserved
for this individual. At least one Karaite priest
recognized the
"Teacher of Righteousness" of Qumran as being the former
Baptist. This Karaite
was correct! (Bobby Rich, Online Prophet)
The prophet Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den. The people and the
rulers wanted to kill
Jeremiah and he was placed in a dungeon like a slime
pit where he sunk
into the mire. Isaiah may have been sawn apart alive.
John the Baptist’s
head was served up on a platter. Elijah was forced into
exile with Ahab and
Jezebel after his hide. Biblical
prophets are not
always the epitome of
popularity. As the Scrolls describe the final
symbolic
"Elijah" prophet we see the same opposition exists to his
message, especially
among the "seekers after smooth things", who prefer
their own mental delusions
to the vision the prophet carries as given to
him by God. As with
Elijah this Final Prophet will also be forced into
exile from his land
and be hunted by those who wish to kill
him.
Perhaps this
"Elijah" will also have his "Ahab and Jezebel" to contend
with. The Scrolls explain that some will
understand and believe him and
his vision but some
will neither understand or believe him, and thereby
make a distinction between the wicked and the just. What sort
of
individual would the
average person expect the end of age prophet to be?
One might imagine him
to be a well known evangelist, a successful
businessman with church connections, a family man, pious
with an
unquestioned
reputation, with many loyal friends and family members
around him for
encouragement. One might also expect him to be
wise, witty, stable, and financially sound. It would help if
he were young,
charismatic, and
handsome in a rakish way with a lovely wife and several
well behaved
children. Perhaps he would be the son of a famous tycoon or
a war hero or a
respected Senator, or was the semi-retired owner of a fast
food chain and
involved in human rights or environmental issues. Most of
all perhaps – he
would be a SOMEBODY! Considering the Scrolls and
Psalms description this last prophet will be a disappointment
to many
people, being
VERY different than we might envision! In a nutshell he
appears to be a
"MAN OF CALAMITIES", of stumbling rather than
success. Instead of a
staunch family man and pillar of integrity we see in
this final prophet a
man BETRAYED by those who "eat his
bread" and
MALIGNED in gossip
with a resultant loss of reputation, ridiculed and
scorned, beset by serious illnesses, financially
unsuccessful, a victim of
schemers, being
scourged by God for unknown reasons. He has visited the
gates of death and
commonly experiences pain on an ongoing basis. He is
waiting in
bitterness, sorrow, and anger for God to redeem him – and
probably asking why!
Perhaps he feels like Job. This individual is even at
odds with the church group he had been connected with. Who
would ever
choose such an
unfortunate to be the last prophet? Perhaps only God!
Not likely any human
would have made this particular choice. We would
look for stability at the very least. But it appears God does not operate
like we do, because
He has chosen an individual that most of us
would likely consider
"a broken vessel" just as some of the Prophet’s
friends and family do
count him to be. The reader may be acquainted
with this very
prophet today! As you read briefly in the introduction,
this coming prophet
is beset by bad health and serious personal problems
and a variety of
trials. However as time advances a different aspect will
emerge because at some point God will begin to establish
and lift up
this prophet, and
the prophet’s situation makes a dramatic change.
Concerning the Last
Prophet’s end time vision the Scrolls indicate
God at
first keeps the
vision hidden and obscured. However, in the meantime
some have "borne the yoke" (made privy) to the mysteries of
the
vision and BECAUSE of
the vision have struck out against the
Prophet and hold him
in ridicule, perhaps his church group. We see
his message as not
well received by some! The attitude of these first to
know is addressed by
God who instructs them to "mend their ways". The
Scrolls make no bones
about the fact that the final prophet has been given
all understanding
concerning the Bible. As we look at the diversity of
beliefs and doctrines
among Christianity alone we can certainly see the
need for a "Plumb line" to set the
Biblical meaning straight. Everyone
simply cannot be correct regardless of
sincerity. The Scrolls also make it
clear that God will
not allow this prophet to be put down by others
forever because in due time God Himself will strengthen the
Prophet
and the mysteries he holds will no longer be hidden.
What if you met
a genuine prophet who
knew all of the mysteries and the prophecies of the
Bible because it was
given him from God? Would you ask him the name of
the beast or what
events would take place or some mystery of life you’ve
wondered about for
many years? Consider what you might ask or say
because we may indeed
meet this Last Prophet who is described in the
Dead Sea Scrolls by John the Baptist (Teacher of Righteousness) and
his
disciples of Qumran.
In addition to being called "Final Teacher of
Righteousness"
in the last days he is also described as the "fountain of
knowledge"
bringing rain for the thirsty. Bible students may easily equate
this prophet to the
"latter rain" of the book of Joel which the "teacher of
righteousness" corresponds.
As you will see, the vast majority of the
details for this
coming Prophet are provided by the Baptist (the Teacher of
Righteousness) in the Thanksgiving Hymns and for the most
part are
based on a specific
set of Biblical Psalms. Why no one has recognized
this before is not
clear but most Scrolls researchers assumed these verses
were made up by the
mind of the Teacher of Righteousness. The first and
major evidence of exactly which Psalms may be seen by an examination of
the Scrolls interpretations of Psalms 37 & 45:1. In these
commentaries
most of the verses
are identified as concerning the Teacher of
Righteousness and the
people of his council and his enemies. Upon
examination of the Psalms falling between 37 & 45 it is
clear the context
continues in 38, 39,
40, 41, 42, and 43. A close examination of the
Thanksgiving Hymns of Qumran reflect a heavy correspondence with
these very Psalms. The Scrolls introduces most subjects concerning the
final Prophet based
on this specific set of Psalms but
expands upon them
and adds other
details not found in the Psalms.
There are several portions which are inspired from Psalms 35 and 88 and
an examination of Psalms 35 & 88 show them to be very
similar to Psalm
38. Psalms 44, the remainder of 45 & 88
are two of the "Sons of Korah"
Psalms which we will discuss in more detail later. Therefore it is
rational
to state that the
biblical Psalms which pertain to the
coming prophet are
35, 37, 38, 39, 40,
41, 42, 43, and 88 and that some of
these verses will
also apply to the
elect of God in the Last Days, according to the Dead
Sea Scrolls. Just
as all details provided in the Scrolls are
not found in the
Psalms, some details are provided in the Biblical set of Psalms which are
not found in the Scrolls. An example is the repeated
admonition in Psalm
37 "not
to fret" indicating the prophet has a particular problem with
fretting or anger
over injustices done against him. This does not seem to be
in the Scrolls texts restored to date. Also we
find in Psalm 37:25 a
statement which
implies the prophet lives in a land
where food is
plentiful and
easy to obtain. A reverse example found in the Scrolls is
that God has caused
the prophet to "dwell with the many
fishers-and
with the
hunters-" which connotes residence near waters for fishing and
woods for hunting.
The writer finds no counterpart for this in the above
mentioned Biblical Psalms. No doubt more Scrolls information will come
to light, whether not
yet reconstructed or not yet released for public use.
The Habakkuk and Nahum pesherim and other texts contain information
concerning the Prophet
and the people who listen to him, especially what
appear to be later attacks and persecutions from the Wicked
Priest and
men of Ephraim and
Manasseh. The name "Amon" (or "No-Amon") is
equated to Manasseh
(the United States/Bobby Rich) in the book of
Nahum. Fittingly
No-Amon was the principle city of Egypt in its day.
John the Baptist and the Last Prophet
consider themselves (and all
people) to be "a
lump of clay kneaded with a little water." The final
prophet makes it
clear he has no strength, wealth, or earthly refuge
and is totally
dependent upon God for support, protection and
inspiration. He is
chronically ill and has been at death’s door at
some point. A
distinction is made between those who will be AGAINST
the final prophet and
those WHO BELIEVE AND HEED the final
Prophet. A Scrolls comment on Haakkukb 1:5 reads: this
concerns the end of
days. They and the men of violence and the
breakers of the covenant
will not believe when
they hear all that is to happen to the final
generation from the
priest in whose heart God established
understanding that he
might interpret all the words of His servants
the Prophets, through
whom He foretold all that would happen to His
people and the
land…" The wicked and the unfaithful are most often
described as
"seekers after smooth things" (likely from Isaiah 30:10) who
prefer smooth easy
illusions to the real truth of the Bible. This writer
recently heard a minister state in a sermon that Jesus did not
really mean
He was going to come
back with a rod of iron as the Bible says. The
Scrolls commentary on the book of Habakkuk introduces this book as
concerning the final generation at the end of days
and identifies the
Chaldeans (Babylonians) of Habakkuk 1:6 as the "Kittim (power
block)-quick
and valiant in
war-causing many to perish-all the world will fall under the
rule of the
Kittim". This is the FIRST of the 3 Kittims-Kittim Babylon.
This certainly sounds like the world ruling Beast Power often mentioned
by prophecy writers
and later verses serve to affirm the identity. Then of
Habakkuk 2:1-2: --"he
who reads it may read it speedily" [as concerning the
Teacher of
Righteousness to whom God made known all the mysteries of
the words of His
servants the Prophets]…". There is
a delay spoken of
in this commentary
which apparently involves the "waiting" of the
prophet and
uncovering of the vision, but there is no indication how far
the delay has progressed,
except the obvious fact that the delay is over
when the Last Prophet
becomes public. Certain of the descriptive
verses from the
Thanksgiving Hymns concerning this Final Prophet
(Teacher of
Righteousness) are presented along with the numbers of verses
they correspond with
in the particular Psalms: Scrolls Verses
Corresponding
Biblical Psalms (Physical circumstances)
(Vs Nr.]
Until I’m old-until
old age 37:25 [Psalm 37:25 states he is old and some
Scrolls texts on –age
rules for positions suggest he would be between 50-
60 years of age] Dim
eyesight from waiting 38:10 Lives among woods
and waters/fishers and hunters Poor health,
pain, chronic loss of strength-
heart fails 38:3-8,
40:12 My soul has journeyed to the gates of death- 88:3
God has not placed my
support in gain-no fleshly refuge- 40:17
(the Prophet’s opponents) All who have eaten
my bread have lifted their
heel against me- 41:9
Opponents hate wrongfully and render evil for
good- 38:19-20 By their
affliction bitterness-sorrow-ignominy 42:5, 43:5
You (God) widened my
heart- they narrow my heart with affliction- 39:3
object of a
treacherous tongue- 41:7 Sin, ill repute, scorn, mockery, and
byword to traitors-
40:15 Mighty men encircle me-with weapons of war
38:19, 40:12 wicked
plots against the just-gnashes teeth 37:12 Those who
do not esteem me hate
and despise me- 41:10 My enemies hate, speak
evil and devise my hurt- seek my life 42:10, 37:14 Object
of devilish
schemes-snares- seek
my destruction- 38:12
[Friends and companions] Murmuring and protest, dispute and
quarreling- 42:10 Friends
and brethren driven far from me- think me a
broken vessel
38:11 [Concerning Religion] Devilish
scheme to exchange law in my
heart for smooth
things- 37:7 Folly concerning their feast days- 42:4
(Psalm 2:4 states he
used to go with the multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
This may imply he
once kept the seven Levitical old testament holy days
but no longer does,
because if these were not Biblical they would be called
sin rather than
folly. Considering this, he may be found among one of the
Christian groups
which still keep the Levitical holy days today). The
vision is not sure,
despise, no esteem-say lying prophets 42:10 The
foolish shall not know my steps proceed from You
(God)-rage-byword
37:23 [The Prophet] I’ve stood in realm of ungodliness- my lot
was
with the damned-
You have purified me of many sins- 39:8 I am
forsaken-42:9, 43:2
You (God) did these things- 39:9 You will save me for
my steps proceed from
you 37:31 I am not forsaken- 43:5 Apart from
their assembly I will
bless Your name- I will announce to the assembly of
the simple (elect)
the judgments by which I was scourged and to the sons
of man your wonders
by which You show yourself mighty in the
"assembly of the
simple" (connotes the elect while the "great assembly"
and "sons of
man" used elsewhere means all people of the earth-author).
You have enlightened me from my youth- 39:9, 40:10 Hymns of praise in
my mouth- 40:3 (Ps 40:3 states this prophet will compose a
new song
which many will, see
and believe). Those who listen to him
and believe
are called "of
my council or of my covenant" and he states of this
group: simple-steadfastness to the anxious of
heart- counsel of truth
and understanding to
the upright- a banner to the elect of
righteousness and a
discerning interpreter of wonderful mysteries to
those who practice truth and test those who love
corrections, man of
peace to those who
see truth-a fountain of knowledge to men of
insight…".
[of the Prophet’s Exile] The
poor one was carried away in the midst of
great
tribulation-(1QH).’ They have banished me from my land like a bird
from it’s nest-
(1QH). [There is mention in the book of Ezekiel (chapter
24, verses 26 &
27) of a "fugitive" who declares certain news. This is a
curious chapter which
seems to have certain parallels with this prophet.
Also there is a verse in 2 Thesselonians 2:3-8 which mentions someone being
taken
away in connection
with the naming/uncovering of "the
man of sin"
usually thought
to be the Beast leader. Interesting enough the Scrolls
Habakkuk and Psalms
127 commentary definitely speaks of pursuit
of and
searching for this Prophet.
[Of Death?]
Shaking and trembling seize me-all my bones are broken
(This latter must
refer to the later death of the prophet since the verses do
not concern Christ
and John the Baptist who are the only other two
individuals in the
hymns writings) [God establishes the Prophet] Freed
from my calamities-
37:17 Strengthen my loins, healing-restoring my
power- 41:3 Rise
against my despisers- my hand against my deriders-
41:10 You will lift
my horn and condemn those who assail me- 41:11 I
will be a shame and
disgrace to murmurers-40:14 You will destroy men of
lies-seers of error- 36:12, 37:20 Spirit of zeal & sin to those who seek
smooth things-
Saved from devilish schemes- 41:1-2 [of opponents] Their
net has taken their
foot-snares catch them- 37:15 Your rebuke (God’s) shall
become my joy and
gladness- 37:4 Space to my narrowed soul- My
stumbling shall
become everlasting might- 37:22 Scorn of my enemies shall
become a crown of
glory- Your safeguarding peace delivers my soul- 37:11
Online A few items derived solely
from the set of Biblical Psalms follow: Mute
Prophet in presence of wicked-38:13-4, 39:9 He shall bring forth your
righteousness as the
light, and your justice as the noonday- 37:6 "-I will
restrain my mouth
with a muzzle while the wicked are before me-my heart
was hot-fire
burned-" 39:1-3 –my ears You have opened-Then I said
‘Behold, I come; in
the scroll of the book it is written of me, I delight to do
Your will O my God,
and Your law is within my heart’. 40:6-8
Online Prophet
As
we read of this latter day prophet and see the trials and apparent
injustice he faces we might wonder why would God
subject him to this
scourge? He has
sinned, but is counted forgiven. As a human he continues
to sin but so do we
all according to the New Testament. It is interesting
that we find this
person asking the very same question over and over,
especially in Psalms
42. No doubt he is trying to please God, but keeps
asking "Why all
these woes. Why am I being thrown down?" There is no
doubt from the
Scrolls and the Psalms that God Himself is doing This!
Perhaps he is asking not only why but also asking God what answer can
he provide if people
say "Is this the way God treats those who follow
Him?" In order
to comprehend WHY we need to go back in time perhaps
three thousand years
and look at the examples of a few Biblical prophets:
God required Isaiah
to go about BARE FOOT AND NAKED for 3 years,
Hosea to marry a
harlot to bear children, Ezekiel to lay on one side 390
days and the other 40
days, and others to do certain things to
DEMONSTRATE the point
God was preparing to make. You might say
God was using VISUAL
AIDS to insure peoples attention. Keeping these
demonstrations in
mind, we find that once again the Scrolls commentary on
Psalms 37 (and other
texts) provides the answer to this puzzle. In the
explanation of Psalms
37:14-15 the following is read: attempt to lay hands
on the priest and the
men of his council at the time of trial which shall
come upon them"…Upon them we see, not just the prophet
but also on
the believers. Therefore the faithful people of God will
face similar
trials to those of
the prophet! (God makes it easier for them by
having His prophet go through various trials before
them, leading
the way, Bobby Rich).
In the past God afflicted and utilized prophets in
unusual circumstances
to show humanity what was to befall them. The
Scrolls indicate the
trials of this prophet are only a mirror of trials
the elect of God may
also experience to some extent. The betray part
also helps to explain
some of the verses from Jesus which indicates coming
divisions even within
the family unit which refer back to Micah chapter
seven. Perhaps also
we can better begin to understand the life/death
decisions Christ
speaks of often. The Scrolls and these
Psalms
certainly do not
paint a "smooth" picture for those who would follow
God. (Bobby Rich,
Online Prophet)
Online From
the way the story is unfolding the Prophet may well be among us
Prophet today and may soon be
manifested. Why does God choose one or another
for a particular job?
We are informed in the Scrolls: You (God) will
establish whomsoever
You choose"… (1QH).
As
Jesus was about to be betrayed by Judas Iscariot the Lord gave him a
sop of bread and
quoted Psalms 41:9b-"the one eating my bread has lifted his
heel against
me". This is a very familiar verse to all Christians the world
over. Those who
carefully studied Psalms 41 however soon realized this
Psalm was not
speaking of Jesus at all. By part of this verse and His own
authority Jesus
predicted His betrayal, though even the first "trusted" part
could not have
applied to Him. We find another instance on one of these
Psalms being applied
to Jesus in Hebrews 10 beginning in verse 5 (quoting
Psalms 40:6-8):
"sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you
prepared for me-Then
I said ‘here I am-it is written about me in the scroll-I
have come to do your
will O God-’ (NIV). The portion which reads "a
body you have
prepared for me" is derived from the Septuagint and this
is the text used in
Hebrews. However in most Biblical Psalms the
Masoretic (Hebrew) is
used and it reads, "my ears you have pierced
(opened)", which is quoted in the
scrolls pertaining to the final Prophet.
The verse certainly
seems to be speaking of the Prophet and the Scrolls
while the slightly
different version applied only to Christ. The personal
betrayal of the Last
Prophet might be connected to the estrangement of
friends and loved
ones if the betrayal involves a marital dispute. Friends
and relatives become
very uncomfortable around those involved in serious
domestic disputes or
divorce. "Eaten my bread" seems to connote those
who have lived in his
household rather than someone who shared a picnic
lunch. There is also a time when the Prophet will
be on trial but God
will not allow the
prophet to be convicted. There is no evidence this
betrayal is to the
death as it was for Christ. One or several of these
identifying clues might
well be applied to a wide number of people but as
each is added on the
odds diminish. With these Dead Sea
Scrolls painting
a veritable
"portrait" of the final Prophet it
will be pretty difficult for a
phony "Elijah" prophet to impersonate the real one
even if the Creator
would allow
it. (Online Prophet, Bobby Rich)
One portion of
this portrait of the Final Prophet is taken directly from the Psalms, which
were inspired directly by Melchizedek 4000 years ago, at which time he already
knew the future history of "Israel." Another portion is taken from
the Thanksgiving Hymns written by the Teacher of Righteousness of the Dead Sea Scrolls. A large amount of Old Testament prophecy is concerned with the
messianic, end of the age scenario, at a time today, when prophecy is nearly
forgotten and largely ignored. Ironically, this ignorance occurs at the very
time of its relevance.
The physical traits and the education of the Final Prophet are described in the Dead Sea Scrolls and are discussed earlier in this book, in the chapter on Isaiah, near Isaiah 42. One of the major roles of the Dead Sea Scrolls is to convey this hidden information about the Final Prophet over thousands of years of time, until today when the day of its usefulness and relevance comes due.
I would now like to offer my own composite sketch of God’s servant, the Final Prophet that is based on a complete analysis of the information contained in the Biblical Psalms, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Prophets. Information from the Thanksgiving Psalms is not included here because it has been covered above and because it is not clear to me whether the Teacher of Righteousness intended his Thanksgiving Hymns as a prophesy of the final prophet to come or was speaking about himself, or both. Separating out this information we have:
God’s Servant, Final
Prophet
Names
.
Elijah to come (Malachi 3:23)
. another and Greater
John the Baptist (UB)
. interpreter of the
Law (DSC)
. the Priest (DSC)
. interpreter of
Knowledge (DSC)
. God’s servant
(Isaiah)
. dabela (mountain
goat, large horn) 1E