Kingdom Come

I understand that we are not all healthcare providers and can’t see some body parts without getting flustered, so giving fair warning that in the linked film clip there is a quick glimpse of some of the organ used to establish the universal attribution of manhood. “I will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall.” (I Kings 14:10). You can avoid seeing anything distasteful by closing your eyes when the rider gets off his horse and undoes his fly.

I do think this enactment does a great job of bringing the ancient ways to life.

Anyone who denies the need for a champion needs to take an unbiased look at the media, and an honest look at their own life.

• “Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud,
  • and abase him.
• Look on every one that is proud,
  • and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place…
• Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.” (Job 40:12-14)

Everyone is always calling on God himself to save them, but “God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2) gave dominion to humans. 

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.” (Psalm 115:16)

We don’t need to be religious or to read the Bible to recognize and identify with the concept of a champion, just one individual overcoming self-interest and fear of suffering and death in the struggle of good vs evil, willing to engage in combat with the enemy in a duel to the death – winner take all. Justice is served and peace is restored to all, even those who did not engage in the battle.

Think of David and Goliath.

As a giant capable of building megalithic structures, Goliath may have contributed to making the Philistine pentapolis the impregnable fortress nation that Israel could not overcome. The following photo of a gateway in Malta is just one of many surviving examples of the massive city gates found throughout the world in early history, similar to the gate which Sampson “set at nought” when he carried aways its doors.

“And there went out a champion – single fighter, winner take all – out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span [9 ft 6 in].

• And he had an helmet of brass upon his head,
• and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
• And he had greaves of brass upon his legs,
• and a target of brass between his shoulders.
• And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam;
• and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron:
• and one bearing a shield went before him.

And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants…

And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

Then said David to the Philistine…I come to thee [not with staves or metal armor but] in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God / Empowering Force of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; AND…the host of the Philistines…that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. AND all this assembly [including the faithless Israelites]…the battle is the LORD‘s.

Young David’s identification with the Singularity’s power over death demonstrates that trusting in YHVH’s Ordained Redeemer is not a new means of salvation that came into existence when Jesus Christ died on the cross.  

David understood that behind the physical manifestation of Goliath, he was engaged in a spiritual battle. He tapped into, identified himself with, became one with all the power of creation when he proclaimed “I come to thee in the name / likeness, characteristics, power of creation of the LORD / YHVH / I AM / Singularity.”

This is the same identification and empowerment of a law enforcement officer arresting someone “in the name of the law.” David understood that empowerment comes through the name of his God YHVH.

And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead [the only vulnerable part of his body], that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth…And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.” (II Samuel 17:4-51)

This account is exactly the same as the pagan account of Apollo guiding Paris’ arrow straight to the only vulnerable point on Achille’s body, his heel. The pagan Philistines, like their predecessor Greeks and Trojans, understood that the God of Israel was stronger than their god by the results of David’s action, not any preaching.

A myriad of spin-off Chosen Ones draws literary inspiration from the biblical prophesied child to come.  Notice how his birth is presented in the political context of war and peace.

“For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase / expansion of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.” (Isaiah 9:5-7)

This holds so much more meaning than a Christmas pageant’s tender scene.

Take another read of “the Philistines saw their champion…” and “unto us a child is born…”

Goliath was a giant, a hybrid creature. David was fully human. Only a kinsman, one who is of the same blood, can be the champion of his people.  

This is intrinsically understood sociologically. When the Israelite King Saul determined to assassinate his rival for the throne, David fled for safety to the Philistines, who he thought would welcome him as a mercenary soldier. Not so.

“And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?…David therefore departed thence..” (I Samuel 21-22)

“ye were…redeemed with…the precious blood of the Appointed One / Messiah / Christ…Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…” (I Peter 1:19-20)

“the gospel according to the power of God…his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus / YHVH’s Chosen Savior before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” (II Timothy 1:8-10)

Yeshua haMessiach has a unique messianic ministry of championing mankind by destroying death. This is possible only because he is fully human. Not a demigod or a spirit being.

For the life of the flesh is in the blood…It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17:11)

To some degree this is made evident by requiring the same blood type for a life-saving blood transfusion.

When a person loses lots of blood through accident or illness, it must be replaced. When transfusions from one person to another were tried, however, the result was very often disastrous. Karl Landsteiner discovered why: when different people’s blood was mixed, the red blood cells sometimes clumped. He explained in 1901 that people have different types of red blood cells, that is, there are different blood groups. The discovery led to safe blood transfusions between people with compatible blood groups.

This truism becomes the critical determining factor when choosing who to trust as your Savior – a human or an alien? This is seriously questioned by the world’s greatest scientists.

If extraterrestrials eventually arrive at our doorstep, the question is: how should we respond?..

Are we the smartest kid on our cosmic block?…

Putting our hands on a piece of alien technology would change the way we perceive our place in the universe…and our philosophical and theological beliefs. 

It boils down to believing in Creation or Evolution. 

 “one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him.

But now we see not yet all things put under him.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2)

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead / separated from The Source of Life in sins, hath quickened / brought to life us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus…

For he is our peace, who hath made both one…that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby…For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father...an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2)