"glory and dominion for ever and ever" - Christianity and the Old Testament

Electronics Store-Filled Akihabara Street, Tokyo, on Jan. 1, 2015 (heisei 27th) 

Christianity and the Old Testament

Christ Jesus was one of ancient Israelites.  He was neither a Roman citizen nor a Greek.

He didn't refer to ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle.  Christ Jesus didn't write a book or run a school.  He didn't go to Rome to occupy it spiritually.

But Christ Jesus seems to have respected the Old Testament fully, though nobody in Rome and Greece at the time respected the Jewish Bible.  Rome was so dominant as the center of the civilization at the time and Greece had great influences as the Greek was the international language at the time.

However, glory and hegemony of ancient Rome and Greece has long gone.  On the other hand, Christianity and Judaism have survived and advanced to have decisive influences in the world today.

More importantly, the two religions are interwoven as Christ Jesus referred to some passages of the Old Testament.  Without Jesus' quotations, Judaism might have been neglected and forgotten totally in the Christian world.  But, as there are concrete evidence of Jesus' respect for the Old Testament, the destiny of Judaism has been decided so that it would remain and survive along with Christianity if all the Judaists have disappeared.            

Jesus' References to Old Testament Scriptures

Details

 

Written by Rich Robinson

Jesus' References to Old Testament Scriptures, by Rich Robinson

From start to finish, the New Testament contains quotations, references, allusions and paraphrases of the Old Testament. Sometimes the New Testament follows the Hebrew text; in other cases it more closely follows the translation into Greek of the Old Testament called the Septuagint.

This chart lists many references from the Old Testament found on the lips of Jesus in the Gospels.*

But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4: 4, NKJV, c.f. Luke 4:4)	"So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 8:3)
Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall nottempt the LORD your God.'" (Matthew 4:7; cf. Luke 4:12)	"You shall not tempt the LORD your God as you temptedHim in Massah." (Deuteronomy 6:16)
"Then Jesus said to him, 'Away with you, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" (Matthew 4:10, cf. Luke 4:8)	"You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name." (Deuteronomy 6:13)
And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." (Luke 4:17-19)	"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn." (Isaiah 61:1-2)
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'" (Matthew 5:21)	"You shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13)
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'" (Matthew 5:27)	"You shall not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14;Deuteronomy 5:18)
"Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'" (Matthew 5:31)	"When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man's wife, if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance." (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)
"'Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'" (Matthew 5:33)	"'And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.'" (Leviticus 19:12) "If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth." (Numbers 30:2; cf. Deuteronomy 23:21)
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'" (Matthew 5:38)	"But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." (Exodus 21:23-25; cf. Leviticus 24:19-20, Deuteronomy 19:21)
"But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." (Matthew 9:13, cf. Matthew 12:7)	For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)
"For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'" (Matthew 10:35, 36, cf.Luke 12:52, 53)	For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are the men of his own household. (Micah 7:6)
"For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'" (Matthew 11:10; cf. Luke 7:27)	"BEHOLD, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)
"And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'" (Matthew 13:14, 15, cf. Mark 4:11-13, Luke 8:10)	And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' "Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed." (Isaiah 6:9-10)
He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' (Matthew 15:3, 4; cf.Mark 7:10)	"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12, cf Exodus 21:17)
"Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" (Matthew 15:7-9, cf. Mark 7:6,7)	Therefore the LORD said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men…" (Isaiah 29:13)
And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,'"and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? "So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." (Matthew 19:4-6, cf.Mark 10:6-8)	So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27) Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one isgood but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,'and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" (Matthew 19:17-20, cf. Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20)	"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:12-16, cf.Deuteronomy 5:16-20, Leviticus 19:18)
And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'" (Matthew 21:13, cf. Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46)	Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. (Isaiah 56:7) "Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seenit," says the LORD. (Jeremiah 7:11)
And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise?'" (Matthew 21: 16b)	Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger." (Psalm 8:2)
Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?'" (Matthew 21:42, cf. Mark 12:10, 11, Luke 20:17)	The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing; it ismarvelous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:22, 23)
"But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." (Matthew 22:31-32, cf. Mark 12:26, 27, Luke 20:37-38)	Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. (Exodus 3:6)
Jesus said to him, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And thesecond is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39 [no second NT ref])	"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5, cf. Leviticus 19:18)
"How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool?'" (Matthew 22:43, 44, cf. Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42, 43)	The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." (Psalm 110:1)
"See! Your house is left to you desolate; "for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'" (Matthew 23:38-39, cf. Luke 13:35)	Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. (Psalm 118:26)
"Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." (Matthew 24:15, 16)	"Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate." (Daniel 9:27, cf. Daniel 11:31,12:11)
Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'" (Matthew 26:31, cf. Mark 14:27)	"Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion," says the LORD of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; then I will turn My hand against the little ones." (Zechariah 13:7)
"For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end." (Luke 22:37)	Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)
"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'" (Matthew 27:46, cf. Mark 15:34)	My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning? (Psalm 22:1)
"It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me." (John 6:45)	All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and greatshall be the peace of your children. (Isaiah 54:13)
"It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true." (John 8:17)	"Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness." (Deuteronomy 17:6, cf. Deuteronomy 19:15)
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods?"'" (John 10:34)	I said, "You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High." (Psalm 82:6)
"I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.'" (John 13:18)	Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. (Psalm 41:9)
"But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'" (John 15:25)	Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause. (Psalm 35:19, cf. Psalm 69:4)

To delve further, see these resources:

G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, ed. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007. A thorough and up-to-date reference work.

http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/newsletter/september-2008/05






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Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

"God called the light Day" - Return Money to Whom?

Tokyo Downtown on a New Year Holiday

Return Money to Whom?

If all 100 people in a community with the population of 100 are bad guys, you cannot expect such a community to survive for long periods.

If only one person in the community is righteous, God might not destroy the community as long as the man is alive.

But what will happen in a case that a half of the community members are bad guys and the rest are righteous?

If all the bad guys declare war on those righteous persons, both the camps will be totally destroyed as their power is balanced.  So, bad guys would try to look righteous to be accepted by righteous people who are diligent to produce a lot of products in their workplaces.  Bad guys would follow the righteous people to be affluent.  But, their avarice would lead them to evil schemes to steal goods, products, and assets the righteous people possess.

That is why the financial sector was established to absorb a huge amount of money from the society.

That is why Christ Jesus said to return what belongs to Caesar to Caesar.  Or more clearly, "Return money to the emperor who issued it."

Indeed, money is the very means with which evil guys can steal assets from righteous people.

But can we expect that someday mankind will abolish use of money?

Anyway we have to return money to an emperor, a government, a central bank, or any other originator, since our work should not be for money even if we are engaged in any worldly professions..





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Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

"wisdom, justice, and judgment"

Mt. Fuji on January 3










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Pro 1:3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
Pro 1:4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
Pro 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

"of all things that he saw" - American Uniqueness

From Mt. Fuji to a Shinto Shrine

American Uniqueness

A certain American professor of politics, who studied in Japan when he was young, said that Japan is not so unique but it is America that is very unique in the world.

He is wrong in that he cannot see the uniqueness of Japan is more significant than the uniqueness of America, though he can speak Japanese and his wife is Japanese.

But which is more unique, the US or Israel?  Of course, the uniqueness of Israel is graver than the uniqueness of the US.

First of all, America was discovered by Columbus who was doubted as to whether he was pure Christian or a kind of Judaist in the era when Judaists were being expelled from Spain and Portugal.  It is believed that the adventurous voyage of Columbus was financially supported by many rich Judaists and ex-Judaist Christians.  Especially some influential converted Judaists persuaded the queen of Spain to back up Columbus.   .  

In that era, Spain and Portugal were competing in acquisition of colonies under authority granted by the Pope.  The world view of the Vatican was reflected in those actions for overseas advance by Spain and Portugal in the Age of Discovery.

So, America's uniqueness is rooted in the European religious situations in the 15th century.  America is doomed to serve Christianity and Judaism.  No matter how much America has changed or evolved, it cannot be free from European traditions, Christianity influences, and complicated linkage with Judaism.

But the uniqueness of Israel is much more graver.  For the nation Israel to be established, first of all, a majority of Judaists had to wish their own nation.  Then, international circumstances should allow such movements.  Of course, Judaists had to possess financial and military power to realize their dream.  Put simply it took 1900 years for Judaists to fulfill all these conditions after WWII or the Holocaust.  Israel is far more unique than the US.

From another perspective, as America's uniqueness, since its discovery by Columbus, turned to be meaningless for Judaists, Judaists needed their own nation Israel.

That some American professors think that America is the most unique country in the world means how deteriorated the American intellectual level has become.  Wealth and power of America have deprived the American elites of the ability to correctly understand history.

Of course, America is unique in that Americans are living in the American way of living due to the uniqueness of the nature and environment of America.  But, especially since the establishment of Israel, the value and significance of the uniqueness of America is being lost.

Americans are unique in that they have no problems or suffering other than that related to money.  But this uniqueness has no meaning in history.

Israel is unique, which is more meaningful than America's as it is related to history under which America exists.

Japan is also unique, which is more meaningful than America's, since it is related to another culture and civilization Americans cannot fully understand.          

Further, Gaza is also unique because the place saw once Abraham, Alexander the Great, Caesar, Cleopatra,  Christ Jesus, and so on.  Americans must humbly help the Gaza people, leveraging the American uniqueness.





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Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

"In the beginning was the Word" - Love God and Hate Money

Tokyo Old Town where once Many Daily Workers Lived and Died, New Year Day

Love God and Hate Money

Poor men usually think they have to be rich.

Poor people are expected to want to be rich.  Rich people think that poor people want money, so that they would work hard.  But, rich people think that they need strong police to watch and suppress poor people who want to be rich not through hard working but by stealing money, assets, goods, etc.

Rich people like poor people working hard to be rich.  But without stable and effective social structure, poor people would not obediently work hard to earn any money.  So, rich people are eager to maintain social structure that would not allow poor people to revolt.  For this purpose, they want to use religion and tradition of society and a nation.  If everybody is following the same rule to earn money and become rich, rich people can easily control a great number of poor people.

Generation after generation, through this mode of social control, new rich people have emerged.  But nothing is revolutionary.  They share the same ideology.  "People must want to be rich and become rich through hard working or by using their talent and ingenuity in a given social environment."

But every successful rich man knows that hard working and ingenuity alone cannot make them successful.  There are tow other critical factors: good luck and dirty tricks.

Most of rich people pretend that they have become rich through hard working and by exercising their ability.  But, behind the scene, they betray their benefactors, friends, and collaborators to steal assets and take crucial credit from them.

If poor people revolt putting up some slogan for social justice, socialism, communism, and so on, it cannot change the situation.  Leaders of a revolution would enjoy rich lives but their followers would be deprived of freedom and forced to respect their rich leaders as representatives of poor people. They would be watched and controlled more sternly than in the capitalistic world.  Without freedom, there cannot be true love.  It is a tragedy for poor people to live in the society established through a violent revolution where old rich capitalists are simply replaced with new rich dictatorial leaders.    

The answer is for poor people to decide to follow God more strongly than they want to be rich.

Since money is a tool for Satan to control and rule people, God orders mankind to hate money and love God.  If poor people accept this commandment fully, they would no more belong to this world where money makes them slaves of Satan.

Hate money but love God.  What a great teaching it is, indeed!

Poor men don't have to be rich, accordingly.




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Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.


Mat 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Luk 1:1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

Mar 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

"the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost" - How I Met 1979 and 1996 Again

Sendai is the Major City in Northeast Japan including the 2011 Tsunami Hit Areas

How I Met 1979 and 1996 Again

I visited a humble and old Shinto shrine in a very local town.

The shrine was on a small triangular hill covered by woods along the main road of the town with gentle mountains behind.  A community center and other public buildings were on the left side of the hill base.  Almost no one was walking and cars passed by only sporadically.  The sky was grey and the air was chilly.

At the foot of the hill there was a humble shrine wooden gate, with tow vertical poles set up a few meters apart and connected by two top crossbars, where a holy rope made of rice straws was stretched in the air just above the height of a man.  Ten or so holy stripes of white paper were attached to the straw rope at several inch interval to one another horizontally.

I walked through the shrine gate and climbed steep stone steps for 12 meters or so.  Then I met a man cleaning up the humble and old wooden shrine or fixing some damaged parts.  He might be a Shinto priest in casual dress.

"May I donate money?" I asked, observing a humble and old offertory box, 1.2 meters wide.   "Yes," replied the man who then walked toward the back side of the shrine structure.

I prayed for peace and threw coins into the box.  But when I turned back to return, I found two one-yen coins on the small garden, a little wet for light snow falling several days ago, before the shrine structure.  I first thought I had dropped them when I pulled other coins out of my pocket.  However, they looked having been left there for some time with some dirt at their rims.  I then wondered if the possible Shinto priest might have dropped.  But, it was also unlikely,

I checked years impressed on the surfaces of the two aluminium coins.  They were 1979 and 1996.  

I put them on the edge of the offertory box, laying them side by side.  And I descended the stone steps, leaving the nameless town or village shrine once and for all.

On New Year days, hundreds of town residents would visit the shrine, though I don't know what will become of the two one-yen coins.




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Mat 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Mat 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

"love the Lord thy God with all thy heart" - Year after Year, Page after Page, and Teaching after Teaching

Government District in Tokyo, January 2, 2014 

Year after Year, Page after Page, and Teaching after Teaching

Now December 30 was over in Japan.

The sun is coming back to the north hemisphere from the solstitial position.

But it is strange that a man never counts his days since he was born.  If you were born 30 years ago, you are now living the 11,000th day or so.  If a man lives for 100 years, he would count his 36,500th day.

The number of pages of the Old Testament is 993 and that of the New Testament is 288, total 1,281 pages.

If Christ Jesus had read the Old Testament at a pace of 100 pages per day, he should have needed ten days to read them all.  If 200 pages per day, then five days.  If His followers had read it at 10 pages per day, they should have read it all in three months.


So, we had better assume that they read and knew the Old Testament very well.  Or at least, they must have sufficient knowledge about the Old Testament.

If we read the Old Testament at a pace of 1 page per day, we can accomplish it in three years.  If we read the Old Testament at a pace of 1/10 page per day, we can accomplish it in 30 years.

But if you believe teachings of Christ Jesus, you can get rid of the burden of reading the Old Testament.

Matthew 22:36-40New Living Translation (NLT)

36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

In addition, there are 114 chapters in Koran and 5,048 volumes for Buddhist scriptures as specified by Chinese monks in the 8th century.





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Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

"An angel spake to him"

Tokyo Station







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John Chapter 12

²⁸ Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

²⁹The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.

³⁰ Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

"the God of the living"

Japanese New Year's Visit to a Shrine, around Tokyo, on January 1, 2014

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Mar 12:26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
Mar 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.