Book of Matthew--Theme-the Son of David
There are more than 100 allusions to or quotations from the Old Testament presented as the basis of his appeals. He uses the witness of the OT to site fulfilled prophecies concerning Jesus as Messiah. Matthew's genealogy of Jesus is carefully arranged in three groups of fourteen. Fourteen is two times seven; seven being the sacred number of Sabbath. Fourteen is also the Hebrew numerical equivalent of the name of David. I do not believe in understanding the Bible through the use of numbers or numerology. However, some numbers do have significant importance. Seven for Sabbath and Fifty for Jubilee (seven Sabbaths then Jubilee). Jesus was thirty when he was baptized which is the age of a man entering the priesthood of the temple. None of the numbers related to the OT and prophecy require long mathematical formulas to arrive at their importance. Keep it simple, God does.
The theological theme of Matthew is that Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Hebrews. He is of the line of Judah and the promised Davidic king. He came to bring the kingdom of God . Rejected by his people, He was crucified as the "King of the Judeans" in mockery. Matthew makes it clear that the OT, the Law and the Prophets find their fulfillment in Jesus.
What you can learn from the Book of Matthew: There are five teaching/ narrative sections.
- Chapters 5-7--The theme is discipleship--the teaching is the sermon on the Mount.
- Chapter 10--The theme is mission or apostleship--the twelve were sent out to preach and heal
- Chapter 13--The theme is the parables of the kingdom
- Chapter 18--The theme is discipline and the fellowship of the church.
- Chapters 24-25--The theme is in the apocalyptic discourse on the end of the world.
- Chapter 28--The death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ--He left the disciples with the Great Commission.
Book of Mark--Theme-the Son of God
The opens with the preaching of John the Baptist. Only five short verses move the reader through the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit anointing and the wilderness temptation. Mark reports mostly on Jesus in Galilee, his parables, healings, miracles and the power of faith.
Of the parables, especially the parable of the Sower and Soils, Jesus told his disciples, "Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them (Jer.5:21). And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? The sower sows the word.
Mark 4:11-13. Jesus explained everything to his disciples privately to prepare them for their work when he was gone. Mark also reports on Jesus' teaching on things to come and his return. Mark places a sense of urgency in his writing. Of course, receiving the truth about Jesus is always urgent, for we do not know when death will come to those with whom we communicate. The choice for Jesus is not an option after death.
Book of Luke--Theme-the Savior
The theme of this book can be summarized in Jesus' words to Zachaeus, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" Luke 19:10. Jesus was to be "A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." Luke 2:32. He tells the full story of the birth of John the baptist and Jesus. It isn't until chapter 3 that he tells of Jesus' genealogy to Mary, his mother. The parables reported by Luke are those of the lost sheep, lost coin, the lost prodigal son and the parable of the Good Samaritan. His focus is on the fact that Jesus is the one and only Savior!
Book of John--Theme-the Word-Logos
John is the only one who tells us about Jesus' promise of a Comforter. I think Ecclesiastes 4:1 presents a good definition of why we need a comforter. "So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter."
Who or what is the Comforter? Jesus told his disciples--"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" John 14:26.
The Book of John could also be called the Gospel of the Spirit of Yahavah, a.k.a. Holy Spirit and Holy Ghost. The Revelation of Jesus Christ could also be called the second book of John as it is the continuation of the Gospel of John.
Below are images that show why Jesus is called the Light of the world.
Jesus is in the images of Heaven and the furnishings of the Tabernacle Holy Place
Two of those images are in the:
- Four Living Creatures--The Four Living Creatures are fully described in Ezekiel Chapter One. Each of the four introduce one of the four horsemen of Revelation. The significance is in the good and evil contrast of the Creatures and the Horsemen.
- Golden Lampstand--Exodus 25:31-34--And you shall make a lampstand [of] pure gold [of] beaten work shall the lampstand be made his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the lampstand out of the one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side three bowls made like unto almonds, [with] a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, [with] a knop and a flower so in the six branches that come out of the lampstand. And in the lampstand [shall be] four bowls made like unto almonds, [with] their knops and their flowers.
What is the Central Theme of the Bible?
Bits of information throughout the Bible tell us the beginnings of why we need salvation. The verses are easily found if the desire to know is in your heart.
It began with an empty throne at the right hand of YHVH. The throne was for the Son of YHVH. We know this because what is in the mind of YHVH exists and will be fulfilled at appointed times.
The angels of heaven cannot marry or procreate but they were given the ability to choose to obey YHVH...or not. Lucifer the bright angel made a different choice. He became dark in his heart when greed overcame him. He wanted the throne and the power that comes with it. Lucifer chose to disobey YHVH and then deceived a third of the angels into following him causing a great war among the angels in heaven. Lucifer is known as the fallen angel because he was cast out of heaven for disobedience along with his cohorts.
YHVH Elohim had a plan for his creation of the earth, moon, sun, stars and man. This is not about the question of other life sustaining planets. It is about the Son of Elohim who would be born out of that creation on the planet called Earth. YHVH's Son had to be Elohim like himself. No one knows for certain when the plan began but the Bible assures us that the whole plan will be fulfilled.
Lucifer, who is now called Satan, appeared in the creation's Garden of Eden as a serpent. Then he deceived the creation called Adam. Adam ate from the tree called the Knowledge of Good and Evil even though YHVH told him he would die if he ate the fruit. YHVH cursed Adam and his decendents for all time with the same penalty of death for his disobedience. At the same time YHVH promised a redeemer (Gen. 3:14-19). Although the curse has been inherited throughout all generations, the people who love YHVH have the hope of redemption, or salvation from eternal death. A brief look at the genealogy of Jesus will reveal how God wove his scarlet thread of salvation through the generations.
The Scarlet Thread of Salvation
In the Garden of Eden, God cursed Adam with the penalty of death for his disobedience. At the same time God promised a redeemer (Gen. 3:14-19). Although the curse has been inherited throughout all generations, the people who love God have the hope of redemption, or salvation. A brief look at the genealogy of Jesus will reveal the names through which God wove his scarlet thread of salvation through the generations.
The scarlet thread began with Adam's son, Seth (3874 -2962 B.C.), who was born after Cain and Abel.
Noah (2948-1998 B.C.), a descendant of Seth, was saved with his family from the great flood (Gen. 6:10-22). The thread passed through Noah's son Shem5 (Gen. 9:25-27). The generations of Shem would carry God's blessing because the Redeemer was to be a descendant of Shem. Prophecy also identifies Shem as the father of all the children of Eber.
Through the generations we come to Abraham (1996-1881 B.C.) (Gen. 12:1-3). When Abraham was one hundred and Sarah was ninety years of age, Sarah gave birth to Isaac (1896-1716 B.C.), the son God promised to them (Gen. 17:19; 18:1-18; 21:1-9).
The thread then passed through Isaac to his son Jacob (1836-1689 B.C.) (Gen. 25:23). Jacob fathered eleven sons and Rachael was expecting his twelfth when God changed Jacob's name to Israel and blessed him (Gen. 35:9-12). Nearly two hundred years after Jacob died God made a covenant with the tribes of Israel and gave them the law (Exod. 20:1-26). Yet, despite all that God did for his chosen people, they repeatedly broke his covenant and called to God in anguish when their idolatry turned on them like a poisonous snake. Even so, and this is important to remember, he loved them as a father loves his children. And the scarlet thread of salvation continued.
Of the twelve sons of Israel (Jacob) God chose Judah (Gen. 49:8-12), also known as Zion (Ps. 78:68).
The next person to be chosen was a descendant of Judah, a shepherd named David (1085-1014 B.C.), whom God chose to be king over the twelve tribes of Israel (1 Sam. 16:1-13). When David was seventy years of age he chose his son, Solomon, to succeed him as king. However, God chose to continue the thread of salvation through Solomon's brother Nathan (2 Sam. 5:14; Zech. 12:12; Luke 3:31) to his descendant Mary, who became the virgin mother of Jesus. Mary bore the seed of the Son of God (Luke 1:1-80) fulfilling God's promise of a redeemer.
The thread of salvation did not end with the birth of Jesus, nor did it end with his death. It is still being woven through all faithful believers in preparation for the Day of Redemption. The fire of jealousy and wrath has burned in God's eyes ever since he closed the gates of Eden, and will still be burning at the Judgment seat of God.
The Theme of the Bible
When I search for an answer I like to use the journalist’s approach of who, what, when, where, why and how. In relation to the Bible the answers to these questions help me to better understand the context, therefore help me to keep interpretations simple and pure to the context of what the Bible says. How does the Bible answer these questions? As you read through the pages of this site (www.prophecybythebook.com) you will learn more about what the Bible says about the answers to these probing questions.
- Who the Savior is and his qualifications to be our Savior
- Where the Savior comes from
- Why we need a Savior
- What we need to be saved from
- When he will save us
- How he will save us
- How to apply all of this knowledge to our lives to protect ourselves against what we are being saved from or
- Running the race to win and keeping our eye on the prize of resurrection and eternal life with Father and Son.
Some will say that the central theme of the Bible is Love and they wouldn't be wrong. I heard the voice of YHVH many years ago and He said, "Open your heart and know my great love, open your mind and know my great wisdom." I didn't know what that meant then but I do now. His great love and His great wisdom is Jesus Christ, YHVH's only begotten son who gave his life that ours might be saved.
All of the answers to the above journalist type questions were first given in the prophecies of the Old Testament beginning in Genesis. The New Testament tells about the fulfillment of some of those prophecies and the ones yet to occur. The Bible states that Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy. He is the “who” of the Bible. That is the simple part. It’s the what, where, when, why and how of prophecy that people often misunderstand and make complicated.
Jesus Christ is the Spirit of Prophecy
Prophecy isn't just about future events. It is about what we do with that information right now. Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy and all the more reason the Body of Christ should agree on what the Bible says. The very fact that there are thousands of commentaries on Bible Prophecy that don't agree with one another proves there is need to test them by the Word and re-evaluate. Most have added “human reasoning” with complicated explanations and, sadly, miss the mark. Very often mistakes are made by oversight of key Scriptures that would have kept them on track. Even the most educated theologian who has studied the Scriptures for many years can make mistakes in interpretation and often it is pride that prevents them from seeing or hearing the truth.
Years ago I praised the Lord for an understanding of a Scripture that I thought was correct. In the middle of my praises, I actually felt a hard thump on my forehead and was then directed to another Scripture that corrected me. Not exactly what most people would call a Holy Spirit action, but He got my attention in the way He knew would work. I learned to be more diligent in testing my revelations by seeking corroborative Scriptures and being careful of context.
You may have noticed that the writing style of the Bible often makes it difficult to determine the subject of sentences and paragraphs, especially in the King James Version. I believe choosing the wrong subject in a verse or chapter is the cause of many incorrect interpretations, but the greatest and primary cause is not carefully listening to our teacher, the Spirit of YHVH.
Keep It Simple—Keep It Pure
The Bible says, "Line upon line, here a little, there a little" (Isaiah 28:10). It's true. Knowledge doesn't come all at once. The point is to keep going because the answers to your questions or criticisms are waiting for you to discover what the Spirit of God wants you to learn little by little, line by line, precept by precept.
There are a few core rules on which any Bible student should keep in focus:
- Pray for God's understanding and wisdom. He is the true teacher.
- Maintain Bible context.
- Look for the true subject of sentences and paragraphs.
- Test everything by the Word, not just once, but several times. Due diligence pays off with great blessings.
- Test all doctrine by the Bible; not by denominational teaching. This is the most difficult task, since all denominations claim that what they teach is the truth. It doesn't matter if the teachings are right on. The Bible is the primary source. Your safety is in testing by the Bible and in the Spirit.
What does the Bible say? Study Points to Remember
- Do the referenced verses match completely in context with denominational teaching?
- Test all doctrine concerning Jesus Christ's return. The Hebrew people were chosen to bring forth our Savior and their future will not be finished until their appointed time. Their history and their future is important in the process of understanding prophecy.
- Always remember that anyone who adds to or takes away from any part of the prophecy of the Book of Revelation will never enter the holy city (Revelation 22:12-15). This true for the whole Bible, since the Book of Revelation is wholly based on Old Testament prophecy.
Years ago a friend told me how angry she was at me for stressing the testing process. She also thanked me because it helped her to understand the importance of being proactive in hearing and reading the Word. These core rules of study have proven very beneficial to me, my friend and hopefully many others. I hope they will help you in your search for truth as well.
What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know...
It's what we know for sure that just ain't so. Mark Twain
A Synopsis of the Themes of Each of the Gospels
The Bible is the written Word of YHVH (Yahavah) inspired by the Spirit of YHVH (Yahavah).
Early church philosophers and teachers saw a correlation between the Four Living Creatures and the four Gospels. As stated in the Book of Revelation, the four Living Creatures are before the throne of Yahavah.
The photo of the seven lamps above is a replica of the original temple lamps and the seven lamps before the throne. The lamps represent the seven spirits of Yahavah (top seven bowls) and the four Living Creatures (lower four bowls). When Jesus was baptized the prophecy of anointing by the seven spirits of God was fulfilled. All are symbolically representative of the four aspects of Jesus' ministry in total and willing obedience to His father, Yahavah, by the power of the Spirit of Yahavah.
Figure 1
This rendition of the seven candlesticks shows the light of the seven represent the seven spirits of God with which Jesus was anointed at the beginning of his ministry. Is. 11:1, 2
The same anointment of the Spirit comes to believers as the baptism in the Spirit
Faces of the Four Living Creatures represented by the four lower knops of the Golden Lampstand.
Description is in Ezek. 1 and above in Fig. 1
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