#verse: the heretic and the forsaken

[boundinparchment]

Spillways - VII

Karina Alexandre, formerly of Fontaine, serves the Fatui after a series of events forces her hand and her Vision no longer glows bright. Unluckily for her, such circumstances are all too fascinating to the Second Harbinger. Prequel to ‘Tell Me Who You Wanna Be’. Hints at Il Dottore x Original Female Character. ArchiveOfOurOwn || FF.net

In the weeks that followed, Karina found settling in to be far easier than expected.  The routine was easy.  Up at dawn, five minutes to wash up, get dressed, stand in front of her bunk for inspection.

The regiment heavily relied on the frigid and inhospitable environment, Dottore’s words echoing in her ear.  Scratchy blankets barely retained heat.  The unforgiving solar cycle in which the sun never crested the horizon but instead circled around it for all but a few hours; most of the days were spent in darkness pushed away by artificial lights.

Actual training courses were different beasts.  Morning runs in formation, the distance for the day determined by the temperature outside.  And then into the indoor training facility for other exercises.  Normal enough.  She tried not to be the first and to not be the last; the less she stood out, the better.  She wasn’t the only one with nightmares, if the quiet weeping and muttering around her was anything to go by.

Weaponry assignments and training was all anyone could talk about that first week.  Everyone wanted firepower, a Delusion, to look as badass as the Agents and the Mages training them.  The drill sergeant laughed in her face at the mention a lack of desire for a Delusion.

“You aren’t the one who decides whether you’re good enough for a Delusion anyway,” the older officer scoffed.  “What were you previously trained in, Alexandre?”

“Close quarters combat with a sword and pistol, sir.”

The officer shook his head and handed her orders.  “Swords have no place here.  You’ll start on marksmanship and get a knife for close quarter encounters.”

She gave her affirmation and waited until she was dismissed to move and head towards the next officer for her equipment.  Fontaine was one of the last nations to retain some of the older weaponry, out of tradition, despite being second in terms of technological progress. 

Having her choice taken from her was hardly new.  Her preferences didn't matter, not for the collective unit.  Nonetheless, Karina missed the way her sword felt in her hand, the perfect weight she'd learnt the right amount of force with, the correct angle to get the most efficient strike.  She knew the cadence of the swing, the footwork.  The revolver that hung at her side in Fontaine always went unused.  Guns were lethal and saved as a last resort.

All she had to do was follow her orders for the next three months.  She survived once.  A second was easy enough.

______________________________

Without any sort of elemental affinity, the only rifle she could make use of was a sniper rifle.  

The tedium would kill her, Karina was certain.  And she was one for routine and ritual.

So much crawling.  Learning to read patterns and cues to know when to move.  Monitoring an area, mapping, memorizing schedules of events and people you would never see again.

Maintenance was easy enough, methodical enough.  That part required perfection but it was a principle she knew by heart.  Take care of your weapons and they'll take care of you.  She no longer had a Vision as back-up, a safety net.

Her first shots were so off that her drill sergeant kept her going well after everyone else finished.  Heavy boots kicked her feet apart, corrected her elbows, coached her breathing well into the afternoon and early evening.  Every shot, outside of the lethal range.

Those who failed to meet the benchmarks were left out in the cold.

That wouldn’t be her.  Couldn’t be her.

She hadn’t needed a Vision to be good with a sword.  The same held true for a gun.

One shot made the mark, only just, as she imagined dark blue eyes and heavy hands pulling at her hair, keeping her eye pressed to the scope.  

The drill sergeant said nothing, boots thumping through the snowy mud, and Karina slumped against the stock.  At least she’d sleep in a bed tonight.

______________________________

Close quarters combat went worse.  Far worse.

All of her footwork and sense of space needed to be entirely returned.  The knife was heavy enough but far too light for her comfort.  Of course it wasn’t all knives and blades, but everything was based on efficiency.

There was no room for thinking, for analysis and assessment.  If you found yourself in a confrontation this close, the threat was to be eradicated as soon as possible.  No fancy movements or flourishes, no playing with your prey.  The blade would be the only weapon anyone needed and if that failed, your bare fists would have to do the job.

Fontaine’s training had been more akin to preparing for a performance than actual combat training.  How little they’d gotten away with simply by sweeping everything under the rug as if it never happened.

Against the younger recruits, she had a severe disadvantage; muscle memory retained the information it didn’t need and she took too long to think.  She froze far too often.  That first week, she was intimately familiar with the training mats against her face and back, limping off and trying to ignore the curious eyes as to how she had been an officer to begin with.  

So much for not drawing attention to herself.

______________________________

Week after week, shots became easier, her eyes finding the target with precision she only ever had with a needle and thread.  By the time they moved onto the obstacle course, she was one of the quickest shots, clean and efficient.  It was almost meditative, assessing the wind, knowing when to fire.  Time and patience were hardly her best friends but now they sat comfortably next to her as she waited for her opportune moment and struck at the perfect moment.

Close combat was something to be desired, however.  Drills were fine.  Her muscles were finally adjusting to the different stances, measures of distance.  As more and more of her fellow recruits began to utilize and learn Delusions, her disadvantage only grew when it came to controlling her opponent.  On more than one occasion, she froze mid-fight, the smell of Mist Grass from someone practicing with Cicins throwing her to a different place and time until she was blank-faced on her ass.  

There hadn’t even been Mist Grass that day.  Agents didn’t need it, after all.

It didn’t happen again though.

She faced off against another recruit, a Snezhnayan native with slicked back blonde hair and a scar across his nose; he had a punchable face and the angle of his nose, from being broken too many times no doubt, showed it.  The earring dangling in his right ear was against regulation but somehow, he was allowed to keep it.  A Pyro Delusion sat at his belt.

“Don’t make it too easy, Alexandre,” he goaded, rolling the knife handle in his palm once.

Karina said nothing, stepping back just in time to miss the burning blade.  Sidestep, duck, weave under his arm.  The only other option, if one couldn’t strike, would be to tire their opponent out; it went against the fundamentals of the training but they weren’t building stamina for nothing.  This was a game she knew by heart, one her commander loved to play when they were alone.

A leg reached out, swept her down, and she felt the cold blade against her throat until Pyro licked at the metal and a burning sensation seared her shoulder.  Her memory got the better of her as her fight instinct recognized that she didn’t do something , she was done for.  Desperately, she raised her legs and pushed her feet into his knees, staggering her opponent back.  She rolled, rose to her feet, and delivered another blow, and then another, and another, her own weapon abandoned.  All she could see was Sébastien’s face, her ruined home, the limp hand of her sister still warm to the touch…

“Enough!”

The illusion shattered and Karina found herself with a bloody fist in the man’s hair, her other hand posed to deliver another shot.  Sharp pain ran from her knuckles up to her elbow.  Instantly, she let go, the eyes around the training mat looking everywhere but at her.  Stronger hands grabbed her by the arms and dragged her off of the mats.  The looks of horror were one thing.  She could deal with those.  

But the words she caught in passing were enough to make her acutely aware of how they all truly saw her: “No wonder she was in Haeresys.  Wonder what the Doctor did to her.”  

[amalgamat1on]

Haremlit Tier List

Peak: S+

- Celestine Chronicles

- Heretic Spellblade

Great: S (95 – 100) (4.5 – 5.0)

- T.A.P

- Demon’s Throne

- Tsun Tsun TzimTzum

- Neural Wraith

- Alpha World

Very Good: A (90 – 95) (4.0 – 4.5)

- The Lost Reavers

- Fight Town

- Haven

- Tournion

- Amnesty’s Adventures

- Immortal Supers

- Entangled Fates

- Ave Xia Rem Y

Good: B (80 – 90) (3.5 – 4.0)

- Shadow Rogue

- An Orc at College

- Binding Words

- The Aspect

- Herald of Shalia

- Meta Marshal Service

- Lightfoot

- Mastering Magic

- Emperor Forged

- Forsaken

- Avalar Explored

- I Don’t Want to be the Hero

- Dungeon Bound

- A Warm Place

- Princesses of the Ironbound

- Monstar Saga

- Lion’s Quest

- Top Tier Privateer

- Chimera King

- Wings of the Seraph

- Valens Legacy

Above Average: C (70 – 80) (3.0 – 3.5)

- Otherworld Academy

- Arand/Darren Verse

- Lost Fleet

- Saving Supervillains

- Mages Cultivation

- Amazon Star Academy

- Aether’s Revival

- My Cottage was Transferred to Another World

- Our Own Way (old version)

- Creature Girl Creation

- Star Justice

- Tamer: King of Dinosaurs

- Descend

- Survival of the Fittest

- Sect Wars

- Super Hero Academy

- Titan Mage

- Cultivating Chaos

- Summoner

- My Ninja Girl

- Raw

- Rise of the Weakest Summoner

- Minotaur Maze of Monster

- Forbidden Arcana

- Echo Online

- Paladin of the Sword

- Dungeonteer

- Succubus Summoner

Average: D (50 – 70) (2.5 – 3.0)

- Son of Fire

- Chronicles of Shattered Earth

- Like a Fine Wine

- Monster Girl Islands

- Dungeon Master

- Luck’s Voice

- Dungeon Delving for Loot and Levels

- Full Frontal Galaxy

- War God for Hire

- Savage Ascension

- Monster Empire

- Champion

- Four Laws

- Gryff the Griffin Rider

- The Escherian Core

Below Average: E (25 – 50) (2.0 -2.5)

- Branded

- Immortal Swordslinger

- Dark Lord’s Command

- Man Made God

- Kaos Trilogy

- Gem Knight

- Lust Witches

- Wyvern Academy

- Void Runner

- Shifter Girls

- Beyond Superpowered

- Phase Titan

- Bonded Spirits

- Outsider

Bad: F (0 – 25) (1.5 – 2.0)

- Becoming the Paladin

- The Horned Mage

- Succubus Lord

- Bone Lord

- Dungeon Cleaners Inc.

- Soul Gem Collector

- Gambit

DNF: G (N/A) (N/A – 1.0)

- Saxon Max

- Night Walker

- The John Blake Chronicles

- Rage King

- Ex-Superheroes

- Growth Hero

- Biopunk Revelation

Honorable Mentions:

- Raconteur

- Strength Unleashed

- Mud, Blood, and Magic

- Supplying Supers

- Mob Sorcery

- Wisher Beware

- Sex, Death, and Money

- Elemental Alpha

Honorable mentions don't get an official ranking due to only one book being completed in the series at the time.

[mulgaroad]

We are told that angels do not exist in hell. Yet forget that hell itself was made by an angel. Angels fall from grace and land in the solstice of the hell fire. Angels in hell are no less or more holy then those in heaven. Their eyes are twinkle with sparks of fire. Their skin glistens in the glow of fire. Their voice sounds sweet among the screams of forsaken mean and heretic women. They act the same as if they were still in heaven. They speak in hymns and bible verses. Yet, they partake in the malice of torture against the unfortunates who land in hell. They take knives to the heretic’s skin just like any devil would do. They join in on infidelity like sex crazed demons. They lie and cheat. They do this without regret. Yet, some nights if you listen between the screams and cries for help. You heard them. Begging the lord to forgive them from the sins they partake in as they know not they do. I assure you, Angels do exist in hell. We believe they are devils but they are just as heavenly bodied then those in the heavens. Devils are truly the Hell Angels. I assure they are real. for I have laid beside them and felt the heat rise from their bodies in sex. Hell angels are real and oh, how heavenly they are.

[agameforgoodchristians]

Zombies!! (Matthew 27:52-53)

Let's put aside the yearly Easter memes about whether Jesus was a zombie or a litch or something else entirely. They are old, tired, and unoriginal.

More importantly we assume those people have completely missed these verses depicting the events prior to Christ's Resurrection.

They are worthy of the missing memes.

And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” ~ Matthew 27:46-54

Why are we not talking about all of these walking dead?

Wait. What?

Let's throw some of the obvious questions out there:

Who were these people? The Greek for "saints" here means "holy ones." Are these figures from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament?

How many of these “holy ones” travel into Jerusalem?

Did they speak to anyone? What did they say?

If they woke up on Good Friday (vs 52), why didn't they leave their tombs until Easter Sunday (vs 53)?

How long were they walking around? Did they die again? Did they return to their graves unaided? Were there a bunch of poor slobs who were forced to re-intern these saint?

Why is this story only recorded in Matthew and nowhere else in the Bible?

Why is there no accounting of this event outside of this passage? Why don't historians like Josephus or Tacitus ever mention anyone else telling crazy stories about dead saints breezing through town.

We're not going to attempt to answer any of those questions. But we will posit another one. 

 What does your interpretation of this passage say about your respect for the Bible?

The Controversy

There have been some knock-down, dragged-out, Bible-nerd fights about this passage. People have been kicked out of churches, seminarians, and family gatherings over how these two verses are read: that was not an exaggeration. But many/most people reading this have, at best, only a vague recollection that these two verses are even a part of the Passion narrative. So of course we included it in the game. 

 Some history and perspectives

Though many of the early "Church Fathers" refer to this passage without any apparent issue -- including Clement of Alexandria,  Eusebius, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Julius Africanus, Origin and Tertullian--, there are those who suggest that it is a late edition to the narrative that should simply be cut out. This is an interesting argument, made more so when applied. 

Notice how smoothly Matthew 27:50-54 reads with verses 52 and 53 excised:

Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

You wouldn't have even noticed anything was missing if we hadn't told you.

However, to (badly) channel the renowned Nahum M. Sarna, we must work with the text we have before us as it stands, even when textual and historical difficulties arise. If we can't merely excise the text, we have to decide what to do with it. To that end, the primary question applied to this text has been whether to understand this passage literally or not?

The Modern Arguments

When Michael Licona questioned the literal interpretation of this story in The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach, he inadvertently set off a firestorm in regards to this passage.

Prominent figures like Norman Giesler and Albert Mohler said that this event is 100% literally, historically true, and anything less than a full-throated endorsement of this viewpoint is heretical and anathema (or close to it).

Robert Gundry argued this passage was employing the Jewish literary form of midrash-- a genre that allows for the melding of literal and metaphoric elements to present a theological perspective. Thus, the writer of the gospel was not focused on making a historical or non-historical point in this passage. 

Some (wisely) attempted to sidestep this fight altogether (which is why most of your clergy have never preached from this sermon from the pulpit) perhaps seeking shelter in the wisdom of N.T. Wright's statement, “Some stories are so odd that they may just have happened. This may be one of them, but in historical terms there is no way of finding out.”

In the midst of receiving a multitude of open letters on the matter, Licona said the following in a press release: 

Further research over the last year in the Greco-Roman literature has led me to reexamine the position I took in my book. Although additional research certainly remains, at present I am just as inclined to understand the narrative of the raised saints in Matthew 27 as a report of a factual (i.e., literal) event as I am to view it as an apocalyptic symbol. It may also be a report of a real event described partially in apocalyptic terms. I will be pleased to revise the relevant section in a future edition of my book” (emphasis ours).

In this last, we see an important idea which should not be lost in the midst of the "you're not a good enough Christian!" screaming matches any discussion of “the inerrant nature of Scripture” always seems to devolve into: 

Historical or not, this passage must communicate

a theological point.

Some Middle Ground

This passage is a sign of the power of Jesus. That much both sides can agree to. Be it an historical event or not, like Licona we affirm that this story must be understood to be employing apocalyptic terms and symbols, as is found throughout the gospels.

In Raymond Brown's (seminary favorite) Introduction to The New Testament, he asserts that these verses may be a poetic way of describing the beginning of “the last days" or "the end times" Jesus spoke so much about. As he points out, there were signs tied to events in the life of Jesus.

At His birth a star was in the heavens. Now at His death, an earthquake shakes the earth, and the underworld lets lose its dead. In this way The Day of the Lord, The Day of Days was being ushered in through the the death of Jesus. And nothing will be the same. 

The curtain in the Temple, separating the Holiest of Holies from the people, has been rent in two. Man now has direct access to God. The veil separating life and death was also punctured. Now the dead walk into the city of God.

As any English teacher worth her salt will attest, for a symbol or metaphor to mean anything, it must be rooted in reality. The abstract must have a concrete expression. Thus, this passage must point to some objective reality, though we will happily leave others to fight over the specifics of that.  However, the gospels display Jesus' power over death/Death. His ministry included the resurrection of people from all walks of life (see Luke 7:11-15; 8:41, 42, 49-55; John 11:1-44). 

A theme that is continued in the epistles, most notably 1 Corinthians chapter 15, which reminds that, for Jesus, the "last enemy to be destroyed is death" (vs 26) {Note: Click for an in depth look at the concept and evolution of death/Death in the Bible}.

 On this point we wish to stand on Moltmann' shoulders about the nature of Jesus and resurrections of the dead:

According to the stories in the synoptic Gospels, Jesus proclaimed the dawn of God’s kingdom on earth (Mark 1.15). The kingdom comes to the sick as healing, to lepers as acceptance, to sinners as grace, and to the dead as resurrection. The raising of the dead is one of the signs and wonders of Jesus’s messianic mission (Matt 10:8; 11:5), for when the living God comes, death is forced to retreat (Is 25:8). But when Jesus raises the dead, he raises them into this life, which leads to death, and in so far this is merely an advance sign and heralding of the eternal life to come, which will drive death itself out of creation. The synoptic Gospels, which describe Jesus’s messianic mission, did not develop a ‘theology of death’. For them death is a power opposed to God whose end is at hand through the coming of the messiah. The ‘meaning’ of death is just that it will be overcome because through it the glory of the life-creating God is revealed (The Coming of God, 81).

Perhaps instead of getting bogged down in inerrancy fights, running in circles around some unanswered questions, we can focus on what's important. 

Perhaps the most important part of this conversation is the realization that, whether you read this passage historically, metaphorically, or both, on Easter Sunday, more than one stone was rolled away. 

Perhaps we should focus on the power of the eternal life to come and how we live right now.

  But what do we know: we made this game and you probably think we're going to Hell. 

[jmyers104]

Seeing our Lord in the Old Testament

Introduction

·       Title of my sermon: “Seeing our Lord in the Old Testament.” Our pastor has been preaching a series entitled “Seeing our Lord in Luke’s Gospel,” and I would like to supplement his messages by considering Jesus from another angle.

·       This title may seem strange for a couple of reasons.

o   Reason 1: If we are talking about the Old Testament, then why is the sermon centered around a New Testament passage? We are going to look at some OT Scriptures tonight, but tonight I want to focus on what Jesus says about the OT.

o   Reason 2: Jesus is not mentioned by name in the OT. But consider Luke 24:27. Jesus had just risen from the dead and was on the road to Emmaus with 2 disciples. “Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.” Remember, the NT had not been written yet. This was referring to the OT, which tells us that the OT points to Jesus.

o   This does not promote Where’s Waldo theology where Jesus is hidden in the pages of Scripture and you have to unlock some secret meaning. You don’t spiritualize the text to make it say something that it doesn’t say.

o   What it does mean: Jesus is the focal point of the OT. The Bible is not a collection of stories to teach us how to live moral lives. The Bible is not primarily an ethical book. The Bible is God’s record of who He is and what He has done to redeem man through Jesus Christ.

o   If you don’t read your OT, you don’t know Jesus like you should. You may have enough knowledge to get saved, but you haven’t experienced Jesus as fully as you could.

o   My guess is the back third of your Bible has far more wrinkles than the front two-thirds. I commend you for reading your Bible at all. And believe me, I understand how difficult it can be to read and understand parts of the OT. That was the Ethiopian eunuch’s problem in Acts. Plus, I’m not aware of any devotional books that have been written on Leviticus or Numbers. But if you aren’t making a habit of immersing yourself in ALL of Scripture, then you won’t be able to love, know, and appreciate Jesus like you should.

·       What I want to do during our time together is not just help you to understand Matt 5:17-20, but I want to set you on a trajectory that has you reading, understanding, and delighting in the OT.

  Background and Context

·       Context: Jesus has just taught that we are children of God and citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Because of this, we are to live in such a way as to reflect God’s glory so that others may see it and be drawn to Him. But how? The Sermon on the Mount displays the type of life the Christian is to live. This passage serves as an introduction to that theme.

·       Rather than contradict the OT, Jesus points out implications that had not been understood.

·       There is a positive side and a negative side to this teaching.

o   Positive: In verses 17 and 18, Jesus’ teachings are in complete harmony with the OT Scriptures and do not contradict them in any way.

o   Negative: In verses 19 and 20, the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees are shown to contradict both Jesus and the OT.

The Role of the Old Testament (v. 17)

·       Its role is to point us to Jesus.

·       “Do not think.”

o   Jesus wants us to know that that what He is about to teach in vv. 21-48 is in no way at odds with the Law. That is why He starts with this passage. He is deepening the law, not attacking it or criticizing it.

o   For Jesus to attempt to set aside the OT would brand Him as a heretic. If fact, it seems that some were already beginning to believe that He was a heretic. So what Jesus does before He deepens their understanding of the Law is He sets the record straight.

·       We’ve got to define some terms before we get to the full meaning of this verse. First is the “Law.”

o   3 parts: moral, judicial, ceremonial.

o   Moral: 10 commandments, principles given by God.

o   Judicial: legislative law given to Israel for its peculiar circumstances at that time.

o   Ceremonial: burnt offerings, sacrifices, rituals.

o   Jesus is referring to everything the Law teaches about life, conduct, and behavior.

o   At the beginning of the year, I decided that I would spend the year working through the Psalms. Any time I sit down to do my devotional, I’m in the Psalms. Recently, I worked my way through Ps 119, the longest chapter in the Bible. I’m consistently amazed at how Scripture ties together, and I’m equally amazed at how what I’m studying at any given time ties in with what I’m learning or hearing in other places. Ps 119 complements today’s passage.

    We are to love the law so much that it dominates our thinking. Verse 97: “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

    Obedience to the law leads to understanding. Verse 100, “I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.” “Precepts,” by the way, is just a synonym for “law.”

    Verse 89 echoes Jesus’ teaching on the lifespan of the law. It is not temporary. Verse 89 says, “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”

    Love for the law leads to hatred for the things that run contrary to it. Verse 113, “I hate the double-minded, but I love your law.” Verse 128, “I hate every false way.”

    The motivation for keeping the law is that it brings peace. Verse 165, “Great peace have those who love your law.”

    We could go on and on, but I think you get the point. The law was of utmost importance to King David, and Jesus affirmed its importance as well.

·       The Prophets.

o   All the prophetic books of the OT (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.).

o   The prophets taught, applied, and interpreted the Law.

o   They would tell the nation of Israel how they had forsaken God’s Word and would seek to get them to repent and walk with God.

o   They spoke of the coming Messiah.

·       “Law” and “Prophets” sums up the entire OT.

·       “Fulfill”

o   Does not mean to complete, finish, add to what has already been started. It means to carry out.

o   Jesus came to fulfill the OT in the sense that He would give full obedience to it. He came to carry out everything that was written in the OT.

o   Fulfilling the Law for Jesus included obedience, but it was not limited to it. He gives the OT its clear and intended meaning.

·       The OT is just as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago. It should still be studied and taught, not just referenced. Don’t let the back third of your Bible be the only part that gets wrinkles in the pages. We need to hear from Isaiah as much as we need to hear from Matthew.

·       The Law points to Jesus and is fulfilled in Jesus.

·       We could look at example after example in the OT, but for the sake of time, we will unpack just one OT passage.

·       Numbers 5:1-4

o   There is a practical purpose, a theological purpose, and a Christological purpose.

o   Practical

    God’s command to send them outside the camp may seem cruel, and it may seem hard, but it was for the good of the nation. Had they stayed in the camp, the disease could have spread like wildfire, effectively wiping out the nation of Israel.

o   Theological

    God is holy. God is present. God has spoken.

    He is holy. He is completely separate from sin. This shows us that God can’t be around defilement. In order to come in contact with God, we must be clean. Isn’t it interesting, though, that they aren’t told how to make themselves clean? They couldn’t make themselves clean. The priests could not make them clean. In fact, all the priests could do was declare someone to be clean or unclean.

    God is present. Even when the situation seems hopeless and we feel all alone, He is with His people.

    God has spoken. And when He spoke, His people listened. It’s amazing to me. In the face of something that may have seemed so unfair, the people obeyed God. They had not brought the leprosy on themselves. This was no fault of their own. I had to say goodbye to my own children when their mother asked for a divorce and moved to Hawaii. But even though I had to let them go, it wasn’t as painful as having to send them outside the camp because they were defiled. There’s going to come a time when you’re faced with some pretty awful circumstances. That’s when you’re really going to see if you believe this book.

o   Christological

    Luke 5:12-14

Ø  As you’re turning to Luke, remember that they were not told in the OT how to cleanse themselves of leprosy.

Ø  Read passage.

Ø  So Jesus encounters a leper. The leper falls at Jesus’ feet and asks for Him to heal Him.

Ø  You can feel the tension. You can hear the gasps of the crowd. You can hear the screams: “Don’t do it, Jesus! Don’t touch Him! You will be made unclean!” And Jesus reaches out…and He touches Him. And not only is Jesus not made unclean, He makes the leper clean! He did what the priests could not do. He did what the people could not do on their own. He makes the leper clean.

Ø  Heals physical lepers, but more importantly, He heals spiritual lepers.

Ø  You realize that apart from Christ, you’re a spiritual leper, don’t you? You are plagued with something much worse than leprosy, something far deadlier than HIV. It’s SIN. Because of our sin, because of our rebellion against God, we are spiritual lepers.

Ø  He isn’t made unclean when He comes in contact with us – He makes us clean!

Ø  How can He do this? The answer is found in Heb 13.

    Heb 13:11-13

Ø  How can He do this? He can do this because He suffered outside the camp on our behalf!

Ø  He can cleanse you of even the ugliest sins in your life. Maybe there’s a sin you’ve hidden deep in the lockbox of your heart. You haven’t brought it to Jesus. Maybe you’re saying, “Not that sin, Jesus. You can’t possibly cleanse me of that. I’ve gone too far. I’ve sinned too much.” And Jesus invites you, “Come and meet me outside the camp; I’ve already paid for that sin in full.”

Ø  Paul Washer: the most difficult challenge the child of God will ever face will be to look in the mirror of God’s Word, see how sinful he truly is, and still believe that God loves him as much as He says He does.

Ø  Christ makes us clean. He is the spotless Lamb. He suffered outside the camp and fulfilled the ceremonial law. That is why we no longer do animal sacrifices. The ceremonial law has not been abolished, it has been fulfilled.

·       If it seems that certain parts of the Law are “abolished,” it’s not because of their loss of status as the Word of God. And it’s not because the NT amended the OT. It is because their role has changed. The sacrificial system is no longer necessary because Jesus in our once-for-all sacrifice (Heb 8-10).

The Relevance of the Old Testament (v. 18)

·       This verse starts with the Greek work amen. It means “to verify a key teaching.” Used over 30(?) times in Matthew, and it is used at critical points (give the background of why it was so critical).

·       Iota…dot/jot…tittle

o   The iota is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet.

o   The NLT reads, “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.”

o   Even the smallest stroke of the pen will be fulfilled.

o   One commentator writes, “Scripture does not simply contain the words of God; the words of Scripture are the very Word of God.”

o   We don’t just seek to obey the “big” commands; they are all God’s words and we seek to honor Him in all of it.

o   God’s Law is absolute. It can’t be abolished, changed, or amended. Everything in the OT will be carried out, even to the smallest detail.

·       To show us that the OT is still relevant, Jesus gives us Matt 5:21-48.

·       Matt 5:21-48

o   Time will not allow us to flesh out everything Christ teaches in this passage. But there is one overarching principle that I want you to see.

o   Jesus covers several topics here (anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, and loving our enemies). In each of these sections, you see the formula, “You have heard it said…but I say…”

o   Jesus sets Himself up as the Authority. He hasn’t come parroting all the sayings of the scribes and Pharisees. He wants to affirm the OT, and more than that, He wants to expose the true meaning of the Scriptures. And in doing so, He sets the bar impossibly high. In fact, the bar is set at perfection. In order to keep the law, you must be perfect.

o   Some people say, “Man, I’m glad I didn’t live during OT times. Animal sacrifices, festivals…that would have been too much work. That life just seems too hard.” But if that’s the way you think, you’ve got it backwards. Maybe it would have been difficult, but it is nothing in comparison to the Christian life. It is nothing in comparison to Matthew 5. It is much harder to have a pure mind than it is to kill an animal. It is much harder to love your neighbor than it is to observe a feast. It is much harder to show mercy to those we don’t think deserve it than it is to do a purification ritual. You are to be perfect.

o   But here’s the problem: none of us are perfect. Your best fifteen minutes on this earth couldn’t get you into heaven. You at your best can’t keep all these commands. There has never been a time when you have obeyed these commands perfectly. Never. Not once. And yet there was never a time when Christ did not fully and perfectly keep the law.

o   David loved the law. But we know that as much as he loved it, he failed miserably. But Christ never grew weary in doing good works. Even on the cross, He was quoting Scripture. There were no 4 letter words coming out of His mouth, only words that gave evidence of a heart that was sold out to God.

o   Are you starting to see just how amazing our Jesus is? Hold on to your Bibles; we’re only halfway through the passage.

Our Relationship to the Old Testament (v. 19)

·       Jesus made both positive and negative statements. That is, He not only gave us doctrine, but He also criticized false doctrines. We can’t be afraid to do the same. Sometimes, we’ve got to drop the theological hammer. It’s not necessarily bad form to call out false teachers. There is a wrong way to do it (i.e. prideful heart), but faithful teachers expose erroneous doctrines. People that say you shouldn’t do this have probably never read the NT.

·       The Law is meant to be followed so long as this world exists.

·       Does “least” and “great” mean that certain people will enjoy a greater status in heaven?

o   God will reward you for your service on earth. Those who place a high premium on doing and teaching the Word will be rewarded. But I want you to consider a similar statement Jesus made so you will understand that every Christian will enjoy heaven fully. We sometimes have this picture of heaven in our minds where the great saints of the Bible are closer to the throne of God and the ones who sinned more and got saved later in life are in the nosebleed section and can only see Jesus on the Jumbotron. That is not a biblical view of the kingdom of heaven.

o   In Matthew 20:16, Jesus says that the last will be first and the first will be last. That is not a contradiction. That’s a circular way of saying that we will all finish in a dead heat. Salvation is freely and fully given to all who come to Jesus. If that doesn’t seem fair, it’s because you don’t understand how sinful you are.

o   Jesus saved the thief of the cross in his dying hour. He got all of Jesus.

o   Religious leaders like Nicodemus were not valued over adulterous women. If you don’t believe me, go read John 3 and 4. The preacher and prostitute will enjoy the same quality of life in heaven.

o   We deny the Mormon teachings on heaven. We deny that there are 3 levels of heaven, and the ones who did more good deeds are closer to God. We affirm that He took on our sin so we can be viewed as having His righteousness. We are therefore all equally righteous, because the law demands perfection. Jesus makes us perfect, and therefore God awakens us to enjoy Him fully. When we get saved, we get all of Jesus.

o   Heaven isn’t heaven because of crowns, it is heaven because of Christ.

o   MacArthur: “All the redeemed receive the same eternal life, whether they are young or old, respectable or contemptible, Pharisees or tax-gatherers. No one who comes to Christ is either preferred or slighted because of past experience. The same eternal life is offered to all.”

o   Objections to this teaching.

    “That’s not fair.” Believe me, you don’t want fair. Fairness means Christ stays in heaven and you go to hell.

    “Why live for Christ if this is true?” That just showcases your ungrateful heart. When you understand how much you have been forgiven, you will gladly live for Christ, even if it costs you.

    “If this is true, then I’ll wait to serve Christ. I’ll just live the way I want and get serious in my later years.” Play chicken with God if you want. You aren’t even guaranteed tomorrow. Take a stroll through a cemetery and you’ll see tombstones of 60 year-olds and 6 year-olds. Death can come for you at any moment.

·       Transition

 The Requirement Old Testament (v. 20)

·       Pharisee: means “separatist.” They had formed a code of laws stricter than the law of Moses. Because of their strict lifestyle, others looked to them as the models of virtue.

·       Scribes

o   Taught, interpreted, and preserved the law.

o   They were the professors and scholars of their day.

o   They were the ones whose sermons were broadcasted on Christian radio. They were broadcasted on WJEW and WWJD.

·       You mean to tell me I have to be better than them in order to get into heaven?

·       How can this be so? There is none righteous (Rom 3).

·       Do we have to do more good works than the scribes and Pharisees to get into heaven? Is this a salvation by works?

·       Also, notice that it does not say “match” or “equal.” It says we are to exceed or surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.

·       But you see, the Pharisees’ ultimate goal was to honor himself, not God. He delighted in his performance, not the Prince of Peace.

·       You see, Pharisees look at others and rejoice that they aren’t like the sinners. Christians look at God’s laws and see their sinfulness and are brought low.

·       The Pharisees weren’t too concerned with “white collar” sins. That was true of the Pharisees back then, and that’s true of Pharisees today.

·       The problem with the Pharisees is the same in every religious movement: their concerns are the external, not the internal. They are focused on their behavior but not on their belief. They fail to realize that our beliefs shape and determine our behavior. That is why Paul begins his epistles with doctrine before moving to ethics. Doctrine is the foundation for proper ethical behavior.

·       Osborne: “The lifestyle God demands is of the heart, lived out in daily actions.”

·       Jesus transforms hearts, which in turn transforms our actions.

·       If the religious leaders in Jesus’ day were experts in the law and still failed, then what does Jesus require of me?

·       Jesus requires that you look in the mirror of God’s Word, see your sinfulness for what it is, repent of your sins, and follow Him. The law was never meant to save. The purpose of the Law is to bring us to Jesus!

·       We are to live righteous lives, but our external righteousness should be the evidence of our salvation, not the cause of it.

·       Pharisees keep commands strictly out of duty. Christians obey out of delight.

·       Someone once said that religion is that which a man does with his own solitude. What you do when you are alone will show who your god really is.

·       Now, the Pharisees had works with no faith. Our problem in the Bible Belt is that we claim to have faith, but yet we have no works to back it up.

·       MLJ, “The man who has been born again, and who has the divine nature within him, is a man who is righteous and his righteousness does exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.

·       So what is the requirement of the OT? Perfection. But because none of us are perfect, our only hope is to rely on someone who is perfect. (Matt 5:21-48 here?)

·       To have a righteousness greater than the scribes and Pharisees is to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit through repentance of sins and faith in Jesus Christ. That is something the scribes and Pharisees had not experienced (show where I get this from). How do I know this? Look carefully at the text. The fact that we have to have a righteousness greater than theirs to get into heaven implies that their righteousness was not good enough. They relied on their own merits to save them rather than on the merits of Jesus Christ.

·       The scribes and Pharisees were the religious cream of the crop. In the eyes of the people, they were the pinnacle of righteousness. Some of the most religious people in our churches will not be in heaven.

·       Is there any hope for scribes and Pharisees? Ask Paul. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees, and God saved him.

·       The kingdom of heaven is available to all who respond to Jesus.

Conclusion

·       Jesus did not come to abolish the law, or even replace the law. Rather, He came to fulfill the law and deepen it’s meaning. Therefore, if you don’t study the law, you will be limited in your understanding of Jesus, and your spiritual growth will be stunted.

·       The role of the OT is to expose our sinfulness and point us to Jesus.

·       The OT is still relevant today. While some elements have been fulfilled in Christ, we are to seek to fulfill the moral aspects of the law.

·       Our relationship as Christians to the OT demands that we study it, not just as a historical document, but as God’s Word. We are also to obey it, not so that God will bless us, but because He has blessed us and we delight in serving our King.

·       The OT requires perfection. While we can’t meet this standard, Christ already did. When we repent of our sins and put our faith and trust in Him, He cleanses us from unrighteousness and brings us into His kingdom. And as Christians, we strive to meet that perfect standard, stumbling along the way, but doing so with the realization that we will be with Christ one day.

[pamphletstoinspire]

BOOK OF JOB - From The Douay-Rheims Bible - Latin Vulgate

Chapter 19

The Book of Job shows how human affairs are ruled by Divine Providence using probable arguments.

"Although you hide these things in your heart, I know that you still remember everything." - (Job speaking to God)  

***

INTRODUCTION.

This Book takes its name from the holy man, of whom it treats; who, according to the more probable opinion, was of the race of Esau, and the same as Jobab, king of Edom, mentioned Gen. xxxvi. 33. It is uncertain who was the writer of it. Some attribute it to Job himself; others to Moses, or some one of the prophets. In the Hebrew it is written in verse, from the beginning of the third chapter to the forty-second chapter. Ch. --- The beginning and conclusion are historical, and in prose. Some have divided this work into a kind of tragedy, the first act extending to C. xv., the second to C. xxii., the third to C. xxxviii., where God appears, and the plot is unfolded. They suppose that the sentiments of the speakers are expressed, though not their own words. This may be very probable: but the opinion of those who look upon the work as a mere allegory, must be rejected with horror. The sacred writers speak of Job as of a personage who had really existed, (C.) and set the most noble pattern of virtue, and particularly of patience. Tob. ii. 12. Ezec. xiv. 14. Jam. v. 11. Philo and Josephus pass over this history, as they do those of Tobias, Judith, &c. H. --- The time when Job lived is not clearly ascertained. Some have supposed (C.) that he was a contemporary with Esther; (D. Thalmud) on which supposition, the work is here placed in its chronological order. But Job more probably live during the period when the Hebrews groaned under the Egyptian bondage, (H.) or sojourned in the wilderness. Num. xiv. 9. The Syrians place the book at the head of the Scriptures. C. --- Its situation has often varied, and is of no great importance. The subject which is here treated, is of far more; as it is intended to shew that the wicked sometimes prosper, while the good are afflicted. H. --- This had seldom been witnessed before the days of Abraham: but as God had now selected his family to be witnesses and guardians of religion, a new order of things was beginning to appear. This greatly perplexed Job himself; who, therefore, confesses that he had not sufficiently understood the ways of God, till he had deigned to explain them in the parable of the two great beasts. C. xlii. 3. We cannot condemn the sentiments expressed by Job, since God has declared that they were right, (ib. v. 8) and reprimands Elihu, (C. xxxviii. 2.) and the other three friends of Job, for maintaining a false opinion, though, from the history of past times, they had judge it to be true. This remark may excupate them from the stain of wilful lying, and vain declamation. Houbigant. --- However, as they assert what was false, their words of themselves are of no authority; and they are even considered as the forerunners of heretics. S. Greg. S. Aug. &c. T. --- Job refutes them by sound logic. S. Jerom. --- We may discover in this book the sum of Christian morality, (W.) for which purpose it has been chiefly explained by S. Gregory. The style is very poetical, (H.) though at the same time simple, like that of Moses. D. --- It is interspersed with many Arabic and Chaldaic idioms; (S. Jer.) whence some have concluded, that it was written originally by Job and his friends (H.) in Arabic, and translated into Heb. by Moses, for the consolation of his brethren. W. --- The Heb. text is in many places incorrect; (Houbig.) and the Sept. seem to have omitted several verses. Orig. --- S. Jerom says almost eight hundred, (C.) each consisting of about six words. H. --- Shultens, in 1747, expressed his dissatisfaction with the labours of all preceding commentators. To explain this book may not therefore be an easy task: but we must be as short as possible. H. --- Those who desire farther information, may consult Pineda, (W.) whose voluminous work, in two folios, will nearly (H.) give all necessary information. C.

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin.

HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers' marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as ---.

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (1/2) and three-quarters symbol (3/4) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber's copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 19

Job complains of the cruelty of his friends; he describes his own sufferings: and his belief of a future resurrection.

[1] Then Job answered, and said:

Respondens autem Job, dixit :

[2] How long do you afflict my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

Usquequo affligitis animam meam, et atteritis me sermonibus?

[3] Behold, these ten times you confound me, and are not ashamed to oppress me.

En decies confunditis me, et non erubescitis opprimentes me.

[4] For if I have been ignorant, my ignorance shall be with me.

Nempe, et si ignoravi, mecum erit ignorantia mea.

[5] But you have set yourselves up against me, and reprove me with my reproaches.

At vos contra me erigimini, et arguitis me opprobriis meis.

[6] At least now understand, that God hath not afflicted me with an equal judgment, and compassed me with his scourges.

Saltem nunc intelligite quia Deus non aequo judicio afflixerit me, et flagellis suis me cinxerit.

[7] Behold I cry suffering violence, and no one will hear: I shall cry aloud, and there is none to judge.

Ecce clamabo, vim patiens, et nemo audiet : vociferabor, et non est qui judicet.

[8] He hath hedged in my path round about, and I cannot pass, and in my way he hath set darkness.

Semitam meam circumsepsit, et transire non possum : et in calle meo tenebras posuit.

[9] He hath stripped me of my glory, and hath taken the crown from my head.

Spoliavit me gloria mea, et abstulit coronam de capite meo.

[10] He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am lost, and he hath taken away my hope, as from a tree that is plucked up.

Destruxit me undique, et pereo : et quasi evulsae arbori abstulit spem meam.

[11] His wrath is kindled against me, and he hath counted me as his enemy.

Iratus est contra me furor ejus, et sic me habuit quasi hostem suum.

[12] His troops have come together, and have made themselves a way by me, and have besieged my tabernacle round about.

Simul venerunt latrones ejus, et fecerunt sibi viam per me, et obsederunt in gyro tabernaculum meum.

[13] He hath put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintance like strangers have departed from me.

Fratres meos longe fecit a me, et noti mei quasi alieni recesserunt a me.

[14] My kinsmen have forsaken me, and they that knew me, have forgotten me.

Dereliquerunt me propinqui mei, et qui me noverant obliti sunt mei.

[15] They that dwelt in my house, and my maidservants have counted me a stranger, and I have been like an alien in their eyes.

Inquilini domus meae et ancillae meae sicut alienum habuerunt me, et quasi peregrinus fui in oculis eorum.

[16] I called my servant, and he gave me no answer, I entreated him with my own mouth.

Servum meum vocavi, et non respondit : ore proprio deprecabar illum.

[17] My wife hath abhorred my breath, and I entreated the children of my womb.

Halitum meum exhorruit uxor mea, et orabam filios uteri mei.

[18] Even fools despise me; and when I was gone from them, they spoke against me.

Stulti quoque despiciebant me : et cum ab eis recessissem, detrahebant mihi.

[19] They that were sometime my counsellors, have abhorred me: and he whom I love most is turned against me.

Abominati sunt me quondam consiliarii mei, et quem maxime diligebam, aversatus est me.

[20] The flesh being consumed. My bone hath cleaved to my skin, and nothing but lips are left about my teeth.

Pelli meae, consumptis carnibus, adhaesit os meum, et derelicta sunt tantummodo labia circa dentes meos.

[21] Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord hath touched me.

Miseremini mei, miseremini mei, saltem vos, amici mei, quia manus Domini tetigit me.

[22] Why do you persecute me as God, and glut yourselves with my flesh?

Quare persequimini me sicut Deus, et carnibus meis saturamini?

[23] Who will grant me that my words may be written? Who will grant me that they may be marked down in a book?

Quis mihi tribuat ut scribantur sermones mei? quis mihi det ut exarentur in libro,

[24] With an iron pen and in a plate of lead, or else be graven with an instrument in flint stone.

stylo ferreo et plumbi lamina, vel celte sculpantur in silice?

[25] For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and in the last day I shall rise out of the earth.

Scio enim quod redemptor meus vivit, et in novissimo die de terra surrecturus sum :

[26] And I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I will see my God.

et rursum circumdabor pelle mea, et in carne mea videbo Deum meum.

[27] Whom I myself shall see, and my eyes shall behold, and not another: this my hope is laid up in my bosom.

Quem visurus sum ego ipse, et oculi mei conspecturi sunt, et non alius : reposita est haec spes mea in sinu meo.

[28] Why then do you say now: Let us persecute him, and let us find occasion of word against him?

Quare ergo nunc dicitis : Persequamur eum, et radicem verbi inveniamus contra eum?

[29] Flee then from the face of the sword, for the sword is the revenger of iniquities: and know ye that there is judgment.

Fugite ergo a facie gladii, quoniam ultor iniquitatum gladius est : et scitote esse judicium.

Commentary:

Ver. 3. Ten times; very often. --- Oppress me. Heb. word occurs no where else, and is variously translated. It may signify, "to dig a pit for me." C. vi. 27. Ps. vi. 6. Job repeats nearly what he had said before, only with greater vehemence. He admits that Providence treats him in an unusual manner. Yet he still retains an assured hope, and arraigns his adversaries before the divine tribunal. C. --- Yet he rather hesitates; (v. 4. 6.) and this species of ignorance is the folly of which he, at last, accuses himself. C. xlii. 3. It was no real fault, ib. v. 8. H.

Ver. 4. With me. I alone am answerable for it. But I am no wiser for your remarks. If I have sinned, have I not been sufficiently punished? C. --- Sept. "Yea, truly, I was under a mistake; and the mistake still remains with me, to have spoken a word which was not becoming. But my speeches are erroneous and importunate." He talks thus ironically. H.

Ver. 5. Reproaches, which I endure, as if they were a sure proof of your assertion. H. -- I must therefore refute you. C.

Ver. 6. With an equal judgment. S. Gregory explains these words thus: Job being a just man, and truly considering his own life, thought that his affliction was greater than his sins deserved; and in that respect, that the punishment was not equal, yet it was just, as coming from God, who give a crown of justice to those who suffer for righteousness' sake, and proves the just with tribulations, as gold is tried by fire. Ch. --- He knew that God would surely give a just reward. 2 Tim. iv. S. Greg. xiv. 16. W. --- The friends of Job had too contracted a notion of Providence, supposing that the virtuous could not be afflicted. Job allowed that the ordinary rules were not here observed. Heb. "the Lord hath perverted or overthrown me." C. --- This gave him no small uneasiness. If the thing had been as plain as it appears now to us, he might have refuted all with a bare denial. Houbigant.

Ver. 7. Hear. Jeremias makes the same complaint, Lam. iii. 8. C.

Ver. 12. Troops: (latrones) "free-booters," (H.) or "soldiers." Sanctius. --- Those nations made a practice of plundering one another's territories, without any declaration of war. Mercury and Autolychus are praised for thefts of this description. Odys. xix. See Judg. xi. 3. Sept. "his temptations (C. or militia; peirathria) came rushing together upon me; lying down (H.) in ambush, (C.) they surrounded my paths." H.

Ver. 17. Entreated. Prot. add, "for the children's sake of mine own body." Sept. "I invited with flattering speeches the sons of my concubines. (18) But they cast me from them for ever. When I arise, they speak against me." H. --- Interpreters generally suppose that Job speaks of the children by his inferior wives: though he might have some at home by the first wife, who were not old enough to be invited to the feast, with those who were destroyed. C.

Ver. 18. Fools; wicked men, (M.) or the meanest of the people, (C.) whom (H.) these unnatural children (C.) resembled. Heb. "young children." Prot. H.

Ver. 19. Some. Heb. "men of my secret." Sept. "who knew me;" my most intimate friends. --- And he. Heb. and Sept. "They whom I love are." H. --- These ungratefully joined with the rest, in turning their backs on their benefactor. W.

Ver. 20. Teeth. I am like a skeleton, so strangely emaciated, and my flesh corrupted: even my bones are not entire. H. --- Heb. "I have escaped with the skin of my teeth." Only my gums are left. My bones cut the skin. Sym. "I tore my skin with my teeth."

Ver. 22. Flesh? acting with the like inhumanity towards me. Am I not then sufficiently tormented in you opinion, that you insult over my distress? C.

Ver. 24. In a. Heb. "lead, in the rock for ever." Prot. Sept. have, "for ever," after book, (v. 23) and subjoins, "with a writing instrument of iron and (or) lead, or be engraven on the rocks for a memorial." Grabe insinuates that before there was only, "and on lead, or be engraven on the rocks." H. --- Instrument, (celte) means "a chisel," (H.) like cœlum from cœlo: " I engrave." Pineda. --- S. Jerom, (ad Pam.) and the late editor of his works, retain this word, as the older editions of S. Greg. did; (C.) though certè, "surely," has been inserted instead, from several MSS. by the Benedictines. H. --- Ancient MSS. and Latin Bibles have more generally the latter word. But the received editions are supported by many MSS. (C.) and the Sept. egglufhnai, expresses as much. Celtis est, glufeion. Amama. Casaub. in Athen. vii. 20. p. 556. --- An inscription, in Dalmatia, has the same sense: Neque hic atramentum vel papyrus aut membrana ulla adhuc; sed malleolo et celte literatus silex. "Here as yet was neither ink, nor paper, nor any parchments; but a flint stone was lettered with a mallet and a chisel.." The former modes of writing were not, in effect, invented by the days of Job. C. --- But it was long very usual to make use of lead. Pineda. --- What he desired to have written in such durable characters, (H.) was the following sentence, in proof of his unshaken confidence in God, and as a refutation of his friends, who accused him of despair and blasphemy, (C.) as also the whole history of his conflict. His desire has been granted. T.

Ver. 25. Redeemer may be understood of the Deity, without confining it to the second Person; (Isai. xli. 14. and lxix. 7. Piscator) though it may have a more peculiar reference to Christ: (Junius. H.) in whom he believed, as the Redeemer of all mankind. C. --- Earth. Yea, ere long I shall be restored to health, (S. Chrys. Grot.) as an earnest and figure of the resurrection. Nothing is more common, in Scripture, than for the same prophecy to have a double accomplishment; one soon after it is made public, and another more sublime and remote. Job seemed to have no expectation of surviving his present misery, (v. 7, and C. vii. 7. and xxiv. 15.) unless God now revealed it to him, as a figure of his future resurrection, founded on the hope of our Saviour's, which he expresses in much clearer terms. Heb. "I know that my Redeemer is living, and that he will raise himself one day upon the earth," (C.) like a conqueror, (H.) or wrestler, having overthrown his antagonist: (Amama) or, "he will stand the last upon the earth, or dust," (Piscator) ascending his throne, to judge all. Deodat. --- Yet Luther translates, "and one day he will raise me up from the earth;" which is not conformable to the Heb. Others explain, "he...will place (26) this, my skin, after they (worms) shall have ruined it." Pagnin. Mont. --- But Amama suspects that the latter is not in earnest. Pineda defends the Vulg. and observes that yakum (H.) may signify, "will raise" himself, or "me;" the latter being at least a consequence of the former, if S. Jerom did not read it me in his copy. So S. Paul argues; If Christ be risen, we also shall rise again. Sept. "For I know that he is eternal, who will set me free," (H.) by death, (C. or redemption; ekluein) "upon the earth."

Ver. 26. And I. Sept. "But he will raise up my body or skin, which has sustained these things. This now has been accomplished for me by the Lord; (27) which I know within myself, which my eyes have seen, and not another. For all things are accomplished in my bosom." I am as fully convinced of this glorious event, (H.) as if it were past. C. --- Heb. "and though, after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." Prot. or in the margin, "After I shall awake, though this body be destroyed, yet out of," &c. Various other interpretations are given. H. --- But we had as well adhere to the Sept. Vulg. &c. D. --- God. Sixtus V. and some other editions, add "Saviour." C. --- Job would see the Messias by the eyes of his prosperity. S. Aug. or Faustus, ser. 234. t. v. App. Sanctius. --- He hoped also to see God face to face in glory (C.) though not by means of his corporeal eyes, (H.) and to be restored to favour, so that God would no longer turn his back on him. , C. xlii. 5. S. Gregory, when legate at Constantinople, convinced the patriarch Eutychius, by this text, that after the resurrection, our bodies will be palpable, and not aerial only. C. --- It contains an express profession of Job's faith, on this head. We shall rise the same in substance. W.

Ver. 27. Myself. Heb. "for myself," and for my comfort; not like the reprobate, who shall see their judge to their eternal confusion. Job insists so much on this point, that he shews he in not speaking merely of the divine favour being restored to him, in the re-establishment of his health and affairs, but that he raises his mind to something more solid and desirable, of which the former was only a faint representation. C. --- "No one since Christ has spoken so plainly of the resurrection, as this man did before the coming of the Messias." S. Jerom, ad Pam. --- This. Heb. "though my reins be consumed within me;" (Prot. H.) or, "my reins (desires and tender affections) are completed in my bosom." C.

Ver. 28. Let us. Sept. "Why do we contend against him? and the root of the word (reason) we shall find in him." He provokes us to speak thus. H. --- Hebrew reads, "in me." But the Chal. &c. "have him," as the sequel requires; unless Job speak this in his own person. I am ready to answer you; or, have you really discovered in me any grounds for your virulent attack? C.

Ver. 29. Know. Sept. "And then they shall know that their power is nowhere;" or, "where is their substance?" Grabe. H. - Job menaces his friends with God's judgments, as they had done him. C.

[comebeforegod]

Beware of the Pharisees’ Leaven on the Path to the Heavenly Kingdom

By Kemu, Myanmar

Editor’s Note: Two thousand years ago the Jewish commoners didn’t beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and were deceived by their heretical fallacies, and  thus followed them in resisting the Lord Jesus, losing God’s salvation and receiving God’s punishment. 

Today, at the crucial moment of the Lord Jesus’ return, how should we learn from the failures of those in the past and beware of the leaven of the modern Pharisees? Sister Kemu has first-hand knowledge of this. How did she beware of the leaven of today’s Pharisees and welcome the return of the Lord Jesus? Let’s read her story together.

I once had a serious illness that was beyond cure, so I went to a church for help. When the pastor preached that the Lord Jesus was crucified to redeem us mankind, I was touched by the great love of the Lord. After the pastor prayed for me several times, my illness was miraculously gone. From then on, I was sure that the Lord Jesus is the only true God, who bestows life on us. So, in order to repay the Lord’s love, I often drove Pastor E, who was famous in our local area, everywhere to spread the gospel and bear witness. In addition, I gave him my monthly tithe. Seeing that Pastor E had forsaken his family and career to work and expend for the Lord, I frequently paid his travel expenses. Every time he came to visit our church, he stayed at my home, and in the evenings, he read the scriptures and preached to my whole family. We were as close as family. At the time, I thought Pastor E was a good servant loyal to the Lord; many believers worshiped and looked up to him; as long as I cooperated well with Pastor E’s work and did my utmost to expend myself for the Lord, I would be praised by the Lord; and it was certainly not wrong to follow him along the path of believing in the Lord.

In February 2018, I had the fortune to hear Almighty God’s gospel in the last days. Through reading Almighty God’s words, I understood the mystery of God’s six-thousand-year management plan and knew that God’s salvation work for mankind is divided into three stages: the Age of Law, the Age of Grace, and the Age of Kingdom. In the Age of Law, Jehovah God issued laws and commandments through Moses so that people would know what sin is, how to prevent themselves from violating the laws, how to get on with people, how to worship God, and so on. In the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus brought the way of repentance and did the work of redeeming humanity. People would be forgiven of their sins on the condition that they repented to the Lord for their sins. And in the Age of Kingdom, Almighty God does the judgment work by expressing words to root out our sinful nature. When we experience the judgment and chastisement of the words of Almighty God, our corrupt disposition can be purified little by little, and eventually we can gain God’s salvation and perfection and be qualified to receive God’s blessings and promises. These three stages of work complement each other and each stage goes higher and deeper than the last and is carried out on the foundation of the last. If we only accept the redemption of the Lord Jesus but don’t accept the judgment work of Almighty God in the last days, we will be unable to get rid of our sinful nature, and we will continue to commit sins and resist God despite ourselves. In that case, no matter how much we have sacrificed for the Lord, or how much we have suffered, we won’t be eligible to enter the kingdom of heaven. Only by receiving Almighty God’s work in the last days and experiencing His judgment and chastisement so as to break free of our corrupt disposition and be thoroughly transformed and cleansed, can we enter the kingdom of heaven. I was grateful to God for selecting me and giving me the opportunity to be saved, and later I spread the gospel to my family.

Afterward, I wanted to tell the great news that the Lord has returned to those brothers and sisters in my original church who sincerely believed in the Lord. I thought of Pastor E. I said to myself: “If Pastor E accepts God’s work in the last days and brings the brothers and sisters back to Almighty God, everyone will receive blessings and benefit from it. But, Pastor E told us many times in the past that we mustn’t investigate Eastern Lightning or contact brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God. Will he accept it when I preach the gospel to him?” At this thought, I was somewhat worried. But then I thought: “Pastor E has believed in the Lord for many years. Isn’t his work and expenditure in order to welcome the return of the Lord? If I preach to him clearly, he should be able to accept.” So, I began to pray for this.

In March, Pastor E came and stayed in my home. I didn’t tell him about my accepting God’s work of the last days, for fear that he would not accept God’s gospel of the last days but obstruct me. Instead, I attended online gatherings with the brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God every day. On the fifth night, he asked me why I didn’t seek for fellowship with him about contents of the Bible as before. I thought: “He’ll leave tomorrow and I won’t be seeing him for a while. If I don’t take this chance to tell him about God’s work in the last days, that will delay the brothers and sisters from seeking and investigating it.” Therefore, I said to him: “Pastor E, Luke 17:24–25 says that ‘For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.’ And Matthew 24:27 says, ‘For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’  It can be seen that when the Lord comes again, He’ll appear in the form of the Son of man and be rejected by this generation. When ‘the Son of man’ is mentioned, it refers to God incarnate. And ‘first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation’ means that God will appear to us by becoming flesh when He returns in the last days. And Matthew 24:27 mentions ‘the east.’ It is likely referring to China. That’s enough to show that when the Lord returns in the last days, He will be incarnated and will secretly appear in China.”

I thought that Pastor E would give this some consideration or seek the truth in it, and so I was surprised when he denied what I had said at once by saying in a loud voice: “That’s impossible! The Lord will return on a cloud and will be seen by all. How can He become flesh? Have you believed in Eastern Lightning?”

I said: “Pastor E, many parts of the Bible prophesy that the Lord will come secretly. It doesn’t just prophesy that the Lord will come openly on a cloud. For example: ‘And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him’ (Matthew 25:6). ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame’ (Revelation 16:15). In these verses, ‘At midnight’ and ‘I come as a thief’ indicate that the Lord will return secretly. Clearly, the return of the Lord consists of two steps: First He will come down secretly; then after He completes a stage of work He will appear openly. In the last days Almighty God—the returned Lord Jesus—works in China; this fulfills the prophecy that the Lord will come secretly. Almighty God carries out the work of judgment beginning in the house of God by expressing words. He has made a group of overcomers in China, separated the goats from the sheep, the tares from the wheat, and put each with its own kind. Now the judgment work of Almighty God in the last days is drawing to a close. God will send down great disasters the instant He completes the work of purifying and perfecting people, and then He will publicly descend with clouds and appear to all nations and all peoples. At that time, those who have opposed and condemned Almighty God’s work of the last days will see that Almighty God is precisely the returned Lord Jesus and that it is God Himself whom they have resisted and condemned, and will beat their chests, wail, and gnash their teeth. That’s how the scene appears on earth where all the tribes mourn. That also fulfills the words: ‘Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen’ (Revelation 1:7).”

Unexpectedly, hearing this, Pastor E roared: “Speak no more! What you said is reasonable, but I absolutely can’t accept any Lord Jesus who doesn’t arrive upon a white cloud. Even if I have to die, I won’t believe.”

Seeing his attitude, I was stunned instantly: “Is this the pastor who prayed in tears asking the Lord to come soon? Why is it that he doesn’t have the slightest desire to seek, but is so resistant when hearing the news that the Lord has returned?” Then, I said sincerely: “Pastor E, in dealing with the return of the Lord, we should earnestly seek what the Lord’s words say. Don’t just pay attention to a certain verse and neglect other verses. Or else, we are apt to miss the return of the Lord and be unable to enter the kingdom of heaven. Besides, when we use our notions and imagination to confine God’s work, aren’t we being too arrogant? We humans can’t fathom God’s wisdom, how can we possibly know what the Lord will do?”

Before I could finish my words, Pastor E suddenly stood up with his face red, and walked around in the room, waving his hands around in the air and saying loudly: “Humph, I’ve preached to and baptized thousands of people. I’m sure that I’ve gained at least five crowns in the kingdom of heaven. How could I not enter the kingdom of heaven?” He did not pay any attention to what I said, and just objected to it and condemned it continuously. He even said: “You say Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus who has become flesh and secretly descended in China? I won’t believe it unless I see Him with my own eyes.”

My husband, who didn’t have much discernment, was sitting nearby and chimed in: “Right.” Faced with this situation, I was very confused and did not know how to refute Pastor E. And seeing that my husband was influenced by Pastor E, I stopped the topic immediately, in case he would be deceived more deeply by the fallacies of Pastor E.

Afterward, Pastor E went to his bedroom in anger. Immediately, I went into my bedroom, knelt down, and prayed to God: “O Almighty God! Now my heart is in turmoil. How should I experience this situation? I don’t understand Your will. Please enlighten and illuminate me.” After praying, I opened a recitation video of God’s words and saw these words of God in it: “The Lord Jesus also wanted to use the case of Thomas as a warning for future people: Although you believe in the Lord Jesus, you can neither see nor touch Him, yet you can be blessed by your true faith, and you can see the Lord Jesus through your true faith; this kind of person is blessed. … If you follow God, but just like Thomas, you always want to touch the Lord’s rib and feel His nail marks to confirm, to verify, to speculate on whether or not God exists, God will forsake you. So, the Lord Jesus requires people to not be like Thomas, only believing what they can see with their own eyes, but to be a pure, honest person, to not harbor doubts toward God, but only believe in and follow Him. This type of person is blessed. This is a very small requirement the Lord Jesus has for people, and a warning for His followers” (“God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself III” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). That’s right, the Lord Jesus asked us to be pure, honest people. No matter how the appearance, words and work of God are incompatible with our notions and imagination, and whether we can understand or not, we should positively believe. As long as the word and the way come from God and there is the work of the Holy Spirit in them, we should seek and accept, not test or suspect God, and moreover, not look at things based on what we can see with our eyes. Only by doing so can we gain God’s approval and blessing. What about Pastor E’s behavior, though? Because God’s appearance and work don’t conform to his notions, he didn’t seek with a humble heart but said that he must see God with his own eyes before he would believe in Him. Was he not like Thomas? Thomas was not convinced of the identity of the Lord Jesus as Christ; when the resurrected Lord Jesus revealed Himself to His other apostles he still did not believe the fact; and only after seeing the Lord and touching His nail marks with his own hands did he believe it. His kind of faith did not obtain God’s approval. Come to think of it, when we believe in the Lord, though none of us see the Lord Jesus, through His words and work recorded in the Bible, and through enjoying the work of the Holy Spirit, we can determine that the Lord Jesus is the only true God, and thus we follow Him. Similarly, in the last days God returns to flesh as Almighty God. He has expressed all truths for the salvation of mankind. Hearing His utterances, those who sincerely thirst for the truth will recognize they are God’s voice and accept the truth and follow Him. Such people are the wise virgins. So, whether one can accept God’s work is related to whether he likes the truth and whether he can identify God’s voice. If, as Pastor E said, one must see the incarnate God before he can believe in Him, then why is it that the earliest Pharisees, though seeing the Lord Jesus, frantically resisted, judged, blasphemed, and crucified the Lord Jesus instead of accepting Him? After realizing these things, a brightness lit up my heart. Pastor E didn’t want to investigate God’s work of the last days at all. Rather, he was testing God.

In the past, Pastor E and my family were as close as family. However, now we became estranged and were almost like enemies. Thinking of that, I felt very upset. I could not figure out why Pastor E was so resistant to God’s work in the last days, and why he condemned God’s work without any reverence for God. During my seeking, I thought of God’s words that the brothers and sisters of The Church of Almighty God had read to me: “Do you wish to know the root of why the Pharisees opposed Jesus? Do you wish to know the substance of the Pharisees? They were full of fantasies about the Messiah. What’s more, they believed only that the Messiah would come, yet did not seek the truth of life. And so, even today they still await the Messiah, for they have no knowledge of the way of life, and do not know what the way of truth is. How, say you, could such foolish, stubborn and ignorant people gain God’s blessing? How could they behold the Messiah? They opposed Jesus because they did not know the direction of the Holy Spirit’s work, because they did not know the way of truth spoken by Jesus, and, furthermore, because they did not understand the Messiah. And since they had never seen the Messiah, and had never been in the company of the Messiah, they made the mistake of paying empty tribute to the name of the Messiah while opposing the substance of the Messiah by any means. These Pharisees in substance were stubborn, arrogant, and did not obey the truth. The principle of their belief in God is: No matter how profound Your preaching, no matter how high Your authority, You are not Christ unless You are called the Messiah. Are these views not preposterous and ridiculous?” (“When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God’s words pinpointed that the Pharisees believed in God and yet resisted God in substance. Their nature was arrogant and stubborn. They didn’t know the work of the Holy Spirit, nor did they seek the truth at all. When the Lord Jesus appeared and did His work, they saw that His words and work carried authority and power, but they didn’t seek or investigate. They, because the Lord Jesus was not called the Messiah and did not keep the Sabbath, judged, condemned, blasphemed, and even crucified the Lord without a trace of fear. Afterward, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus shook up all of Judea and more and more people turned to Him. The Pharisees were afraid that if people all followed the Lord Jesus then no one would follow them, so they bribed the soldiers in an attempt to cover up the fact that the Lord Jesus had resurrected. Furthermore, they frenziedly captured and persecuted Christians and were enemies of God. Pastor E’s manifestations are the same as the Pharisees’ that God’s words reveal. He believes he knows the Bible well, possesses some biblical knowledge, and understands some theological theories, so he blindly holds on to his own notions and imaginings. He thinks the Lord can only come on a cloud, doesn’t acknowledge the Lord will first work secretly and then appear publicly, much less does he accept the reality of God becoming flesh. When I refuted him until he was speechless, he still clung to his notions, without any intention of seeking or investigating. He even shouted such words as “I absolutely can’t accept any Lord Jesus who doesn’t arrive upon a white cloud. Even if I have to die, I won’t believe.” From this it can be seen that his nature is one of arrogance and stubbornness. He doesn’t have the slightest acceptance of the truth. And he is a Pharisee revealed by God’s work in the last days. In the past I thought that I would be able to enter the kingdom of heaven by following him. Now I see he is not at all fit to be the leader of a group of believers. His leading those brothers and sisters is exactly the same as the blind leading the blind and then falling into a pit. He’s a false shepherd, so what is there for me to miss when he leaves? I should stand with God and completely reject him. At that time, I had some discernment of Pastor E’s hatred of the truth.

The second day, when Pastor E left, I did not give him a donation or travel expenses as before. That made him unhappy. Soon, he sent my brother a message, saying I was going down the wrong path, that I had led my family astray, and that he had a way to bring me back into my original church. Previously, Pastor E only came to my home two or three times every year, so I thought: “It’ll be months before he comes back again, so how can he make me return to my original church?” So I did not take it seriously. To my surprise, after that, he began to post messages in our WeChat group, telling brothers and sisters not to believe in Eastern Lightning. Immediately following this, the elders in our locality began to seal off the churches to us and told the believers that my whole family believed in Eastern Lightning and to reject us. In addition, they often looked for opportunities to deceive and rope in my husband. As a result, all the brothers and sisters, my relatives, and friends who believed in the Lord in our village, all shunned us, and some of them slandered us. My best friend pretended not to see me when we met on the street, or crossed the road when she saw me coming. Our neighbors, who were normally like family to us and who also believed in the Lord, no longer came to visit our home. Every time I went out, I would hear someone criticize me. My brother, nephews and nieces all turned their backs on me and gossiped about me. My husband was aggrieved and upset to see our family abandoned, isolated, and even slandered. And he was shaken. Every night he would lose his temper with me without any reason.

Thinking about how the brothers and sisters, who were once like family to me, had abandoned me, and how my family did not understand me, I felt it was so difficult to believe in God. I suffered to a great extent, and I often prayed to God in tears. God is faithful. He listened to my prayers and sympathized my weakness. At that time, God often enlightened me with these words: “Do not be discouraged, do not be weak, I will reveal to you. The road to the kingdom is not that smooth, nothing is that simple! You want blessings to come easy, right? Today everyone will have bitter trials to face, otherwise the loving heart you have for Me will not grow stronger and you will not have true love for Me. Even if it is just minor circumstances, everyone must get through them, it’s just that they differ to some degree” (“The Forty-first Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Every time I pondered these words of God my heart was comforted, and I came to understand the meaning of suffering. I realized that God permitted such afflictions to befall me just to perfect my love for and faith in Him and that they were God’s blessings. As the Lord Jesus said: “Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11–12). Although I was abandoned and slandered by our relatives and friends, the pastor and elders, and other believers for my faith in Almighty God, I was chosen by God and could come before Him, follow His work in the last days, and have the opportunity to experience His work and be cleansed, which is my greatest blessing. I should not be negative or weak because of suffering, but instead I ought to feel happy. No matter what circumstances I encounter or what suffering I endure, I must follow God’s footsteps and stand witness for God. Moreover, regardless of how difficult things get, God is at my side and He will lead me through them. Thus, under the guidance of God’s words, I had enough faith to face the situation.

Later, the brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God read God’s words and fellowshiped the truth with my family. After a month, they changed their minds about God’s work in the last days and gained some discernment of the God-defying nature of the pastor and elders. We often attended meetings together, reading God’s words and communicating our personal knowledge and understanding of them. We enjoyed the sweetness of God’s words and a happy life, and smiles appeared on our faces again.

One day in April, Pastor E sent a message to me: “Sister Kemu, do you still give tithes? Have you saved some money for donations? I’m holding a gospel meeting, can you support me?” After reading this message, I really felt disgusted and angry, so I replied: “No, I can’t.” A few days later, Pastor E sent me another message, again to try to block me from believing in Almighty God, and I didn’t reply. Seeing his behavior, I couldn’t help thinking of these words of God: “Those who read the Bible in grand churches recite the Bible every day, yet not one understands the purpose of God’s work. Not one is able to know God; moreover, not one is in accord with the heart of God. They are all worthless, vile men, each standing on high to teach God. Though they brandish the name of God, they willfully oppose Him. Though they label themselves believers of God, they are ones who eat the flesh and drink the blood of man. All such men are devils who devour the soul of man, demons who purposefully disturb those who try to step onto the right path, and stumbling blocks that impede the path of those who seek God. Though they are of ‘robust flesh,’ how are their followers to know that they are antichrists who lead man in opposition to God? How are they to know that they are living devils who specially seek souls to devour?” (“All Who Do Not Know God Are Those Who Oppose God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

What God’s words reveal is exactly right. Pastor E is versed in the Bible. He often preached biblical knowledge and theological theory to us, making high-sounding speeches. He thinks of himself as a man that knows the Lord best, but in reality he does not know God’s work at all, and he opposes the truth in all things. When he heard about Almighty God’s work of the last days, he did not have a sliver of a seeking heart. Not only did he not accept it, but he also frantically condemned and resisted it and prevented the believers from examining and receiving it. He sealed off the churches and spread fallacies on the Internet so that the believers in my original church guarded against and resisted The Church of Almighty God. After we accepted the last days’ work of Almighty God, he first deceived us with fallacies and asked the brothers and sisters to try to bring us over to their side,  and then told them to isolate and abandon us, attempting to force us to give up the true way. Through his actions, I saw that Pastor E preached everywhere not in order to exalt and testify to God or to bring believers before God, but to make them worship, follow, and support him, to keep them under his close control, and to protect his own position and livelihood. When some believers accepted the last days’ work of God, he was afraid that he would lose his position and livelihood, so he openly opposed God and fought over God’s sheep. Isn’t he an antichrist that fights with God for position? Pastor E didn’t bring the believers before God, but instead he made them follow him in resisting God’s work of the last days and lose God’s salvation of the last days. Isn’t he a devil that devours and brings harm to believers? He is a modern Pharisee and deserves to be cursed.

After experiencing these situations, I clearly saw  the truth-hating, God-opposing nature of the pastor and elders. I completely rejected them and no longer followed or worshiped them. Meanwhile, I came to appreciate the words of the Lord Jesus: “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.” The Lord saying “the leaven of the Pharisees” refers to the heretical fallacies of the religious leaders.  Only then did I understand that on the road to the kingdom of heaven, it’s most important to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. If we blindly worship and follow a man, don’t seek truth, and don’t look at things according to God’s words, we will be easily deceived by various heretical fallacies and lose God’s salvation, having nothing at all to do with the heavenly kingdom. I thank Almighty God for saving me and leading and guiding me with His words to cast off the deceptions and shackles of the evil servants and antichrists in the religious world, to return before God, and to enjoy the provision and watering of the living water of life.

[thelightprevails]

All Vestal Barks

Thanks to @creepazoid-class-s for pointing me in the right direction

All Vestal Barks under the cut (you don’t want a post that long, trust me)

Afflicted

Note: Quotes come from different events after affliction (camping skill usage, moving forward/back, not accepting healing, etc)

Fearful

I am not up to this task, Light forgive me! I will not fear martyrdom. I will not! Light, grant me passage through these cursed halls… Verse XXI: Heathens alone fear death... Spare me this one time, oh Light. Please spare me... Has the Light forsaken us? Deliver me, oh holy Flame... The shadows are crawling. This place is alive with evil! The Light is eclipsed! No! NOOO! They are too strong! Get back! Their eyes are cold with murder! Dark whispers bind me! Blackness... so much paralyzing blackness... I... I can't move... Light protect me! These shadows are unnatural - unholy! I have had a vision! Our deaths are imminent! The holy Flame whispers of torture and misery! Flame... oh Flame... why do you forsake me? I have been so very faithful! And yet... now I suffer!? No! No, please, NOOO! Leave me be! PLEASE! No! NOOOO! Keep away from me! Now I know my end has come.... No... No, please... (bursts into sobs) (tears streaming) Spare me... spare me... spare me... I have known despair. Yet the fear of imminent death... (shudder) Gods, how I long for the safety of the convent... The sacred Flame flickers... The path falls to darkness. Verse LXI: When all is lost, stand firm. The Flame endures. I... I cannot read the ritual while I shudder so... I am trying... but the Light denies a disquieted soul. There's no time for that. Evil is drawn to my purity.

Paranoid

You are all godless, luring me to my end! You test me? Shall I demonstrate the power of faith? Stop staring at me. I know your mind! Verse XXV: trust not armed men, for they seek to wound. You mock me behind my back! Do not deny it! That stone...it gazes at me! Must watch their eyes. They all know of my vows... There is a presence here. Dark and foul. They will sell us to slavers if they defeat us! Ugh! Their foul taint is anathema to my virtue! Sin swirls about them... Do not breathe their air! I alone am the bearer of the Light! The Verses command patience! I'll not defy them! The darkness plays tricks, I will hold fast. Cowards!  You reject the Light! I can decide for myself! I am no scullery girl! Hands off! I command myself, thank you! Conspiracy, all around me... Something disrupts my prayer. An unholy presence... Verse XII: quick-burning fires herald pain and torture. Don't deny your lust, it's… fully apparent. I will not sit idly by and wait for your betrayal! I can smell deceit. I've lived among much worse than you! And betray my honor? Is that what you want? My virtue far outweighs your falsity. So we stay. They know I serve the fire! They seek my death! I KNOW them! They are foes of the Flame! My purity is attracting them! They can smell it! I like not how that one is looking at me! I know a liar when I see one. You missed on purpose! Traitor! You could not have missed so easily! TRAITOR! Someone has trained them... We have been tricked! You LET yourself be hit... Why would that be? Ha! I see your mind! Stay there, you... filthy lech. Oh, yes, any chance to brush by the virgin. I see. Why? To tarnish my pure soul? You are jealous! Stand away! Faith alone will heal me! Don't touch me! The Devil works through you! The Light is quite enough for me, thank you. I deny your shamanism, kind though it may seem. Don't touch me! The Darkness works through you! Verse XII: Forbid thyself from incurring debts! I cannot trust you! And reveal my secrets? I think not. ... No. This is intimacy masquerading as aid. I'll not sully my virtue like that. It's... improper. Verse CXI: The pure shall refuse all strangers' gifts. We are becoming too familiar. I shall cope alone. The Verses forbid me to eat this... whatever this is. The Verses say nothing about fuzzy bread... hmmm... "Going without" is the chief tenet of vestalhood... I decline. The Light shall nourish me.

Masochistic

Through suffering, I will know my faith! Verse XIII: only the faithless fear death. My mortified flesh armors me against your hate! My blood is my penance. Take it, heretic! Ha! The Light has already burned away all feeling! Only through pain shall we know forgiveness! The pain only proves my devotion! Only the unfaithful fear death! I am the Light's martyr - strike me down! You cannot harm me! I bear the holy Flame! Their lashes will fuel the hearth within! I relish my trials, I relish my wounds! Spill my blood! Its purity shall exorcise you! I hurl myself on the altar of faith! Pain is the gateway to divinity! We die today. Consumed in the Flame of hope. Pain is the gateway to divinity! I sacrifice myself for the good of the Light! My blood will purify you! The Flame grants power through sacrifice! Hear me, Flame! This blood is yours! Now grant me POWER! These marks reveal my faith. The Flame fears nothing -- no pain, no defeat. (deep inhale) Yes... again! It hurts, yes... But also... (blesses herself) Please, please! End this life of slavery! I BEG YOU! NOOO! The Flame calls to me! Send me to the Flame! Yes... Your pain makes you powerful. No! Take me instead! I... I have sinned so grievously! No. The Flame tests my fear of death. I must face it. My resolve is weak here. I must train it more fully I thrive on pain. It's the way of my order. Let me endure it a bit first. It rejuvenates my soul. No! The Light commands my pain! Take your hands off me... unless you seek to wound me further! My vows demand I refuse. You wouldn't understand. The Light demands my blood! Stay back! My power wanes grows as my wounds mount! Save your blessings! The Light relishes in my suffering! A brush with death can truly purify the spirit. The Mother Superior would be right to impose ten lashings instead... In my life, suffering has been a potent motivator... Pain is a gift from the holy Flame. I cherish it. I can take more yet. Save your folksy charms.

Abusive

I am chosen - you are nothing! May the Light bring courage to you pathetic cast-offs! Stop soiling yourself and fight! Blasphemers! You offend my ears AND my eyes! That I should be made to breathe the air AND your stink.. Appalling! God favors not the meek! Find some courage or burden me no more! Light forsake you, you fiends! Burn and die, craven beasts! You are faithless, but the Light gives me strength! I banish you, demons! Holy Flame, cauterize the wound of their existence! I'll strike you all down if you get in my way. Silence! I am praying for your worthless souls! Your rude tongues offend the Light. And me. Unholy wretch! I will teach you some propriety! Burn! Burn in effigy to the Light! Impressive. But the sacred fire grants superior power. ... I could do better. Given half a chance. Eight year-old girls in the convent are better trained... I could fight better in my temple garments... I am ashamed to be in your presence. How uninspiring you are. Sigh. Don't touch me! I know your.. type. Oh yes, a simple touch on the shoulder now. But what later? I'll not lay my hands upon you... defilers. Oh? Shall I next bless the innkeeper's wench? The Light prescribes my blessings upon the worthy alone! I see you worrying that stone. That is idolatry. Ugh. And will you read my palm next, you vile peddler?

Selfish

The Light guides me, and only me. Pay a donation to the church and I will bless your weapon. Cast aside your gods. Mine alone is the one holy Light. Give me your jewels and I will absolve you of idolatry. Collection plate! Please give freely! Surely the Light has grander plans for me? Your grunting and crying is disturbing my focus! Silence, all! I will now sing a battle hymn! I am chosen! Their souls must suffer the flame! I cannot see the enemy! Move over! The Light... commands me to serve in other ways. Curses, my hair is tangled in my gorget! A moment! I can't read the Verses in this light! Ah, that's better. My faith alone is the measure of purity! I walk my own path! No. The time is not yet right. The Light's rewards are for me alone! My power came at a great price. I use it as I wish. The Light alone commands me. None else have the right. I alone hold this pitiful group together. Yes, ten percent for the church! This was discussed! Give your share to the Light and all will be forgiven. For that, I claim your soul! FOR THE FLAME! Ungh! For these injuries, I require a greater fee! Let me kill it! Its soul must perish by my hand! Leave that one to me! I must cauterize its existence! You know, for a donation, the Flame may grant you skill. Yes, distract that one while I do the real work. I am quite used to keeping what is mine, thank you. Verse VI: Preserve thine own virtue above all else. Feh!  Only the light can guide my actions!

Depressed (Hopeless? It’s called Depressed in the files)

There is no higher purpose here... This mission frays my spirits... Why does everyone hate me? Even the mother superior... Even the destitute of spirit refuse the Light. Why? Verse LXVIII: Pray to the Light, for it will grant you joy... Why have I been abandoned? Verse XXXIV: pride is the path to foolishness... I feel cold. Dark... My faith... is a lie. Why slow the inevitable? Damnation awaits me. What is the point of life, of faith? I am unworthy. I cannot carry the Light. I cannot lead. I am too... inexperienced. Take my place. You are stronger than I. Where there is no Light, there can be no hope... Shhh... not even the Light can save us now. Call down the Flame yourself. It heeds me no longer. I am just a shadow in the dark - nothing at all. I am no hero! Just a little girl in a woman's garb! Poor experience begets poor decisions... The holy Verses no longer resonate, all is lost. Dark times, these. Demons and undead plague the land. The holy flame flickers. 'Tis a black omen. I will burn in blackness... And so shall you! Join me! Join me in the black world, denizens of evil! I care not about judgment... I tire of slavery. Flame, consume me. What cowardice. No. I shall at least die with some dignity. If the Flame cannot suffice, then the Flame has done with me. The power of virtue will save me... I hope This is my destiny, let me be. I am well enough. Go, help the others. Verse CXV: when health wanes, only prayer can restore it. There is nothing without the Light. Stop. I am tainted enough already... With every touch or glance, my resolve is corrupted... No blessing in the world will make any difference now. Verse LXI: Always know -- never exceed -- thy limits. The Light cannot illuminate one shrouded in black... My life, wasted.  There is no power in faith. I have defied so many Verses... It is futility. Why do they scoff at the Verses? Do I misrepresent them? Not unlike the last meal of an unchaste vestal...

Irrational

There is Light in the stones! And in the smiles of flies! My eyes are on fire... So beautiful, I must gouge them out! The Versebook is in my hand. I tear a bit and eat it. Mmm. Verse XVI: the meek shall... Lords, this scroll is heavy. Fetch me a newborn lamb. I must make an offering. Now! A fine crystal shatters! Pottery cracks! My flesh turns black! My eyes splinter! You are but children! Motherless children! The verses number 36 and so too the constellations! There is music in the air! LA, LA-LOO, LA-LOOEEOOOAAA! Take my arm, like the ladies on the promenade! Weee! It was a beautiful hymn, sung by the pigs of St. Martha's. My gloves are soiled, and they in turn soil the holy pages! A candle in the dark! Burn, burn, BURN! The stars and sun are of the same Light, yet I see neither... One stunted tree in a fruiting orchard... The Flame flickers... I see now... Shadows are the children of Light... That Sister Abigail... always a cheat. Lord, this chastity belt chafes. Pass the lamp oil. Mutilation is a most holy act. Any takers? Demons, all. You, my mother, my father... all. Anoint yourself with my holy blood, and be damned. The fire burns within me! I wield it like a blade! You all seek my virtue! But it is not mine to give! FIRE AND DEATH! I will be no mother, "superior" or otherwise... HOLD YOUR GROUND! YOU SHAME THE FIRE! FLEE NOW, YES! AND MAY THE FIRE DAMN YOUR COWARD SOUL! Mother! MOTHER! Please! Be kind to me, Sisters! The hissing embers... like a choir of the faithful. I am a Flame -- a beacon to the devout. Mother - Father!  Too late!  The convent has taken me... Hah!  Even the pigs of St. Martha's can carry that tune! But I am only a child. How can you ask that of me... How... I ask thee, oh Flame: is it privilege... or slavery? You will burn for that. .. BUUURRRRRRRRNNNNNN! (sobbing uncontrollably) I hear the song of the sisterhood. The burning women... You too shall burn. There is no escape. You touched me... you touched me... you touched me... Your heat... it is noticeable... Does the Flame also feel? I don't need anything, not even my faith! Hahaha... I have known much darkness. But this seems so very... inky! It's full of stars - beautiful and horrifying! Nonsense! I need only bay leaf and cow urine! The whip. The cat. The lash. The scourge. I cannot accept help from the faithless... I descend into the black lake below. I am lost... Horrors! The Flame turns glaucous and crepuscular! My versebook pages flutter on the wind - like butterflies! They whipped us in the Convent, day and night... I am tired, and the sunset is beautiful, is it not? I can't hear you, I've fled this place on wings of light! I-I've lost a page...it sits atop the steeple, hee hee hee! Temptation is a wild snake; its venom, my release. I'll not eat that! It swarms with dragonflies!

Virtuous

Stalwart

My faith shall be my guide! My purity shall burn away all blackness! I cannot be extinguished when fire burns within. Power is purity!

Courageous

Worry not, friends. We are protected from above! The night is black, yes -- but the Fire burns bright. The fire stands with you. Fear not the black. Do not despair. As the black deepens, my power grows...

Focused

My path is illuminated! By the holy Flame, I shall persevere! What grace has given me, let it pass to you, hero. The sacred fire whispers your name. You are most blessed.

Powerful

Holy power courses through me! It is as the Versebook says: purity is power. Our actions have pleased the sacred Flame. This is a holy boon. Use it wisely.

Vigorous

Though caged in steel, my faith burns through. I set my soul aflame. Nothing can extinguish it. As mother said... my suffering has prepared me well. No ill wind can snuff out the sacred Flame.

Critical Hits

Attacking

Light take you! Blacken our world no longer! Begone, foul thing! You shall suffer as I have! Burn in the holy Flame! You are DAMNED!

Recieving

It steals my breath! Fiends from the Pit, you shall not have me! Must it all end in such blackness?!

Encouragement

General

Breathe from this censer and recite the Verses. Now! Verse XXXVI: the Light shines brightest in darkness. I anoint you with oil warmed by the holy Flame. All is well.

Battle Aid

The ashes of this incense will consecrate the wound You very nearly entered the Light. Be more careful. I will petition the Light for your quick recovery.

Pep Talk

The Light touches us even here. I see victory in your eyes, though you are blind to it. Verse LVI: The Light e'er rises.

Hobby

Busy yourself elsewhere. I am praying for your soul. Yes, I shave my legs. What of it? Have you thread? I've torn a seam in my temple garments.

Death’s Door

I am ready, Light!

[focusontheeasternlightning-blog]

Beware of the Pharisees’ Leaven on the Path to the Heavenly Kingdom

By Kemu, Myanmar

Editor’s Note: Two thousand years ago the Jewish commoners didn’t beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and were deceived by their heretical fallacies, and  thus followed them in resisting the Lord Jesus, losing God’s salvation and receiving God’s punishment. 

Today, at the crucial moment of the Lord Jesus’ return, how should we learn from the failures of those in the past and beware of the leaven of the modern Pharisees? Sister Kemu has first-hand knowledge of this. How did she beware of the leaven of today’s Pharisees and welcome the return of the Lord Jesus? Let’s read her story together.

I once had a serious illness that was beyond cure, so I went to a church for help. When the pastor preached that the Lord Jesus was crucified to redeem us mankind, I was touched by the great love of the Lord. After the pastor prayed for me several times, my illness was miraculously gone. From then on, I was sure that the Lord Jesus is the only true God, who bestows life on us. So, in order to repay the Lord’s love, I often drove Pastor E, who was famous in our local area, everywhere to spread the gospel and bear witness. In addition, I gave him my monthly tithe. Seeing that Pastor E had forsaken his family and career to work and expend for the Lord, I frequently paid his travel expenses. Every time he came to visit our church, he stayed at my home, and in the evenings, he read the scriptures and preached to my whole family. We were as close as family. At the time, I thought Pastor E was a good servant loyal to the Lord; many believers worshiped and looked up to him; as long as I cooperated well with Pastor E’s work and did my utmost to expend myself for the Lord, I would be praised by the Lord; and it was certainly not wrong to follow him along the path of believing in the Lord.

In February 2018, I had the fortune to hear Almighty God’s gospel in the last days. Through reading Almighty God’s words, I understood the mystery of God’s six-thousand-year management plan and knew that God’s salvation work for mankind is divided into three stages: the Age of Law, the Age of Grace, and the Age of Kingdom. In the Age of Law, Jehovah God issued laws and commandments through Moses so that people would know what sin is, how to prevent themselves from violating the laws, how to get on with people, how to worship God, and so on. In the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus brought the way of repentance and did the work of redeeming humanity. People would be forgiven of their sins on the condition that they repented to the Lord for their sins. And in the Age of Kingdom, Almighty God does the judgment work by expressing words to root out our sinful nature. When we experience the judgment and chastisement of the words of Almighty God, our corrupt disposition can be purified little by little, and eventually we can gain God’s salvation and perfection and be qualified to receive God’s blessings and promises. These three stages of work complement each other and each stage goes higher and deeper than the last and is carried out on the foundation of the last. If we only accept the redemption of the Lord Jesus but don’t accept the judgment work of Almighty God in the last days, we will be unable to get rid of our sinful nature, and we will continue to commit sins and resist God despite ourselves. In that case, no matter how much we have sacrificed for the Lord, or how much we have suffered, we won’t be eligible to enter the kingdom of heaven. Only by receiving Almighty God’s work in the last days and experiencing His judgment and chastisement so as to break free of our corrupt disposition and be thoroughly transformed and cleansed, can we enter the kingdom of heaven. I was grateful to God for selecting me and giving me the opportunity to be saved, and later I spread the gospel to my family.

Afterward, I wanted to tell the great news that the Lord has returned to those brothers and sisters in my original church who sincerely believed in the Lord. I thought of Pastor E. I said to myself: “If Pastor E accepts God’s work in the last days and brings the brothers and sisters back to Almighty God, everyone will receive blessings and benefit from it. But, Pastor E told us many times in the past that we mustn’t investigate Eastern Lightning or contact brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God. Will he accept it when I preach the gospel to him?” At this thought, I was somewhat worried. But then I thought: “Pastor E has believed in the Lord for many years. Isn’t his work and expenditure in order to welcome the return of the Lord? If I preach to him clearly, he should be able to accept.” So, I began to pray for this.

In March, Pastor E came and stayed in my home. I didn’t tell him about my accepting God’s work of the last days, for fear that he would not accept God’s gospel of the last days but obstruct me. Instead, I attended online gatherings with the brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God every day. On the fifth night, he asked me why I didn’t seek for fellowship with him about contents of the Bible as before. I thought: “He’ll leave tomorrow and I won’t be seeing him for a while. If I don’t take this chance to tell him about God’s work in the last days, that will delay the brothers and sisters from seeking and investigating it.” Therefore, I said to him: “Pastor E, Luke 17:24–25 says that ‘For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.’ And Matthew 24:27 says, ‘For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’  It can be seen that when the Lord comes again, He’ll appear in the form of the Son of man and be rejected by this generation. When ‘the Son of man’ is mentioned, it refers to God incarnate. And ‘first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation’ means that God will appear to us by becoming flesh when He returns in the last days. And Matthew 24:27 mentions ‘the east.’ It is likely referring to China. That’s enough to show that when the Lord returns in the last days, He will be incarnated and will secretly appear in China.”

I thought that Pastor E would give this some consideration or seek the truth in it, and so I was surprised when he denied what I had said at once by saying in a loud voice: “That’s impossible! The Lord will return on a cloud and will be seen by all. How can He become flesh? Have you believed in Eastern Lightning?”

I said: “Pastor E, many parts of the Bible prophesy that the Lord will come secretly. It doesn’t just prophesy that the Lord will come openly on a cloud. For example: ‘And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him’ (Matthew 25:6). ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame’ (Revelation 16:15). In these verses, ‘At midnight’ and ‘I come as a thief’ indicate that the Lord will return secretly. Clearly, the return of the Lord consists of two steps: First He will come down secretly; then after He completes a stage of work He will appear openly. In the last days Almighty God—the returned Lord Jesus—works in China; this fulfills the prophecy that the Lord will come secretly. Almighty God carries out the work of judgment beginning in the house of God by expressing words. He has made a group of overcomers in China, separated the goats from the sheep, the tares from the wheat, and put each with its own kind. Now the judgment work of Almighty God in the last days is drawing to a close. God will send down great disasters the instant He completes the work of purifying and perfecting people, and then He will publicly descend with clouds and appear to all nations and all peoples. At that time, those who have opposed and condemned Almighty God’s work of the last days will see that Almighty God is precisely the returned Lord Jesus and that it is God Himself whom they have resisted and condemned, and will beat their chests, wail, and gnash their teeth. That’s how the scene appears on earth where all the tribes mourn. That also fulfills the words: ‘Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen’ (Revelation 1:7).”

Unexpectedly, hearing this, Pastor E roared: “Speak no more! What you said is reasonable, but I absolutely can’t accept any Lord Jesus who doesn’t arrive upon a white cloud. Even if I have to die, I won’t believe.”

Seeing his attitude, I was stunned instantly: “Is this the pastor who prayed in tears asking the Lord to come soon? Why is it that he doesn’t have the slightest desire to seek, but is so resistant when hearing the news that the Lord has returned?” Then, I said sincerely: “Pastor E, in dealing with the return of the Lord, we should earnestly seek what the Lord’s words say. Don’t just pay attention to a certain verse and neglect other verses. Or else, we are apt to miss the return of the Lord and be unable to enter the kingdom of heaven. Besides, when we use our notions and imagination to confine God’s work, aren’t we being too arrogant? We humans can’t fathom God’s wisdom, how can we possibly know what the Lord will do?”

Before I could finish my words, Pastor E suddenly stood up with his face red, and walked around in the room, waving his hands around in the air and saying loudly: “Humph, I’ve preached to and baptized thousands of people. I’m sure that I’ve gained at least five crowns in the kingdom of heaven. How could I not enter the kingdom of heaven?” He did not pay any attention to what I said, and just objected to it and condemned it continuously. He even said: “You say Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus who has become flesh and secretly descended in China? I won’t believe it unless I see Him with my own eyes.”

My husband, who didn’t have much discernment, was sitting nearby and chimed in: “Right.” Faced with this situation, I was very confused and did not know how to refute Pastor E. And seeing that my husband was influenced by Pastor E, I stopped the topic immediately, in case he would be deceived more deeply by the fallacies of Pastor E.

Afterward, Pastor E went to his bedroom in anger. Immediately, I went into my bedroom, knelt down, and prayed to God: “O Almighty God! Now my heart is in turmoil. How should I experience this situation? I don’t understand Your will. Please enlighten and illuminate me.” After praying, I opened a recitation video of God’s words and saw these words of God in it: “The Lord Jesus also wanted to use the case of Thomas as a warning for future people: Although you believe in the Lord Jesus, you can neither see nor touch Him, yet you can be blessed by your true faith, and you can see the Lord Jesus through your true faith; this kind of person is blessed. … If you follow God, but just like Thomas, you always want to touch the Lord’s rib and feel His nail marks to confirm, to verify, to speculate on whether or not God exists, God will forsake you. So, the Lord Jesus requires people to not be like Thomas, only believing what they can see with their own eyes, but to be a pure, honest person, to not harbor doubts toward God, but only believe in and follow Him. This type of person is blessed. This is a very small requirement the Lord Jesus has for people, and a warning for His followers” (“God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself III” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). That’s right, the Lord Jesus asked us to be pure, honest people. No matter how the appearance, words and work of God are incompatible with our notions and imagination, and whether we can understand or not, we should positively believe. As long as the word and the way come from God and there is the work of the Holy Spirit in them, we should seek and accept, not test or suspect God, and moreover, not look at things based on what we can see with our eyes. Only by doing so can we gain God’s approval and blessing. What about Pastor E’s behavior, though? Because God’s appearance and work don’t conform to his notions, he didn’t seek with a humble heart but said that he must see God with his own eyes before he would believe in Him. Was he not like Thomas? Thomas was not convinced of the identity of the Lord Jesus as Christ; when the resurrected Lord Jesus revealed Himself to His other apostles he still did not believe the fact; and only after seeing the Lord and touching His nail marks with his own hands did he believe it. His kind of faith did not obtain God’s approval. Come to think of it, when we believe in the Lord, though none of us see the Lord Jesus, through His words and work recorded in the Bible, and through enjoying the work of the Holy Spirit, we can determine that the Lord Jesus is the only true God, and thus we follow Him. Similarly, in the last days God returns to flesh as Almighty God. He has expressed all truths for the salvation of mankind. Hearing His utterances, those who sincerely thirst for the truth will recognize they are God’s voice and accept the truth and follow Him. Such people are the wise virgins. So, whether one can accept God’s work is related to whether he likes the truth and whether he can identify God’s voice. If, as Pastor E said, one must see the incarnate God before he can believe in Him, then why is it that the earliest Pharisees, though seeing the Lord Jesus, frantically resisted, judged, blasphemed, and crucified the Lord Jesus instead of accepting Him? After realizing these things, a brightness lit up my heart. Pastor E didn’t want to investigate God’s work of the last days at all. Rather, he was testing God.

In the past, Pastor E and my family were as close as family. However, now we became estranged and were almost like enemies. Thinking of that, I felt very upset. I could not figure out why Pastor E was so resistant to God’s work in the last days, and why he condemned God’s work without any reverence for God. During my seeking, I thought of God’s words that the brothers and sisters of The Church of Almighty God had read to me: “Do you wish to know the root of why the Pharisees opposed Jesus? Do you wish to know the substance of the Pharisees? They were full of fantasies about the Messiah. What’s more, they believed only that the Messiah would come, yet did not seek the truth of life. And so, even today they still await the Messiah, for they have no knowledge of the way of life, and do not know what the way of truth is. How, say you, could such foolish, stubborn and ignorant people gain God’s blessing? How could they behold the Messiah? They opposed Jesus because they did not know the direction of the Holy Spirit’s work, because they did not know the way of truth spoken by Jesus, and, furthermore, because they did not understand the Messiah. And since they had never seen the Messiah, and had never been in the company of the Messiah, they made the mistake of paying empty tribute to the name of the Messiah while opposing the substance of the Messiah by any means. These Pharisees in substance were stubborn, arrogant, and did not obey the truth. The principle of their belief in God is: No matter how profound Your preaching, no matter how high Your authority, You are not Christ unless You are called the Messiah. Are these views not preposterous and ridiculous?” (“When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God’s words pinpointed that the Pharisees believed in God and yet resisted God in substance. Their nature was arrogant and stubborn. They didn’t know the work of the Holy Spirit, nor did they seek the truth at all. When the Lord Jesus appeared and did His work, they saw that His words and work carried authority and power, but they didn’t seek or investigate. They, because the Lord Jesus was not called the Messiah and did not keep the Sabbath, judged, condemned, blasphemed, and even crucified the Lord without a trace of fear. Afterward, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus shook up all of Judea and more and more people turned to Him. The Pharisees were afraid that if people all followed the Lord Jesus then no one would follow them, so they bribed the soldiers in an attempt to cover up the fact that the Lord Jesus had resurrected. Furthermore, they frenziedly captured and persecuted Christians and were enemies of God. Pastor E’s manifestations are the same as the Pharisees’ that God’s words reveal. He believes he knows the Bible well, possesses some biblical knowledge, and understands some theological theories, so he blindly holds on to his own notions and imaginings. He thinks the Lord can only come on a cloud, doesn’t acknowledge the Lord will first work secretly and then appear publicly, much less does he accept the reality of God becoming flesh. When I refuted him until he was speechless, he still clung to his notions, without any intention of seeking or investigating. He even shouted such words as “I absolutely can’t accept any Lord Jesus who doesn’t arrive upon a white cloud. Even if I have to die, I won’t believe.” From this it can be seen that his nature is one of arrogance and stubbornness. He doesn’t have the slightest acceptance of the truth. And he is a Pharisee revealed by God’s work in the last days. In the past I thought that I would be able to enter the kingdom of heaven by following him. Now I see he is not at all fit to be the leader of a group of believers. His leading those brothers and sisters is exactly the same as the blind leading the blind and then falling into a pit. He’s a false shepherd, so what is there for me to miss when he leaves? I should stand with God and completely reject him. At that time, I had some discernment of Pastor E’s hatred of the truth.

The second day, when Pastor E left, I did not give him a donation or travel expenses as before. That made him unhappy. Soon, he sent my brother a message, saying I was going down the wrong path, that I had led my family astray, and that he had a way to bring me back into my original church. Previously, Pastor E only came to my home two or three times every year, so I thought: “It’ll be months before he comes back again, so how can he make me return to my original church?” So I did not take it seriously. To my surprise, after that, he began to post messages in our WeChat group, telling brothers and sisters not to believe in Eastern Lightning. Immediately following this, the elders in our locality began to seal off the churches to us and told the believers that my whole family believed in Eastern Lightning and to reject us. In addition, they often looked for opportunities to deceive and rope in my husband. As a result, all the brothers and sisters, my relatives, and friends who believed in the Lord in our village, all shunned us, and some of them slandered us. My best friend pretended not to see me when we met on the street, or crossed the road when she saw me coming. Our neighbors, who were normally like family to us and who also believed in the Lord, no longer came to visit our home. Every time I went out, I would hear someone criticize me. My brother, nephews and nieces all turned their backs on me and gossiped about me. My husband was aggrieved and upset to see our family abandoned, isolated, and even slandered. And he was shaken. Every night he would lose his temper with me without any reason.

Thinking about how the brothers and sisters, who were once like family to me, had abandoned me, and how my family did not understand me, I felt it was so difficult to believe in God. I suffered to a great extent, and I often prayed to God in tears. God is faithful. He listened to my prayers and sympathized my weakness. At that time, God often enlightened me with these words: “Do not be discouraged, do not be weak, I will reveal to you. The road to the kingdom is not that smooth, nothing is that simple! You want blessings to come easy, right? Today everyone will have bitter trials to face, otherwise the loving heart you have for Me will not grow stronger and you will not have true love for Me. Even if it is just minor circumstances, everyone must get through them, it’s just that they differ to some degree” (“The Forty-first Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Every time I pondered these words of God my heart was comforted, and I came to understand the meaning of suffering. I realized that God permitted such afflictions to befall me just to perfect my love for and faith in Him and that they were God’s blessings. As the Lord Jesus said: “Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11–12). Although I was abandoned and slandered by our relatives and friends, the pastor and elders, and other believers for my faith in Almighty God, I was chosen by God and could come before Him, follow His work in the last days, and have the opportunity to experience His work and be cleansed, which is my greatest blessing. I should not be negative or weak because of suffering, but instead I ought to feel happy. No matter what circumstances I encounter or what suffering I endure, I must follow God’s footsteps and stand witness for God. Moreover, regardless of how difficult things get, God is at my side and He will lead me through them. Thus, under the guidance of God’s words, I had enough faith to face the situation.

Later, the brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God read God’s words and fellowshiped the truth with my family. After a month, they changed their minds about God’s work in the last days and gained some discernment of the God-defying nature of the pastor and elders. We often attended meetings together, reading God’s words and communicating our personal knowledge and understanding of them. We enjoyed the sweetness of God’s words and a happy life, and smiles appeared on our faces again.

One day in April, Pastor E sent a message to me: “Sister Kemu, do you still give tithes? Have you saved some money for donations? I’m holding a gospel meeting, can you support me?” After reading this message, I really felt disgusted and angry, so I replied: “No, I can’t.” A few days later, Pastor E sent me another message, again to try to block me from believing in Almighty God, and I didn’t reply. Seeing his behavior, I couldn’t help thinking of these words of God: “Those who read the Bible in grand churches recite the Bible every day, yet not one understands the purpose of God’s work. Not one is able to know God; moreover, not one is in accord with the heart of God. They are all worthless, vile men, each standing on high to teach God. Though they brandish the name of God, they willfully oppose Him. Though they label themselves believers of God, they are ones who eat the flesh and drink the blood of man. All such men are devils who devour the soul of man, demons who purposefully disturb those who try to step onto the right path, and stumbling blocks that impede the path of those who seek God. Though they are of ‘robust flesh,’ how are their followers to know that they are antichrists who lead man in opposition to God? How are they to know that they are living devils who specially seek souls to devour?” (“All Who Do Not Know God Are Those Who Oppose God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

What God’s words reveal is exactly right. Pastor E is versed in the Bible. He often preached biblical knowledge and theological theory to us, making high-sounding speeches. He thinks of himself as a man that knows the Lord best, but in reality he does not know God’s work at all, and he opposes the truth in all things. When he heard about Almighty God’s work of the last days, he did not have a sliver of a seeking heart. Not only did he not accept it, but he also frantically condemned and resisted it and prevented the believers from examining and receiving it. He sealed off the churches and spread fallacies on the Internet so that the believers in my original church guarded against and resisted The Church of Almighty God. After we accepted the last days’ work of Almighty God, he first deceived us with fallacies and asked the brothers and sisters to try to bring us over to their side,  and then told them to isolate and abandon us, attempting to force us to give up the true way. Through his actions, I saw that Pastor E preached everywhere not in order to exalt and testify to God or to bring believers before God, but to make them worship, follow, and support him, to keep them under his close control, and to protect his own position and livelihood. When some believers accepted the last days’ work of God, he was afraid that he would lose his position and livelihood, so he openly opposed God and fought over God’s sheep. Isn’t he an antichrist that fights with God for position? Pastor E didn’t bring the believers before God, but instead he made them follow him in resisting God’s work of the last days and lose God’s salvation of the last days. Isn’t he a devil that devours and brings harm to believers? He is a modern Pharisee and deserves to be cursed.

After experiencing these situations, I clearly saw  the truth-hating, God-opposing nature of the pastor and elders. I completely rejected them and no longer followed or worshiped them. Meanwhile, I came to appreciate the words of the Lord Jesus: “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.” The Lord saying “the leaven of the Pharisees” refers to the heretical fallacies of the religious leaders.  Only then did I understand that on the road to the kingdom of heaven, it’s most important to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. If we blindly worship and follow a man, don’t seek truth, and don’t look at things according to God’s words, we will be easily deceived by various heretical fallacies and lose God’s salvation, having nothing at all to do with the heavenly kingdom. I thank Almighty God for saving me and leading and guiding me with His words to cast off the deceptions and shackles of the evil servants and antichrists in the religious world, to return before God, and to enjoy the provision and watering of the living water of life.

[murderer-of-an-empress]

Verses

Main Verse:

Pre-Dishonored 1: Gangs always settled in cities like flies on a corpse. But this one was different from the violent thugs, robbing and drinking. The most deadly gang the city has seen but the most illusive. A gang lead by a ruthless man said to walk the ways of blackest magic. Daud, paid killer and heretic.

Dishonored 1: The Empress has fallen and the Lord Regent risen. It was his blade which ended the Empresses life and and tumbled Dunwall into chaos. Set during the first game, including the Knife of Dunwall and Brigmore Witches.

Dishonored 2: Against all odds, Corvo had spared his life. He made a promise and kept it. He left Dunwall, going into hiding and travelling the isles. Smuggling, spying, killing, stealing. But always searching for something. But not sure for what.

Death of the Outsider prequel: (Kinda) AU territory. See restart for more indepth description. Daud, Knife of Dunwall fell in the alleys of Karnaca. But he awakes, heart replaced by a mechanical contraption, devoid of his powers and a mysterious note beckoning himself back to Dunwall. He has two months time to get back and meet his mysterious savior, only relying on his own skill and cunning.

Dishonored AU-verses:

Royal Spymaster: Set after his fateful meeting with Corvo, Daud is returned to Dunwall. But not to be executed but to be the Empresses new Spymaster. 

The enemy of my enemy: The Outsider has forsaken him. Ridiculed him and set a plenitude of foes against him. His gang is no more but there is one remaining bastion against the Outsider. The Abbey of the Everyman. And Daud knows how to hide behind masks. And after the turmoil of the plague, the path to the position of the High Overseer is open.

Other fandoms I am very open to make AUs for:

Thief (though I know only the most recent one)

Prey (again the recent one)

American gods

Pirates of the Caribbean 

more to come!!!

[boundinparchment]

Spillways - VI

Karina Alexandre, formerly of Fontaine, serves the Fatui after a series of events forces her hand and her Vision no longer glows bright. Unluckily for her, such circumstances are all too fascinating to the Second Harbinger. Prequel to ‘Tell Me Who You Wanna Be’. Hints at Il Dottore x Original Female Character. ArchiveOfOurOwn || FF.net

Subject KA1123 - Impressions

Segment’s previous observations have been noted and considered.

Recording of the event from two years prior is attached.  After reviewing the footage, it is a shame to see that her control over elemental energy is non-existent.  It takes far more precision to disarm and negate a threat than it does to simply kill a target.  Her abilities centered on crowd control, rather than outright strikes.  Such skill can be honed elsewhere but Subject would have been perfect for a transition over to a Delusion.

Subject is, however, too principled for her own good, too singular in her view.  A delusion would solve her problems quite easily.

An experiment for another time.  

Subject was quick to accept responsibilities for the disasters left behind; with the other test subjects all but gone, the facilities locked off, and Evreux’s antics casting too bright of a spotlight on everyone, the Puppeteer and I were forced to withdraw and focus on other plans.  Between Focalors’ nonsense and the public’s behavior, it’s only a matter of time before Celestia casts its cursed gaze on its next target and Fontaine is proving to be quite the perfect storm.  Research shows that the decision is entirely automated, that the Gnoses are not chess pieces but keys for a protocol and all of them are required on Teyvat for the functionality to continue…

I digress.

Doubtful Subject is aware of how deep the issue runs.  Highly unlikely she would consider what we did any kind of mitigation.  Few would ever consider that perspective to begin with.

A true soldier takes orders and obeys them.  According to reports, Subject was warned several times to keep her nose where it belonged; the last one was from Neuvillette himself, far above Evreux’s station.  She denied conscription the first time but readily accepts the terms of the bargain now when she has nothing left to lose.  All reports indicate that the agents in charge left the premise and chose to return to Snezhnaya, which begs the question of those responsible for the murders…still a working theory at this time but only one individual has the motivation to want Subject out of the picture.

Subject is not a loose cannon, despite all of this, and shows more critical thinking skills and a desire to right situations that, upon first consideration, would be more along the lines of justice or a strict internal moral code.  Eternity…legacy…wanting something better than you left it…the interpretations of the Heavenly Principles never did make sense from a singular point of view…

With all of that said, Subject’s Vision is neither ownerless nor devoid of ambition but seems to have been disabled.  Sealed, perhaps?  Most individuals who experience loss of any kind do not lose their Visions in such a manner; Subject has not outwardly displayed any lack of ambition other than a passivity that many display when faced with loss, trauma, and a sudden change of situation…

Upon first meeting her, it was clear that the cycle of grief still grips her.  Her nightmares are beginning to taper off (or at least the outbursts are less frequent throughout the night) but it was evident that, at some point between meeting with Her Most Noble Majesty and my arrival, that her emotions are still pathetically fragile.  A neutral expression cannot hide red, swollen eyes and the Tsaritsa warned the Subject may prove difficult to transition into service.

It matters little.  I have no time for babysitting and the sooner Subject is on a regimented schedule, given some kind of purpose, the quicker the situation will remedy itself.

[boundinparchment]

Spillways - V

Karina Alexandre, formerly of Fontaine, serves the Fatui after a series of events forces her hand and her Vision no longer glows bright. Unluckily for her, such circumstances are all too fascinating to the Second Harbinger. Prequel to ‘Tell Me Who You Wanna Be’. Hints at Il Dottore x Original Female Character. ArchiveOfOurOwn || FF.net

Dottore knocked twice and barely waited for the voice inside to respond before opening the door and leading Karina inside.  Her eyes scanned the room, finding dark wood shelves, free of dust, and finely lacquered.  Books, scrolls, and sculptures were showcased, an eclectic mix of items from all around Teyvat; the office's owner wanted it known they were worldly, then, Karina surmised.  The desk across from the door was made of the same wood, meticulously and lovingly carved and imposing in its size.  A fireplace to her left burned bright, the fire crackling happily and enveloping the space in a sleepy warmth.

Other than the chairs in front of the fireplace, there was no place to sit in front of the desk.  Only a plush carpet that gave far too easily under her boots.

The figure at the desk barely looked up from the ledger in front of him, dark hair spilling over his shoulder as he peered through glasses perched on the edge of his nose.  Despite the fireplace roaring, the person kept their cloak around their shoulders, unbothered by the extra heat.

Behind him, icy windows revealed the first glimpse of Snezhnaya she'd had since she arrived.  Wind whipped at sparkling snow across jagged formations, trees in the distance hardly bothered by the assault.  Dottore's words about the landscape came back like a slap in the face and Karina brought her attention back to the man behind the desk.

Who continued to act as if no one else was with him until golden eyes flicked up just long enough to acknowledge the intrusion.

"Doctor, I thought I told you to stop bringing in strays.  The roster for this week's matches is full."

"My, my, so dismissive.  As if I don't have better places to be, Regrator.  The conscript from Fontaine is awake.  I would like to expedite this process and be done with it.  The name Karina Alexandre should ring a bell."

So this was the Ninth Harbinger, the one with whom her parents garnered terms of her release.  Karina willed herself to school her expression as Regrator's eyes fell on her, his head tilted slightly as if the angle would help his assessment.

She knew the expression well; appraisal of worth.  She kept her spine straight.

"Ah, yes.  You're the one that made quite the headache a few years ago.  Quite the spectacle of a trial, to be accused of treason and tampering with international affairs."

"Yes, it was, Lord Harbinger," Karina replied, her tone neutral, as it had been earlier.

Regrator's mouth twitched, a ghost of a vicious smile barely crossing his face.  For a fleeting moment, Karina thought that the Dottore she met in the cathedral basement had a tamer expression.  At least he didn't try to hide his amusement with the darker aspects of life.  The man in front of her masked it with a smile that Karina knew all too well; it was the same one most nobles in Fontaine wore.

"Conscription seems like a waste, in hindsight," Regrator drawled, his gaze falling onto Dottore, behind her near the door.

"It is the better option, objectively, Pantalone," Dottore replied coldly. "You personally handled the terms, from my understanding.  I brought her here simply to close that loop and get on with my day."

She was beginning to wish she'd stayed in that solitary room in the laboratory after all.  This felt like her trial and Judgment all over again, people speaking about her, for her, as though she couldn't formulate a thought.  She steeled herself, trying to erase the tightness in the corners of her lips and in her brow but when she met Regrator's eyes again, the corners crinkling slightly, she knew she'd failed whatever test had been placed in front of her. 

"Forgive my rudeness, chevalier.  The circumstances under which you are here are grimmer than when the agreement with your family was struck; I was considering alternatives than the those of the rank-and-file Fatuus but it is the most appropriate quid pro quo, given the lives lost that day.  The details are a little spotty for me, however; can you fill in the blanks on how, precisely, you find yourself here?"

Karina bit her tongue.  Must she recount everything again?  After the flood of emotion at the Tsartisa's feet, the way cold hands took her cheeks and wiped away her tears, she wasn't sure she had anything else left.

"The abridged version will suffice," Dottore chimed in. 

His tone was calmer now, although Karina couldn't help but wonder if that had more to do with being in control again and wielding the weight of the room. 

She recounted what she could bring herself to, what felt relevant.  How her commanding officer abused his power and privilege, manipulated those who loved and cared for him.  How she blindly looked the other way, all the while wondering why Sébastien was gone for days at a time, returning in different clothes, his mood mercurial.  At first, it was children, she said, until eventually it was groups of the population that the perpetrator thought no one would miss. 

Her words were mechanical, her testimony now merely an echo of what she said to the Court.  All of the pieces lined up to fit the notion that the Fatui were taking advantage of the people forgotten by the Hydro Archon.

"The bitter war between classes in Fontaine does work in the Fatui's favor," Regrator said, interlacing his fingers and sitting forward.  "It is a delicate balance."

“I didn’t realize that, when I presented my evidence, I was handing Sébastien everything on a silver platter.  He arranged for the time and the location of the confrontation.  I later learned that he’d managed to redirect everything to remove himself from implication."

Karina turned just enough to shift her attention from Pantalone to Dottore.

"Which was how I ended up in that basement with you , or rather…the other you…"

A part of her missed the other version of him, the unruly hair and the strange three-quarter mask.  At least then she could see his eyes, blood-red though they were; he was impossible to read anyway but the mask obscuring his vision did her no favors.

"The rest is public record," Karina summarized. "Fontaine and Snezhnaya hold copies of the proceedings."

“Sébastien Evreux made quite the mess of our plans in Fontaine,” Dottore supplied after a pause.  “And he was– is –a loose thread. 

Are you satisfied, Regrator?"

When Karina turned back towards the desk, she caught sight of that smile again, amused by her tragedy.  "Quite satisfied, Doctor.  For now, at least."

Dottore released a breath through his nose.  Perhaps he expected not less from the fellow Harbinger.

"I'll have the appropriate paperwork drawn up and processed by the necessary parties," Pantalone continued. "Your service is for life, chevalier , as it is for all of us.  The truth of the matter is that you are here, alive, and your family who bargained on your behalf is gone.  You yearned for more and you flew too close to the sun."

The vicious curve of his mouth never wavered, Pantalone's expression the coldest thing in the room at that moment.

"You had best make the most of what you've been given."

[boundinparchment]

Of Blood & Sparks vs. The Heretic and the Forsaken

Rather than making a post about it, in which it could eventually be lost, please find a breakdown between the two series here.

This is in reference to the ongoing series of my original character(s) for Genshin, namely Karina.

[boundinparchment]

Karina crumbs please? 🥺 For both fics? 🥺

Of Blood and Sparks verse 2:

Karina travels to Inazuma, still frustrated with Zhongli, and doesn’t necessarily get along with Traveler

She sees certain signs of Fatui interference and in the back of her mind, she’s like “not again.” as Thoma discusses the civil war and the vision hunt decree.

I believe I have her hiding her vision and working for the Kamisato household for a while since her vision doesn’t work, etc.

At some point, she goes to confront the Shogun and demand an answer, but ends up detained by the Fatui first. This is blurry for me, I never had a good plot for the second fic

All in all, she doesn’t get the answers she wanted and Ayaka suggests going to the Narukami Shrine; perhaps Yae can help.

something something embracing fate Karina cries and returns to Liyue and forgives Zhongli

ummmmm don’t ask me what happens with Rhiannon meanwhile because I never had that plotted out

OBAS Verse 3:

Decided to bite the bullet and return to Fontaine. Does not follow game’s events at all

Rhiannon has been helping test a weapon that evaporates Fontaine’s drinking water and leaves behind a miasma that slowly kills people.

Major class divides, people suffering and disenfranchised

Karina having to bring her case back to Neuvillette and lacking evidence without Rhiannon or Dottore

sisterly reunion of a sort, doesn’t go very well, Karina is a coward

Celestia decides it wants to nail Fontaine something something working together with the Fatui

Karina gets her vision back by embracing fate

isk Fontaine is saved and everyone lives this one isn’t even outlined it just lives rent free in my head

The Heretic and the Forsaken Verse 1.5

Some time passes; Omega culls the Segments while Prime is in the lab

Prime collapses, entirely unresponsive, and Karina is left to control the lab

Meant to be a precursor to TMWYWB (man, I need a different title)

The Heretic and the Forsaken Verse 3

Fontaine, plot retconned a little. The Fatui are helping to build the project in the Fortress; class imbalances; Fontaine is the same but different

Struggling with their professional bond due to Dottore's last words to her

Pantalone and Dottore are the ones in Fontaine

Unrelated to the disappearing women, there's still a pattern that Karina thought would have stopped by now. Which means her old boss Sebastian is still up to his nonsense and no one stopped him.

The Whale Might Still Be a Thing, I Haven't Decided

Karina's old boss confronts her and challenges her to a duel in the prison's fight ring.

Karina slaughters Sebastian but not before he manages to distract her and take her arm. Literally. Bloody and without a dominate arm, she manages to kill him once her blood congeals and turns into a massive claw in place of her arm (remember when he injected her with weird shit?). Most canon cast is witness. Dottore is the one to shrug off his coat, scoop her up, and take her and her errant arm out of the arena.

He makes her a prosthetic; the hand is more like a claw but works just fine

Something something they make up kisses against her back as he works on the circuitry.

By the time the whale comes into play, she's fixed and can finally utilize that stupid rail gun from the first fic.

Something something Fontaine is protected, Karina mourns, maybe she never gets her vision back but at least she has someone to lean on idk anymore T_T

[pamphletstoinspire]

Psalm 70 - Interpreted

Daily Plenary Indulgence

Per Vatican II, one of the ways to gain a daily plenary indulgence is to read Scripture for ½ hour per day. For Pamphlets to Inspire (PTI), the Scripture readings that inspire us the most are the Psalms. Reading the Psalms and understanding their meaning can sometimes be challenging. In an attempt to draw more individuals to not only read the Psalms, but to understand their meaning, PTI has found an analysis of their meaning by St. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine. The method that will be employed is to list the chapter and verse, and then provide an explanation of that verse. Your interest in this subject will determine how often we will chat about this topic. The Bible that will be used is the official Bible of the Catholic Church and used by the Vatican, that is, the Douay-Rheims or Latin Vulgate version.

A prayer for perseverance

1. In thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be put to confusion.

1. “In thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be put to confusion.” No explanation given.

2. Deliver me in thy justice, and rescue me. Incline thy ear unto me, and save me.

2. “Deliver me in thy justice, and rescue me. Inclined thy ear unto me, and saved me.” The holy Prophet, mindful of God’s promises to those who put their trust in him, and not presuming on his own strength, exclaims, “in thee, O Lord,” and not in myself nor in any other creature, “I have hoped,” certain, therefore, that I will “never be put to confusion.” I fly to you in my present trouble, and ask of you “to deliver and rescue me” from the hands of my persecutors; “in thy justice,” with that justice that prompts you to punish the wicked, and free the innocent. And, for effect, he repeats the prayer, saying, “incline thy ear unto me, and save me;” hear my humble voice, save me in the present danger.

3. Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a place of strength: that thou mayest make me safe. For thou art my firmament and my refuge.

3. “Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a place of strength: that thou mayest make me safe. For thou art my firmament and my refuge.” He now explains more clearly what he wants from God and that is, that God should protect him like a city strongly fortified, and incapable of being penetrated by the enemy. The Hebrew implies that this fortified place was on a lofty rock and, in truth, there is no easier way of overcoming all troubles than the knowing how to ascend in spirit to God, and there to contemplate the everlasting happiness; and there one will at once despise everything human; thus, the tribulations, which otherwise would be counted severe and heavy, St. Paul calls “momentary and light.” “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4. “For thou art my firmament and my refuge.” Be my protector, for you alone “are my firmament;” my firm and well-built house, built of stone, as the Hebrew implies, to which I can fly; and “my refuge.” Everything else, the favors of man, my own industry and exertions, are houses of mud or of straw, built on the sand; for what are all the goods of this world but frail, perishable things, in which fools alone confide? Happy they who understand so much; happier they who put them into practice.

4. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the sinner, and out of the hand of the transgressor of the law and of the unjust.

4. “Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the sinner, and out of the hand of the transgressor of the law and of the unjust.” He now descends to particulars, and asks to be delivered out of “the hand,” that is, from the power of the sinner, “the transgressor of the law, and of the unjust;” all of which literally apply to Absalom, Achitophel, and their servants, for this Psalm altogether corresponds with Psalm 30, which, by general consent, treats of Absalom’s persecution. “The hand of the sinner,” then, seems to be intended for Absalom, a perverse, wicked man; “the transgressors of the law” are the people who rise up in arms against their lawful king, and the “unjust” alludes to Achitophel, who in private, had fraudulently sought to injure David. Looking at the passage in a spiritual sense, the sinner may mean the devil, the unjust may mean heretics, and the transgressors of the law, tyrants and persecutors. The just man, however, desires to be freed not only from corporal trouble, but much more so from any danger to his soul, for fear he may, through fear of persecution, consent to sin, and run the risk of eternal death.

5. For thou art my patience, O Lord: my hope, O Lord, from my youth.

5. “For thou art my patience, O Lord: my hope. O Lord, from my youth.” No explanation given.

6. By thee have I been confirmed from the womb: from my mother’s womb thou art my protector. Of thee shall I continually sing.

6. “By thee have I been confirmed from the womb: from my mother’s womb thou art my protector. Of thee shall I continually sing.” The Hebrew for patience here implies patience in hope, rather than in endurance, as we have it in Romans 8, “we wait for it with patience;” and in James 5, “behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, patiently bearing till he receive the early and the later rain. Be you, therefore, also patient, and strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth near.” “For thou art my patience,” then, means, for it is from thee I am patiently expecting help. “My hope, O Lord, from my youth;” because I began to hope in you from the time that I first knew you, nay more, long before I was capable of knowing you, in your mercy you were my protector; because, “by thee have I been confirmed from the womb;” scarce had I come into the world, when I was in a most infirm state, incapable of invoking you, you extended your protection to me. Such favors God is wont to confer on all men, especially when they are of an age when they cannot help themselves, while very few are they who acknowledge such favors, or thank God sufficiently for them: and the Prophet, therefore, who, by the light of the Holy Ghost, knew such to be the case, with great devotion exclaims, “by thee I have been confirmed from the womb; from my mother’s womb thou art my protector;” as much as to say: I know and confess, O Lord, that you cared for me from my very infancy; which makes me now confidently hope that you will be my protector when I shall call upon you. “Of thee shall I continuously sing.” For such reasons, for such favors, I will always chant thy praises, in prosperity and adversity, in this world, and in the next.

7. I have become unto many as a wonder, but thou art a strong helper.

7. “I am become unto many as a wonder, but thou art a strong helper.” Banished from my kingdom by my own son, a wretched fugitive instead of a glorious conqueror, I am the wonder of everyone, especially when I seem to be so deserted by you whom I always worshiped, in whom I always trusted; but, however you are a “strong helper,” and a steady one; and though, for a time, in your wisdom, you may appear to have deserted me, and allowed my enemies to get the better of me, still, when the proper time comes, you will be a “strong helper.” St. Augustine, taking a spiritual view of this passage, says, that he who despises the things of this world, patiently submits to injury, and thus goes in a contrary direction to that of mankind, may be called a wonder and a prodigy. Such was John the Baptist, Christ himself, Peter, Paul, and the other apostles; such were all the martyrs and confessors, and others, who were looked upon by the wise ones of the world as fools, yet could truly say, I am become as a wonder to many, yet you are a strong helper, to carry me through the narrow gate, and to offer violence to the kingdom of heaven, when it will appear whether I was a fool or a wise man.

8. Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may sing thy glory, thy greatness all the day long.

8. “Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may sing thy glory; thy greatness all the day long.” Whatever men may think or say of me, I therefore, wish that “my mouth may be filled with praise,” then nothing else may please me, may delight me, but to love thee and praise thy glory; and “the whole day,” that is, at all times, “to sing thy greatness and thy glory.” All they, and they alone, are like this holy king and prophet, who think, and feel, and deeply consider that there is nothing great, nothing worthy of our admiration but God alone.

9. Cast me not off in the time of old age: when my strength shall fail, do not thou forsake me.

9. “Cast me not off in the time of old age: when my strength shall fail, do not thou forsake me.” David was an old man when he was persecuted by Absalom; and, therefore, calling to mind the victories of his youth, nay, even of his boyhood, he says, “cast me not off in the time of old age;” do not desert him you always stood by, now at the last moment. “When my strength shall fail;” when I am become weak and feeble, “do not thou forsake me;” when I want your help more than ever I did before.

10. For my enemies have spoken against me: and they that watched my soul have consulted together.

10. “For my enemies have spoken against me; and they that watched my soul have consulted together.” No explanation given.

11. Saying: God hath forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.

11. “Saying: God hath forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.” Such was literally true of David, against whom his people, with Absalom at their head, and Achitophel as his counselor, rebelled; a thing they did under the impression that he was now grown old and weak, and abandoned by God. “And they that watched my soul,” my former counselors and guards, “have consulted together;” took counsel how they may destroy me, saying, as “God hath forsaken him, pursue and take him;” the very advice that Achitophel gave, which, however, had no effect, as God did not suffer it to be carried out. See 2 Kings 17.

12. O God, be not thou far from me: O my God, make haste to help me.

12. “O God, be not thou far from me: O my God, make haste to help me.” No explanation given.

13. Let them be confounded, and come to nothing that detract my soul; let them be covered with confusion and shame that seek my hurt.

13. “Let them be confounded, and come to nothing that detract my soul; let them be covered with confusion and shame that seek my hurt.” While they were taking measure against David, he had recourse to God, who, without any trouble, could mar them all, as he really did. “O God, be not thou far for me,” as they boast you are, but rather “make haste to help me,” to save me from them. “Let them be confounded and come to nothing that detract my soul,” by your hastening to help me, let Absalom’s counselors be confounded, their plots fail, disappear, and vanish; and let those “that detract my soul,” that calumniate me, be rendered senseless. “Let them be covered with confusion and shame that seek my hurt;” a repetition of the foregoing.

14. But I will always hope; and will add to all thy praise.

14. “But I will always hope; and will add to all thy praise.” No explanation given.

15. My mouth shall show forth thy justice; thy salvation all the day long. Because I have not known learning.

15. “My mouth shall show forth thy justice; thy salvation all the day long. Because I have not known learning.” Let them be confounded and come to nothing; “but I will always hope;” will confide more and more in you, having learned by experience the efficacy of your assistance, and will always “add to all thy praise;” singing new hymns to you for your new and repeated favors. “My mouth shall show forth thy justice,” with which you punish the wicked; and “thy salvation,” through which you free and save the innocent, “all day long;” that is, constantly. “Because I have not known learning.” How could David say this of himself, when he says, in Psalm 118, “I have understood more than all my teachers;” and the Psalms prove him to have been well up in both human and divine knowledge; for, though he was a shepherd and a soldier, he may not have been so entirely devoted to caring his flocks, or waging war, as not to be able to devote some time to literature and study? By the word “learning,” then, I take it that David means that human craft and cunning in which Achitophel, who had given counsel against him, abounded; and, by the words, “I have not known,” that he does not simply mean knowledge, but approbation and use; as we commonly say, “I don’t know you;” and, as St. Paul says, “that he knows nothing but Christ, and him crucified.” The meaning, then, is: I have not known learning. I know not the wisdom of this world; I confide not in the counsels of man; I approve not of human craft and cunning; but,

16. I will enter into the powers of the Lord: O Lord, I will be mindful of thy justice alone.

16. “I will enter into the powers of the Lord: O Lord, I will be mindful of thy justice alone.” I will cling entirely to God’s omnipotence; in it will I confide, and will hide myself in it as I would in an impregnable fortress; and thus, “I will be mindful of thy justice alone;” I will lose sight completely of human counsel, of my own strength, or of my friends; but I will remember and bear in mind “thy justice alone,” by virtue of which you keep your promises and through which you punish the wicked, and crown the pious.

17. Thou hast taught me, O God, from my youth: and till now I will declare thy wonderful works.

17. “Thou hast taught me, O God, from my youth: and till now I will declare thy wonderful works.” You taught me to despise human literature, and to trust in your power; and it was in consequence, that I, an unarmed youth, fought with a bear and a lion, and conquered both them and the giant Goliath. “And till now I will declare thy wonderful works;” to the last day of my life, I will record “the wonderful works” you enabled me to do in my youth.

18. And unto old-age and gray hairs: O God, forsake me not, until I show forth thy arm to all the generations that is to come: thy power.

18. “And unto old-age and gray hairs: O God, forsake me not, until I show forth thy arm to all the generation that is to come: thy power.” And I ask, at the same time, that “unto old-age you forsake me not,” but that you always may come to my aid, “until I show forth,” until I shall have finished the book of Psalms, through which I will show forth “thy arm,” thy strength, to all posterity. How David could say that he would announce God’s power to all posterity we have already explained, for he foresaw that the Psalms composed by him would be chanted all over the world to the end of time. “Thy power.” He explains what arm he is to announce, when he says, “thy power.”

19. And thy justice, O God, even to the highest great things thou hast done. O God, who is like to thee?

19. “And thy justice, O God, even to the highest great things thou has done: O God, who is like to thee?” He explains the meaning of the showing forth thy arm to the generation that is to come, and says, “thy power and thy justice;” that is to say, I will announce thy arm, which signifies your power united with your justice. God is all-powerful, but he is still most just; he can do what he wills, but he wills nothing unjust. Now, such power and justice reaches even “to the highest great things” among God’s creatures, for God created by his power, not only the earth, and the sea, and all their inhabitants, but he also created the heavens, and the heavens of heavens, and the countless millions of angels that dwell therein. Thus the arm of God’s power reaches even those highest great things. God’s justice also has not only punished sinful man, who is but dust and ashes, but he has also punished the most exalted among the angels, who, for their pride, he hurled from heaven into the abyss. The arm of divine justice, then, has reached “the highest things,” so that one may well exclaim, “O God, who is like to thee?” Nor does this contradict the Scripture that says, “God made man to his likeness;” and 1 John 3, “we know that when he shall appear we shall be like to him; because we shall see him as he is.” For when David says here, “who is like to thee?” He means, is equal to thee, equally wise, powerful, depending on no one, while all depend on him.

20. How great troubles hast thou shown me, many and grievous: and turning thou hast brought me to life, and hast brought me back again from the depths of the earth.

20. “How great troubles hast thou shown me, many and grievous; and turning thou has brought me to life, and hast brought me back again from the depths of the earth.” No explanation given.

21. Thou hast multiplied thy magnificence: and turning to me thou hast comforted me.

21. “Thou hast multiplied thy magnificence: and turning to me thou hast comforted me.” David consoles himself in this present calamity, by the fact of having escaped, through God’s assistance, from other calamities. “How many troubles hast thou shown me, many and grievous;” great in their variety and bitterness, borne by me in Saul’s persecution, “and turning, thou has brought me to life,” when I was all but in the jaws of death, “and hast brought me back again from the depths of the earth;” deliver me from the height of misery, that nearly drove me to the other world. For “thou hast multiplied thy magnificence,” in accordance with the extent of my troubles, “and turning to me,” in mercy, while you chastised me, as a father you have wonderfully “comforted me,” when from a wretched exile you made me a prosperous king.

22. For I will also confess to thee thy truth with the instruments of psaltery: O God, I was sing to thee with the harp, thou Holy One of Israel.

22. “For I will also confess to thee thy truth with the instruments of psaltery: O God, I was sing to thee with the harp, thou Holy One of Israel.” No explanation given.

23. My lips shall greatly rejoice, when I shall sing to thee: and my soul which thou hast redeemed.

23. “My lips shall greatly rejoice, when I shall sing to thee: and my soul which thou hast redeemed.” No explanation given.

24. Yea, and my tongue shall meditate on thy justice all the day: when they shall be confounded and put to shame that seek evils to me.

24. “Yea, and my tongue shall meditate on thy justice all the day: when they shall be confounded and put to shame that seek evils to me.” The Prophet now predicts his delivery from the power of Absalom, and promises all manner of thanks in his heart, with his lips, and with all sorts of musical instruments. “For I will also,” when I shall have obtained the victory, “confess thy truth to thee;” will praise your justice and your fidelity, “with the instruments of psaltery,” with the musical instrument called the psaltery. And I will use the harp too, “the Holy One of Israel;” a name applied to God, whom the people of Israel were bound to sanctify by public worship and due honor, for which he in return sanctified them by the sanctity of his grace. And I will not only thank and praise you with the harp and psaltery, but “my lips shall greatly rejoice,” my mouth shall send forth its notes, “when I shall sing to thee;” “and my soul,” my life, “which thou hast redeemed,” shall also praised thee. And it is not once or twice that “my tongue shall meditate on thy justice,” but “all the day,” at all times “it shall meditate,” exercise itself in chanting the praises of thy justice, “when they shall be confounded and put to shame that seek evils to me.”

End of Psalm 70

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BOOK OF JOB - From The Douay-Rheims Bible - Latin Vulgate

Chapter 18

The Book of Job shows how human affairs are ruled by Divine Providence using probable arguments.

"Although you hide these things in your heart, I know that you still remember everything." - (Job speaking to God)  

***

INTRODUCTION.

This Book takes its name from the holy man, of whom it treats; who, according to the more probable opinion, was of the race of Esau, and the same as Jobab, king of Edom, mentioned Gen. xxxvi. 33. It is uncertain who was the writer of it. Some attribute it to Job himself; others to Moses, or some one of the prophets. In the Hebrew it is written in verse, from the beginning of the third chapter to the forty-second chapter. Ch. --- The beginning and conclusion are historical, and in prose. Some have divided this work into a kind of tragedy, the first act extending to C. xv., the second to C. xxii., the third to C. xxxviii., where God appears, and the plot is unfolded. They suppose that the sentiments of the speakers are expressed, though not their own words. This may be very probable: but the opinion of those who look upon the work as a mere allegory, must be rejected with horror. The sacred writers speak of Job as of a personage who had really existed, (C.) and set the most noble pattern of virtue, and particularly of patience. Tob. ii. 12. Ezec. xiv. 14. Jam. v. 11. Philo and Josephus pass over this history, as they do those of Tobias, Judith, &c. H. --- The time when Job lived is not clearly ascertained. Some have supposed (C.) that he was a contemporary with Esther; (D. Thalmud) on which supposition, the work is here placed in its chronological order. But Job more probably live during the period when the Hebrews groaned under the Egyptian bondage, (H.) or sojourned in the wilderness. Num. xiv. 9. The Syrians place the book at the head of the Scriptures. C. --- Its situation has often varied, and is of no great importance. The subject which is here treated, is of far more; as it is intended to shew that the wicked sometimes prosper, while the good are afflicted. H. --- This had seldom been witnessed before the days of Abraham: but as God had now selected his family to be witnesses and guardians of religion, a new order of things was beginning to appear. This greatly perplexed Job himself; who, therefore, confesses that he had not sufficiently understood the ways of God, till he had deigned to explain them in the parable of the two great beasts. C. xlii. 3. We cannot condemn the sentiments expressed by Job, since God has declared that they were right, (ib. v. 8) and reprimands Elihu, (C. xxxviii. 2.) and the other three friends of Job, for maintaining a false opinion, though, from the history of past times, they had judge it to be true. This remark may excupate them from the stain of wilful lying, and vain declamation. Houbigant. --- However, as they assert what was false, their words of themselves are of no authority; and they are even considered as the forerunners of heretics. S. Greg. S. Aug. &c. T. --- Job refutes them by sound logic. S. Jerom. --- We may discover in this book the sum of Christian morality, (W.) for which purpose it has been chiefly explained by S. Gregory. The style is very poetical, (H.) though at the same time simple, like that of Moses. D. --- It is interspersed with many Arabic and Chaldaic idioms; (S. Jer.) whence some have concluded, that it was written originally by Job and his friends (H.) in Arabic, and translated into Heb. by Moses, for the consolation of his brethren. W. --- The Heb. text is in many places incorrect; (Houbig.) and the Sept. seem to have omitted several verses. Orig. --- S. Jerom says almost eight hundred, (C.) each consisting of about six words. H. --- Shultens, in 1747, expressed his dissatisfaction with the labours of all preceding commentators. To explain this book may not therefore be an easy task: but we must be as short as possible. H. --- Those who desire farther information, may consult Pineda, (W.) whose voluminous work, in two folios, will nearly (H.) give all necessary information. C.

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin.

HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers' marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as ---.

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (1/2) and three-quarters symbol (3/4) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber's copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 18

Baldad again reproves Job and describes the miseries of the wicked.

[1] Then Baldad the Suhite answered, and said:

Respondens autem Baldad Suhites, dixit :

[2] How long will you throw out words? understand first, and so let us speak.

Usque ad quem finem verba jactabitis? intelligite prius, et sic loquamur.

[3] Why are we reputed as beasts, and counted vile before you?

Quare reputati sumus ut jumenta, et sorduimus coram vobis?

[4] Thou that destroyest thy soul in thy fury, shall the earth be forsaken for thee, and shall rocks be removed out of their place?

Qui perdis animam tuam in furore tuo, numquid propter te derelinquetur terra, et transferentur rupes de loco suo?

[5] Shall not the light of the wicked be extinguished, and the flame of his fire not shine?

Nonne lux impii extinguetur, nec splendebit flamma ignis ejus?

[6] The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and the lamp that is over him, shall be put out.

Lux obtenebrescet in tabernaculo illius : et lucerna quae super eum est extinguetur.

[7] The step of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down headlong.

Arctabuntur gressus virtutis ejus, et praecipitabit eum consilium suum.

[8] For he hath thrust his feet into a net, and walketh in its meshes.

Immisit enim in rete pedes suos, et in maculis ejus ambulat.

[9] The sole of his foot shall be held in a snare, and thirst shall burn against him.

Tenebitur planta illius laqueo, et exardescet contra eum sitis.

[10] A gin is hidden for him in the earth, and his trap upon the path.

Abscondita est in terra pedica ejus, et decipula illius super semitam.

[11] Fears shall terrify him on every side, and shall entangle his feet.

Undique terrebunt eum formidines, et involvent pedes ejus.

[12] Let his strength be wasted with famine, and let hunger invade his ribs.

Attenuetur fame robur ejus, et inedia invadat costas illius.

[13] Let it devour the beauty of his skin, let the firstborn death consume his arms.

Devoret pulchritudinem cutis ejus, consumat brachia illius primogenita mors.

[14] Let his confidence be rooted out of his tabernacle, and let destruction tread upon him like a king.

Avellatur de tabernaculo suo fiducia ejus : et calcet super eum, quasi rex, interitus.

[15] Let the companions of him that is not, dwell in his tabernacle, let brimstone be sprinkled in his tent.

Habitent in tabernaculo illius socii ejus qui non est : aspergatur in tabernaculo ejus sulphur.

[16] Let his roots be dried up beneath, and his harvest destroyed above.

Deorsum radices ejus siccentur : sursum autem atteratur messis ejus.

[17] Let the memory of him perish from the earth and let not his name be renowned in the streets.

Memoria illius pereat de terra, et non celebretur nomen ejus in plateis.

[18] He shall drive him out of light into darkness, and shall remove him out of the world.

Expellet eum de luce in tenebras, et de orbe transferet eum.

[19] His seed shall not subsist, nor his offspring among his people, nor any remnants in his country.

Non erit semen ejus, neque progenies in populo suo, nec ullae reliquiae in regionibus ejus.

[20] They that come after him shall be astonished at his day, and horror shall fall upon them that went before.

In die ejus stupebunt novissimi, et primos invadet horror.

[21] These men are the tabernacles of the wicked, and this the place of him that knoweth not God.

Haec sunt ergo tabernacula iniqui, et iste locus ejus qui ignorat Deum.

Commentary:

Ver. 2. Understand ye. Teach this man to comprehend what we say. He deigns not to address Job in person: but repeats most of his former remarks respecting the wicked, as if they were unquestionably applicable to Job. C. viii. C. --- Heb. "mark ye." Sept. "do thou attend." H. --- Baldad speaks to many who might be of Job's opinion, as he was a figure of the Church, defending the common cause; while his friends, like heretics, speak both true and false things. S. Greg. xiv. 1. W.

Ver. 3. Reputed. Sept. "silent as four-footed animals before thee? (H.) without discipline or understanding." C. xvii. 4. M.

Ver. 4. Thou. Heb. "He teareth his soul in his fury!" H. --- This is spoken with an air of contempt, as if Job were mad. C. xiii. 14. C. --- Place. We should expect to see such effects, as soon as we would allow that God punishes thee, without thy being guilty. Hitherto he has treated the wicked only with such rigour. Still thou wouldst assert that thou art a singular example of an innocent man under oppression! C.

Ver. 6. Light; prosperity, (M.) offspring, &c. C.

Ver. 7. Step. He shall be greatly embarrassed, (M.) like a man in a narrow pass, (C.) beset with thorns. H. Prov. iv. 12. --- Sept. "the weakest have made a prey of his possessions. H.

Ver. 8. Meshes, (maculis) or holes of the net. M. --- The more he strives to get out, the more he gets entangled. C.

Ver. 9. Thirst: the greedy hunter. C. --- Heb. "the robber." H.

Ver. 11. Fears. Hunters used to place loose feathers round the wood, except where the gin was laid, in order to frighten the prey into it.

             Puniceæque agitant formidine pennæ. Georg. iii.

Jer. xlviii. 44. "Like timid stags, while you avoid the moving feathers, you are entrapped in the strongest nets." S. Jerom, c. Lucif. --- Every thing tends to fill the poor beast with alarm. So the devil, conscience, and enemies on all sides, best the wicked. C.

Ver. 13. First-born denotes the best, or the worst. H. --- Death. Heb. "of death," the devil, or a premature death, and most cruel enemy. C. --- Sept. "But death devours his most beautiful things." H.

Ver. 14. Confidence. Sept. "health." --- Let. Prot. "and it shall bring him to the king of terrors;" (H.) or, "thou (O God) shalt," &c. Sept. "let him be in the greatest (C.) want, on account of a royal accusation," (H.) of high treason. C.

Ver. 15. Tent, when he is gone to purify it.

             Et veniat quæ lustret anus lectumque locumque,

             Præferat et tremulâ sulphur et ova manu. Ovid. Art.

--- Yet Moses does not mention sulphur as a thing proper for purifications. Some think that Baldad hints that his house will be destroyed with lightning, or rendered uninhabitable by a loathsome smell.

Ver. 16. Harvest. Heb. also, "branch;" (C.) his family, (M.) and all on which he trusted. C. - All must be destroyed, root and branch.

Ver. 20. Them. Lit. "the first," who were witnesses of his misery. H.