Biblical Parallels in Ancient Sumer

May 23, 2023

Ancient Sumer is the earliest known civilization of Mesopotamia, located in the southeastern most region of the Fertile Crescent. Some of the first settlements or cities of Sumer were Uruk, Akkad, and Ur. The names of these Sumerian cities are paralleled with similar names found in the Bible, which describe the same geographical locations. For example, Sumerian Uruk is known as Erech in the tenth chapter of the book of Genesis where Akkad, or Accad is also found. A direct parallel of Sumeria and the Bible, is the ancient city state of Ur of the Chaldees. Not only was Ur one of the main settlements of Sumer, it was also the birthplace of the patriarch and prophet Abraham. Since Abraham has Sumerian roots, so too does the Bible share in this ancient Mesopotamian legacy.

The Sumerian language was first written down on clay tablets around 3,200 BC, and was the first language to be written in the cuneiform script. Even though Sumer was in the middle of Semitic civilizations, the Sumerian language was not a Semitic language. However, the Akkadian civilization to the north of Sumer spoke a different language but shared the use of cuneiform to write down their Semitic tongue. These ancient Mesopotamian civilizations not only shared a writing system, they also shared an immense literary library as well as a complex mythology. One such mythological literary work, which indeed possesses Biblical parallels, is the ancient Babylonian poem, “The Epic of Gilgamesh.”

Gilgamesh, the hero of the story, is stated to be two-thirds a god and one-third a mortal man. He is a might ruler, and a great builder. One could say he was a giant of a man. The Bible reveals that there were indeed giants in ancient times. The Bible tells us that the giants were mighty men, and men of renown, very much like the Gilgamesh of ancient Mesopotamia. One specific Biblical character that parallels Gilgamesh, is Nimrod. The Bibles states that Nimrod was a mighty one on the earth, and a mighty hunter. Nimrod is described as if he too were a giant. Also, the Bible says that the beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom was “Babel, and Erech, and Accad…in the land of Shinar.” (Genesis 10:10). From Babel we get Babylonia, and from Erech we have Sumerian Uruk. Thus the geography and personal stature of the Biblical Nimrod corresponds to the Babylonian Gilgamesh.

Moving past Genesis and looking into other books of the Holy Bible, we still see similarities with other ancient Mesopotamian historical figures and their accomplishments. For example, in around the year 1,754 BC, the Babylonian king Hammurabi put together a code of law, which in many ways echos the laws of Moses found in Leviticus. The Code of Hammurabi has laws of retaliation, such as “an eye for an eye,” which is also written in Leviticus 24:20. Though laws in the Code of Hammurabi are also found in the Bible, the law of Moses has many more laws in it than that of Hammurabi’s Code. For instance, the Code of Hammurabi consists of 282 laws while the law of Moses contains 613 commandments, far surpassing the laws of the Babylonian Code. Despite this difference the Code of Hammurabi is indeed an ancient Mesopotamian forerunner of the Biblical Mosaic Law.

Returning to the Epic of Gilgamesh we see a most dazzling parallel with the story of the Flood as recorded in the book of Genesis. In the Gilgamesh epic the gods decide to destroy the world with a Flood, but choose one man and his family to escape this judgment by constructing a boat. The Noah character is named Upnapishti, and like Noah he releases birds after the Flood to see if there is any dry land. Unlike Noah, Upnapishti is granted immortality, but Noah’s memory is still alive to this very day. And that might be the biggest parallel of the Bible and ancient Sumeria; the theme of how man is born only to die one day. In both cases the quest of mortals who seek immortality is to live a virtuous life, with the gift of Paradise and everlasting life awaiting them when their work in this life is over.

 

References:

George, A. The Epic of Gilgamesh. (London, England: Penguin Classics, 1999).

Kramer, S.N. History Begins at Sumer. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1959).

Roux, G. Ancient Iraq. (New York, NY: Penguin Books, Inc., 1992).

The Keys of Hell and of Death

May 23, 2023

Speckled throughout the divine scriptures that make up the corpus of writings which we know today as the New Testament of the Holy Bible, do we come across the imagery of keys: the kind of instruments which have the ability to open and shut or lock and unlock a door. These specific “keys” mentioned in the New Testament are not necessarily meant to signify physical keys that we all use to open physical doors, but rather refers to the types of spiritual keys which open spiritual doors. For example, in both the Gospels and in the book of Revelation the Lord speaks of certain “keys” that are understood to represent a deeper spiritual mystery and allegory. For in Revelation 1:18 Jesus states, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” This passage reveals that Jesus, being the firstborn from the dead, has power and dominion over hell and death. For if one holds the key to something, that person has the power over that something. This argument is confirmed by Christ after His resurrection when He told His disciples, “…all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). So as we shall see, Jesus not only possesses the key of death, but also holds the key of life, which unlocks untold blessings upon all those who serve God and follow His commandments.

It is interesting to note that even though hell and death are interrelated, the Lord refers to hell and death as two separate things. This is revealed when Christ says that He holds the “keys” and not the “key” of hell and death. This fact is further confirmed in Revelation when Jesus opens the fourth seal. For it is written, “And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him…” (Revelation 6:7-8). Going further at the time of the final judgment the Bible tells us that, “…the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:13-14). So here we see that death and hell are indeed two separate things, yet at the same time both are closely related. In fact part of their kinship lies in their total opposition to the very nature of the Almighty. God is life, not death and God dwells in heaven, not hell. So hell being a place without life, makes it the abode of death: a place of everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

In other passages of Revelation Jesus states that He possesses the key of David, and emphasizes His spiritual power as the one who, “…opens, and no one shuts; and shuts, and no one opens” (Revelation 3:7). So again we see the complete authority that Christ has been given over creation, both in the physical as well as in the spiritual realms. In the Gospel we see Jesus sharing His authority with Simon Peter. For when God the Father revealed the divinity of Jesus Christ to St. Peter, the Lord praised His disciple and stated that He would build His church upon his leadership, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Christ also gave Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven and granted His disciples the authority to bind and loose sins (Matthew 16:17-19). Now this may be a stretch, but I would argue that all people who believe in their heart that Jesus is the Son of God also have the keys to the kingdom of heaven. For in God’s plan of salvation, faith in Jesus is the key which opens the gate to the kingdom of heaven (Romans 10:9).

Continuing in Revelation we see that after the seventh seal is opened, seven angels are given seven trumpets and the sounding of each of these trumpets ushers in more, and more of the various judgments of God. For it would happen when the fifth angel sounded, that a star fell from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1). This star which falls from heaven is believed to be an angel, due to a verse from the book of Job which reveals that at the beginning of time when God laid the foundations of the earth, “…the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). Other schools of thought hold that the star is actually a fallen angel, since the same verse says that this star fell from heaven, just as the devil and the other rebellious angels fell from heaven (Revelation 12:9). But the most important factor of this verse has to do with the key of the bottomless pit that was given to the star or angel. Going further scripture says that the key to the bottomless pit was given to the angel, so that means the angel was given permission to open the pit with that key. And since all things originate with God and due to the fact that Christ holds the keys of hell and death, then we can justifiably assume that the one who gave the angel the key to the bottomless pit was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the one Who possesses the key to the gates of hell.

Another key which Christ spoke of is the key of knowledge. For in Luke’s Gospel we see Jesus warning and chastising the lawyers by saying unto them, “Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered (Luke 11:52). So here it is revealed that the responsibility of those placed in authority is to guide the people and impart unto others the knowledge which they have been initiated into themselves. Alas this key of knowledge was not given to the people in Jesus’s day and the ones who possessed the key ended up casting it aside, so that they could not enter into the way of knowledge themselves, and on top of things they even tried to stop others who were entering into enlightenment on their own. Knowledge is power, and God has spoken through the prophets by saying, that His people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). The importance of gaining knowledge is emphasized all throughout the Bible. For example, the wise king Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs that the principle thing in this life is to acquire knowledge, and in the New Testament the Apostle Paul encourages us to study to show ourselves approved ( 2 Timothy 2:15). So by applying ourselves mentally to the study of God’s Word, are we given the key that unlocks our spiritual understanding, even granting us the very mind of Christ.

In conclusion, whether we are speaking on the keys of hell and death, or if we are personally seeking the key of knowledge, the fact remains that Christ holds all these keys and ultimately all the power within them resides in Him. Not only does Christ have the authority to unlock spiritual doors with spiritual keys, His holy hands also break the seven seals which unlock the fearsome and terrible judgments of God. And since it is Jesus that saves, then it would seem that it is Christ Himself that is the key that opens the door to Paradise. Just as Cherubims were placed to guard the tree of life, after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, so too has Christ unlocked the door which separated mankind from the kingdom of God. So, in God’s plan for the salvation of mankind does Jesus Christ (The Son and Word of God) serve as the master key which opens the gates of heaven to humanity, and Who unlocks the grace of God to mortals granting His children everlasting life. Amen.

 

References:

Nelson. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1984).

Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).

The Veil of Moses

May 23, 2023

When the holy prophet Moses first encountered the Lord God at the burning bush, the Bible tells us that, “…Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God” (Exodus 3:6). However, as Moses continued to serve the Lord and further advance in his personal relationship with his creator, did Moses boldly ask the Almighty to show him the glory God (Exodus 33:18). The Lord would partially fulfill His servant’s request by showing Moses His back, but not His face. For as the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, “you cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live” (Exodus 33:20). Now even though Moses did not see God’s face, the portion of the glory of God which was revealed unto Moses did indeed make his face shine. So bright in fact, that when Moses came down from the mountain he had to place a veil over his face. For the skin of Moses’ face shone so brightly that the children of Israel were afraid to come near him (Exodus 34:30). Also, though Moses put a veil on his face while speaking to the people, Moses would take the veil off whenever he went in before the Lord to speak with Him. So, now that we have broken ground in this presentation concerning the veil of Moses, let us begin to dig a little deeper as we uncover God’s divine use of veils as revealed in other parts of the holy scriptures.

In addition to the veil that Moses put over his face in order to shield the congregation from the glory of God, the tabernacle in the wilderness which housed the ark of the covenant also had within it a veil which separated the most holy place from the rest of the tent. Later when king Solomon built the temple to house the ark, a large veil was erected in front of the golden room known as the Holy of Holies where the ark was kept. For above the ark, between the two golden cherubs, was the earthly dwelling place and the earthly throne of the LORD God of Israel, the one true God. And this holy presence of God on earth in ancient times, was known as the “shekinah glory.” In the era of the New Testament we see how the skekinah glory was made flesh and dwelt (or tabernacled) among us in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:14). For included in God’s plan of salvation for all of mankind, was the incarnation of the Son and Word of God. But in order for humanity to not be consumed by the awesome holiness of God, the Lord took flesh from the Virgin Mary and was made man while still possessing the fullness of His divinity. For the human flesh that the Lord took from His earthly mother served as His veil (Hebrews 10:20).

As we continue to compare and contrast the veil of the temple in the Old Testament with the flesh of Jesus in the New Testament, do we come to the tearing of the veil in the temple at the time of Christ’s crucifixion. All three of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) mention how the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom at the moment when Christ died on the cross. For the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ would usher in a new covenant between God and mankind. And the tearing of the veil of the Holy of Holies would symbolize that now all people who accept Christ have access to the presence of God. For through the acceptance of Christ, the Holy Spirit can now enter into the hearts of all believers making our bodies the temple of God and our heart the Holy of Holies where the LORD God dwells and rests therein. For as believers in Jesus do we not only have access to the anointing of God, but also the indwelling of the Holy Spirit: Holy Communion (Revelation 3:20).

Now apart from His veil (that being the flesh which Jesus took from the ever Virgin Mary) Christ also masked His deep spiritual teachings by speaking to the crowds in parables. When the disciples asked Jesus why He spoke to others in parables the Lord answered by saying, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given…therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (Matthew 13:11,13). This spiritual blindness of the Jews in Jesus’s day is also reminiscent of the stubbornness of the children of Israel during the days of their wanderings in the wilderness. For the Lord spoke unto Moses concerning the Israelites saying, “I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people (Exodus 32:9). So from these verses it is evident that rebellious souls (those who are devoid of the grace of God) cannot penetrate spiritual mysteries, nor are individuals with hardened hearts able to receive spiritual understanding. For unbelievers possess a darkened or veiled conscience within, making them utterly incapable of grasping teachings which require faith, thereby separating them from the Holy Spirit. For as it is written, without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). So here we see that the Lord not only uses a veil to protect mankind from being consumed by the intense fire which is holy God, but also to inversely darken the understanding of nonbelievers.

In closing I would like to suggest that Christians also see Christ through a veil. Not through the veil of Moses, and neither the veil which is Christ’s flesh, but through the veil which is the mystery of the Holy Spirit. Just as Moses was granted to see the back of God but not His face, so too do Christians in this age know Christ in part (1 Corinthians 13:9). This era of grace of which we now live in, as we expectantly await the Lord’s return, is but a shadow of the things to come. For when Jesus returns in all of His glory will the fullness of the Kingdom of God be established along with a new heaven, a new earth, and even a new Jerusalem. Though Christ has ascended to His Father, Jesus has not left us orphans, as He sends the Holy Spirit to comfort us in His absence. For in this present age do we see Christ through a dark glass, but at His second and glorious advent the veil will be lifted and we shall see God face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12).

 

References:

Nelson. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1984).

Readers Digest. ABC’s Of The Bible. (Pleasantville, NY: The Readers Digest Association Inc., 1991).

Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).

The Sons of God and The Children of Disobedience

May 23, 2023

According to the Biblical narrative, at the dawn of human history we find in the scriptures a group of individuals known as the sons of God (Genesis 6:2). The Orthodox Church identifies these sons of God found in the sixth chapter of Genesis as the righteous descendants of Seth, the son of Adam, and not fallen angels as other schools of thought teach. Though angels are referred to as sons of God in the book of Job, human beings who are led by the Spirit of God are also classified in the Bible as the sons of God (Romans 8:14). In contrast to the sons of God who serve the Lord faithfully, the Bible also identifies another type of people who walk not after the Spirit of God, and these rebellious individuals are known in the scriptures as the children of disobedience (Colossians 3:6).

In one of His many parables, the Lord Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way (Matthew 13:24-25). Jesus went on to explain this parable by stating that, the man who sowed the good seed is the Lord Himself, and that the field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one (Matthew 13:37-38). St. Paul also illustrates that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7). Paul goes on to say that the prince of the power of the air (the devil) is the same spirit that now works in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). So, from these passages taken from the holy scriptures, it is clearly revealed that there are indeed only two types of people in this world: the children of God, and the children of the devil.

Concerning the resurrection of the dead, the second coming of Christ, and the separating of the sheep from the goats it is revealed that on the day of Judgment those on Christ’s right hand will receive an incorruptible body similar to the glorified body that Christ now has which was given to Him when He rose from the dead. Speaking on the resurrection of the righteous St. John writes, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (I John 3:2). As described in the scriptures Christ’s resurrected body is quite unique in that the Lord can not only pass through walls like a spirit (John 20:19), but His glorified body is also made up of flesh and bones which can be handled (Luke 24:39). So it would seem that at Christ’s resurrection His spirit and His body were merged into one, the same thing which will happen at the resurrection of the just when the soul’s of the believers in heaven will be reunited with their bodies that are in the graves. Like the glorified body of Jesus which is incorruptible and immortal, so too will the sons of God have a resurrected body not subject to aging nor decay and shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and enjoy everlasting life.

Now when it comes to the resurrection of the children of disobedience (who’s names were not found written in the book of life) scripture says that they will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). In addition to unrepentant sinners, death and hell will also be cast into the lake of fire, which the Bible says is the second death. Though scripture does not plainly express what type of body the damned will inherit, we can come to some conclusions as to the nature of the resurrected bodies of the children of disobedience by rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Since the Bible informs us that death will be cast into the lake of fire then this must mean that there is no life in hell. As Leviticus 17:11 tells us, the life of the flesh is in the blood. If there is no life in hell then there can be no blood in hell for there is life in blood. So, from this analysis we could strongly argue that in hell the children of disobedience will possess a body without blood. In the resurrection of the damned, not only will their souls be condemned, but their bodies will also suffer an eternal death, or as it is written: the second death.

In conclusion, from what we read in the New Testament, “The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). And as the beloved Apostle John wrote, “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous” (I John 3:10-12). So it would appear that the difference between a child of God, and a son of satan is that the sons of God are filled with love for God and their fellow man, whereas the children of disobedience are filled with disdain towards God and filled with hatred and jealousy towards God’s children. And knowing the persecutions that God’s people would suffer from the wicked people in this world, Jesus encouraged His followers by telling them that, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15:18).

The Hospitality of Abraham

May 23, 2023

In the New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews, the Apostle Paul encourages all those who follow Jesus, and who also consider themselves to be Christians, to let brotherly love continue (Hebrews 13:1). Due to the spiritual importance concerning the virtue of brotherly love, St. Paul goes on to provide an example of this neighborly affection by relating how critical it is for believers to embrace and welcome strangers. For Paul’s guidance would not only have us demonstrate hospitality to those we know personally, but to even extend our charity towards those who we don’t know, individuals that we would regard as strangers. For as the Apostle speaks, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2). This reference concerning those who have been unaware that they were in fact entertaining angels and not humans is taken directly from the 18th chapter in the book of Genesis, where we see the patriarch Abraham providing hospitality to what appeared to be three men. However, tradition tells us that these three men were actually angels. Going further, it is also believed that one of these three divine beings was none other than the pre-incarnate Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. And since Christ is numbered along with the two other angels, then this heavenly encounter would signify an Old Testament vision of the Holy Trinity, or what scholars refer to as a Theophany.

Continuing in Genesis, we find that the patriarch Jacob when preparing to reunite with his brother Esau, was also visited by the angels of God (Genesis 32:1). So it would appear that just as humans have shown hospitality towards angels, in turn angels on many occasions have blessed human beings and ministered unto the sons of men when they cried out unto the Lord God for help. For the Gospel teaches that even Christ Himself, after His temptation in the wilderness, was ministered to by angels (Matthew 4:11). Additionally, Biblical accounts of hospitality do not terminate between angels and men, but also transpire among people to people. For example, when the prophet Elijah was sent to the widow of Zidon, Elijah asked her to give him some water and to make a little cake for him. The widow only had a small amount of meal and oil left to feed her and her young son, but being moved by the prophet’s encouragement the widow of Zidon hearkened to word of the Lord, spoken by Elijah. As a result of her hospitality, the widow and her son, and Elijah were all able to eat for many days. The barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which He spake by Elijah (1 Kings 17:9-16). This miracle occurred by both the woman’s faith and her hospitality, a selfless act which serves as an example for all believers to follow.

Now that we have covered examples from the Old Testament which highlight the virtue of hospitality, lets us now look into the New Testament where we witness acts of charity and the works of tender mercies. For as we previously reviewed St. Paul’s guidance in the Epistle to the Hebrews of how Christians should have brotherly love towards one another, the Apostle also makes the point that a true believer must also be given to hospitality (Romans 12:13). When outlining the traits that make for a good bishop of the Church, St. Paul insists that along with being sober and apt to teach, a bishop must also be no stranger in showing hospitality (I Timothy 3:2). When examining the Gospels, it is clear that all throughout the life of Christ, Jesus not only commanded His followers to love one another, but the Lord Himself demonstrated hospitality by His own actions and by His perfect example. For instance, not only did the Lord provide a complimentary meal for His followers in the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, but Christ went even further and humbled Himself by washing His disciples feet (John 13:5). These selfless acts of charity and mercy towards His creation, reveal the pure and holy love which God has for each and every one of us. Since man is created in the image of God, the Lord in turn gave mankind commandments, which when followed properly truly make mortal men children of God. The Lord wants His children to be hospitable to one another, because God is also given to hospitality.

In conclusion, from what has been expressed in this analysis of Biblical hospitality it is evident that by trusting in God all things do indeed work out for those who follow the Lord’s commandments. For the Lord would have us lend to others, even if we only have a little for ourselves. The point in giving hospitality is to demonstrate kindness towards our fellow man, so that by making a personal sacrifice the other party involved may benefit. For as the Lord said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). For by making a sacrifice we are humbled, and when this sweet aroma of humility has ascended up unto the heavens, the Lord becomes moved with compassion and pours out His mercy upon us. For when God sees that we love others then our love for God has been proven, and we pass the test of our faith. So, offering hospitality is indeed a very liberating exercise, an act which opens the eyes of our heart and reveals to us that there is much to be gained spirituality by sacrificing materially.