Daniel Lazich

The gate of righteousness.

“Open to me the gates of the just king’s temple! I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.” The opening of the gates of righteousness refers to Jesus Christ, the gate through which the righteous will enter. Psalm 118:19. What are the gates of righteousness? The ‘gates of righteousness’ could not refer to the temple gate, because David wrote this before the temple in Jerusalem existed. David identifies the “gate” as the “gate of the Lord through which the righteous will enter.” Where do the righteous enter? They enter through the gate into the Lord’s presence in heaven. This raises two questions. What, or who, is the gate? Also, how do sinners become righteous to enter through the “gate of righteousness”?

Jesus Christ is the gate, or the “door,” to the Father. “Therefore Jesus said again, I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.” John 10:7. Jesus is the only gate for the righteous and the only way to the Father because he is the righteous gate. “Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. Whether we come to the Father to praise him, as David desired, or to petition him concerning our burdens, we must go through Jesus Christ, or in his name, because he is the only way. The only gate for the righteous, Jesus Christ, is always open. Jesus, on the cross at Golgotha, proclaimed, “It is finished.” The curtain in the temple split in two, symbolizing that the soldiers had pierced Jesus’ body. Therefore, the gate for the righteous is irreversibly open forever. Matthew 27:50, 51. However, only the righteous could enter through the open gate, Jesus Christ.

How do sinners become righteous? Could it be achieved through careful observance of the law? “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” Romans 3:20. Long before the Incarnation, God announced through the prophet Isaiah: “But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult.” Isaiah 45:25. The apostle Paul applied this verse to Jesus Christ. “But now apart from law Righteousness of God has been manifested, to which the law and the prophets have borne witness: even the righteousness from God through trustworthiness of Jesus Christ, toward and upon all who believe: there is no difference:” Romans 3:21, 22. (my translation). So, by trusting Jesus Christ, we become righteous and thus qualified to come into the presence of our Father in heaven. We enter through the only gate available, Jesus Christ, and in his name. John 16:23.

The dead in sin. Read the next blog.

God abandoned the Savior of the world.

“Scorn has broken my heart and left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.” Psalm 69:20, 21. Long before the Messiah suffered on the cross at Golgotha, David prophesied what the Savior of the world would endure. On the night of his arrest, Jesus went to Gethsemane to pray. He asked his disciples to stay awake with him, but they fell asleep. The disciples couldn’t grasp the urgency of staying alert and praying. As the night in Gethsemane wore on, the cry, “I look for sympathy, but receive none,” became true. Maybe the apostles didn’t yet understand why the Messiah had to suffer, so they didn’t see why they needed to pray. Matthew 26:38, 40.

“Then he said to them, I am overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death…” Matthew 26:38 (my translation). Why was Jesus overwhelmed with sorrow? He knew that the moment had come for him to separate his perfect life from his body, take on sinful human life, and die an eternal death by being abandoned by the Father. “He who did not know sin was made sin.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Did the Father abandon Jesus? God provided the answer through the prophet Isaiah long before it became a reality. “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will bring you back.” Isaiah 54:7. Our spirit, which sinned in the Garden of Eden, could die an eternal death only if God, who gave it to humankind, forgot it. God accomplished this while Jesus was on the cross at Golgotha. That is why Jesus cried out, “My God…why have you forsaken me?” Mark 15:34, as prophesied by David. Psalm 22:1.

When Jesus finished praying, the mob sent by the high priest arrested him. Peter tried to defend Jesus with a sword, but Jesus told him to put it away. Jesus reminded the arresting crowd and the disciples that this had to happen to fulfill the Scriptures. At that moment, his disciples deserted him. “But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” Matthew 26:56. “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, placed the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.” John 19:29. In this way, the guards fulfilled the prophetic writing of David.

The gate of righteousness. Read the next blog.

He led the captives.

“When you ascended on high, you have led captives in your train.” Psalm 68:18. In Psalm 47, David poetically describes the enthronement of Jesus Christ as the King of kings and Lord of lords on the day of his resurrection. The Bible does not specify who the captives are. Jesus ascended on high and sat down to reign as the King of kings on the day of his resurrection (John 20:17). However, Jesus led all of humankind, whom he had freed from slavery to sin and darkness, into the kingdom of Light and Righteousness and restored them to God as his children. He then received all authority (Matthew 28:16–19). The Bible also tells us that when Jesus died on the cross, graves were opened and many came to life (Matthew 27:50–53). The authors of the New Testament do not clarify whether these were the “captives” Jesus led in his train.

In Revelation, John tells us that when he went to heaven at Jesus’s invitation, he observed, “At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it! … Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.” Revelation 4:2, 4. The white clothing represents the righteousness from God, Jesus Christ. All who surrender their old selves and accept the righteous life of Jesus Christ receive the white robes of his righteousness. The gold crown signifies our victory in Jesus Christ. In him, we are more than conquerors. Romans 8:37.

Some believe the twenty-four elders are exalted heavenly beings, members of God’s counsel. However, God is Sovereign, the eternal One. He created everything; therefore, He neither needs nor has counselors. “Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?” Isaiah 40:13, 14. Therefore, if the twenty-four elders represent the redeemed, they could not be God’s counselors, no matter how righteous and holy they are. Consequently, it is reasonable to conclude that they are the captives Jesus presented as proof of his victory.

God abandoned the Savior of the world. Read the next blog.

The Conqueror.

“You ascended on high, you led captivity captive; You received gifts for mankind, truly for the disobedient, so they may dwell there. The Lord God be blessed;” Psalm 68:18. The Septuagint. Apostle Paul applied this verse to Jesus Christ. Paul states, “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” Ephesians 4:7, 8. The Masoretes, from around the third to the ninth century CE, were responsible for deciphering the Hebrew text and creating a consistent Old Testament text that upholds Jewish tradition. Accordingly, they altered some words and rearranged parts of the Bible that were in use before the ninth century CE. Nonetheless, the Septuagint and Paul’s translation preserve the original text.

In biblical times, victorious kings and generals would return with captives as proof of their triumph. They would usually give gifts to men and receive gifts from men. The early Christians attributed this verse to Jesus Christ, God’s gift to humankind. God, in Jesus Christ, gave the gift of eternal life and His righteousness to rebellious humankind. God gave us the perfect, eternal new human life of Jesus Christ and made self-surrendered believers righteous in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8; Romans 6:23; 1 John 3:1. Jesus defeated God’s enemy, Satan, and rescued humankind—the captives in the kingdom of sin and darkness. Jesus began his mission here on earth by saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18, 19.

Jesus defeated the prince of this world while nailed to the cross at Golgotha. Then he ascended to heaven on the morning of his resurrection. He ascended to the Father to have his victory accepted and to receive all authority. When Jesus revealed himself to Mary on the morning of his resurrection, she wanted to worship him. But Jesus told her, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” John 20:16, 17. What captives did he lead in his train? Read the next blog.

He led the captives. Read the next blog.

The Christ’s temple.

“Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin-offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll – I have come to do your will, my God.” Hebrews 10:5–7. The Apostle Paul applies these verses to Jesus Christ. Paul quoted the Septuagint, the Bible Christians have used for centuries.

“But a body you prepared for me” is a correct statement concerning Jesus Christ because he is the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, not Aaron. “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’” Psalm 110:4. Melchizedek was a priest to the God Most High, and he officiated in his body, not in a human-made temple. Similarly, Jesus, as the High Priest, fulfilled his mission as the Redeemer and Savior of the world while in the body here on earth. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. God accomplished this by placing our sins on Jesus, the barrier that separated us from God the Father. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Jesus was made sin but not a sinner.

The phrase “I desire to do your will, O my God,” in Hebrews 10:7, refers to what? What was the will of God? “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:40. Where are we to look on the Son? “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life in him.” John 3:14. The will of God has been accomplished once and for all. Therefore, all should look to the Son of God on the cross at Golgotha. By trusting Jesus Christ that he has accomplished everything needed for our salvation, we have eternal life in him, here and now.

The Conqueror. Read the next blog.

The Son.

“I will proclaim the LORD’s decree: He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’” Psalm 2:7. David was a shepherd, a warrior, a musician, a poet, and a king. Many unique experiences marked his life. Yet through it all, he learned that relying on the Lord was the only answer. He also knew that humankind needed a Savior. God loved David and promised that through his descendants the Savior of the world, the Messiah, would come. Accordingly, David used his poetic talent to write about the promised Messiah, the Lord. In the verse above, David refers to the Messiah, the Son of God. In Hebrews 5:5, the Apostle Paul applies Psalm 2:7 to both the Son of God and the Son of Man, Jesus Christ.

Through the prophet Ezekiel, God promised to give fallen humankind a “new spirit,” a new life (Ezekiel 36:26). The human spirit that God placed in humankind at creation sinned in the Garden of Eden and, therefore, had to die an eternal death with no way out. At the incarnation, God gave fallen humankind a new human spirit, the human spirit of Jesus Christ, which comes from God, not from man. “The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35. The new human spirit, the new life of humankind, came from God, but Jesus’ body was formed in the womb of Mary, a human being. Because the new human spirit came from God the Creator, Jesus, as the representative of the new humankind God created in him, was the Son of God in the same sense that the first Man, Adam, was the Son of God (Luke 3:37–38).

Adam, the representative of the first humankind, deliberately chose to disobey God’s simple command, and, accordingly, the Objective Moral Law condemned all humankind, in Adam, to eternal death with no way out. “So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:45. The Apostle John agrees, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” John 1:4. By taking on a human body, the life-giving new human spirit of Jesus makes all who believe in his name children of God. (John 1:12).

The Christ’s Temple. Read the next blog.

The source of our righteousness.

In the Old Testament era, God repeatedly urged His people to trust Him and submit to His will. However, many, like Job and his friends, wrongly believed that doing what is generally accepted as right would lead to a righteous, blameless life. They failed to see that humankind’s spirit sinned in the Garden of Eden, making humankind a natural sinner. A life filled with continuous good deeds and effort cannot overcome sinful human nature. Only God can resolve the problem of sinfulness. Therefore, God promised to bring His righteousness to completion at the right time. Still, people found it hard to understand because the promise was for the future, not the present.

“The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days, Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness” Jeremiah 23:5, 6. (The emphasis is mine.) These verses reveal what the Branch will be for fallen humankind. He will be their Righteousness from God. The Branch, Jesus Christ, did not give us righteousness. He did not merely declare us righteous. The Branch, Jesus Christ, became our righteousness forever.

Only by remaining in Christ can we be blameless in God’s eyes. The righteousness from God is ours here and now through trusting Jesus Christ. No human effort, religious practices, teachings, or other means can make us righteous in God’s sight. We are not righteous like Jesus; we are righteous *IN JESUS* ONLY. “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Romans 3:21, 22. It is not I, but Christ must be the conviction for each self-surrendered believer. Christ Our Righteousness is not just a theory but a daily experience for those who are saved.

The Son. Read the next blog.

Job defended his integrity. Continued.

Occasionally, Job affirms that his hope is in the Lord, but because his friends insist he has sinned, he quickly defends his integrity and self-righteousness. He even dares to challenge God to a dialogue. “Only grant me these two things, O God, and then I will not hide from you: Withdraw your hand from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors. Then summon me and I will answer, or let me speak, and you reply. How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin.” Job 13:20–23. Job fails to realize that a mere mortal, a sinner, cannot become righteous simply by doing good deeds or speaking the right words. Even if a fallen human, a sinner, performed the noblest acts, he could not make himself righteous. Righteousness cannot come from a sinner, no matter what he does.

Before Job’s experience, another wise man wrote, “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Because fallen human beings are born sinners, even their best efforts cannot change their sinful nature. Once a sinner, always a sinner. Sinful human beings must have their sins removed to be made righteous, which they cannot do through perfect speech and obedience. If sin remains, the sinner cannot be justified; therefore, his self-righteous behavior would be evil in God’s eyes. The prophet Isaiah said the same: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6).

Job insisted until the very end that he was righteous. He claimed that God had no reason to punish him. “Let God weigh me in honest scales, and he will know that I am blameless.” Job 31:6. “So these three men stopped answering Job because he was righteous in his own eyes.” Job 32:1.

Finally, God, as Job requested, spoke to him and questioned him. Job was confident he could answer God’s questions and prove his self-righteousness. However, he couldn’t find the right words to respond. When God finished questioning him, Job declared, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5, 6. Job repented of his self-righteousness because he finally understood that God, and only He, is the source of all righteousness.

The only source of righteousness. Read the next blog.

Job defends his integrity.

Seeing that Job has lost everything and is suffering from painful sores, his wife advises him to curse God and die. “He replied, You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble? In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” Job 2:10. We should notice that Job did not sin in what he said. His self-righteous attitude was the problem. His speech and self-imposed behavior were always appropriate. The issue was not in his speech and actions but in his nature and attitude. To maintain his self-conceived integrity and righteousness, Job refused to curse God. Because of his philosophy, Job misunderstood the source of human righteousness.

Job expressed his disappointment to his friends, who came to sympathize with him over his suffering. However, he saw no reason for it. Instead, Job curses the day he was born and suggests that God acted inexplicably. “Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?” Job 3:23. He argues that neither God nor anyone else notices his integrity. Instead, they are determined to make him suffer more than he already does.

Then one of his friends responded to Job by pointing out a historical fact: the righteous do not suffer. “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed?” Job 4:7. Then his friend asked him, “Can a mortal be more righteous than God?” Job 4:17. He urged Job to humble himself, appeal to God, and consider, “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” Job 5:17. Job’s friends were confident he was suffering because he might have sinned knowingly or unknowingly. Job, however, insisted that he did not sin. He appealed to his friends, “But now be so kind as to look at me. Would I lie to your face? Relent, do not be unjust; reconsider, for my integrity is at stake.” Job 6:28, 29. His perceived integrity was his primary concern.

To be continued.

Job continued.

“In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” Job 1:1.

The land of Uz lay in the southern part of the Transjordan region, also known as the East, because it lies east of the Jordan River. Uz was renowned for its wisdom literature, which featured debates and discussions similar to those in the Book of Job. While the Book of Job shares similarities with Transjordanian literature, it is more detailed and more skillfully written. The Book of Job has undergone many revisions and edits to refine it and make it uniquely suited to Hebrew religious teaching. According to the Jewish rabbinic Midrash, the main character of the story, Job, was not an Israelite.

The purpose of the Book of Job, the trilogy, is not to present an ideal model of righteous living. No actual person is likely to have experienced what is described in the Book of Job. If Satan represents the Devil himself, then Jews would not say that God made a deal with the Devil. The debates in the Book of Job aim to answer the timeless question: Why do innocent people suffer while the unrighteous prosper? Do innocent people exist, and what is the source of human righteousness? The Book of Job offers no simple answer. It simply shows that God’s ways are beyond human understanding.

Innocence means being free from sin by doing nothing wrong. The book of Job, therefore, raises a question: Could fallen human beings be innocent? Even if they obey the law perfectly, could they still be considered innocent? God, through the prophet Jeremiah, before the book of Job was written, stated, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.” Jeremiah 13:23. Paul agrees: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. The fact that those who, by human standards, always do what is right yet still suffer disproportionately has puzzled people for thousands of years. However, through the prophet Jeremiah, God answers, “And if you ask yourself, why has this happened to me? – It is because of your many sins that your skirts have been torn off and your body mistreated.” Jeremiah 13:22. All humans are born sinners because of the sin in the Garden of Eden; therefore, they cannot be innocent and blameless, no matter how hard they try.

Continued in the next blog.

Christ in the book of Job, an introduction.

The Book of Job is a wisdom book similar to Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. It begins with a prologue that sets the scene for the main story. The book concludes with an epilogue that provides conclusions and answers the questions raised midway through the narrative. The Book of Job is a Jewish trilogy featuring a dramatic dialogue or debate among friends who were members of a group of wise men. These men also cared about how they lived and behaved.

Most of the conversation between Job and his friends consisted of cryptic poetic parallelism. However, we can confidently conclude that the Book of Job is not a biography of its main character. In the book of Job, a man like the main character is not a historical figure. Analysis shows that the Book of Job was composed over a long period and written by more than one author, which supports this conclusion. The Book of Job is connected to several earlier books in the Jewish Canon. The most likely period for writing is from the sixth century BC to the fourth century before the Birth of the Messiah.

The central part of the Book of Job explores two main topics in Jewish theology and logic, both of which are relevant to Christian theology. The first topic deals with the suffering of innocent people within the framework of an all-knowing God. Are any people truly innocent? The second topic, though not explicitly mentioned, concerns the foundation of human righteousness. Additionally, the book includes shorter related subjects woven into its structure.

The Book of Job poses notable challenges for both translators and interpreters due to its unique structure of arguments. These arguments involve intricate debates that use highly poetic language and rare words not commonly found in everyday Hebrew. Such uncommon words only appear in the Book of Job and nowhere else in the Bible. This distinctive feature of the Book of Job likely explains why it is longer in Hebrew than in its earlier translations: the Septuagint, the Targum, the Syriac, and the Vulgate.

Continued in the next blog.

Which prophet?

“The LORD, your God, will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.” Deuteronomy 18:15. What made Moses a unique prophet? God sent Moses to free the Israelites from slavery and lead them into the promised land. God spoke to other prophets in dreams and visions, but not to Moses. “But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD.” Numbers 12:7, 8.

Did God raise another prophet like Moses among the Israelites? The book of Deuteronomy concludes: “Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, …for no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.” Deuteronomy 34:10, 12. To whom did Moses refer when he said, “The Lord will raise a prophet like me”? The Jewish Study Bible, on page 408, states that Deuteronomy 18:15, above, refers to “a single messianic prophet at the end of time.” The key phrase in Deuteronomy 18:15 is “listen to him.” Concerning which prophet did God say, “Listen to Him”? Apostle Peter, who was present at the transfiguration, applied Deuteronomy 18:15 to Jesus. Acts 3:22. The deacon Stephen indicated that Deuteronomy 18:15 refers to Jesus. Acts 7:37, 38.

Apostle Paul applies Deuteronomy 18:15 to Jesus Christ, a single messianic figure. “But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:2. Jesus, like Moses, liberated the people from slavery. He freed humankind from slavery in the kingdom of sin and darkness and led it into the kingdom of light and righteousness. So, Moses commanded the people to listen to a prophet like him. God, concerning Jesus, commanded the apostles present at the transfiguration, “Listen to him” Matthew 17:5; therefore, the prophet like Moses is Jesus Christ.

Christ in the book of Job. Read the next blog.

“The bronze snake” – Jesus on the cross.

When the Edomites refused to let the Israelites pass through their territory, the Israelites had to go around Edom. Edom is Esau, Jacob’s brother, so the Israelites did not fight them. Numbers 20:14–21. Moses led the people back toward the Red Sea to avoid Edom, but they became irritated and complained against God and Moses. Numbers 21:4–5. God sent venomous snakes, and many Israelites died from their bites. The people admitted their sins and asked Moses to pray to God on their behalf. Moses prayed, and God answered him, giving him instructions on how to save the people.

“The Lord said to Moses, Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” Numbers 21:8. The snake on a pole in the desert represented the Son of Man lifted up or hung on a wooden cross. Being hung on a wooden pole or cross meant being hung on a tree. Those who looked up at the snake had to trust that God would save them from death. People did not have to have physical contact with the snake, and nothing flowed from the snake to the ground. Therefore, people had to rely on God.

God was informing the people that, in due time, the Lamb of God would be crucified so that everyone who looks to Him would have eternal life. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up that everyone who believes may have eternal life.” John 3:14. Also, the Greek here indicates that all who trust Him will have eternal life in Him. Therefore, anyone who wants to live forever must trust Jesus Christ, because our eternal life is hidden with God in Jesus Christ.

Which prophet? Read the next blog.