PUZZLING QUESTIONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT ANSWERED
WHY IF YOU FALL ASLEEP WILL YOU GO NAKED?
"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." Revelation 16:15
To better understand why the Lord warns us to stay awake and not be shamefully exposed, we have to know the duties and history of the Temple workers.
By day and night it was the duty of the Levites to keep guard at the gates, to prevent, so far as possible, the unclean from entering. To them the duties of the Temple police were also entrusted, under the command of an official known to us in the New Testament as the “Captain of the Temple” (Acts 4:1), but in Jewish writings chiefly as “The man of the Temple Mount.” The office must have been of considerable responsibility, considering the multitudes who came on feast days, their keen national susceptibilities, and the close proximity of the hated Romans in Fort Antonia. At night guards were placed in twenty-four stations about the gates and courts. Of these twenty-one were occupied by Levites alone; the other innermost three jointly by priests and Levites.
During the night the “Captain of the Temple” made his rounds. On his approach the guards had to rise and salute him in a particular manner. Any guard found asleep when on duty was beaten, or his garments were set on fire— punishment, as we know, actually awarded. Hence the admonition to us who, as it were, are here on Temple guard.
WHY DID THE WOMAN WITH THE BLOOD ISSUE TOUCH JESUS’ GARMENT?
When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Mark 5:27-28
The woman with the issue of blood was ceremonially unclean. She risked her life by reaching out to touch the Master’s garments which would defile him. Why was she so sure that this act would heal her?
"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. Numbers 15:38
The Hebrew word כנף Kanaph means wing, border or corner. The tassels or tzitzit (fringes) were the known as the wings of the garment.
But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Malachi 4:2
The woman with the blood issue knew that the Messiah was the prophesied “Sun of Righteousness” who would have healing in the kanaph (the wings/tassels) of his garment.
WHY DID JESUS WAIT FOUR DAYS TO RESPOND TO THE PLEA OF MARY AND MARTHA?
“[Jesus said] Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” His disciples replied, ‘LORD, if he sleeps, he will get better.’ Jesus had been speaking of His death, but His disciples thought he meant natural sleep.” John 11:11–13
Jesus had intentionally delayed responding to the plea of Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, who had sent this message to Jesus: “Lord, the one you love is sick” (John 11:3). When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been interred in a tomb for four days.
For You will not abandon me to Sheol; You will not allow Your Holy One to see decay. Psalm 16:10
After the third day of death, the body decays and corrupts at an accelerated rate. Jesus, unlike Lazarus, rose on the third day before “corruption” set in fully. When Jesus resurrected on the third day, prophecy was fulfilled that the Holy One (The Messiah/The Christ) would not see decay.
Although Jesus allowed the sickly Lazarus to die, it was not an act motivated by lack of compassion—Jesus wept for Lazarus’ passing and for the grief of his family and friends (John 11:35). Jesus was to demonstrate in power that He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25a). Jesus raised a stinking corpse to life again! (See John 11:39.)
"Revealing the Mysteries of the Bible"
Part I - Introduction:
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/revealing-the-mysteries-of-the-bible
Part II - "Hebrew Pictogaphs"
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/hebrew-pictographs
Part III - Numerical Values of the Hebrew Letters
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/numerical-values-of-hebrew-letters
