Bread of Life
John
{6:26} Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
{6:27} Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
{6:28} Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
{6:29} Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
{6:30} They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
{6:31} Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
{6:32} Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
{6:33} For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
{6:34} Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
{6:35} And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
{6:36} But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
{6:37} All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
{6:38} For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
{6:39} And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
{6:40} And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
{6:41} The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
{6:42} And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came
down from heaven?
{6:43} Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
{6:44} No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
{6:45} It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the
Father, cometh unto me.
{6:46} Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
{6:47} Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
{6:48} I am that bread of life.
{6:49} Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
{6:50} This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
{6:51} I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
{6:52} The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?
{6:53} Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
{6:54} Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
{6:55} For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
{6:56} He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
{6:57} As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
{6:58} This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
{6:59} These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
{6:60} Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard [this,] said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
{6:61} When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
{6:62} [What] and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
{6:63} It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.
{6:64} But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should
betray him.
{6:65} And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father
**
Luke {4:4} And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Deut. {8:1} All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.
{8:2} And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
{8:3} And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
God fed His people with a source of food unlike any other that ever existed, unlike any they'd ever known. Food that rained down from heaven- who ever heard of such a thing? And yet it was true. God fed His people. God wanted His people to realize that HE was their source of life. He and He alone saved them from a life of bondage and once He'd set them free He continued to keep them alive. Isn't that the way... we are set free when we accept Jesus as our Savior and then we need to be kept alive in Christ as we continue on in our lives. So that the children of God didn't forget who their source of life was, God fed them food from heaven. Daily, day in and day out they ate of the bread from heaven. Day in and day out they knew that it was only by the grace of God they were kept alive. It was God who supplied what they needed to live and it is God that provides us with what we need to live eternally.
In the end it is eternal life we live for. Jesus came to make that point real to us. Jesus came and made the point so well that only the spiritually blind can't see it. Jesus came to give life eternal, not life here and now, but life everlasting. Our minds are to be taken off life here and now except to realize that it is in this life that we accept that life eternal. Once we accept life eternal as ours through Jesus Christ we truly begin to live.
When Jesus talks of being the bread of life, of having the blood we must drink to live He even goes on to say this-- John {6:63} It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.
The very flesh He said we must eat to live He goes on to explain- the flesh profiteth nothing... 'the WORDS THAT I SPEAK UNTO YOU THEY ARE SPIRIT AND THEY ARE LIFE'
God's lesson in the wilderness was given so that His people would realize that they were alive by His word. The manna was of God. They ate and they lived.
The flesh and blood of Jesus is Jesus giving us His life, telling us that HIS WORDS are spirit and life. We have to accept Jesus' death and His life for us, we have to believe on His words. We have to trust in Him and Him alone if we are to live. If we don't accept all of Jesus we won't have life, we won't live. Just like a person cannot live without food, they cannot live eternally without Jesus. If we think we can have eternal life without Jesus we are wrong and we'll die. Do we have to eat Jesus' actual flesh and drink His actual blood? No. That wasn't what He was saying in truth, but only those that truly love Him can truly understand the meanings of His words. We are to always and forever remember that our lives are sustained by the life and death of our Lord and Savior. We are to never forget, never. And by equating our eating and drinking with accepting the life and death of Jesus is something we can never forget. Each time we eat and drink we are doing so and it is keeping us alive. We are to be kept alive eternally by eating and drinking of all Jesus offers to us, His life, His love, His forgiveness, His death for us. He is our sustainer in all things eternal and by no other are we to live now or forever, only Him.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we forever live in the perpetual acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as our Savior. In His love!
Amen.
7/21/10
Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
How beautiful. There can be a conversion of the soul, the simple can be made wise. These are beautiful things, these things offer hope to us, great hope. To know that the law of the Lord is perfect is amazing. So many try to do away with the law as if it's something defective, something archaic. How can something that is declared perfect then be turned into something imperfect?
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Perfect. I don't know about any one else but I want my soul to be converted, I want my simple-ness to be wise for the Lord.
Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Truth! The statutes of the Lord are right- rejoicing the heart!
The commandment of the Lord is pure- enlightening the eyes!
We can find so much in the law of the Lord, so much beauty. Where people see only restrictions there is pure love of God for His people.
Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Beautiful judgments! Wonderful judgments! We are so caught up in dreading judgments that we forget their wonder, and we certainly forget that we are to desire more than gold, fine gold and that they're sweeter than honey AND the honeycomb. We've been trained to fear, to reject, to want to hide or run from judgments. We don't want to be judge. We want to be forgiven. Yet to be forgiven we have to be determined in need of forgiveness. To be in need of forgiveness we have to be judged to be in need.
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous!
Psa 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Psa 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins… let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Oh such words!!!! Take them to heart! We really need to take them to heart. LORD, please please keep thy servant from PRESUMPTUOUS sins! We sin so much, and we try to excuse our sinning but there is NO excuse for it, none. Please Lord keep us from presumptuous sins don't let them rule over us please! We need so much to be innocent from the great transgression.
Please we pray to you oh Lord, please, let our words, let our hearts be acceptable to You. You are our strength, you are our Redeemer!
By Your grace oh Lord! By Your mercy! Through Your love, Your righteousness now and forever!!!!
Amen.
7/21/11
{6:26} Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
{6:27} Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
{6:28} Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
{6:29} Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
{6:30} They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
{6:31} Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
{6:32} Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
{6:33} For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
{6:34} Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
{6:35} And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
{6:36} But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
{6:37} All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
{6:38} For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
{6:39} And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
{6:40} And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
{6:41} The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
{6:42} And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came
down from heaven?
{6:43} Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
{6:44} No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
{6:45} It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the
Father, cometh unto me.
{6:46} Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
{6:47} Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
{6:48} I am that bread of life.
{6:49} Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
{6:50} This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
{6:51} I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
{6:52} The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?
{6:53} Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
{6:54} Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
{6:55} For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
{6:56} He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
{6:57} As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
{6:58} This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
{6:59} These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
{6:60} Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard [this,] said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
{6:61} When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
{6:62} [What] and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
{6:63} It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.
{6:64} But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should
betray him.
{6:65} And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father
**
Luke {4:4} And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Deut. {8:1} All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.
{8:2} And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
{8:3} And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
God fed His people with a source of food unlike any other that ever existed, unlike any they'd ever known. Food that rained down from heaven- who ever heard of such a thing? And yet it was true. God fed His people. God wanted His people to realize that HE was their source of life. He and He alone saved them from a life of bondage and once He'd set them free He continued to keep them alive. Isn't that the way... we are set free when we accept Jesus as our Savior and then we need to be kept alive in Christ as we continue on in our lives. So that the children of God didn't forget who their source of life was, God fed them food from heaven. Daily, day in and day out they ate of the bread from heaven. Day in and day out they knew that it was only by the grace of God they were kept alive. It was God who supplied what they needed to live and it is God that provides us with what we need to live eternally.
In the end it is eternal life we live for. Jesus came to make that point real to us. Jesus came and made the point so well that only the spiritually blind can't see it. Jesus came to give life eternal, not life here and now, but life everlasting. Our minds are to be taken off life here and now except to realize that it is in this life that we accept that life eternal. Once we accept life eternal as ours through Jesus Christ we truly begin to live.
When Jesus talks of being the bread of life, of having the blood we must drink to live He even goes on to say this-- John {6:63} It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.
The very flesh He said we must eat to live He goes on to explain- the flesh profiteth nothing... 'the WORDS THAT I SPEAK UNTO YOU THEY ARE SPIRIT AND THEY ARE LIFE'
God's lesson in the wilderness was given so that His people would realize that they were alive by His word. The manna was of God. They ate and they lived.
The flesh and blood of Jesus is Jesus giving us His life, telling us that HIS WORDS are spirit and life. We have to accept Jesus' death and His life for us, we have to believe on His words. We have to trust in Him and Him alone if we are to live. If we don't accept all of Jesus we won't have life, we won't live. Just like a person cannot live without food, they cannot live eternally without Jesus. If we think we can have eternal life without Jesus we are wrong and we'll die. Do we have to eat Jesus' actual flesh and drink His actual blood? No. That wasn't what He was saying in truth, but only those that truly love Him can truly understand the meanings of His words. We are to always and forever remember that our lives are sustained by the life and death of our Lord and Savior. We are to never forget, never. And by equating our eating and drinking with accepting the life and death of Jesus is something we can never forget. Each time we eat and drink we are doing so and it is keeping us alive. We are to be kept alive eternally by eating and drinking of all Jesus offers to us, His life, His love, His forgiveness, His death for us. He is our sustainer in all things eternal and by no other are we to live now or forever, only Him.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we forever live in the perpetual acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as our Savior. In His love!
Amen.
7/21/10
Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
How beautiful. There can be a conversion of the soul, the simple can be made wise. These are beautiful things, these things offer hope to us, great hope. To know that the law of the Lord is perfect is amazing. So many try to do away with the law as if it's something defective, something archaic. How can something that is declared perfect then be turned into something imperfect?
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Perfect. I don't know about any one else but I want my soul to be converted, I want my simple-ness to be wise for the Lord.
Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Truth! The statutes of the Lord are right- rejoicing the heart!
The commandment of the Lord is pure- enlightening the eyes!
We can find so much in the law of the Lord, so much beauty. Where people see only restrictions there is pure love of God for His people.
Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Beautiful judgments! Wonderful judgments! We are so caught up in dreading judgments that we forget their wonder, and we certainly forget that we are to desire more than gold, fine gold and that they're sweeter than honey AND the honeycomb. We've been trained to fear, to reject, to want to hide or run from judgments. We don't want to be judge. We want to be forgiven. Yet to be forgiven we have to be determined in need of forgiveness. To be in need of forgiveness we have to be judged to be in need.
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous!
Psa 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Psa 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins… let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Oh such words!!!! Take them to heart! We really need to take them to heart. LORD, please please keep thy servant from PRESUMPTUOUS sins! We sin so much, and we try to excuse our sinning but there is NO excuse for it, none. Please Lord keep us from presumptuous sins don't let them rule over us please! We need so much to be innocent from the great transgression.
Please we pray to you oh Lord, please, let our words, let our hearts be acceptable to You. You are our strength, you are our Redeemer!
By Your grace oh Lord! By Your mercy! Through Your love, Your righteousness now and forever!!!!
Amen.
7/21/11
- Cassander is first recorded
as arriving at Alexander the Great’s court in Babylon in 323 BC, where he
had been sent by his father, Antipater, likely to the help uphold
Antipater’s regency in Macedon, although a later contemporary suggestion
hostile to the Antipatrids was that Cassander had journeyed to poison the
King.[1] - Lysimachus was born in
362/361 BC, the son of the Thessalian Agathocles from Crannon. He was
granted citizenship in Macedon and was educated at the court in Pella. He
was probably appointed Somatophylax during the reign of Philip II.[1] During
Alexander's Persian campaigns, he was one of his immediate bodyguards. In
324 BCE, in Susa, he was crowned in recognition for his actions in India.[2]
After Alexander’s death in 323 BCE, he was appointed to the government of
Thrace as strategos. - Seleucus I (given the surname
by later generations of Nicator, Greek : S??e???? ????t?? (Hindi: ????????),
i.e. Seleucus the Victor) (ca. 358 BC – 281 BC) was a Macedonian officer of
Alexander the Great and one of the Diadochi. In the Wars of the Diadochi
that took place after Alexander's death, Seleucus established the Seleucid
dynasty and the Seleucid Empire. His kingdom would be one of the last
holdouts of Alexander's former empire to Roman rule. They were only outlived
by the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt by roughly 34 years. - Ptolemy I Soter I (Greek:
?t??eµa??? S?t??, Ptolemaios Sot?r, i.e. Ptolemy (pronounced /'t?l?mi/) the
Savior), also known as Ptolemy Lagides,[1] c. 367 BC – c. 283 BC, was a
Macedonian general under Alexander the Great, who became ruler of Egypt (323
BC – 283 BC) and founder of both the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the Ptolemaic
Dynasty. In 305/4 BC he took the title of pharaoh.
Dan 10:18 Then there came again and touched me
one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
Dan 10:19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear
not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto
me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened
me.
Dan 10:20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I
come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and
when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
Dan 10:21 But I will shew thee that which is
noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these
things, but Michael your prince.
Strengthened,
Daniel is given further information- information he was to record for us, for
those in the future, for those who would live through these times to look back
and know that the God of Daniel was truly the One and Only God we could believe
in without fail. Is there any
other reason for prophecy? It warns, it reveals, it removes doubt IF the
listener allows the truth of the matter to be understood. You could show all
this to someone and they'd still shrug it off, they'd still be defiant against
believing in God. People will twist things until they can get their own opinions
across, the opinions that shout to the world they will not be swindled by anyone
or anything, they're too darn smart for that. Whatever the reason people choose
to disbelieve, whatever the reason people decide they'd rather believe in
themselves than a proven God, their decisions are influenced by Satan and they
are deceived by him. A whole world except a very few will be deceived. Knowing
this fact, we have to pray unceasingly that we are not among those
deceived.
Prophecy allows
us to believe that if the prophecies come true in all the past, then the future
prophecies will also come to pass- there is no stopping them.
Daniel predicted the world's future from that point on until it's end
ushered in by God claiming victory over evil, by God's kingdom being
realized. Because God knew many
would doubt, He gave many, many facts, many pieces to the puzzle to be put
together throughout time. We who
are living now have the advantage over so many who lived as the history was
being made. We who are living at the end will have no excuse to give for why we
have not been able to see God's hand at work. We who are living at the end
cannot hold ignorance up as an excuse. There are no excuses for unbelief,
none.
Let's go through
more of these prophecies given and pray unendingly for understanding, for
enlightenment into ALL TRUTH! We
do not want to be deceived by Satan, we do not want to be among those fooled
into losing our eternal lives.
Dan 11:1 Also I in the first year of Darius the
Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.
Dan 11:2 And now will I shew thee the truth.
Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be
far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir
up all against the realm of Grecia.
Three kings in
Persia would stand up and then a fourth richer than all the others.
Through the fourth's strength and riches -Greece would be affected.
Is this history?
Do we have an historical account of this occurring?
*
1st King-
When Cyrus the
Great conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.E., Cambyses was employed in leading
religious ceremonies.[4] In the cylinder which contains Cyrus' proclamation to
the Babylonians, Cambyses' name is joined to his father's in the prayers to
Marduk. On a tablet dated from the first year of Cyrus, Cambyses is called king
of Babylon, although his authority seems to have been ephemeral. Only in 530
B.C.E., when Cyrus set out on his last expedition into the East, did Cyrus
associate Cambyses with the throne. Numerous Babylonian tablets of the time date
from the accession and the first year of Cambyses, when Cyrus was "king of the
countries" (i.e., of the world).
After the death
of his father in August 530, Cambyses became sole king. The tablets dating from
his reign in Babylonia run to the end of his eighth year, in March 522 B.C.E.
Herodotus (3.66), who dates his reign from the death of Cyrus, gives him seven
years five months, from 530 B.C.E. to the summer of 523.[5]
Pasted from
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambyses_II>
*
2nd King-
Bardiya
(Greek: Smerdis) (Old Persian: Bardiya;[2] Ancient Greek: Sµ??d??)
(possibly died 522 BCE) was a son of Cyrus the Great and the younger brother of
Cambyses II, both Persian kings. There are sharply divided views on his life, he
may have ruled the Achaemenid Empire for a few months in 522 BCE, or he may have
been impersonated by a magus called Gaumata.[3]
Pasted from
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardiya>
*
3rd King-
Darius
I Hystaspes, or Darius the Great, king of Persia [522-486 BCE]. Through
his father Hystaspes, Darius belonged to the Achaemenid family, as did Cyrus The
Great and his son Cambyses II, but to a different branch of this family. When
Cambyses was in Egypt, during the last year of his reign, a certain Gaumata
usurped the throne by pretending to be Bardiya, Cambyses' brother, who had been
assassinated secretly before Cambyses started out for his Egyptian campaign in
525 BCE. When Cambyses learned of this usurpation he immediately set out for
Persia, but on the way, while in Syria, he died in July, 522 BCE, as the result
of either an accident or suicide, leaving no heir. Darius, a distant cousin of
Cambyses, at once set out to gain the throne for himself. With some helpers he
slew the Smerdis/Gaumâta or false Bardiya in September, 522 BCE, and assumed the
kingship. However, he had to fight against a number of other pretenders and
rebels. It took more than a year (522-521 BCE) of hard fighting to put down
revolts associated with Bardiya's claim to the throne. Almost every province of
the empire was involved in the conflict, including Persia and, most
particularly, Media. He finally emerged from the struggle the
Pasted from
<http://www.iranchamber.com/history/darius/darius.php>
*
4th King-
Immediately after
seizing the kingship, Darius I of Persia (son of Hystaspes) married Atossa
(daughter of Cyrus the Great). They were both descendants of Achaemenes from
different Achaemenid lines. Marrying a daughter of Cyrus strengthened Darius'
position as king.[1] Darius was an active emperor, busy with building programs
in Persepolis, Susa, Egypt, and elsewhere. Toward the end of his reign he moved
to punish Athens, but a new revolt in Egypt (probably led by the Persian satrap)
had to be suppressed. Under Persian law, the Achaemenian kings were required to
choose a successor before setting out on such serious expeditions. Upon his
great decision to leave (487-486 BC),[2] Darius prepared his tomb at Naqsh-e
Rostam and appointed Xerxes,
his eldest son by Atossa, as his successor. Darius' failing health then
prevented him from leading the campaigns,[3] and he died in October 486
BC.[3]
Xerxes
was not the oldest son of Darius, and according to old Iranian traditions should
not have succeeded the King. Xerxes was however the oldest son of Darius and
Atossa hence descendent of Cyrus. This made Xerxes the chosen King of Persia.[4]
Some modern scholars also view the unusual decision of Darius to give the throne
to Xerxes to be a result of his consideration of the unique positions that Cyrus
the Great and his daughter Atossa have had.[5] Artobazan was born to "Darius the
subject", while Xerxes was the eldest son born in the purple after Darius' rise
to the throne, and Artobazan's mother was a commoner while Xerxes' mother was
the daughter of the founder of the empire.[6]
Xerxes was
crowned and succeeded his father in October–December 486 BC[7] when he was about
36 years old.[2] The transition of power to Xerxes was smooth due again in part
to great authority of Atossa[1] and his accession of royal power was not
challenged by any person at court or in the Achaemenian family, or any subject
nation
Pasted from
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerxes_I_of_Persia>
Invasion of the
Greek mainland
Main
article: Greco-Persian Wars
Darius
left to his son the task of punishing the Athenians, Naxians, and Eretrians for
their interference in the Ionian Revolt and their victory over the Persians at
Marathon. From 483 BC Xerxes prepared his expedition: A channel was dug through
the isthmus of the peninsula of Mount Athos, provisions were stored in the
stations on the road through Thrace, two bridges were built across the
Hellespont. Soldiers of many nationalities served in the armies of Xerxes,
including the Assyrians, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Indians, Egyptians and
Jews.[11]
According
to the Greek historian Herodotus, Xerxes' first attempt to bridge the Hellespont
ended in failure when a storm destroyed the flax and papyrus bridge; Xerxes
ordered the Hellespont (the strait itself) whipped three hundred times and had
fetters thrown into the water. Xerxes' second attempt to bridge the Hellespont
was successful.[12] Xerxes concluded an alliance with Carthage, and thus
deprived Greece of the support of the powerful monarchs of Syracuse and
Agrigentum. Many smaller Greek states, moreover, took the side of the Persians,
especially Thessaly, Thebes and Argos. Xerxes set out in the spring of 480 BC
from Sardis with a fleet and army which Herodotus exaggerated to be more than
two million strong with at least 10,000 elite warriors named Persian Immortals.
The actual Persian strength was around two to three hundred thousands. Xerxes
was victorious during the initial battles.
Thermopylae and Athens
At
the Battle of Thermopylae, a small force of Greek warriors led by King Leonidas
of Sparta resisted the much larger Persian forces, but were ultimately defeated.
According to Herodotus, the Persians broke the Spartan phalanx after a Greek man
called Ephialtes betrayed his country by telling the Persians of another pass
around the mountains. After Thermopylae, Athens was captured and the Athenians
and Spartans were driven back to their last line of defense at the Isthmus of
Corinth and in the Saronic Gulf. The delay caused by the Spartans allowed Athens
to be evacuated.
What
happened next is a matter of some controversy. According to Herodotus, upon
encountering the deserted city, in an uncharacteristic fit of rage particularly
for Persian kings, Xerxes had Athens burned. He almost immediately regretted
this action and ordered it rebuilt the very next day. However, Persian scholars
dispute this view as pan-Hellenic propaganda, arguing that Sparta, not Athens,
was Xerxes' main foe in his Greek campaigns, and that Xerxes would have had
nothing to gain by destroying a major center of trade and commerce like Athens
once he had already captured it.
At
that time, anti-Persian sentiment was high among many mainland Greeks, and the
rumor that Xerxes had destroyed the city was a popular one, though it is equally
likely the fire was started by accident as the Athenians were frantically
fleeing the scene in pandemonium, or that it was an act of "scorched earth"
warfare to deprive Xerxes' army of the spoils of the city.
At
Artemisium, large storms had destroyed ships from the Greek side and so the
battle stopped prematurely as the Greeks received news of the defeat at
Thermopylae and retreated. Xerxes was induced by the message of Themistocles
(against the advice of Artemisia of Halicarnassus) to attack the Greek fleet
under unfavourable conditions, rather than sending a part of his ships to the
Peloponnesus and awaiting the dissolution of the Greek armies. The Battle of
Salamis (September 29, 480 BC) was won by the Greek fleet, after which Xerxes
set up a winter camp in Thessaly.
Due
to unrest in Babylon, Xerxes was forced to send his army home to prevent a
revolt, leaving behind an army in Greece under Mardonius, who was defeated the
following year at Plataea.[14] The Greeks also attacked and burned the remaining
Persian fleet anchored at Mycale. This cut off the Persians from the supplies
they needed to sustain their massive army, and they had no choice but to
retreat. Their withdrawal roused the
Greek city-states of Asia.
Pasted from
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerxes_I_of_Persia>
*******
Clearly this
happened AS predicted by God.
Dan 11:3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that
shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
What mighty king
of note stood up next?
*
Alexander the
Great--
Upon Philip's
death, Alexander inherited a strong kingdom and an experienced army. He
succeeded in being awarded the generalship of Greece and, with his authority
firmly established, launched the military plans for expansion left by his
father. In 334 BC he invaded Persian-ruled Asia Minor and began a series of
campaigns lasting ten years. Alexander broke the power of Persia in a series of
decisive battles, most notably the battles of Issus and Gaugamela. Subsequently
he overthrew the Persian king Darius III and conquered the entirety of the
Persian Empire.i[›] The Macedonian Empire now stretched from the Adriatic sea to
the Indus River.
Following his
desire to reach the "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea", he invaded
India in 326 BC, but was eventually forced to turn back by the near-mutiny of
his troops. Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC, without realizing a series of
planned campaigns that would have begun with an invasion of Arabia. In the years
following Alexander's death a series of civil wars tore his empire apart which
resulted in the formation of a number of states ruled by the Diadochi -
Alexander's surviving generals. Although he is mostly remembered for his vast
conquests, Alexander's lasting legacy was not his reign, but the cultural
diffusion his conquests engendered.
Alexander's
settlement of Greek colonists and culture in the east resulted in a new
Hellenistic culture, aspects of which were still evident in the traditions of
the Byzantine Empire until the mid-15th century. Alexander became legendary as a
classical hero in the mold of Achilles, and features prominently in the history
and myth of Greek and non-Greek cultures. He became the measure against which
generals, even to this day, compare themselves and military academies throughout
the world still teach his tactical exploits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great
*
Dan 11:4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom
shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not
to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom
shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.
4 others--
Whatever the
truth of this suggestion, Cassander certainly proved to be singularly noted
amongst the diadochi in his hostility to Alexander's memory.[1] Alexander IV,
Roxana, and Alexander’s supposed illegitimate son Heracles would all be executed
on his orders, and a guarantee to Olympias to spare her life was not
respected.[2] So too, Cassander would restore Thebes, which had been destroyed
under Alexander. This gesture was perceived at the time to be a snub to the
deceased King.[3] It was even said that he could not pass a statue of Alexander
without feeling faint. Cassander has been perceived to be ambitious and
unscrupulous, and even members of his own family were estranged from him.[4] He
was taught by philosopher Aristotle at the Lyceum in Greece.
*
*
After the death
of Alexander, Seleucus was nominated as the satrap of Babylon in 320 BC.
Antigonus forced Seleucus to flee from Babylon, but, supported by Ptolemy, he
was able to return in 312 BC. Seleucus' later conquests include Persia and
Media. He formed an alliance with the Indian King Chandragupta Maurya. Seleucus
defeated Antigonus in the battle of Ipsus in 301 BC and Lysimachus in the battle
of Corupedium in 281 BC. He was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus during the same
year. His successor was his son Antiochus I.
Seleucus founded
a number of new cities, including Antioch and Seleucia.
*
His mother was
Arsinoe of Macedon, and, while his father is unknown, ancient sources variously
describe him either as the son of Lagus, a Macedonian nobleman, or as an
illegitimate son of Philip II of Macedon (which, if true would have made Ptolemy
the half-brother of Alexander). Ptolemy was one of Alexander's most trusted
generals, and was among the seven somatophylakes (bodyguards) attached to his
person. He was a few years older than Alexander, and had been his intimate
friend since childhood. He may even have been in the group of noble teenagers
tutored by Aristotle.[citation needed]
Ptolemy served
with Alexander from his first campaigns, and played a principal part in the
later campaigns in Afghanistan and India. At the Susa marriage festival in 324,
Alexander had Ptolemy marry the Persian princess Artakama. Ptolemy also had a
consort in Thaïs, the Athenian hetaera and one of Alexander's companions in his
conquest of the ancient world.
When Alexander
died in 323 BC Ptolemy is said to have instigated the resettlement of the empire
made at Babylon. Through the Partition of Babylon, he was appointed satrap of
Egypt, under the nominal kings Philip Arrhidaeus and the infant Alexander IV;
the former satrap, the Greek Cleomenes, stayed on as his deputy. Ptolemy quickly
moved, without authorization, to subjugate Cyrenaica.
*
Four major
generals- four divisions.
*******
This is history.
Factual. We cannot afford to ignore this is favor of soothing tales and ear
pleasing words. We cannot shove
all this aside because we'd rather just read of love. We need to realize that
THIS is all given to us as a result of the love of our Savior.
Remember Jesus spoke of Daniel who lived a long, long time before He ever
did.
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the
abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy
place, (whoso readeth, let him understand)
Jesus' words.
Jesus was
directing us to Daniel's prophecies. How can we dare to ignore this?
More tomorrow by
the grace of our Savior!
In His amazing,
wondrous love!