Part 22

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The Acts of the Hebrews – Part 22

Act 22:1 Men, brothers and fathers! Hear my defense now to you.

Act 22:2 And hearing that he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, they all the more kept silence. And he said,

Act 22:3 I am truly a man, a Jew born in Tarsus in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the exactness of the TORAH of the fathers, being a zealous one of Elohim, as you all are today.

Act 22:4 I persecuted this Way as far as death, binding and delivering both men and women into prisons;

Act 22:5 as also the high priest bears witness to me, and all the elderhood. And receiving letters from them to the brothers, I traveled into Damascus indeed to lead those being bound to Jerusalem, in order that they might be punished.

1. Thriving amongst an accusatory society – the pivot and shift. 
2. Terrorists and assassins
3. Seeing the Kavod – glory of יהוה and being transformed by the light
4. Being a devout man/woman of the TORAH
5. Continuing in the role of Stephen and Paul – עדה‛êdâh the ministry of witness

21:37 And as Paul was to be led into the Anatonia Fortress, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

Act 21:38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?

Act 21:39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

Act 21:40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying.

1. Thriving amongst an accusationary society – pivot and shift. 

Luke’s message to us living in an accusatory society is not to be surprised to the depth of hatred we will face from the world of unbelievers.  

When Paul asks permission to speak the commander is quite surprised that he can speak Greek. He wouldn’t expect someone from the Jewish rabble to do so, let alone speak it well. 

2. Terrorists and assassins

He begins to be suspicious that Paul could be the Egyptian insurrectionist who had led 4000 terrorists out into the wilderness. 

The term terrorists/assassins is sicarioi  – a dagger man, Judas Iscariot is often thought to mean Judas an inhabitant of Kerioth. But Judas was Judas Sicarioi – a dagger man, a zealot hoping for revolution. 

(Josephus; Jewish War 2.261) informs us of a man a sicarii who led 30,000 people in a rebellion and fled into the wilderness, prophesying the walls of Jerusalem would collapse and allow him to enter, defeat the Romans, and set up messianic rule. (He was the Q Shaman of their day). 

The tribune hoped Paul was this man and would enhance his career with his capture. 

Act 22:6 And it happened to me, traveling and drawing near to Damascus: suddenly, about midday, a great light out of the heaven shone around me.

Act 22:7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?

Act 22:8 And I answered, Who are you, lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.

Act 22:9 And they who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid. But they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.

Act 22:10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise and go into Damascus. And there it shall be told you all things which are appointed for you to do.

Act 22:11 And I did not see, because of the glory of that light; being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

3. Seeing the Kavod – glory of יהוה and being transformed by the light

In chapter 9 we had a third person narrative of this scene, here we have a first person testimony. 

Paul’s emphasis is the Kavod/glory of יהוה. His divine presence and illumination, illuminating our sinful state and illuminating His path in our lives. His shâkan שׁכן. Not to be misconstrued with the New Age Shekinah. 

The word Shekinah is not in the Bible and is associated more with the Kundalini Spirit – the divine mother Shakti-Shiva or Prana whatever form she takes – the life force or life energy. 

Kundalini is an unclean spirit and has this weird effect in people who have been contaminated by it. 

Although some of the effects may sound positive, IT IS NOT and we must remember that this is a DEMONIC FORCE used by Satan to further His Kingdom of death and destruction in people.

4. Being a devout man/woman of the TORAH 

The truth is as the light of יהוה first revealed the darkness of my sin, it then begins to remove it as I turn toward His light and found salvation. This is what 2.Cor 4 is all about, “the light of the good news that displays the glory of Messiah.” It’s “the blindness of the god of this age” that’s dispelled in that new relationship with Yahusha and His glory. 

Act 22:12 And one Ananias, a DEVOUT man according to the TORAH, testified to by all the Jews who lived there,

Stand still and see the glory of YAH working all around you. 

Act 22:13 coming to me and standing by, said to me, Brother Saul, look up! And the same hour I looked up on him.

Act 22:14 And he said, The Elohim of our fathers has chosen you to know His will and to see the Just One, and to hear a voice out of His mouth.

Act 22:15 For you shall be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.

Act 22:16 And now what do you intend? Arise and be MICVAED baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Master.

Act 22:17 And it happened to me, I returning to Jerusalem and praying in the temple, I became in an ecstasy.

Act 22:18 And I saw Him say to me, Hurry and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.

Act 22:19 And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and beating those who believed on You throughout the synagogues.

Act 22:20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was poured out, I also was standing by and consenting to his death, and holding the garments of those who killed him.

5. Continuing in the role of Stephen and Paul – עדה‛êdâh the ministry of witness

Paul’s past is a witness – edah- to his present. His past persecutions – his past sins witness – edah to his present transformed life. 

Let’s finish up with ‘Zelotai’ – ‘Zealots for the law.’ 

James and his followers are described in Acts 21:20 as ‘Zelotai’ – ‘Zealots for the law.’ 

Yahusha was charged with sedition against the Roman government in Judea – and it’s attested to in all four gospels, what were his connections and now Paul’s to other zealotis?

Judas the Galilean was the founder of what became known as the Zealot Movement which Josephus and the book of Acts call the Sicarii or Assassins. 

Barabbas, was to the mob, a patriot, a fighter whereas Yahusha had advised the people to pay tribute to the Romans.

Yahusha preaching the coming of the Kingdom of יהוה was incitement to revolt against the government of Rome.

Zealot had an accepted currency at the time of Yahusha and Paul! Within Yahusha’s core group were multiple guerrilla fighters. 

The title Boanerges given to James and John the sons of Zebedee suggests a reputation which is attested to by their desire to resort to violence against a village of uncooperative Samaritan’s (Lk 9:51).

The zealots were connected to a man who was reputed as being a wonder worker, Josephus describes that they were signs portending divine intervention patterned on YHWH’s providence during the Exodus, this being the Greater Exodus!

When Yeshua said, take up your cross and follow me, He was declaring a grim challenge that every zealot had to face for himself. The cross was the symbol of zealot sacrifice before it was transformed into the Christian symbol of salvation.