Bible Study on Romans 1, verses 1 to 7, part 1, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ

 

Traditionally this is called The Epistle (defined as a letter in 2Corinthians 7:8) of St. Paul the Apostle to the Romans. The postscript in the King James Bible says that Paul wrote it from Corinth and it was sent to the Romans by way of Phebe the servant (deaconess) of the church of Cenchrea, something we will discuss when we get to that part where she is mentioned.

Romans, chapter 1

Romans 1:1 ¶  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2  (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 5  By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 6  Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7  To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

An apostle, from verse 1, is separated for the gospel of God. He is called, ordained, and appointed to be a preacher of the gospel. He is a preacher and a teacher;

 

1Timothy 2:7  Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

 

2Timothy 1:11  Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

 

The apostles were chosen by Jesus Himself;

 

Luke 6:13  And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14  Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15  Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16  And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

 

Acts 9:10 ¶  And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11  And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12  And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13  Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14  And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that

call on thy name. 15  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16  For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

 

They were sent out for the purpose of spreading the gospel;

 

Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

In verse 3 is a phrase that has caused many Christian groups to insist that God and Christ are two distinct persons with individual wills, one being subordinate to the other. It has also led Mohammed of Islam to call Christians idolaters, worshipping multiple gods. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord does not mean that God had a son in the way that it means we might have a son.

 

Luke 1:35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,  and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

 

Gabriel, the angel in this passage, announces to Mary what she is going to be a part of. This will be the basis of the phrase only begotten Son of God in John. Even though Alexander the Great had himself declared the son of god or the gods and Roman Emperor Augustus even signed his decrees ‘deus fide’ or son of god, God only came to live on earth as a man one time, in the form of Jesus of Nazareth, not a king appointed by man or an emperor by virtue of his military conquests, but a poor Jewish carpenter’s step-son from a backwater of the Roman Empire who was the Son of God at the same time in that He was God in human flesh.

 

It is important to understand the meaning of sonship in the ancient world. The Jews understood that for Jesus to be declared the Son of God meant He was equal with God, invested with God’s authority.

 

John 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

 

Philippians 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

 

We believe and have faith that Jesus Christ was God walking in human flesh.

 

John 1:1 ¶  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  The same was in the beginning with God. 3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Bible Study on Exodus 27, verses 1 to 8, the altar

 

Exodus 27:1 ¶  And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. 2  And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass. 3  And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. 4  And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof. 5  And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar. 6  And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass. 7  And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it. 8  Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.

Cubits as units of measurement came in different lengths. Some authorities say they went from 18 to 22 inches. It is clear that there were different types of cubits mentioned in the Bible. Besides a regular cubit there was a great cubit.

Ezekiel 41:8  I saw also the height of the house round about: the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed of six great cubits.

There must have been a standard they went by as a measuring reed is mentioned several times in Ezekiel. So, I would doubt that every man was just going by the distance from his elbow to the tip of his middle finger as there could be some variation in that which would make building tricky.

Remember, Solomon’s temple was a modular building, or as some today call modular buildings a systems-built structure, where all the parts were formed offsite by a plan and then brought to the site and put together. You could not do that without exacting measurements.

1Kings 6:7  And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

The ability of ancient peoples to make use of exact measurements is astounding when you consider the precision of the Pyramids of Egypt to the buildings the Incas and the cultures before them left behind in what is now Peru in South America.

The horns of the altar were a place people would run to for sanctuary and protection from other contexts. But committing murder and running to God’s altar for protection would not save someone from punishment.

Exodus 21:14  But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

1Kings 2:29  And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. 30  And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. 31  And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. 32  And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. 33  Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD. 34  So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

There are words here in these passages that are not used in the same way today as they were in early modern English. But, there are many studies you can access online that go into great detail on how these items looked.

Bible Study on Acts 28, verses 11 to 31, the conclusion of Acts

 

Acts 28:11 ¶  And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. 12  And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. 13  And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli: 14  Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome. 15  And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage. 16  And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.

 

Syracuse is on the southeast coast of Sicily. Rhegium is modern day Reggio Calabria on the toe of the boot of Italy. Puteoli is further up on the Italian mainland on the way to Rome. The Appii form was one days journey from Rome according to the Latin poet, Horace, on the famous Appian Way, a Roman road that still exists. They made things to last.

 

So, Paul had to live in a rented house probably, with a Roman soldier as a guard. This must have cost him a pretty penny as people were responsible for their own upkeep. The Praetorian Guard who guarded the emperor also, I have read, were responsible for guarding prisoners from the provinces who came to Rome. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, will give us much important Christian doctrine, hope, and joy through letters written by Paul or an amanuensis, a secretary, and distributed to the churches.

 

The traditional ending of Galatians says it was written from Rome and Paul says he wrote it. Tychicus wrote Ephesians at Paul’s dictation from Rome. Epaphroditus penned Philippians. Tychicus and Onesimus wrote Colossians from Rome. The Second Letter to Timothy was supposed to have been written from Rome and the letter to the Hebrews by Timothy. We are truly blessed by Paul’s imprisonment at Rome.

 

Acts 28:17 ¶  And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18  Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. 19  But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of. 20  For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. 21  And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. 22  But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

 

    23 ¶  And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 24  And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 25  And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26  Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27  For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28  Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. 29  And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.

 

    30 ¶  And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31  Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

 

Tradition has Paul beheaded in Rome during the reign of the Emperor Nero. So, the beginning of the historical Christian church is recorded for us to read and to be edified by. History and tradition tell us that early Christianity will take two divergent paths. One will be when governments and rulers co-opt it as a justification for their own power and control and the other will be many different groups, often with wrong doctrine and many errors, but always, throughout history, trying to return in the best way they can imagine to the primitive church, to the simplicity that is in Christ, a reference to 2Corinthians 11:3.

Bible Study on Exodus 26, verses 7 to 37, instructions for the tabernacle

 

Exodus 26:7 ¶  And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make. 8  The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure. 9  And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle. 10  And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second. 11  And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one. 12  And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle. 13  And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it. 14  And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins.

 

While there is most certainly spiritual significance to the specific numbers listed in the measurements of the parts of the tabernacle I want to stick with what is clear and apparent for now.

 

Exodus 26:15 ¶  And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up. 16  Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board. 17  Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle. 18  And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward. 19  And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons. 20  And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards: 21  And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 22  And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. 23  And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. 24  And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. 25  And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 26  And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 27  And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward. 28  And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end. 29  And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold. 30  And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.

  

Exodus 26:31 ¶  And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: 32  And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. 33  And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. 34  And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. 35  And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side. 36  And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. 37  And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

 

There is a veil, and vail and veil are two spellings of the same word, to be placed between the holy place and the most holy place where the ark of the testimony was kept.

This is a division between God and man.

1Timothy 6:13 ¶  I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; 14  That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15  Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16  Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.  

When God in the form of man, Jesus Christ, died for mankind’s sins on the Cross, the veil in Herod’s version of the temple was ripped.

Matthew 27:51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

 

Mark 15:38  And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

 

Luke 23:45  And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

 

This veil also symbolizes the division between Jews and the Gentiles who did not know the God who created them.

Ephesians 2:11 ¶  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  

14 ¶  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

So, there is this division between God and mankind as symbolized by the veil between the holy and most holy. This division was torn by Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.

Another interesting phrase that is used repeatedly in the Bible is over against. It appears to mean not only near but next to and across from based on the context.

Genesis 21:16  And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

Exodus 25:27  Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.

1Kings 20:29  And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day.

Certainly, you can find more interesting and significant meanings and analogies in these passages than I have. Let me know what you find.

Bible Study on Acts 28, verses 1 to 10, the island of Melita

 

Acts 28:1 ¶  And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. 2  And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain,  and because of the cold. 3  And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4  And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. 5  And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. 6  Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. 7  In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously. 8  And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. 9  So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed: 10  Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

 

Melita is usually considered to be modern-day Malta, about 60 miles south of Sicily in the Mediterranean. You know Sicily as the large island the boot-shaped Italy appears to be kicking on the map. It was a blessed thing to be treated with such kindness as shipwrecked and helpless sea voyagers. There were some cultures that robbed and murdered shipwrecked sailors. I am reminded of the Cornish wreckers of England who would direct ships to the rocks and then pillage them or the Outer Banks of North Carolina where some sources, but not all, indicate that Nag’s Head got its name from the practice of hanging a lantern around a horse’s neck to mislead sailors. But no misadventure will happen here except Paul being bitten by a venomous serpent.

 

A venomous serpent? There are no venomous serpents on Malta. Never have been. Is there something we are missing from the text? Now, go back to 27:27.

 

27  But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;

 

The Adria is the Adriatic Sea between Italy and the former Yugoslavia and Albania. A 2014 article in the Times of Malta directs the reader to the island of Meleda or Mljet off the coast of modern-day Croatia.[1] Mljet has been said to be infested with poisonous snakes although I read in a travel guide that they tried to quell the problem by introducing the Indian Mongoose in 1910 but were unsuccessful. On May 22, 1943 it is said that British Commandos carried out Operation Farrier, a raid on the Yugoslavian island of Mljet.

 

So, once again, a literal reading of the Bible goes against the accepted view put in place by centuries of agenda-driven myth-making. Pliny the Elder called the island off the coast of present day Croatia, Melita, as it is written here. Sorry to you, Roman Catholic Church. It wasn’t Malta.

 

On top of that first century writers speak of the wealth of the Maltese and their fine buildings. They were hardly barbarous people. Melita, however, was a stop that Greek shippers made on the way to Adriatic settlements and they stayed there in bad weather.

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[1] Stephan Mifsud, “Which Viper bit St. Paul in Malta?” Times of Malta, (Feb. 18, 2014), https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/Which-viper-bit-St-Paul-in-Malta-.507396.

Bible Study on Exodus 26, verses 1 to 6, cherubims of cunning work

 

Exodus 26:1 ¶  Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. 2  The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure. 3  The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another. 4  And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. 5  Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another. 6  And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.

What follows are detailed instructions for putting together the tabernacle. Something interesting here to begin with are the cherubims. There is a description of them in Ezekiel, chapter one, and another in Ezekiel, chapter ten, where a cherub is called a living creature.

Ezekiel 10:20  This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

Note that as cherubims are called living creatures an angel is a presence so they are not the same in that regard either. Cherubims are not angels and angels are never said to have wings. Angels are typically the appearance of God, men, children in heaven, or churches in the context they are written.

Isaiah 63:9  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

It appears that, from reading Ezekiel, chapter one, and Revelation, chapter four, that they have the appearance of living creatures representing everything from man, to domestic animals, to wild animals, to birds. Does the difference in the number of wings between the four beasts around the throne in Revelation, who, like the seraphims in Isaiah, chapter six, have six wings while the beasts in Ezekiel have four, have any significance?

Whether they are represented as having two wings as in 1Kings 8:7 or four or six wings we must consider the obvious. They appear at different times slightly different. Six wings in Isaiah for seraphims, four in Ezekiel, and then six in Revelation although depicted over the mercy seat, two, means only that they can be depicted differently in different contexts. Ezekiel, Isaiah, and John were three different men of God who saw things that were given to them and recorded them for our learning. Do not make the mistake of reading the Bible like your car-owner’s manual. There is, however, significance in each description and numbers are interesting.

Numbers in the Bible are very significant. There are ten curtains of fine twined linen that make up the tabernacle. Ten is very significant in the Bible. Noah was the tenth generation from Creation. Of course, you’ve seen the Ten Commandments given. There were ten plagues given to Egypt. There are ten days of tribulation for saints in Revelation 2:10. There are ten kingdoms run by the Beast in Revelation with ten kings in Revelation 17:12 as symbolized in Daniel, chapter two, by the toes of the image.

There are so many tens in the Bible that you would find it a very interesting study. The number clearly represents some kind of divine order put in place by God and which man is unable to get away from in his dealings.

The length of a curtain is twenty eight cubits, or four times seven. Twenty eight or eight and twenty has its place in other contexts. Seven is significant as God’s number of completion, of perfecting or finishing a thing as in the six days of creation and the day of rest. Seven is a number that appears like no other number in the Bible. Much has been written about it.

When we think of four we think of the four gospels automatically.

Five can represent the wounds in Christ; the side pierced by a spear, the hands, and the feet. As you can see if you look at numbers there is a huge about of information that can be gleaned from their study. However, you can wind up lost in an occultic numerology that takes you away from the literal words in the text as you become obsessed with the symbolic that is very subjective. When something has to be interpreted for you beware of the interpreter. Satan loves to deceive.

While there are a great many other and, perhaps, more important observations one could make on this passage I want to try to keep the digressions to a minimum to keep the narrative moving.

Bible Study on Acts 27, verses 12 to 44, the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve

 

Acts 27:12 ¶  And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. 13  And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. 14  But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. 15  And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 16  And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: 17  Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. 18  And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; 19  And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 20  And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

 

This confirms what I said in Acts 11 that this Phenice was located on the island of Crete. It is not Phoenicia located in the vicinity of modern-day Lebanon. The name for the wind, Euroclydon, contains the first part of the word Euro as in Europe although they have different root words in Greek and Hebrew. Commentators note that the modern name for this tempestuous wind in autumn and winter is Gregale or Levanter.

 

Clauda is called Gavdo today.

 

Acts 27:21 ¶  But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 22  And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. 23  For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 24  Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25  Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 26  Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. 27  But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; 28  And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. 29  Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. 30  And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 31  Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 32  Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. 33  And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 34  Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 35  And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 36  Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. 37  And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. 38  And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. 39  And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. 40  And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. 41  And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. 42  And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. 43  But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: 44  And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

 

Paul gets an “I told you so” moment but was told by the Lord, as the angel, or appearance, of  God told him that he would get to Rome. Christ has made Himself known to mankind by His appearance or angel on several occasions.

 

The angel that was with Moses was the preincarnate Christ.

 

Judges 2:1 ¶  And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

 

Exodus 3:2  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

 

An angel is the presence of someone or something that is somewhere else but which can act on reality.

 

Isaiah 63:9  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

 

Examples also include;

 

Matthew 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

 

Revelation 1:20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

 

The narrative is pretty clear here regarding the peril that Paul and his companions faced. I will save my comment on verse 27 for the next passage’s comments.