LittleNipper wrote: point is that if God created through the survival of the fittest, then that means that death and destruction were already the "norm" ---- Adam's Fall didn't originate death and destruction and Jesus would not know what He was talking about. The Bible could not be trusted, Jesus could not be believed, and God becomes petty.
Biblically speaking Adams fall introduced death to the human family. That is what the Bible reports. There could have been all sorts of death of other creature who are not descendents of Adam if one reads what the Bible says instead of reading your own imagination into it.
It is not all bad to apply some imagination to fill out the story beyond what it say as you are doing but I think it ill advised to demand God jump through the hoops you set up for God. If God choose to have thousand of centuries of animals living and dying before Adam that is his business. The Bible does not say that did not happen. The Bible does not say that that did happened. Dinosaurs are simple not discussed in Genesis.
Faith in Jesus is much to important to me to allow your conclusion that God becomes petty.(based upon its failure to give a complete accounting of natural history.)
What you are saying is not what the Bible teaches. We are taught that during the Millennial Kingdom animals will once again live as God intended as in the days before the Fall. God is God. He only jumps through hoops He designed. The far more terrible hoop is God becoming man and dying on a cross. Animals and man were all created vegetarians. It is only after The Flood that Noah is told to eat meat, and this is likely because the environment seriously changed making protein very necessary. Isaiah 11:6 New International Version The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
Nipper, what I said is what the Bible teaches. What you said is a particular speculative interpretation which sounds like what Ellen White teaches. If you are not getting it directly from her you seem to following her lead ,perhaps second hand.
huckelberry wrote:Nipper, what I said is what the Bible teaches. What you said is a particular speculative interpretation which sounds like what Ellen White teaches. If you are not getting it directly from her you seem to following her lead ,perhaps second hand.
OK, simply show me in the Bible the verses that tell you that there was death and animals ate animals before the Fall and I will accept it. Otherwise, what makes your appraisal superior to that of anyone else?
2 Chronicles 27:1-9 Jotham was 25 when he became king, and reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. He did what was correct in the eyes of the Lord just as his father Uzziah had done. However, he did not enter the temple of the Lord. The people continued acting corruptly. He built the Upper Gate of the house of the Lord, and he built much on the wall of Ophel. He built cities in the hill country of Judah, and on the wooded heights he built forts and towers.
He made war with the king of the Ammonites and won. That year the Ammonites gave to him 100 talents of silver, 10,000 kors of wheat, and 10,000 kors of barley. The Ammonites paid him the same amount for 2 additional years..
Jotham was strengthened because he listened and obeyed God. And the remainder of the acts of Jotham, all his wars and ways, were written in there records of the kings of Israel and Judah. Jotham died, and they buried him in the City of David. And Ahaz his son became king.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 A son of twenty and five years [is] Jotham in his reigning, and sixteen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Jerushah daughter of Zadok.
2 And he doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that Uzziah his father did; only, he hath not come in unto the temple of Jehovah; and again are the people doing corruptly.
3 He hath built the upper gate of the house of Jehovah, and in the wall of Ophel he hath built abundantly;
4 and cities he hath built in the hill-country of Judah, and in the forests he hath built palaces and towers.
5 And he hath fought with the king of the sons of Ammon, and prevaileth over them, and the sons of Ammon give to him in that year a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand cors of wheat, and of barley ten thousand; this have the sons of Ammon returned to him both in the second year, and in the third.
6 And Jotham doth strengthen himself, for he hath prepared his ways before Jehovah his God.
7 And the rest of the matters of Jotham, and all his battles, and his ways, lo, they are written on the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
8 A son of twenty and five years was he in his reigning, and sixteen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem;
9 and Jotham lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city of David, and reign doth Ahaz his son in his stead.
huckelberry wrote:Nipper, what I said is what the Bible teaches. What you said is a particular speculative interpretation which sounds like what Ellen White teaches. If you are not getting it directly from her you seem to following her lead ,perhaps second hand.
OK, simply show me in the Bible the verses that tell you that there was death and animals ate animals before the Fall and I will accept it. Otherwise, what makes your appraisal superior to that of anyone else?
LittleNipper, I was trying not to claim any more about what the Bible teaches on the subject than it does not say if there was death of animals before Adam or not. You may choose to picture no death of animals as a possible speculation based upon how you see the big picture. I mentioned Ellen White not because I believe a connection to her would mean the idea is wrong. I just wanted to suggest your reading is one possible view amongst others.
well and I did not feel comfortable with the suggestion that Gods entire reputation hinged upon your interpretation being correct. Perhaps you are correct , perhaps you are not.
LittleNipper wrote:OK, simply show me in the Bible the verses that tell you that there was death and animals ate animals before the Fall and I will accept it. Otherwise, what makes your appraisal superior to that of anyone else?
LittleNipper, I was trying not to claim any more about what the Bible teaches on the subject than it does not say if there was death of animals before Adam or not. You may choose to picture no death of animals as a possible speculation based upon how you see the big picture. I mentioned Ellen White not because I believe a connection to her would mean the idea is wrong. I just wanted to suggest your reading is one possible view amongst others.
well and I did not feel comfortable with the suggestion that God's entire reputation hinged upon your interpretation being correct. Perhaps you are correct , perhaps you are not.
Huckelberry, I'm only human and I do make mistakes, which is another reason why I need Jesus, too! I never intent to insult anyone or hurt them. Sometimes I practice hard love. When people say they believe this or that, I need them to discover where they are getting or deriving the information. As a Christian, I place the Bible at Center Stage. This is God's love letter to believers and His revelation. So, my understanding should never contradict what God reveals. However, again, I do make mistakes.
That said, I am totally convinced that The Flood was TOTALLY a very REAL and HISTORIC EVENT. The Bible is very clear concerning Noah and there is much presented in the Bible that points back to The Flood. And frankly, I understand that if Uniformitarians, agnostic, and atheists accepted The Flood as a real event ----- they would be faced with no excuse in believing God is real. So, it really is (to their way or thinking) advantageous to ignore, deny, and cast aside any compunction to accept Noah's Flood as anything but a myth. Unfortunately, many people who believe in God listen to people who are not and don't wish to appear "unscientific" or "backward". As a result, I feel that this is how agnostics and borderline believers have come to monopolize scientific research and exclude anyone who would dare to consider "biblical" possibilities.
2 Chronicles 28:1-27 Ahaz became king at 20 and reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. He wasn’t at all like his ancestor David. He followed in the track of Israel in the north, even casting idols for worshiping the pagan Baal gods. He participated in the burning of incense in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and—incredibly!—indulged in the horrific practice of “passing his sons through the fire,” a truly abominable thing he picked up from the pagans God had earlier thrown out of the country. He also joined in the activities of sex-and-religion shrines that flourished all over the place.
God handed him over to the king of Aram, who beat him badly and took many prisoners to Damascus. God also let the king of Israel, Pekah son of Remaliah kill 120,000 in one day, all of them first-class soldiers, and all because they had deserted God. Furthermore, Zicri, an Ephraimite hero, killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam the palace steward, and Elkanah, second in command to the king. And the Israelites captured 200,000 men, women, and children, besides huge cartloads of plunder that they took to Samaria.
God’s prophet Oded met the army when it entered Samaria and said, “The God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and used you to punish them; but you took things into your own hands and used your anger, uncalled for and irrational, to turn your brothers and sisters from Judah and Jerusalem into slaves. Don’t you see that this is a terrible sin against God? Do exactly what I say—return these captives, every last one of them. If you don’t, you’ll find out how God’s anger, works.”
Some of their Ephraimite leaders—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—stood up against the returning army and said, “Don’t bring the captives here! We’ve already sinned against God; and now you are about to compound our sin and guilt. We’re guilty enough as it is, enough to set off an explosion of divine anger.”
The soldiers turned over both the captives and the plunder to the leaders and the people. Personally designated men gathered the captives together, dressed those who were naked using clothing from the plunder, put shoes on their feet, gave them all a meal, provided aid to the injured, put the weak on donkeys, and then escorted them to Jericho, the City of Palms, restoring them to their families. Then they went back to Samaria.
At about that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria asking for personal help. The Edomites had come back and given Judah a bad beating, taking off a bunch of captives. The Philistines raided the cities in the foothills to the west and the southern desert and captured Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, along with Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages, and moved in, making themselves at home. Arrogant King Ahaz, acting as if he could do without God’s help, unleashed an epidemic of depravity. But the king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, wouldn’t help—he came instead and humiliated Ahaz even more by attacking and bullying him. Desperate, Ahaz ransacked The Temple of God, the royal palace, and every other place he could think of, scraping together everything he could, and gave it to the king of Assyria—and got nothing in return, not a bit of help.
King Ahaz didn’t learn his lesson—at the very time that everyone was turning against him, he continued to be against God! He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus. He had just been defeated by Damascus; he thought, “If I worship the gods who helped Damascus, those gods just might help me, too.” But things only went from bad to worse. He cleaned out The Temple of God of everything useful and valuable, boarded up the doors of The Temple, and then went out and set up pagan shrines for his own use all over Jerusalem. And not only in Jerusalem, but all over Judah—neighborhood shrines for worshiping any and every god on sale.
The rest of Ahaz’s infamous life, all that he did from start to finish, is written in the Royal records the Kings of Judah and Israel. When Ahaz died, they buried him in Jerusalem, but he was not honored with a burial in the cemetery of the kings. His son Hezekiah became king.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 A son of twenty years [is] Ahaz in his reigning, and sixteen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and he hath not done that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, as David his father,
2 and walketh in the ways of the kings of Israel, and also, molten images hath made for Baalim,
3 and himself hath made perfume in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burneth his sons with fire according to the abominations of the nations that Jehovah dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel,
4 and sacrificeth and maketh perfume in high places, and on the heights, and under every green tree.
5 And Jehovah his God giveth him into the hand of the king of Aram, and they smite him, and take captive from him a great captivity, and bring [them] in to Damascus, and also into the hand of the king of Israel he hath been given, and he smiteth him -- a great smiting.
6 And Pekah son of Remaliah slayeth in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day (the whole [are] sons of valour), because of their forsaking Jehovah, God of their fathers.
7 And Zichri, a mighty one of Ephraim, slayeth Maaseiah son of the king, and Azrikam leader of the house, and Elkanah second to the king.
8 And the sons of Israel take captive of their brethren, two hundred thousand, wives, sons and daughters, and also much spoil they have seized from them, and they bring in the spoil to Samaria.
9 And there hath been there a prophet of Jehovah (Oded [is] his name), and he goeth out before the host that hath come in to Samaria, and saith to them, `Lo, in the fury of Jehovah God of your fathers against Judah, He hath given them into your hand, and ye slay among them in rage -- unto the heavens it hath come;
10 and now, sons of Judah and Jerusalem ye are saying to subdue for men-servants and for maid-servants to you; but are there not with you causes of guilt before Jehovah your God?
11 and now, hear me, and send back the captives whom ye have taken captive of your brethren, for the heat of the anger of Jehovah [is] upon you.'
12 And certain of the heads of the sons of Ephraim (Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai), rise up against those coming in from the host,
13 and say to them, `Ye do not bring in the captives hither, for, to guilt against Jehovah on us, ye are saying to add unto our sin and unto our guilt? for abundant [is] the guilt we have, and the fierceness of anger on Israel.'
14 And the armed men leave the captives and the prey before the heads and all the assembly;
15 and the men who have been expressed by name rise and take hold on the captives, and all their naked ones they have clothed from the spoil, yea, they clothe them, and shoe them, and cause them to eat and drink, and anoint them, and lead them on asses, even every feeble one, and bring them in to Jericho, the city of palms, near their brethren, and turn back to Samaria.
16 At that time hath king Ahaz sent unto the king of Asshur to give help to him;
17 and again the Edomites have come, and smite in Judah, and take captive a captivity.
18 And the Philistines have rushed against the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and capture Beth-Shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho and its villages, and Timnah and its villages, and Gimzo and its villages, and dwell there,
19 for Jehovah hath humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he made free with Judah, even to commit a trespass against Jehovah.
20 And Tilgath-Pilneser king of Asshur cometh in unto him, and doth distress him, and hath not strengthened him,
21 though Ahaz hath taken a portion [out] of the house of Jehovah, and [out] of the house of the king, and of the princes, and giveth to the king of Asshur, yet it is no help to him.
22 And in the time of his distress -- he addeth to trespass against Jehovah, (this king Ahaz),
23 and he sacrificeth to the gods of Damascus -- those smiting him, and saith, `Because the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, to them I sacrifice, and they help me,' and they have been to him to cause him to stumble, and to all Israel.
24 And Ahaz gathereth the vessels of the house of God, and cutteth in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shutteth the doors of the house of Jehovah, and maketh to himself altars in every corner in Jerusalem.
25 And in every city and city of Judah he hath made high places to make perfume to other gods, and provoketh Jehovah, God of his fathers.
26 And the rest of his matters, and all his ways, the first and the last, lo, they are written on the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27 And Ahaz lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city, in Jerusalem, but have not brought him in to the graves of the kings of Israel, and reign doth Hezekiah his son in his stead.
2 Chronicles 29:1-36 Hezekiah became king at 25 and was king in Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. God's considered him a good king ---- holding to the standards of David. In the first month of his reign, Hezekiah, having first repaired the doors of The Temple, open them to the public. He assembled the priests and Levites in the court on the east side and said,
“Levites, consecrate yourselves and The Temple—give this defiled place a through cleaning. Our ancestors went wrong and lived badly before God—they discarded him, and turned away from this house. They boarded up the doors, turned out the lights, and canceled all acts of worship of the God of Israel in this Temple. And because of that, God’s anger flared up and he turned those people into a public exhibit of disaster, a moral history lesson—look and read! This is why our ancestors were killed, and this is why our wives and sons and daughters were taken prisoner and made slaves. “I have decided to make a covenant with God and turn history around so that God will no longer be angry with us. Children, don’t be slow in this! God has chosen you to take your place before him to serve in conducting and leading worship—this is your life work; make sure you do it and do it well.”
The Levites stood at attention: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites; Shimri and Jeiel sons of Elizaphan; Zechariah and Mattaniah sons of Asaph; Jehiel and Shimei of the family of Heman; Shemaiah and Uzziel of the family of Jeduthun. They presented themselves and their brothers, consecrated themselves, and set to work cleaning up The Temple of God as the king and God directed! The priests started from the inside and worked out; they emptied the place of the accumulation of defiling junk—pagan rubbish that had no business in that holy place—and the Levites hauled it off to the Kidron Valley. They began the Temple cleaning on the first day of the first month and by the eighth day they had worked their way out to the porch taking 8 days to clean and consecrate The Temple itself, and 8 additional days to finish the entire Temple complex.
They reported to Hezekiah the king, “We have cleaned up the entire Temple of God, including the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering and the Table of the Bread of the Presence with their furnishings. We have also cleaned up and consecrated all the vessels which King Ahaz had thrown out during his misrule. Take a look; we have repaired them. They’re all there in front of the Altar of God.”
Hezekiah the king went to work: He got all the leaders of the city together and marched to The Temple of God. They brought 7 bulls, 7 rams, 7 lambs, and 7 he-goats to sacrifice as an Absolution-Offering for the royal family, for the Sanctuary, and for Judah as a whole; he directed the Aaronite priests to sacrifice them on the Altar of God. The priests butchered the bulls and then took the blood and sprinkled it on the Altar, and then the same with the rams and lambs. Finally they brought the goats up; the king and congregation laid their hands upon them. The priests butchered them for the sin of all Israel—the king had ordered that the Whole-Burnt-Offering and the Absolution-Offering be for all Israel.
The king ordered the Levites to take their places in The Temple of God with their musical instruments—cymbals, harps, zithers—following the original instructions of David, Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet; this was God’s command conveyed by his prophets. The Levites formed the orchestra of David, while the priests took up the trumpets.
Hezekiah gave the signal to begin: The Whole-Burnt-Offering was offered on the Altar; at the same time the choir began singing, backed up by the trumpets and the David orchestra while the entire congregation worshiped. The singers sang and the trumpeters played all during the sacrifice of the Whole-Burnt-Offering. When the offering of the sacrifice, the king and everyone there knelt to the ground and worshiped. Hezekiah and the leaders told the Levites to finish things off with anthems of praise to God using lyrics written by David and Asaph the seer. They sang their praises with joy and reverence.
Hezekiah responsed: “The dedication is complete—you’re consecrated to God. Now you’re ready: Come forward and bring your sacrifices and Thank-Offerings to The Temple of God.”
Everyone in the congregation brought sacrifices and Thank-Offerings and some, overflowing with generosity, even brought Whole-Burnt-Offerings, a generosity expressed in 70 bulls, a 100 rams, and 200 hundred lambs—all for Whole-Burnt-Offerings for God! The total number of animals sacrificed that day amounted to 600 bulls and 3000 sheep. They ran out of priests qualified to slaughter all the Whole-Burnt-Offerings so their brother Levites stepped in and helped out while other priests consecrated themselves for the work. It turned out that the Levites had been more responsible in making sure they were properly consecrated than the priests had been. The worship in The Temple of God was on a firm footing again!
Hezekiah and the congregation celebrated. God provided a firm foundation for the lives of the people—quickly!
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 Hezekiah hath reigned -- a son of twenty and five years, and twenty and nine years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Abijah daughter of Zechariah;
2 and he doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that David his father did.
3 He, in the first year of his reign, in the first month, hath opened the doors of the house of Jehovah, and strengtheneth them,
4 and bringeth in the priests and the Levites, and gathereth them to the broad place to the east.
5 And he saith to them, `Hear me, O Levites, now, sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of Jehovah, God of your fathers, and bring out the impurity from the sanctuary,
6 for our fathers have trespassed, and done that which is evil in the eyes of Jehovah our God, and forsake him, and turn round their faces from the tabernacle of Jehovah, and give the neck.
7 `Also -- they have shut the doors of the porch, and quench the lamps, and perfume they have not made, and burnt-offering have not caused to ascend in the sanctuary to the God of Israel,
8 and the wrath of Jehovah is on Judah and Jerusalem, and He giveth them for a trembling, for an astonishment, and for a hissing, as ye are seeing with your eyes.
9 And lo, fallen have our fathers by the sword, and our sons, and our daughters, and our wives [are] in captivity for this.
10 `Now -- with my heart -- to make a covenant before Jehovah, God of Israel, and the fierceness of His anger doth turn back from us.
11 My sons, be not now at rest, for on you hath Jehovah fixed to stand before Him, to serve Him, and to be to Him ministering and making perfume.'
12 And the Levites rise -- Mahath son of Amasai, and Joel son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathite; and of the sons of Merari: Kish son of Abdi, and Azariah son of Jehalelel; and of the Gershonite: Joah son of Zimmah, and Eden son of Joah;
13 and of the sons of Elizaphan: Shimri, and Jeiel; and of the sons of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah;
14 and of the sons of Heman: Jehiel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun: Shemaiah and Uzziel --
15 and they gather their brethren, and sanctify themselves, and come in, according to the command of the king in the matters of Jehovah, to cleanse the house of Jehovah,
16 and the priests come in to the inner part of the house of Jehovah to cleanse [it], and bring out all the uncleanness that they have found in the temple of Jehovah to the court of the house of Jehovah, and the Levites receive [it], to take [it] out to the brook Kidron without.
17 And they begin on the first of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month they have come to the porch of Jehovah, and they sanctify the house of Jehovah in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they have finished.
18 And they come in within unto Hezekiah the king, and say, `We have cleansed all the house of Jehovah, and the altar of the burnt-offering, and all its vessels, and the table of the arrangement, and all its vessels,
19 and all the vessels that king Ahaz cast away in his reign -- in his trespass -- we have prepared and sanctified, and lo, they [are] before the altar of Jehovah.'
20 And Hezekiah the king riseth early, and gathereth the heads of the city, and goeth up to the house of Jehovah;
21 and they bring in seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven young he-goats, for a sin-offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah; and he saith to sons of Aaron, the priests, to cause [them] to ascend on the altar of Jehovah.
22 And they slaughter the oxen, and the priests receive the blood, and sprinkle on the altar; and they slaughter the rams, and sprinkle the blood on the altar; and they slaughter the lambs, and sprinkle the blood on the altar;
23 and they bring nigh the he-goats of the sin-offering before the king and the assembly, and they lay their hands upon them;
24 and the priests slaughter them, and make a sin-offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel, for `For all Israel,' said the king, `[is] the burnt-offering and the sin-offering.'
25 And he appointeth the Levites in the house of Jehovah with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, by the command of David, and of Gad, seer of the king, and of Nathan the prophet, for by the hand of Jehovah [is] the command, by the hand of His prophets;
26 and the Levites stand with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27 And Hezekiah saith to cause the burnt-offering to ascend on the altar; and at the time the burnt-offering began -- began the song of Jehovah, and the trumpets, even by the hands of the instruments of David king of Israel.
28 And all the assembly are doing obeisance, and the singers singing, and the trumpeters blowing; the whole [is] till the completion of the burnt-offering.
29 And at the completion of the offering up bowed have the king and all those found with him, and do obeisance.
30 And Hezekiah the king saith, and the princes, to the Levites to give praise to Jehovah in the words of David, and of Asaph the seer, and they praise -- unto joy, and they bow, and do obeisance.
31 And Hezekiah answereth and saith, `Now ye have filled your hand to Jehovah, come nigh, and bring in sacrifices and thank-offerings to the house of Jehovah;' and the assembly bring in sacrifices and thank-offerings, and every willing-hearted one -- burnt-offerings.
32 And the number of the burnt-offerings that the assembly have brought in, is seventy oxen, a hundred rams, lambs two hundred; for a burnt-offering to Jehovah [are] all these.
33 And the sanctified things [are] oxen six hundred, and sheep three thousand.
34 Only, the priests have become few, and have not been able to strip the whole of the burnt-offerings, and their brethren the Levites strengthen them till the completion of the work, and till the priests sanctify themselves, for the Levites [are] more upright of heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
35 And also, burnt-offerings [are] in abundance, with fat of the peace-offerings, and with oblations for the burnt-offering; and the service of the house of Jehovah is established,
36 and rejoice doth Hezekiah and all the people, because of God's giving preparation to the people, for the thing hath been suddenly.
2 Chronicles 30:1-27 Hezekiah sent a message to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. He invited them to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord God of Israel. The king, his officials, and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. They couldn’t celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had performed the ceremonies to make themselves holy and the people hadn’t gathered in Jerusalem. This was thought to be the right thing to do. They summoned everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord God of Israel. These people had not celebrated it in large numbers as the written instructions said they should.
Messengers took letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah. The king’s order said, “Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Then he will return to the few of you who escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria. Don’t be like your ancestors and your relatives who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors. Don’t be difficult to deal with like your ancestors. Reach out for the Lord. Come to his holy place. Serve the Lord your God, and he will turn His anger away. When you return to the Lord, your relatives and children will find compassion from those who captured them. They will return to this land. The Lord your God is merciful and compassionate. He will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.”
The messengers went from city to city in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun. But the people ridiculed them. A few people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. God guided the people of Judah so that they united to carry out the command which the king and the leaders gave from the Lord’s word.
Many people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. They formed a large assembly.
The people got rid of the idols’ altars for incense in Jerusalem, by dumping them in the Kidron Valley.
They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the 14th of the 2nd month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they performed the ceremonies to make themselves holy. Then they brought burnt offerings to the Lord’s temple. They stood in their regular places as instructed by Moses’ Teachings. The priests sprinkled the blood they received from the Levites. Many people in the assembly had not made themselves holy. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all who unclean and couldn’t make their lambs holy for the Lord.
Many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not made themselves clean. Yet they ate the Passover, but not in the way the written instructions said they should. Hezekiah prayed for them: “May the good Lord forgive those who have their hearts set on dedicating their lives to serving God. May the Lord God of their ancestors do this for those who are not clean as required for the holy place.” The Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
The Israelites in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread 7 days joyfully. Each day the Levites and priests praised the Lord in song. They played the Lord’s instruments loudly. Hezekiah spoke encouraging words to all the Levites who had the skills to serve the Lord. They sacrificed fellowship offerings, and confessed their sins to the Lord.
The whole assembly decided to celebrate the festival for 7 additional days. King Hezekiah of Judah provided 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep as sacrifices for the assembly. The leaders provided 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep for the assembly. A large number of priests were able to perform the ceremonies to make themselves holy. The whole assembly from Judah, the priests, the Levites, the whole assembly from Israel, the foreigners who came from Israel, and those who lived in Judah rejoiced. Nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since the days of King Solomon of Israel. The Levitical priests blessed the people. Their voices were heard, and their prayers reached God’s heaven.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And Hezekiah sendeth unto all Israel and Judah, and also letters he hath written unto Ephraim and Manasseh, to come in to the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem, to make a passover to Jehovah, God of Israel.
2 And the king taketh counsel, and his heads, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to make the passover in the second month,
3 for they have not been able to make it at that time, for the priests have not sanctified themselves sufficiently, and the people have not been gathered to Jerusalem.
4 And the thing is right in the eyes of the king, and in the eyes of all the assembly,
5 and they establish the thing, to cause to pass over an intimation into all Israel, from Beer-Sheba even unto Dan, to come in to make a passover to Jehovah, God of Israel, in Jerusalem, for not for a long time had they done as it is written.
6 And the runners go with letters from the hand of the king and his heads, into all Israel and Judah, even according to the command of the king, saying, `O sons of Israel, turn back unto Jehovah, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and He doth turn back unto the escaped part that is left of you from the hand of the kings of Asshur;
7 and do not be like your fathers, and like your brethren, who trespassed against Jehovah, God of their fathers, and He giveth them to desolation, as ye do see.
8 `Now, harden not your neck like your fathers, give a hand to Jehovah, and come in to His sanctuary, that He hath sanctified to the age, and serve Jehovah your God, and the fierceness of His anger doth turn back from you;
9 for in your turning back unto Jehovah, your brethren and your sons have mercies before their captors, even to return to this land, for gracious and merciful [is] Jehovah your God, and He doth not turn aside the face from you, if ye turn back unto Him.'
10 And the runners are passing over from city to city, in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun: and they are laughing at them, and mocking at them,
11 only, certain from Asher, and Manasseh, and from Zebulun, have been humbled, and come in to Jerusalem.
12 Also, in Judah hath the hand of God been to give to them one heart to do the command of the king and of the heads, in the matter of Jehovah;
13 and much people are gathered to Jerusalem, to make the feast of unleavened things in the second month -- a mighty assembly for multitude.
14 And they arise and turn aside the altars that [are] in Jerusalem, and all the perfume altars they have turned aside, and cast [them] to the brook Kidron;
15 and they slaughter the passover-offering on the fourteenth of the second month, and the priests and the Levites have been ashamed, and sanctify themselves, and bring in burnt-offerings to the house of Jehovah.
16 And they stand on their station according to their ordinance; according to the law of Moses the man of God the priests are sprinkling the blood out of the hand of the Levites,
17 for many [are] in the assembly who have not sanctified themselves, and the Levites [are] over the slaughtering of the passover-offerings for every one not clean, to sanctify [him] to Jehovah:
18 for a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, have not been cleansed, but have eaten the passover otherwise than it is written; but Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, `Jehovah, who [is] good, doth receive atonement for every one
19 who hath prepared his heart to seek God -- Jehovah, God of his fathers -- yet not according to the cleansing of the sanctuary;'
20 and Jehovah hearkeneth unto Hezekiah, and healeth the people.
21 And the sons of Israel, those found in Jerusalem, make the feast of unleavened things seven days with great joy; and giving praise to Jehovah day by day are the Levites and the priests, with instruments of praise before Jehovah.
22 And Hezekiah speaketh unto the heart of all the Levites, those giving good understanding concerning Jehovah, and they eat the appointed thing seven days; sacrificing sacrifices of peace-offerings, and making confession to Jehovah, God of their fathers.
23 And all the assembly take counsel to keep other seven days, and they keep seven days [with] joy;
24 for Hezekiah king of Judah hath presented to the assembly a thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep; and the heads have presented to the assembly bullocks a thousand, and sheep ten thousand; and priests sanctify themselves in abundance.
25 And all the assembly of Judah rejoice, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the assembly, those coming in from Israel, and the sojourners, those coming in from the land of Israel, and those dwelling in Judah,
26 and there is great joy in Jerusalem; for from the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there is not like this in Jerusalem,
27 and the priests, the Levites, rise and bless the people, and their voice is heard, and their prayer cometh in to His holy habitation, to the heavens.
2 Chronicles 31:1-21 When all the proceedings ended, the Israelites who were present went out to the cities of Judah, smashing "sacred" pillars, cut down the poles,and completely destroyed pagan shrines and altars throughout Judah as well as Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Then they returned home.
Hezekiah reappointed the priests and the Levites, each to their divisions and tasks, making burned offerings and well-being sacrifices, to serve, to give thanks, and to offer praise in the gates. The king personally contributed all the burned offerings for the morning and evening sacrifices, as well as the entirely burned offerings for the Sabbaths, new moons, and festivals, as written in the Lord’s Instruction. He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to provide the required portion for the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Lord’s Instruction. As soon as the order was issued, the Israelites generously gave the best of their grain, new wine, oil, honey, and all their crops—a 10th of everything, a huge amount. The people of Israel and Judah, living in the cities of Judah, also brought in a tenth of their herds and flocks and a 10th of the items that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, stacking it up in piles. They began stacking up the piles in the 3rd month and finished them the 7th. When Hezekiah and the officials saw the piles, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel.
The chief priest Azariah, who was from Zadok’s family, answered the king, that ever since the people started bringing contributions to the Lord’s temple they had enough to eat with plenty to spare.
Hezekiah ordered them to prepare storerooms in the Lord’s temple. When they finished these, the priests conscientiously brought in the contributions, the tenth-part gifts, and the dedicated things.
Conaniah, a Levite, was put in charge, assisted by his brother Shimei, while Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah served as supervisors under them, as appointed by King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of God’s temple.
The Levite Kore, Imnah’s son, who was keeper of the east gate, was in charge of spontaneous gifts to God. He was responsible for distributing the contribution reserved for the Lord and the dedicated gifts. Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully assisted him regarding the priests by distributing the portions to their relatives --- old and young, by divisions. Additionally, they also distributed daily rations to those males, registered by genealogy, 3 years old and older, all who entered the Lord’s temple to carry out their service as their divisions required. They also distributed to priests registered by their families, and to Levites 20 years of age and older according to their divisional responsibilities. The official genealogy included all their small children, wives, sons, and daughters—the entire congregation—for they had faithfully set themselves apart to be holy. As for Aaron’s descendants --- who lived in the outskirts of the cities, men were assigned to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to every Levite listed in the genealogical records. This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what God considered good, right, and true. Everything that Hezekiah began to do for the service of God’s temple, he did successfully and with all his heart.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And at the completion of all this, gone out have all Israel who are found present to the cities of Judah, and break the standing-pillars, and cut down the shrines, and break down the high places and the altars, out of all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, even to completion, and all the sons of Israel turn back, each to his Possession, to their cities.
2 And Hezekiah appointeth the courses of the priests, and of the Levites, by their courses, each according to his service, of the priests and of the Levites, for burnt-offering, and for peace-offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to give praise in the gates of the camps of Jehovah.
3 And a portion of the king, from his substance, [is] for burnt-offerings, for burnt-offerings of the morning, and of the evening, and the burnt-offerings of sabbaths, and of new moons, and of appointed seasons, as it is written in the law of Jehovah.
4 And he saith to the people, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to give the portion of the priests, and of the Levites, so that they are strengthened in the law of Jehovah;
5 and at the spreading forth of the thing have the sons of Israel multiplied the first-fruit of corn, new wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field, and the tithe of the whole in abundance they have brought in.
6 And the sons of Israel and Judah, those dwelling in cities of Judah, they also a tithe of herd and flock, and a tithe of the holy things that are sanctified to Jehovah their God, have brought in, and they give -- heaps, heaps;
7 in the third month they have begun to lay the foundation of the heaps, and in the seventh month they have finished.
8 And Hezekiah and the heads come in and see the heaps, and bless Jehovah and His people Israel,
9 and Hezekiah inquireth at the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps,
10 and Azariah the head priest, of the house of Zadok, speaketh unto him, and saith, `From the beginning of the bringing of the heave-offering to the house of Jehovah, [there is] to eat, and to be satisfied, and to leave abundantly, for Jehovah hath blessed His people, and that left [is] this store.'
11 And Hezekiah saith to prepare chambers in the house of Jehovah, and they prepare,
12 and they bring in the heave-offering, and the tithe, and the holy things faithfully; and over them is a leader, Conaniah the Levite, and Shimei his brother [is] second;
13 and Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, [are] inspectors under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah leader of the house of God.
14 And Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east, [is] over the willing-offerings of God, to give the heave-offering of Jehovah, and the most holy things.
15 And by his hand [are] Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shechaniah, in cities of the priests, faithfully to give to their brethren in courses, as the great so the small,
16 apart from their genealogy, to males from a son of three years and upward, to every one who hath gone in to the house of Jehovah, by the matter of a day in its day, for their service in their charges, according to their courses;
17 and the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and of the Levites, from a son of twenty years and upward, in their charges, in their courses;
18 and to the genealogy among all their infants, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters to all the congregation, for in their faithfulness they sanctify themselves in holiness.
19 And to sons of Aaron, the priests, in the fields of the suburb of their cities, in every city and city, [are] men who have been defined by name, to give portions to every male among the priests, and to every one who reckoned himself by genealogy among the Levites.
20 And Hezekiah doth thus in all Judah, and doth that which is good, and that which is right, and that which is true, before Jehovah his God;
21 and in every work that he hath begun for the service of the house of God, and for the law, and for the command, to seek to his God, with all his heart he hath wrought and prospered.