A Little Bit of This & a Little Bit of That – August 2013
Hi Brooks, was thirty pieces of silver a huge fortune in Christ’s day? To tie this question in with another last month about the number 30, I should begin by saying that “THIRTY” is the number for the BLOOD OF CHRIST. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for THIRTY pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:14-15) After having betrayed Jesus for THIRTY pieces of silver, Judas repented himself and brought the money back. The chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful for to put them in the treasury, because it is THE PRICE OF BLOOD.” Then they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. And the Bible says, “Wherefore that field was called, the field of BLOOD, unto this day.” (Matthew 27:3-8) This teaches that THIRTY is the number for the Blood of Christ and REDEMPTION is through the BLOOD of Christ.
Even so, by this estimate we find that Judas betrayed Christ for a month’s salary, hardly a fortune.
Still, one of the most infamous stories of the Bible is that of Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Christ for the 30 pieces of silver. While it is difficult to determine exactly what 30 pieces of silver was worth, we know it was not a fortune. The Roman denarius, was the most common coin used during Jesus’ day. Struck from silver, this coin bore an imprint with the head of the emperor. Because of this, the Jewish people were not allowed to use coins as offerings in religious services; they converted their coins to pieces of silver. Money changers converted the denarius or shekel to silver for a fee of 12 percent.
The denarius would be worth about 20/50 cents in today’s market, according to its silver weight and content. But one denarius equaled a day’s wages of a common laborer at that time, so it had significant buying power. Even so, by this estimate we find that Judas betrayed Christ for a month’s salary, hardly a fortune.
The Book of Zechariah prophesied that such an amount would be paid for the Messiah (Zech. 11:12). When Judas accepted 30 pieces of silver for the life of Christ, he fulfilled the prophecy (Matt. 26:15). The amount was also the typical price of a slave or servant during that time.
Thanks to “Vallowe’s Biblical Mathematics” & “The Bible Almanac”
And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians Lots of comments on the Egyptian upheaval! Is it a prophetic happening? One reader wrote, “”What do you think of Egypt? Is it the beginning of the final battle?” Who knows, but Isaiah 19:1-3 should be read, “The burden of Eqypt. Behold the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt …….. And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight everyone against his brother …..And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof …..” It is recommended that the entire chapter be read, from verse 17 to the end. Verse 17 is particularly worth noting considering the Israeli factor, “In that day the land of Judah shall be a terror to the land of Egypt.” Then, there is Daniel 11:42 “……and the land of Egypt shall not escape.” Remember, Daniel 12 is a prophetic unfolding of the timing, it begins with “And at that time ….. there shall be a time of trouble such as never was ….. and at that time thy people [Israel – those in Christ] shall be delivered ……” And how about Ezekiel 30: 8-9, “And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt …. For, lo, it cometh.”
We are certainly living in the time of the End but keep in mind there is another prophecy in the Mid-East yet to be fulfilled. Isaiah 17 begins with “The burden of Damascus [the capital of Syria]. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.” We have to remain vigilant to God’s Plan.
Someone wrote me sometime ago on 1 Corinthians 12, particularly the last verse, “And now abideth faith, hope & love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.” I read an interesting definition of “Love” that I’ll pass along, as it encompasses a number of traits, On page 209 of the book, “The Healing Code” it states, “….. we believe that all virtues are contained in pure love, i.e., courage, truth, loyalty, joy, peace, patience, etc. Makes a lot of sense.
One reader suggested I read Mother Shipton’s prophecies, written over 500 years ago in England, to see if they made any sense in terms of historical events and today’s environment. I don’t know, Reader, but she certainly must have been a perceptive person and you can definitely tie in her words to many historical happenings. The only date she mentions is 1926, in the second to last paragraph. Let’s read these paragraphs.
In nineteen hundred and twenty-six,
Build houses light of straw and sticks,
For then shall mighty wars be planned,
And fire and sword shall sweep the land.
But those who live the century through,
In fear and trembling this will do.
Flee to the mountains and the dens,
To bog and forest and wild fens —
For storms will rage and oceans roar,
When Gabriel stands on sea and shore;
And as he blows his wondrous horn,
Old worlds shall die and new be born.
How Mother Shipton might have looked Now, the chances she could just pluck this date out of thin air are zero. Yet, it is highly significant in that some scholars pinpoint it as the year of final tribulation. Three centuries later, important studies of the Great Pyramid took place and one such scholar who pinpointed 1926 was David Davidson, who began the investigation as an atheist and ended as a devoted Christian, because he verified that the Pyramid was indeed God’s Bible in Stone. As if on cue, 1926 was a year of great terrestrial upheavals across the world. I had a brief look at happenings to see some things of significance to mention. Well, to that point in time, America enjoyed the highest standard of living in its history. Compare that to the sorry state in that nation today. And they had just come out of a terrible war. Britain lost the first of its colonial possessions, Canada dismissed its greatest Prime Minister in MacKenzie King and France was reeling due to the collapse of the franc. Wars could certainly have been planned and the 1930’s Great Depression could have been a rung in the latter, but if they were planned, it would have been done so in secret.
Perhaps some of our readers can shed more light on the year 1926.
