LOVE

We are all familiar with the topic of "Love", especially for those of us who are part of the Christian faith. We all believe that we have an understanding of what love entails. We know that God is love. We know that we are to love the LORD our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We know that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus said that our love for each other identifies us as His disciples (Jn. 13:34-35). If we don't have love for our brethren, then we don't love God (1 Jn. 4:20-21). However, this love is not just for family, friends, and brethren of the faith, but it is to be shown to those who do no good to us, even those who are our enemies. This is the model set before us of God's love (Lk. 8:32-35). Proverbs 10:12 tells us that love covers all sins. The very precious salvation faith, which we all treasure, began in love: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (Jn. 3:16). The first item mentioned as the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love (Gal. 5:22). Paul wrote that all of the spiritual gifts, which we so highly value and desire to manifest in our lives, mean absolutely nothing without love. Then the apostle goes on to describe the character of love, which he called "a more excellent way" (1 Cor. 12:31 and 1 Cor. 13:1-13). We believe that we have an understanding of love already, and we seldom think that we have a need to examine it more deeply. We can see that love plays an enormous and defining role in the Gospel. However, I'm not sure that we really understand the spiritual power of love, and why it is so heavily emphasized in the Gospels and New Testament teachings. In order to take a different look at the subject of love, I would like to refer to the Torah and haftarah portions of scripture that have been assigned for this Sabbath. We begin with the portion from Gen. 23. It is titled, "Chayai (meaning: living, revive, restore to life, remain alive) Sarah". In English, this would be "The Life of Sarah". The odd thing about this portion is that instead of dealing with Sarah's life, it begins with her death, and Abraham's efforts to find her a burial place. Isn't it odd for it to be called "The Life of Sarah"? This gets my attention right away. There is a mystery here that makes me want to look into it. Sarah died at Kirjatharba. This Hebrew word and its roots mean "to lay beams/flooring of a building; to be 4-sided, to be quadrate, four-square; to encounter, to chance to meet; stretch out, repose, lie down". It was later known as Hebron, which means "joining, association; fellowship, to unite, to couple together". To me, all of these meanings are very significant, because they bring the Gospel to mind. At his wife's death, Abraham wept and mourned (to beat the breast, to wail, to weep over). Then "Abraham stood up from before his dead" (v. 3). "Stood up" means: arise, to establish, to become powerful. What was Abraham about to extablish in power out of his love for Sarah? Abraham approached a local tribe of people called the sons of Heth (terror, broken to pieces, go down, terrify, shattered, dismay, break down by confusion and fear, violence). He says to these people, "I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight." (v. 4). These sons of Heth address Abraham as " mighty prince among us" or "prince of God", and offer to give him burial land for free. Abraham insists on paying for the land. Abraham then asks them to speak to Ephron (fawn-like, a calf, a goat, to be dust, powder) the Hittite (descendant of Heth; fear, terror), the son of Zohar (whiteness, to dazzle (so similar to the meaning of Lucifer: light-bearer, shining one, morning star, brightness), who owns a cave in Machpelah (double portion). Ephron also offers to give the land, valued at 400 shekels of silver, to Abraham, but Abraham again insists on buying it. The land was then deeded to Abraham for a possession before witnesses (v. 17-18). The meaning of the phrase "deeded...for a possession" in Hebrew includes: confirm, accomplish, arise, acquisition, bought, purchase, possession, price, something bought, redeemed, recover, create, as God creating and redeeming His people, to erect, to found, of acquiring knowledge, wisdom. To me, from the meanings of the words used in this passage, Abraham, out of his great love for Sarah, separated out, or redeemed a possession from the place of the dead, a place of demonic torment/destruction. He redeemed it to establish a specific place for his beloved wife in death. I believe this spiritual place separated out of a hopeless death, which was established out of love, is the same place tht became known as "Abraham's Bosom". This is the place that Christ referred to in Lk. 16:22 of one who was "carried by the angels into Abraham's Bosom (meaning the upper chest part of a garment used for keeping and carrying things as in a fold, or pocket. "Bosom" also refers to one who so reclines at table that his head covers the bosom of the one next to him. And, of course, the bosom is the dwelling place of the heart. "Abraham's Bosom" in Christ's parable was not the place of torment for the dead. It was the place where those who were righteous, having died believing the prophesied promise of the Messiah to come, were kept in death before the resurrection of Christ. This is not really about Abraham's Bosom, though, but rather about a redemptive, creative spiritual work that came out of the kind of love that defines God, that Christ taught, that the Apostle Paul wrote about, that Abraham had for Sarah. The kind of love that we only think we already know about. The haftaraah portion for this Sabbath comes from Proverbs 1. We saw above, in the phrase "deeded... for a possession", the meaning in part: acquiring knowledge, wisdom. In Prov. 1, wisdom is crying out, raising her voice, at every possible place for people to listen to her counsel. Wisdom is saying here, "I have stretched out my hand...I have called"..."I will pour out my spirit on you" (v. 23-24). For those who ignore wisdom, calamity, terror, destruction, distress, and anguish, will come upon them (v. 26-27). For those who ignore wisdom, a separation from wisdom develops that cannot be remedied. They will then call on wisdom, but will not be able to receive an answer..."Because they hated knowledge..." (v. 28-29). The passage ends with, "But whoever listens to me will dwell (settle down, to abide, continue, lie down, sleep, rest) safely (assurance, hope, without danger and fear, to set one's hope and confidence upon), and will be secure (at ease, rest, be at peace), without fear (dread, terror, a causer of terror) of evil (wickedness, affliction, malignant, broken in pieces, punishment)." (v. 33). What would drive wisdom to cry out so, to reach out continually in Proverbs 1, but love? It is not spoken of as such, but this is the voice of love. The creation of a place of safety, and the rescue from terror is a work of love. Later, in Proverbs 8, wisdom reveals "...and my delights (meaning includes to dandle or bounce a baby up and down in an affectionate way) were with the sons of men", and who also says, "I love those who love me...". "Love", as the scriptures speak of it, as this Sabbath's portion demonstrates it, means more than the commonly held idea. Love creates redemptive works through those who know it and practice it. Perhaps we need to take a serious look at how we view love. Are we thinking of it as the world does, or are we viewing it as God views it, and creates through it? Our Father has called us to walk in love. May the Lord help us to walk in the knowledge of the creative, redemptive power of love. If you would like to receive the truth of Jesus as Lord, and as your salvation, believe and confess: Lord Jesus, You have redeemed me, and called me by name. I believe that You died for me through love, and were raised from the dead so that I may have everlasting life in You. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and His fruit, which includes the same kind of love. Be Lord of my life, and teach me to walk in truth, knowledge and wisdom. By Your love, You have reconciled me to the Father, Who IS love. I give you thanks, and come to you in Your holy name. Amen.

Zion



We know that Zion has to do with God's people, and His Kingdom.

If we study the word meaning of Zion, we discover a whole story of what Zion was, is, is becoming, and always will be.
The first mention of Zion in scripture pertains to its capture from the Jebusites (root meaning-tread, trample to pieces, polluted, loathe, reject, desecrate, trodden under foot as used regarding a corpse, who spoke to David, saying:
"You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you," thinking, "David cannot come in here." Nevertheless, David took the stronghold (meaning- net, prey, snare, hunted, capture, siege works, hunting implement, chase, lie in wait for),  of Zion, that is, The City of David...Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David (meaning "Beloved, well-beloved, lover, friend"). And David built all around from the Millo (root meaning- to fill, be full, complete, abundance, consecrate, confirm, replenish, overflow, satisfy, to be accomplished, be ended) and inward (meaning- house, dwelling habitation, temple, household, family, descendants as an organized body). So David went on and became great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him."   2 Sam. 5:6-10 (excerpt)
Until David, the beloved, came and captured it, the place known as Zion was an enemy stronghold, a place of desecration and death, according to the meaning of the words used above. From the moment of its capture, David began a re-building of the city from the outward to the inward, becoming a consecrated place of overflowing satisfaction, a place of a holy household, a completed work.
We can see the same wonderful transformation process in the meaning of the word Zion, itself:
"dryness, desert, barren, parched", but also: "to be bright, to shine, enduring, preeminent, perpetual, superintendent or chief, to conquer, a clear voice, the virgin voice, pure, chaste, sincere, faithful, to be perfect, complete, perpetual, to lead in music, and in the service of the temple".
Zion is our story. Zion is the Gospel. We were entrapped, snared prey, spiritually blind and lame, desecrated by sin to be food for devils. We were as dead as corpses trampled under foot, until our Champion, our Deliverer, our Savior, the Beloved, Jesus Christ, stormed the stronghold of the enemy, and began to rebuild and replenish us, with Himself as the chief cornerstone (Mt. 21:42, Acts 4:11, 1 Pet. 2:7) of that rebuilding, until we became the temple service and the family of God. Songs of deliverance became our voice. We who were barren and parched became fruitful (Ps. 113:9, Lk. 1:36, 2 Pet. 1:8), shining and bright, called to be the light of the world, just as He is the Light of the world.
Even the pictographic Hebrew letters used to form the word Zion צִיּוֹן bring its meaning to us:
Tsadhe- hook, something inescapable, trouble, to hunt but can also mean to pull toward, desire, a harvest, righteous. As sin held us inescapable in death, Christ desired us and drew us to Himself, calling us a harvest of the righteous by His blood.
yod- hand closing upon, but also a finished work, a deed done, as Christ's work of atonement was finished on the cross, and we are finished or completed in Him.
vaw- a nail, a hook, becoming bound, can also mean joining and making secure together, as when Christ, nailed to the cross, joined us to Himself and to His Father as one.
nun- a fish (to be caught as food?), to continue, offspring, descendants also includes heir to the throne, and faithfulness. We were descendants of fallen man, to be hooked continually, but now, we are offspring, even joint heirs, with the Heir to the Throne of God, Jesus. Now, instead of fish as prey, our faith is symbolized by the fish that nourishes, and reminds us of Christ's miracles of multiplication. The fish reminds us that we have become "fishers of men" (Mt. 4:19).
We see in the above illustrated that what the enemy meant for evil, our Father turned for good by His Beloved Son. It is the transformation of Zion, from death to life.
Zion's purpose, according to the meaning of the word in Hebrew, is to be "a monumental guiding pillar, a marker, a sign post, a waymark in the sense of conspicuousness". We, as the inhabitants of Zion, constitute a living monument and signpost, by which all who see us are led to that City of David the Beloved, whose Builder and Maker is God (Heb. 11:8-10). Are we truly being Zion, as we are purposed to be: the waymark, for all others to come to the City of God?
The Book of Hebrews describes Zion, and ourselves this way:
"But you have come to Mt. Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks..."  Heb. 12:22-25
Zion is the place of glory where we dwell. It is who we are. It is the place where, in the Name and Person of the Beloved to Whom we belong, those devils that hunt and take others as prey now have become prey themselves. It is the place where the desecrated is rebuilt into the consecrated. It is the place where replenishment, satisfaction, and overflowing abundance now exists where previously the dead had been trampled under foot. Those who were barren and parched, now bloom and bear fruit. We are the waymarkers for others to this place.
This time of year, especially the Christmas season, is calling us to Zion. As the song says, "Zion Is Calling Me". We must answer the call.


 

Generations

The LORD indeed did something  enormous when, about five thousand years ago, He sought out Abram and told him to leave his homeland in Ur of the Chaldees, and travel over a thousand miles to a different land. As God changed Abram's name to Abraham ("father of a multitude"), and promised him that his seed would be as infinite in number as the stars (Gen. 15:5, Gen. 17:1-7), He was not just founding a family line, or a people, or even a nation, but also a called out assembly of people out of every nation of earth, looking down many generations and individuals, even to you and me. God had each one of us in His sight, and He provided the Gospel of Salvation for us, when He called Abram out of Ur:
"Just as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham."   Gal. 3:6-9
The LORD said to Abraham, "In you...", not "By you...". When the LORD looks at what we see as a single individual, He sees every future person, or generation, who is inside us, just as we were present and destined inside our preceding generations. This is the infinite power in the seed, and this is just one reason why each life is purposed and important.
By this same principle, what the LORD teaches each of us individually is not just for ourselves and our lifespan here on earth and our own eternity in heaven, but for all of our future generations as well. I am not just speaking of our natural generations of related descendants, but of our spiritual generations of faith. While Abraham eventually had several natural children, his infinite descendants are in the spiritual generations of faith that followed in the likeness of Abraham's faith. Jesus defined Abraham's descendants as those who do the works of Abraham, including believing the truth spoken by One sent from God, Himself (Jn. 8:36-40). This is a principle that the scripture from Galatians is teaching us.
(*Interesting to Note:Jesus' implication in the Jn. 8 verses that we might be able to garner is that He is the One who taught Abraham from God. The verse from Galatians quoted above agrees, saying that "The Scripture" foresaw us and preached the Gospel to Abraham! And Jesus is The Word of God (Jn. 1:1-2,14, Rev. 19:11-16).
The importance of Abraham as a physical and spiritual progenitor of God's called out assembly of people ("ekklesia"), both Jew and Gentile (Rom. 1:16-17), is found in God's statement:
"And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him." Gen. 18:17-19, also Gen. 22:18
The reason the LORD knew Abraham, and sought a relationship with him was for our benefit. According to Galatians also, the LORD taught Abraham the Gospel for our benefit, those future generations.
When God spoke to Abraham, and revealed secret things to him, He did it with Abraham's descendants of faith in mind. The LORD was revealing these things to us in Abraham, therefore, before we were even born, for the purpose of our salvation. Such is the mind and heart of the Father towards us.
How did God reveal the Gospel to Abraham, that Abraham, in turn, passed to his future generations? He revealed it in the most powerful and intimate way possible, as the LORD took Abraham to Mount Moriah, and brought him to the point of the near sacrifice of his son of the promise, Isaac. At that same time, the LORD revealed the principle of the substitute sacrifice of atonement to Abraham, which would be supplied by God and not man, His only begotten Son, when He revealed the Ram of sacrifice (El) caught in the thicket instead (Gen. 22:13-14). The Son of God, Jesus, would be sacrificed in the flesh at that exact location as well, many generations later. The LORD taught Abraham the resurrection from the dead when Abraham declared that both he and his son, Isaac, would return from Mt. Moriah (Gen. 22:5), even though he had been commanded to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. 22:1-2).
The LORD even taught Abraham about the New Jerusalem, the city of God, prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband, revealed in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 21:1-3):
"By faith Abraham believed when he was called to go out...for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God...Therefore, from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude - innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore."   Heb. 11:8-12, also see Gen. 22:17
Abraham was told and shown all of these things for our benefit, as a blessing to us.
Sometimes, our vision is limited to what we can see now, and we become caught up in this limitation all too easily. However, the LORD is not limited in that way at all. He declares the end from the beginning, and He created and sees all that exists in time, before time, and after time. The LORD spoke this to us when He said"
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways", says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."   Isa. 55:8-9
Abraham learned these things in order to teach us, and we learn these things in order to teach countess future "others" who are in us by their faith).

Our Father foresees and speaks to the generations.

Revealed

As I was reading Job 39, I began to feel that there was more here than first met the eye. The animals that God discusses with Job, and the mysteries God was revealing about them, seemed to have more meaning than a surface reading would suggest. As I looked at the key words of the chapter in Hebrew, I was touched at the profound revelation that God was giving Job. The Hebrew here depicts a detailed picture of the Gospel of the Messiah. I cannot give a word by word breakdown in this limited space, but will give a summary of each section from what I was able to discover, and  was able to understand.
Verses 1-4 deals with wild goats and hinds:
From eternity, the Prince who is ascended on high, travails to birth. The mighty Ram of the Tabernacle, the Ram of sacrifice, who is the doorpost and lintels of the Tabernacle, was wounded, grieved, and anguished. The Son stretched out, pierced, shredded, in pain, pangs and sorrow. The Son restores and increases in number the chosen, purified, shining selected and leads them out, brings them out, to the storehouse. They are risen, escaped, delivered.
Verses 5-8 deals with the wild ass:
There are two different words used for "wild ass" in verse 5 as the term is repeated. One, pere, is associated with the freeing of slaves, opening of prisons, breaking the yoke, throwing open the grave.
The second word used for "wild ass" in this section is arode, which indicates the exact opposite, or opposing force: the oppressor, Sheol, prison, dungeon, whose permanent dwelling is the salted, barren, a dissipated grave. He scorns and mocks the great number of people who live in the walled and protected cities (because they are not safe from him), and disregards those in authority. The heights are his feeding and resting place, and he searches out to consume all life.
Verses 9-12 discusses the unicorn (KJV):
Though He is high, and lifted up, He willingly consents to be a servant. He dwells forever in a manger. He is bound by interwoven, braided foliage. He levels and smooths the most unsearchable, profound depths. Trust and take refuge in His great power. He is the Captain of tens of thousands. Loose Him to see the result of His labor. Trust Him to restore, deliver and recover the seed, and to gather and harvest it into the smooth place, or barn.
Verses 13-18, the Peacock/Ostrich:
A piercing, exulting, rejoicing cry of overcoming, with covering wings that soar, the Holy One who loves the saints. The King in fine, white bright linen of kingly apparel, was in the earth. Those who should have loved Him with a maternal love, instead treated Him roughly, severely. The Ram of sacrifice removed wisdom and understanding from them. Eternally, they mocked, whipped, lashed Him, rebelled, derided, scorned  and made sport of the One who would have carried them in joyful flight.
Verses 19-25, the Horse:
Consecrated and appointed, leaping with joy in the strength of the mighty deeds of God. Victorious, valiant champion and warrior who prevails. He roars at adversaries who bring distress and siege. He is not moved back by the swarm, but breathes, His breath (ruach), is majesty, honor, beauty and splendor. He searches the deepest places, rejoicing in strength as He brings out and delivers, even as He encounters the weapons of battle. He laughs at, and does not withdraw from the Destroyer, the waste, and the desolation. He swallows up Sheol, with great rage and commotion, not caring about the alarm cries of the enemy. He breathes understanding and knowledge from long ago, and from a great distance, that He will prevail, overcome, devour the roars of the princes, powers and lords.
Verses 26-30, the Hawk/Eagle:
Soaring, shining with understanding, spread out at the right hand, at the right side, lifted up, preparing a chamber. to remain forever in the stronghold of defense and provision.
Digging a great pit to devour, to burn up. Seeing from a great distance and time. To remove, break forth, swallow up and utterly cut off the polluted, profane, and defiled. Where they are, He is also (they cannot escape from Him).

At the end of God's discourse with Job, which includes chapters 38-41, Job is stunned and confesses to God:
"I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee."  Job 42:5
Job was given an incredible depiction of the great power of the Gospel of the Savior, Jesus Christ, the redemptive, victorious, just, powerful Son, Who desired to be a servant to His Father.

Our Father takes joy in revealing His Son.

"High Praise"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeORL0ZThWA

Rome

As we leave this Christmas season, I felt a need to write about the Roman Empire. Some people are not very interested in history, but I am. As the saying goes, "You can't make this stuff up." Since this was the world system at the time of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as well as at the beginning history of the church, the Empire plays an important role in those events. I think it also teaches and warns us about circumstances concerning our present time, and also the events of the future, as we will see.
We start out with Rome as a republic, being governed by a body called the Senate. The United States borrowed this model of government as part our own as our country was founded.
In the time when Rome was still a republic, three very powerful generals conquered foreign territories and brought great wealth, and slaves back to a Rome that consumed everything on which they could get their hands. They were early examples of what we currently see in our own society: conspicuous consumption and invidious consumption. Even we today sometimes forget that the food, clothing, electronics, and other items that we buy and consume daily at bargain prices may come from exploiting other people's and nations'  resources and poorly paid labor.  
Eventually, foreign slaves made up 30% of the population of Rome. The harvests of all Northern Africa fed Rome for 8 months. It took 200,000-400,000 tons of grain to feed the all-consuming Romans for 1 year. The great economy of Rome had become expectant and dependent upon the spoils of these three great generals, called the Triumvirate (headship, or leadership, composed of three persons). Marcus Crassus, Pompey "Magnus" (The Great), and Julius Caesar made up this group of three.
It was Pompey the Great who conquered the area of Syria and Palestine in 63 BC.
Eventually, as happens with ambitious man, these three generals became rivals for power. Crassus had died earlier, and Rome entered into a civil war with Julius Caesar and Pompey in the final power struggle. Pompey did not live through it. He fled to what he thought was a friend, Egypt, where he was killed immediately.
Julius Caesar became the great power of Rome. The Roman Senate decided to give him the title of Emperor, which would virtually end the Republic. Before the title could be conveyed, Caesar was assassinated by a conspiracy of some of the Senators with their assassins. After his death, the Senate conferred divinity upon Julius Caesar. Caesar was survived by his great-nephew by marriage, who was his adopted son and designated heir, Octavius. Since Julius Caesar was made "divine", Octavius could be called, at this point, a "son of a god". Caesar's only birth child, a daughter, who had been married to rival general Pompey, had died young.
A second triumvirate now arises with Octavius (Julius Caesar's heir), Marcus Lepidus, and the great Mark Antony as rulers. This triumverate split up the governing of the empire, and ruled their territories as dictators. Rivalry entered into this triumvirate as well causing Lepidus to be exiled, and Mark Antony to commit suicide after being defeated in battle by Octavius.
Again, the Roman Senate sought to convey the title of Emperor, and succeeded with Octavius. He was given the name Augustus Caesar, Augustus meaning "worthy of veneration and worship". Coins of the empire carried his image, with the inscription "CAESAR DIVI". Emperor worship was practiced in Rome, and the other territories of the empire. Even Pontius Pilate would one day build a temple in the Syrian province to honor and worship Emperor Tiberius in the years that followed. More modern kings of history would take the same name of "Caesar", adapting it into a royal title in their language: Tsar, and Kaiser, and even the English word "king" (cyn in the old language) being examples of this, so powerful became this name, and the legacies of Julius and Augustus Caesar.
Augustus proves to be a very efficient administrator, and Rome prospers as never before. Even the conquered territories see great building projects and expanded trade, although they were ultimately taxed into poverty, and their most precious goods were taken for Rome's consumption. The relative peace, order and affluence (for some) brought by Augustus was heralded with phrases like "PAZ ATQUE QUIETA", and "PAX ROMANA".  Some nations even invite the take-over of the Roman Empire because of the peace, order, and economic advantages of Augustus Caesar's reign. When the Judeans were offered Jesus as their king by Pontius Pilate, the chief priests cried out, "We have no king but Caesar." (Jn. 19:15).
It is a good place to note that, impossible as it may seem, nations and peoples are sometimes willing to give up their own sovereignty, identity, and personal freedoms in exchange for promises of peace, order and economic stability and prosperity. We saw this same circumstance again in the last century when a newly free German republic, because of economic collapse, and the threat of communism from within and without, handed power to a small, extreme minority political party headed by Adolph Hitler. He didn't have to take power because it was handed to him. He was invited into a position of government leadership. Scripture tells us that we will see this same type of occurrence again in the future, when much of the world will hand power to an evil devil of a leader who promises the same kind of "peace" and economic order.
Back to our story. The tales that spread heralding Augustus Caesar's great rule and accomplishments were proclaimed with the Greek term "euangelion", from which we get the term "evangelize", and is translated to mean "good news", or "gospel". These great tales only served to increase Imperial Theology: that the Emperor was a god worthy of worship. At the height of his reign, Augustus headed 25 Roman legions in addition to "Auxiliaries"- armies of foreign troops conscripted from territories ruled by Rome. (As a side note, it is rumored in history that this "divine" emperor was poisoned by his wife, Livia, who thought he had lived long enough, and she was anxious to see his step-son heir, her son Tiberius, come to power. She believed that she would have much more power and influence under her son's reign than she had under her husband's.) These are the ways of the kingdoms of men.
However, something greater than the Caesars and their kingdoms appeared.
In the middle of this man-made divinity of Augustus Caesar, and the Roman kingdom of so-called peace and order, a child is born, and a host of angels comes to bring the real evangelism, good news and glad tidings of peace and good will regarding the birth of a truly divine King of all kings, who is Christ the Lord of all lords (Lk. 2:10-14, 1 Tim. 6:14-15, Rev. 19:16). Human history was changed, and the Kingdom of God was inserted into the earth!
There is much more to tell of the history of the Roman Empire as it intersects with the history of the Kingdom of God, but this seems like a good place to stop for now. Perhaps I can continue the story for the Resurrection season.

"...I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariot and those who ride in them; The horses and their riders shall come down, everyone by the sword of his brother."

"Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"            Hag. 2:22, Rev. 11:15

The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Father, and of His Son!

*note: Map at the top of the page: The area ruled by the Roman Empire

"Unto Us a Child is Born" (Handel's Messiah)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-61gjgy9GiE

"Hallelujah Chorus" (Handel's Messiah)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUZEtVbJT5c