The Unjust Courts
How did the Hasmoneans set the stage for the persecution of believers?
The Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) came to this earth in the fullness of time to live a perfect life in accordance with the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law), so he could bring redemption to those who could not live a perfect life in accordance with the Law of Truth (Galatians 4:4-7).
One reason that he came in the fullness of time, was the unjust courts that were spread throughout the Jewish world.
The Good News about the Man of Truth would have never spread as quickly as it did without the persecution of the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) that kept forcing them to scatter farther and farther from Jerusalem. The source of much of this persecution was the unjust courts of the unbelieving Jews, that were in the land of Israel and throughout the Roman Empire. These unjust courts were even found throughout the Parthian Empire, that bordered the Roman Empire and stretched to the Kushan Empire. In fact, any place where there were synagogues, these unjust courts could be found. Without these unjust courts, the Good News would have not spread from Britain to India, and from Azania (modern Tanzania) to China, by 100 AD.
These unjust courts would have never been spread throughout the Jewish world, without the Hasmoneans. Their contributions were very different than how the Maccabees help spread the Gospel, but it just as important in getting the Gospel to be spread quickly.
The Father of Truth brought about the rise and fall of empires to shape the world of the Hasmoneans.
The story of how the Hasmoneans helped bring about the fullness of time is tied to the Greeks and the Maccabees. This is just another example of Greco-Judeo wrestling.
The Maccabees, the people who knew the Father of Truth and did exploits, refused to compromise on the Law of Truth, when many Jews were willing to be assimilated into Greek culture (Daniel 11:30-32).
After the Maccabees, there was continual war and conflict for many years, to separate out those Jews unwilling to compromise on the Law of Truth, from those Jews willing to be assimilated into Greek culture (Daniel 11:32-35). The Hasmoneans were the High Priests of Israel during those years.
The Hasmoneans controlled the office of the High Priests from the time of the Maccabees until the time of Herod the Great. During their tenure, they caused the Pharisees and Sadducees to rise in influence, empowered the Sanhedrin to decide matters concerning the Law of Truth, and corrupted the priests of Israel. By these same means, they also set the stage for the unjust courts, that persecuted the Children of Truth.
The Man of Truth had warned, that the Children of Truth be hated by the same people, who hated him (John 15:18-20). So, the same group of people, who had conducted the unjust trial of the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ), also ran the unjust courts that persecuted the Children of Truth.
The Hasmoneans created the unjust courts, by giving rise to the Pharisees.
The Pharisees controlled the synagogues in Israel, and had great influence on the synagogues outside of Israel.
While most Pharisees lived in the land of Israel, they attracted crowds to any synagogue that they visited, outside of Israel. Many synagogues outside of Israel might not even have been able to afford a complete set of the scrolls, that make up the entire Original Covenant (Tanakh aka The Old Testament), although all of them had a scroll of the Law of Truth. They certainly did not have access to the additional materials that the Pharisees had, like the commentaries on the Law of Truth written by the scribes and lawyers. So, when a Pharisee came into a synagogue, they were typically given a seat of honor, and asked to speak after the portions of the Original Covenant for that Sabbath were read. This gave the Pharisees great opportunity to teach people the same understanding as them. This understanding was based on the Oral Torah, that is the traditions of men.
However the greatest influence, that the Pharisees had on those who lived outside of Israel, was when crowds of Jews from all over the world would come to Jerusalem for the three great Feasts of Truth (Moedim aka Feasts of the Father of Truth), which all men in the land of Israel were required to attend each year.
It was not uncommon for a synagogue to send the Angel of the Synagogue, who was responsible for conducting the synagogue services, to Jerusalem for these feasts every few years. Sometimes, a group of nearby synagogues would work together to send their leaders to Jerusalem on a rotation basis, to share the expense, particularly when the synagogues were far from Jerusalem. When these leaders would arrive in Jerusalem for the Feasts of Truth, they would seek to learn all that they could, before returning home. Often, it was the Pharisees that they sought out for advice, on how to resolve questions concerning observance of the Law of Truth, which they were having difficulty resolving at home. These leaders then brought back with them the doctrine, that they had learned from the Pharisees.
The persecution of the Children of Truth by the Pharisees began in the land of Israel, while the Man of Truth was still on this Earth.
It was Pharisees, who accused the Children of Truth of breaking the Law of Truth, while following the Man of Truth, even though they were innocent (Matthew 12:1-7). It was Pharisees, who found fault with the Children of Truth for not keeping the traditions of the Oral Torah, which were often contrary to the Law of Truth (Mark 7:1-13). It was Pharisees, who spoke against the Children of Truth, for eating with sinners (Luke 5:30-32). It was Pharisees, who criticized the Children of Truth, for not fasting often enough (Luke 5:33-35). It was Pharisees, who rejected the baptism of repentance that John the Baptist (Yochanon the Mikveh Man) gave (Luke 7:28-30). It was Pharisees, who wanted the Children of Truth rebuked, for praising the Father of Truth that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Luke 19:35-39). It was Pharisees, who refused to believe the testimony of those healed by the Man of Truth (John 9:15-21).
It was Pharisees, who cast the Children of Truth out of the synagogues, for confessing that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (John 9:22-34). It was Pharisees, who made the rulers of the synagogues afraid to confess, that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (John 12:37-42).
Paul the Jew (Shaul aka Saul aka The Apostle Paul) was taught by Gamaliel, one of the most famous Pharisees of all time (Acts 22:3). This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, had learned to live by the strict requirements of a Pharisee from a young age (Acts 26:4-5). This Pharisee had learned to keep the Law of Truth, by observing the traditions of the Oral Torah (Philippians 3:3-5).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, was determined to everything he could to bring disgrace to the name of the Man of Truth, because the Man of Truth had been against the Oral Torah (Acts 26:9). This Pharisee persecuted the Children of Truth, because he was zealous for the traditions of the Oral Torah (Galatians 1:13-14). This Pharisee thought he was keeping the Law of Truth, by his zeal for the Oral Torah, when he persecuted the Children of Truth (Philippians 3:5-6). This Pharisee did all of these things, because the traditions of the Oral Torah caused him to be ignorant, of how the Man of Truth fulfilled, what was written about the Messiah of Israel in the Original Covenant (1 Timothy 1:13-15).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, persecuted the Children of Truth unto death (Acts 22:4). This Pharisee persecuted the Children of Truth mercilessly (1 Corinthians 15:9).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, stood by and watched, as Stephen the Jew was stoned to death for telling people that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Acts 7:58-60). This Pharisee was glad to watch Stephen the Jew die for telling people about the Man of Truth (Acts 22:19).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, was part of the great persecution that scattered almost all of the Children of Truth from Jerusalem, after the stoning of Stephen the Jew (Acts 8:1). This Pharisee did much evil to the Children of Truth in Jerusalem (Acts 9:11-13). This Pharisee arrested many of the Children of Truth in Jerusalem, and witnessed against them in their trials, causing them to be put to death (Acts 26:10).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, then pursued the Children of Truth relentlessly throughout the land of Israel (Acts 8:3). This Pharisee pursued the Children of Truth in the synagogues to persecute them (Acts 22:19). This Pharisee even went into the cities of Gentiles, that were in the land of Israel, to persecute the Children of Truth (Acts 26:11).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, then went to pursue the Children of Truth in Damascus (Acts 9:1-3). This Pharisee went to Damascus to bind the Children of Truth (Acts 9:11-14). This Pharisee intended to destroy the Children of Truth out of Damascus, like he had done in Jerusalem (Acts 9:19-21). This Pharisee intended to bring the Children of Truth in Damascus back to Jerusalem, so they could be tried by the same unjust court that had tried the Man of Truth, and Stephen the Jew (Acts 22:5). This Pharisee went to Damascus to continue his persecution of the Children of Truth (Acts 26:12).
The Hasmoneans created the unjust courts, by giving rise to the Sadducees.
The Sadducees controlled the Temple in Jerusalem, but had less influence on Jews outside of Israel than the Pharisees. They mainly influenced Jews from beyond Israel in their observance of things related to the Temple. For example, they determined when the Feasts of Truth started, when each month started, what was acceptable as a sacrifice in the Temple, and the like.
They frequently disagreed with the Pharisees on these matters. For example, they said that the Passover lamb was to eaten when the sunset that ended the fourteenth day of the first month occurred, while the Pharisees contended that it should be eaten immediately after the sunset that began the fourteenth day of the first month. There were also disagreements over whether or not the New Moon had to be seen for the month to start, and many other such things.
However, the High Priest, and most, if not all of the chief priests, were Sadducees. Also, the majority of rulers and large employers were Sadducees as well, and they would only give their employees and servants the day off to observe the Feasts of Truth, that were set by the Sadducees. So from the time of the Hasmoneans, until the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the rulings of the Sadducees concerning these matters stood.
It was the priests and other Sadducees, who arrested Peter the Jew (Sh'mon aka Simon aka Simeon aka Cephas aka The Apostle Peter) and John the Jew (Yochanon aka The Apostle John), when they were preaching about the resurrection of the Man of Truth in the Temple (Acts 4:1-4). It was the High Priest and other Sadducees, who arrested the Original Apostles of Truth, when they were healing people in the Temple (Acts 5:12-18).
The Hasmoneans created the unjust courts, by corrupting the office of the priests.
The High priests, most, if not all of the chief priests, and many of the other priests, did not even accept that the Prophets of Truth had been sent by the Father of Truth, even though He said in the Law of Truth, that He would send the Prophets of Truth.
Many of the priests were involved in scams to cheat people out of money, who came to the Temple, particularly for the Feasts of Truth.
For example, when archeologists in the 1800s were excavating the Huldah Gates, they found a straight line carved in the stone inside two of the gates. The line was supposed to be the length of a cubit. The problem with determining the length of a cubit, was the one for measuring how much to sell to the priests, was longer than the one for measuring how much to buy from the priests. The priests literally had diverse measures for conducting commerce, contrary to the Law of Truth, with those, who came into the Temple (Deuteronomy 25:13-16).
Also, the priests had the final say, on whether or not an animal brought for sacrifice was acceptable. They would often find a supposed blemish, that made an animal not acceptable. They would then direct the worshiper to someone, who would sell them an acceptable animal, for the unacceptable animal, and enough money to buy another animal. Later, the formerly unacceptable animal was exchanged with some one else, on whose animal the priests found a supposed blemish.
It was not uncommon for people from far away lands, to bring money to buy animals to sacrifice, once they arrived at the Temple. These coins often had images on them, sometimes of idols, but more often of rulers, or even animals. During the time of the Hasmoneans, the High Priest ruled that these coins were a type of idol, due to the image on them, and could not be brought into the Temple. So those who traveled to the Temple, had to exchange them with an approved money changer, for an exorbitant fee. While exchanging money for a nominal fee was a legitimate business, this was extortion.
Then there was the court of the Gentiles. This was the largest part of the Temple, outside of the Soreg, the wall of partition, that divided where Jews, and those who became Jews through circumcision, could go, and where the Gentiles could go. It was so large, because there were many more Gentiles than Jews in the Temple, and the Temple was meant for all people, not just the Jews. The court of the Gentiles was meant to be a place for the Gentiles to be able to pray. The blessing of seeking the Father of Truth in the Temple, had never meant for only the Jews (1 Kings 8:41-43).
However, Caiaphas turned the court of the Gentiles into a market place, leaving no place for the Gentiles to pray in the Temple.
The buying and selling of animals, and the exchanging of money, along with other similar activities had been conducted on the Western Plaza, where the Western Wall (aka The Wailing Wall) is located today. If this had been done honestly, there would have been nothing wrong with these activities at the Western Plaza.
However, Caiaphas sold space in the court of the Gentiles to merchants to conduct these activities. In time, the court of the Gentiles became known as the Market Place of Caiaphas.
The honest merchants, who respected the Law of Truth, would not set up shop in the Temple, but the dishonest ones had no problem doing this. They knew that pressure would be on people to do business with them, after they were informed in the Temple by the priests, that their money and animals had to be exchanged. For these reasons, the Man of Truth said that the priests had turned the Temple into a den of thieves (Mark 11:15-18).
The fact is that the Man of Truth had been bad for their racket, and the Children of Truth were also bad for their business. So the corrupt priests desired to rid themselves of the Children of Truth, just like they had tried to do with the Man of Truth.
It was the chief priests, who plotted to kill Lazarus, because people knew that the Man of Truth had raised him from the dead (John 12:9-11).
It was the High Priests and the chief priests, who ordered the Apostles of Truth arrested again, when the Apostles of Truth were preaching in the Temple again, after the Angel of Truth released them from prison (Acts 5:22-26).
It was the High Priest, who questioned Stephen the Jew at his trial (Acts 7:1-2).
It was the High Priest, who gave letters to Paul the Jew to arrest the Children of Truth in Damascus (Acts 9:1-2). It was the chief priests, who sign those letters (Acts 9:14). It was the chief priests, who wanted him to bring the Children of Truth back to Jerusalem, so they could be tried in their unjust court (Acts 9:21).
It was the usurping High Priest, Ananias, who commanded that Paul the Jew be struck across the mouth, contrary to the Law of Truth, when Paul the Jew was on trial before the same unjust court, that he had brought the Children of Truth to face (Acts 23:2-3). This High Priest was not recognized by Paul the Jew as the legitimate High Priest, because Ananias had usurped to vacant office of the High Priest, before the Romans appointed a replacement for the High Priest, which the Roman governor had killed (Acts 23:4-5).
The Hasmoneans created the unjust courts, by empowering the Sanhedrin.
There had been an assembly of seventy elders along with the High Priest, since at least the days of Nehemiah, when the exiles from Judah returned to the southern kingdom of Judah. There may have been such an assembly before the Babylonian exile as well, perhaps going back to the days of Joshua. This assembly was patterned after the seventy elders, who accompanied Moses in the Tabernacle, and spoke there by the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) (Numbers 11:16-25).
This assembly was the final authority in the Jewish world, on matters concerning the application of the Law of Truth to all areas of life. However, the rise of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the corruption of the priests, changed the composition, authority, and rulings of this assembly.
First, the High Priest was replaced by an elder elected out of the assembly, because the High Priest had become corrupted into advocating for reforms to adopt Greek customs, that were contrary to the Law of Truth. This elected elder was called the Prince of the Assembly.
Next, the scribes and lawyers, who wanted the assembly would make rulings based on the Oral Torah, formed a party known as the Pharisees. After that, the chief priests and rulers, who wanted the assembly would make rulings based on only the Law of Truth, without the rest of the Original Covenant, and the interpretation of the Law of Truth based on Greek philosophy, formed a rival party known as the Sadducees.
These two parties soon made agreements with each other, and put in procedural rulings, that made it very difficult for someone, who did not belong to either party, to have a seat in the assembly. Even if someone, who did belong to either party, did manage to get a seat in the assembly, they were usually forced to vote with one of the two parties, most of the time anyways. The two parties made sure was simply no room for a third option.
So the qualification to be a member of the assembly to be a literal elder, was effectively replaced with a requirement to be either a Pharisee or Sadducee.
One of the agreements that the two parties of the assembly made, as that the Prince of the Assembly would come from the majority party, while the Av Beit Din of the Sanhedrin, who was in charge when the assembly sat to decide criminal cases, would come from the minority party.
By this time, the assembly became officially known as the Great Sanhedrin, even though it was just called the Sanhedrin, most of the time.
Although the High Priest was no longer part of the Sanhedrin, some of the chief priests were always part of the Sanhedrin. The High Priest was always a Sadducee, after the death of the last Hasmonean High Priest, until the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Since the High Priest appointed the chief priests, eventually only Sadducees served as chief priests. The High Priest could also remove someone from the office of chief priests, if they did something that displeased him enough. So, the High Priest was still very influential on the party of the Sadducees, and the rulings of the Sanhedrin.
When the Sadducees began to become the minority party most of the time, it meant they were the ones, who decided most of the criminal cases. Due to the influence of the High Priest, he often effectively controlled the rulings of the Av Beit Din in most criminal cases, without having to actually be part of the Sanhedrin.
The High Priest could also attend any session of the Sanhedrin as well, in a seat of honor that was in the Temple side of the Hall of Hewn Stones. This only added to the influence of the High Priest on the rulings of the Sanhedrin.
None of this would have happened, without the continuous power struggles between the Hasmoneans over the position of High Priest. As a result, they gave the Sanhedrin authority, that the assembly had never been given in the Law of Truth. Both parties were formed to take advantage of the authority of the High Priest, that was transferred to the Sanhedrin.
In order to retain, or gain possession of, the office of High Priest, the Hasmoneans continually courted the favor of one of the two parties of the Sanhedrin. They also would use one party as a means to hurt the other party, that was causing them problems in the Sanhedrin. This competition and strife lead to a cycle, where the Sanhedrin gained more and more authority over the years, and the two parties gained complete control over the Sanhedrin.
So by the time of the Man of Truth, the Sanhedrin was composed of scribes and lawyers from the Pharisees, and priests and rulers from the Sadducees. There were also elders in the Sanhedrin, who were mostly Pharisees as well.
The groups that made up the Sanhedrin, would work together both in the Hall of Hewn Stones, and outside of it, to deal with anyone they perceived as a threat to the authority of the Sanhedrin.
It was the Sanhedrin, that questioned Peter the Jew and John the Jew about the name, that they used to heal the lame man at the gate of Temple (Acts 4:5-9). The Sanhedrin could not deny that the lame man had been healed in the name of the Man of Truth, since he standing there as living proof (Acts 4:10-16). So, the Sanhedrin threatened them, but could not punish them as they wished, since the common Jews in the Temple knew that this was the work of the Father of Truth (Acts 4:17-22). Peter the Jew and John the Jew then went back to the Children of Truth, told them about their deliverance from the Sanhedrin, asked for boldness to proclaim that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel, and they were given more power to performs signs to confirm their message (Acts 4:23-31).
It was the Sanhedrin, that met to decide what to do about the Apostles of Truth, after they were arrested for healing people in the Temple, but were unaware, that an Angel of Truth had released the Apostles of Truth, who were telling people in the Temple about the Man of Truth (Acts 5:19-21). The Sanhedrin demanded, that the Apostles of Truth stop telling people about the death, burial, and resurrection of the Man of Truth (Acts 5:27-28). The Sanhedrin sought to kill the Apostles of Truth, when they refused to stop telling people about the Man of Truth (Acts 5:29-33). The Sanhedrin was then warned by Gamaliel, to do nothing to the Apostles of Truth, and let the Father of Truth deal with the Apostles of Truth, if they were not telling the truth (Acts 5:34-39). The Sanhedrin beat the Apostles of Truth instead, and let them go (Acts 5:40). After their trial before the Sanhedrin was over, the Apostles of Truth went back to preaching and teaching people in the Temple about the Man of Truth (Acts 5:41-42).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, who were stirred up by the testimony of false witnesses, arrested Stephen the Jew, and brought him to the Sanhedrin for a trial (Acts 6:11-14). It was the Sanhedrin, who saw the face of Stephen the Jew shine with the glory of the Father of Truth, like an Angel of Truth, at his trial (Acts 6:15). It was the Sanhedrin, that Stephen the Jew said, had resisted the Spirit of Truth by killing the Man of Truth, because they did not keep the Law of Truth (Acts 7:51-53). It was the Sanhedrin, which became so angry at his words that they lost all self-control (Acts 7:54-57). It was the Sanhedrin, which became an angry mob that stoned Stephen the Jew to death (Acts 7:58-60).
It was the Sanhedrin, that sent Paul the Jew out as a one man death squad, to bring the Children of Truth back to their unjust court for trial (Acts 22:4-5).
It was the Sanhedrin, that sought to try Paul the Jew in their unjust court, for becoming one of the Children of Truth (Acts 22:30-23:1). It was the Sanhedrin, that Paul the Jew ended his first trial by getting the Pharisees to take his side against the Sadducees (Acts 23:6-10).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, that plotted with other Jews to ambush Paul the Jew, on his way to a second trial in their unjust court (Acts 23:12-15). It was members of the Sanhedrin, that asked for Paul the Jew to be sent back for second trial, to kill him in transit, even though he had not been found guilty of anything in his first trial (Acts 23:27-30).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, who accused Paul the Jew to the Roman governor of breaking the Law of Truth (Acts 24:1-9). It was the Sanhedrin, which Paul the Jew pointed out, that not found him guilty of breaking the Law of Truth at his first trial (Acts 24:10-21).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, that asked the next Roman governor to send Paul the Jew back to Jerusalem for a third trial, so they could kill him in transit (Acts 25:1-3). They planned to kill Paul the Jew, without giving him a trial (Acts 25:14-16). They simply wanted him dead (Acts 25:24). They wanted him dead, because Paul the Jew had been preaching far and wide, that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Acts 26:16-21).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, that made false accusations against Paul the Jew to the new Roman governor (Acts 25:4-7). They again accused Paul the Jew of breaking the Law of Truth (Acts 25:17-19). Their accusations were without merit (Acts 26:2-6).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, who forced Paul the Jew to appeal to Caesar, so they could not kill him in transit to a third trial before their unjust court (Acts 25:8-12). They caused Paul the Jew to remain in prison, until he could be sent to Rome to appeal to Caesar (Acts 25:20-21). They caused Paul the Jew to held for an appeal to Caesar, even though there was no crime to charge Paul the Jew with (Acts 25:25-27). They were the only reason, that Paul the Jew remained in custody (Acts 26:31-32).
The Hasmoneans created the unjust courts, by the influence of the Sanhedrin on the local courts.
The Sanhedrin was the final authority to decide matters concerning the Law of Truth, but there was actually such assemblies in every Jewish community. These assemblies in most communities consisted of twenty-three men, who settled disputes about the Law of Truth in that community. There were also seventy one member assemblies in some of the larger cities, that acted as regional appeal courts between the local courts and the Sanhedrin.
This arrangement of local courts, appeal courts, and one supreme court was patterned after the advice that Jethro gave to Moses (Moishe) (Exodus 18:13-26).
These local courts were originally to be held in courtyards at the gate of each city, and the trials conducted by a judge (Deuteronomy 16:18-20). The judge alone did not decide matters, but worked with an assembly of elders to decide matters (Deuteronomy 21:1-2). This assembly of elders were required to give their consent before any judgment could be carried out (Deuteronomy 21:18-21).
These elders were literally elders, being sixty years of age or greater. A man was not considered an elder before the age of sixty, and was required to pay the full amount to fulfill a vow (Leviticus 27:3). When he became an elder at sixty years of age, then he was required to pay much less to fulfill a vow (Leviticus 27:7).
The judge was sometimes a literal elder was well, but was not required to be. The judge did have to at least be considered a grown man.
In the Law of Truth, a person was not considered to be grown until the age of twenty (Numbers 14:28-31). For this reason, a man could not go to war as part of the army, until he was twenty years old (Numbers 26:2).
However, during the turbulent years of the Hasmoneans, many Jews had turned away from the Law of Truth, so the men had to demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the Law of Truth, to be eligible to be part of the assembly. This was considered more important than age, since the members of the assembly had to be knowledgeable of the Law of Truth, and committed to doing what it said (Exodus 18:20-22).
Since there was a lack of elders, who were willing to do this, those who clung to the Law of Truth, rightly judged that it was better to have someone underage, who was committed to keeping the Law of Truth as part of the assembly, than someone of the right age, who did not keep it (Ecclesiastes 4:13). So the age to be part of the assembly, at least the local assemblies, was lowered to twenty years, when a man was considered to be a full grown man.
As many of the qualified men died in the unrest of Hasmonean rule, the age was lowered to twelve, if the candidate could demonstrate that they had sufficient understanding of the Law of Truth. This is what the Man of Truth did in the Temple, when he was examined at age twelve by the greatest teachers in Israel (Luke 2:42-47).
Those who passed this examination were called Sons of the Commandment. Today, Jewish boys go through a similar process at age twelve, and have a ceremony after they pass the examination, that is called a Bar Mitzvah. (Bar Mitzvah is Aramaic, and literally means, "Son of the Commandment".)
All of the courts had a structure similar to that of the Sanhedrin. Just as the Sanhedrin met in the Hall of Hewn Stones, that was partly in the Temple and partly outside of the Temple, these local courts met in the local synagogue, from the time of the Hasmoneans. When a local court met in the synagogue, the synagogue was called the House of Judgment (Beit Din).
There was a prince in charge of the court in most cases, and an Av Beit Din, who was in charge of the court in criminal cases. The Angel of the Synagogue, who was responsible for conducting synagogue services, was the prince of these lower courts. The Chief of the Synagogue, who was responsible for taking care of the synagogue, and administration of the finances, acted as the Av Beit Din in these lower courts. These two positions replaced that of judge in the local courts.
Under the Juris Judaica, the law of the Jews, Jews could settle civil cases in these courts, instead of the Roman courts. This is what the Children of Truth were admonished to do by Paul the Jew (1 Corinthians 6:1-7). These courts could also decide criminal cases as well, that involved violations of the Law of Truth. This is why Roman governors like Gallio, told the Jews to take care of these violations of the Law of Truth themselves (Acts 18:12-16).
By the time of the Man of Truth, the Sanhedrin had such influence on the synagogues throughout the Jewish world, that their rulings became the basis for the rulings of the local courts.
The Angel of the Synagogue, and often the Chief of the Synagogue, who came to Jerusalem for the Feasts of Truth, would learn what the latest rulings of the Sanhedrin were, and make rulings in the court that met in their synagogue, based on that. Since the Pharisees were the majority in the Sanhedrin, most of the time after the Hasmoneans, the majority of these rulings were based on the Oral Torah, instead of the Law of Truth.
So, most of the rulings of the local courts came to based on the doctrine of the the two parties of the Sanhedrin, that the Man of Truth warned the Children of Truth to avoid (Matthew 16:11-12). These local courts made the same rulings that the Sanhedrin would have made, if it was conducting the trials. So the network of synagogues that spread through the Jewish world, both in Israel and beyond, became a network of unjust courts.
For this reason, the Man of Truth warned, that the Children of Truth would stand trial in these unjust courts, and be beaten in the synagogue, where these unjust courts met (Matthew 10:17). He warned, that the Pharisees and scribes, who controlled these synagogues, would persecute the Children of Truth in these unjust courts, just as their fathers had persecuted the Prophets of Truth (Matthew 23:29-34). He warned, that these unjust courts would try to keep the Children of Truth from taking the Good News into all the world (Mark 13:9-10). He warned, that these unjust courts would remove the Children of Truth from the synagogues, and kill them, because their members do not know the Father of Truth (John 16:2-3).
The Man of Truth told the Children of Truth, that the Spirit of Truth would tell them what to say, when they were on trial in these unjust courts (Luke 12:11-12). He told them, that they would be tried in these unjust courts, as a testimony about their witness of the Good News (Luke 21:12-13).
One of these unjust courts in Jerusalem arrested Stephen the Jew, and made false accusations against him to Sanhedrin (Acts 6:8-14).
Paul the Jew worked with the unjust courts in Jerusalem, to arrest and deliver the Children of Truth to the Sanhedrin, so they could be put to death (Acts 26:9-10).
Paul the Jew worked with the unjust courts in the land of Israel, to arrest and deliver the Children of Truth to the Sanhedrin, so they could be put to death (Acts 22:4). He had the Children of Truth imprisoned, and beaten in these unjust courts (Acts 22:19). He even worked with the unjust courts in Gentile cities in the land of Israel, to persecute the Children of Truth (Acts 26:11).
It was members of the unjust courts in Damascus, where Paul the Jew sought to have believers arrested, and then sent to Jerusalem to stand trial before the Sanhedrin (Acts 9:1-2). These members of these unjust courts knew, that he had been sent to destroy the Children of Truth by delivering them to the Sanhedrin (Acts 9:20-21). He had came to Damascus to work with these unjust courts, to arrest and deliver the Children of Truth to the Sanhedrin, so they could be put to death (Acts 22:5).
It was members of unjust courts in Damascus, that sought to kill Paul the Jew without a trial, once he started preaching the Good News (Acts 9:20-24).
It was members of unjust court in Antioch of Pisidia, that spoke against the Good News, which Paul the Jew preached (Acts 13:42-45). These members of this unjust court, stirred up the Gentile rulers of the city, and had mission team of Paul the Jew ran out of town, for preaching the Good News to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-50).
It was members of the unjust court in Iconium, that turned the Gentiles of Iconium against the mission team of Paul the Jew (Acts 14:1-2). These members of this unjust court plotted with the Gentile rulers of the city to abuse, and then stone to death, the mission team of Paul the Jew (Acts 14:3-5).
It was members of the unjust courts of Antioch of Pisidia and Iconium, that went to Lystra to stir up the Gentiles there against Paul the Jew, so that they stoned him until they thought he was dead (Acts 14:19).
It was members of the unjust court in Thessaloniki, that stirred up the city into an uproar, and lead an angry mob to the house of Jason the Jew, where the mission team of Paul the Jew had been staying, to hand them over to the angry mob (Acts 17:1-5). These members of this unjust court arrested Jason the Jew, and made false accusations against him, and the mission team of Paul the Jew (Acts 17:6-9).
It was members of the unjust court in Thessaloniki, that went to Berea, to stir up an angry mob against Paul the Jew there (Acts 17:13).
It was members of the unjust court in Corinth, that dragged Paul the Jew before the Roman governor, to falsely accuse him of teaching things contrary to the Law of Truth (Acts 18:4-13).
It was members of the unjust court in Ephesus, that spoke against the Good News, which Paul the Jew preached to the Gentiles (Acts 19:8-9).
It was members of the unjust court in Ephesus, that later stirred up a mob in the Temple in Jerusalem to kill Paul the Jew, by making false accusations, that he had been doing things contrary to the Law of Truth (Acts 21:27-32). These members of this unjust court did not even bother to show up, to make their false accusations against Paul the Jew concerning the Temple, when he stood on trial before the Roman governor in Caesarea (Acts 24:18-19).
Besides all of this, Paul the Jew was flogged with thirty-nine stripes in the unjust courts, five different times, for preaching the Good News (2 Corinthians 11:23-24).
Without the Hasmoneans setting the stage, the unjust courts would have never came into existence. Without these unjust courts, the Good News would have never spread so far, in such a short amount of time.
The Man of Truth had not only warned, that these unjust courts would persecute the Children of Truth, but he also told them, how to respond to that persecution. He told them, that when persecution arose in one city, then flee to another city (Matthew 10:23).
The Children of Truth were all staying Jerusalem, until Paul the Jew persecuted them, and they fled to other cities in the land of Israel (Acts 8:1). The Children of Truth that fled Jerusalem, were still staying in the cities of Israel, until Paul the Jew persecuted them, so that they fled to cities outside of Israel, and preached the Good News in every city, that they fled to (Acts 8:3-4).
So thanks to the unjust courts, including the Sanhedrin, that worked with Paul the Jew, the Good News was being preached to Jews, who lived hundreds of miles outside of Jerusalem, about a year after the resurrection of the Man of Truth (Acts 11:19).
After Paul the Jew was forced to escape the members of the unjust court in Damascus, when they tried to kill him for preaching the Good News, he went to Jerusalem, and met his first partner in taking the Good News to the Gentiles, Barnabas the Jew (Acts 9:23-27).
When the mission team of Paul the Jew was ran out of town, by the plot of the members of the unjust court in Antioch of Pisidia, then they went to Iconium to preach the Good News (Acts 13:49-51). When the members of the unjust court in Iconium, tried to have the mission team of Paul the Jew stoned to death, then they went to Lystra to preach the Good News (Acts 14:5-7). When the members of the unjust courts of Antioch of Pisidia, and Iconium, persuaded the people of Lystra to stone Paul the Jew, then the mission team of Paul the Jew went to Derbe to preach the Good News (Acts 14:19-21).
When the mission team of Paul the Jew, and his second partner in taking the Good News to the Gentiles, Silas, were hunted by an angry mob, led by the members of the unjust court in Thessaloniki, then they went to Berea to preach the Good News (Acts 17:5-12). When the members of the unjust court in Thessaloniki, stirred up an angry mob against Paul the Jew in Berea, then he went to Athens to preach the Good News, while he waited for the rest of his mission team (Acts 17:13-18).
If the members of the unjust court in Ephesus, had not stirred up an angry mob against Paul the Jew in Jerusalem, then he would have never been taken into custody by the Romans (Acts 21:27-33). If the Sanhedrin had been a just court, then Paul the Jew never would have remained in Roman custody (Acts 23:1-10). If the Sanhedrin had not raised false accusations against Paul the Jew, in his trial before the Roman governor, then he would never appealed to Caesar (Acts 25:7-12). The unjust courts of Ephesus and Jerusalem had caused Paul the Jew, to be sent to Rome to preach the Good News (Acts 28:16-23).
This pattern of the Good News being spread, by the Children of Truth being scattered by the unjust courts, was not just limited to Paul the Jew and his mission team, but continued for the Children of Truth, long after he died. Even though, it was not the intention of the Hasmoneans, the unjust courts that they created, led to the rapid spread of the Good News across Asia, Europe, and Africa.
These things happened, to cause the Good News to go into all the world, as the Man of Truth had commanded. Sometimes, the Children of Truth are more herded than led.
What the unjust courts meant for evil, the Father of Truth meant for good, to save many people, like in life of Joseph (Genesis 50:20). The Father of Truth caused the trouble, caused by the unjust courts, to work together for the good of the Children of Truth, in carrying out His purposes (Romans 8:28).
However, the cities with these unjust courts did not go unpunished.
The Man of Truth told the Children of Truth, to shake the dust of that city off of their feet, for that city was under the curse of the Father of Truth, for rejecting the Good News (Matthew 10:14-15). He told them, to shake the dust of that city off of their feet as a testimony, that the city was cursed by the Father of Truth, for rejecting the Good News (Mark 6:11). He told the Children of Truth, to go throughout the streets of that city, if possible, and tell the people of that city, that they were shaking the dust of that city off of their feet, because it was cursed by the Father of Truth, for rejecting the Good News (Luke 10:10-12).
This is what the mission team of Paul the Jew did, when they were ran out of Antioch in Pisidia, due to the false accusations of the members of the unjust court there (Acts 13:50-51).
The members of the unjust courts, and others that ran the mission team of Paul the Jew out of Antioch in Pisidia, came under the curse of the Father of Truth. They were cast into the Chamber of Horrors, like those in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, who rejected the Good News that the Man of Truth told them (Luke 10:13-15).
Everyone, who dies under the curse of the Father of Truth, will be cast into the Chamber of Horrors, known as Hell.
The truth is that everyone, who does not accept that the Man of Truth is the Messiah of Israel, remains under the curse of the Father of Truth (John 3:36). Everyone who rejects the Good News, is under the curse of the Father of Truth (Romans 1:16-18). Everyone, who refuses to repent, is under the curse of the Father of Truth (Romans 2:2-5). Everyone, who does not obey the Man of Truth, is under the curse of the Father of Truth (Romans 2:8-9).
The Good News is, that the Man of Truth died, so we come under the blessing of the Father of Truth (Romans 5:8-10). The Good News is, that he died for our sins, so we come under the blessing of the Father of Truth (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Good News is, that he came under the curse of the Father of Truth on the cross, so we come under the blessing of the Father of Truth (Galatians 3:13-14). The Good News is, that he came into this world, so we come under the blessing of the Father of Truth (1 Timothy 1:15).
The Father of Truth raised the Man of Truth from the dead, so everyone could be certain that everyone, who has been told the Good News, will either be cursed or blessed, in accordance with their rejection, or acceptance, of the Good News (Acts 17:30-31). The Father of Truth raised him from the dead, so everyone could be certain, that the Man of Truth is the Messiah of Israel (Romans 1:1-4). The Father of Truth raised him from the dead, so everyone could be justified, by putting their trust in the Man of Truth (Romans 4:24-25). The Father of Truth raised him from the dead, so everyone could live a life free from sin, like the Man of Truth (Romans 6:4-11).
Everyone, who surrenders control of their life to the Man of Truth, because they believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead, will come into the House of Truth, where they will live under the blessing of the Father of Truth (Romans 10:9).
Come into the House of Truth!
The Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) came to this earth in the fullness of time to live a perfect life in accordance with the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law), so he could bring redemption to those who could not live a perfect life in accordance with the Law of Truth (Galatians 4:4-7).
One reason that he came in the fullness of time, was the unjust courts that were spread throughout the Jewish world.
The Good News about the Man of Truth would have never spread as quickly as it did without the persecution of the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) that kept forcing them to scatter farther and farther from Jerusalem. The source of much of this persecution was the unjust courts of the unbelieving Jews, that were in the land of Israel and throughout the Roman Empire. These unjust courts were even found throughout the Parthian Empire, that bordered the Roman Empire and stretched to the Kushan Empire. In fact, any place where there were synagogues, these unjust courts could be found. Without these unjust courts, the Good News would have not spread from Britain to India, and from Azania (modern Tanzania) to China, by 100 AD.
These unjust courts would have never been spread throughout the Jewish world, without the Hasmoneans. Their contributions were very different than how the Maccabees help spread the Gospel, but it just as important in getting the Gospel to be spread quickly.
The Father of Truth brought about the rise and fall of empires to shape the world of the Hasmoneans.
The story of how the Hasmoneans helped bring about the fullness of time is tied to the Greeks and the Maccabees. This is just another example of Greco-Judeo wrestling.
The Maccabees, the people who knew the Father of Truth and did exploits, refused to compromise on the Law of Truth, when many Jews were willing to be assimilated into Greek culture (Daniel 11:30-32).
After the Maccabees, there was continual war and conflict for many years, to separate out those Jews unwilling to compromise on the Law of Truth, from those Jews willing to be assimilated into Greek culture (Daniel 11:32-35). The Hasmoneans were the High Priests of Israel during those years.
The Hasmoneans controlled the office of the High Priests from the time of the Maccabees until the time of Herod the Great. During their tenure, they caused the Pharisees and Sadducees to rise in influence, empowered the Sanhedrin to decide matters concerning the Law of Truth, and corrupted the priests of Israel. By these same means, they also set the stage for the unjust courts, that persecuted the Children of Truth.
The Man of Truth had warned, that the Children of Truth be hated by the same people, who hated him (John 15:18-20). So, the same group of people, who had conducted the unjust trial of the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ), also ran the unjust courts that persecuted the Children of Truth.
The Hasmoneans created the unjust courts, by giving rise to the Pharisees.
The Pharisees controlled the synagogues in Israel, and had great influence on the synagogues outside of Israel.
While most Pharisees lived in the land of Israel, they attracted crowds to any synagogue that they visited, outside of Israel. Many synagogues outside of Israel might not even have been able to afford a complete set of the scrolls, that make up the entire Original Covenant (Tanakh aka The Old Testament), although all of them had a scroll of the Law of Truth. They certainly did not have access to the additional materials that the Pharisees had, like the commentaries on the Law of Truth written by the scribes and lawyers. So, when a Pharisee came into a synagogue, they were typically given a seat of honor, and asked to speak after the portions of the Original Covenant for that Sabbath were read. This gave the Pharisees great opportunity to teach people the same understanding as them. This understanding was based on the Oral Torah, that is the traditions of men.
However the greatest influence, that the Pharisees had on those who lived outside of Israel, was when crowds of Jews from all over the world would come to Jerusalem for the three great Feasts of Truth (Moedim aka Feasts of the Father of Truth), which all men in the land of Israel were required to attend each year.
It was not uncommon for a synagogue to send the Angel of the Synagogue, who was responsible for conducting the synagogue services, to Jerusalem for these feasts every few years. Sometimes, a group of nearby synagogues would work together to send their leaders to Jerusalem on a rotation basis, to share the expense, particularly when the synagogues were far from Jerusalem. When these leaders would arrive in Jerusalem for the Feasts of Truth, they would seek to learn all that they could, before returning home. Often, it was the Pharisees that they sought out for advice, on how to resolve questions concerning observance of the Law of Truth, which they were having difficulty resolving at home. These leaders then brought back with them the doctrine, that they had learned from the Pharisees.
The persecution of the Children of Truth by the Pharisees began in the land of Israel, while the Man of Truth was still on this Earth.
It was Pharisees, who accused the Children of Truth of breaking the Law of Truth, while following the Man of Truth, even though they were innocent (Matthew 12:1-7). It was Pharisees, who found fault with the Children of Truth for not keeping the traditions of the Oral Torah, which were often contrary to the Law of Truth (Mark 7:1-13). It was Pharisees, who spoke against the Children of Truth, for eating with sinners (Luke 5:30-32). It was Pharisees, who criticized the Children of Truth, for not fasting often enough (Luke 5:33-35). It was Pharisees, who rejected the baptism of repentance that John the Baptist (Yochanon the Mikveh Man) gave (Luke 7:28-30). It was Pharisees, who wanted the Children of Truth rebuked, for praising the Father of Truth that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Luke 19:35-39). It was Pharisees, who refused to believe the testimony of those healed by the Man of Truth (John 9:15-21).
It was Pharisees, who cast the Children of Truth out of the synagogues, for confessing that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (John 9:22-34). It was Pharisees, who made the rulers of the synagogues afraid to confess, that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (John 12:37-42).
Paul the Jew (Shaul aka Saul aka The Apostle Paul) was taught by Gamaliel, one of the most famous Pharisees of all time (Acts 22:3). This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, had learned to live by the strict requirements of a Pharisee from a young age (Acts 26:4-5). This Pharisee had learned to keep the Law of Truth, by observing the traditions of the Oral Torah (Philippians 3:3-5).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, was determined to everything he could to bring disgrace to the name of the Man of Truth, because the Man of Truth had been against the Oral Torah (Acts 26:9). This Pharisee persecuted the Children of Truth, because he was zealous for the traditions of the Oral Torah (Galatians 1:13-14). This Pharisee thought he was keeping the Law of Truth, by his zeal for the Oral Torah, when he persecuted the Children of Truth (Philippians 3:5-6). This Pharisee did all of these things, because the traditions of the Oral Torah caused him to be ignorant, of how the Man of Truth fulfilled, what was written about the Messiah of Israel in the Original Covenant (1 Timothy 1:13-15).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, persecuted the Children of Truth unto death (Acts 22:4). This Pharisee persecuted the Children of Truth mercilessly (1 Corinthians 15:9).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, stood by and watched, as Stephen the Jew was stoned to death for telling people that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Acts 7:58-60). This Pharisee was glad to watch Stephen the Jew die for telling people about the Man of Truth (Acts 22:19).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, was part of the great persecution that scattered almost all of the Children of Truth from Jerusalem, after the stoning of Stephen the Jew (Acts 8:1). This Pharisee did much evil to the Children of Truth in Jerusalem (Acts 9:11-13). This Pharisee arrested many of the Children of Truth in Jerusalem, and witnessed against them in their trials, causing them to be put to death (Acts 26:10).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, then pursued the Children of Truth relentlessly throughout the land of Israel (Acts 8:3). This Pharisee pursued the Children of Truth in the synagogues to persecute them (Acts 22:19). This Pharisee even went into the cities of Gentiles, that were in the land of Israel, to persecute the Children of Truth (Acts 26:11).
This Pharisee, Paul the Jew, then went to pursue the Children of Truth in Damascus (Acts 9:1-3). This Pharisee went to Damascus to bind the Children of Truth (Acts 9:11-14). This Pharisee intended to destroy the Children of Truth out of Damascus, like he had done in Jerusalem (Acts 9:19-21). This Pharisee intended to bring the Children of Truth in Damascus back to Jerusalem, so they could be tried by the same unjust court that had tried the Man of Truth, and Stephen the Jew (Acts 22:5). This Pharisee went to Damascus to continue his persecution of the Children of Truth (Acts 26:12).
The Hasmoneans created the unjust courts, by giving rise to the Sadducees.
The Sadducees controlled the Temple in Jerusalem, but had less influence on Jews outside of Israel than the Pharisees. They mainly influenced Jews from beyond Israel in their observance of things related to the Temple. For example, they determined when the Feasts of Truth started, when each month started, what was acceptable as a sacrifice in the Temple, and the like.
They frequently disagreed with the Pharisees on these matters. For example, they said that the Passover lamb was to eaten when the sunset that ended the fourteenth day of the first month occurred, while the Pharisees contended that it should be eaten immediately after the sunset that began the fourteenth day of the first month. There were also disagreements over whether or not the New Moon had to be seen for the month to start, and many other such things.
However, the High Priest, and most, if not all of the chief priests, were Sadducees. Also, the majority of rulers and large employers were Sadducees as well, and they would only give their employees and servants the day off to observe the Feasts of Truth, that were set by the Sadducees. So from the time of the Hasmoneans, until the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the rulings of the Sadducees concerning these matters stood.
It was the priests and other Sadducees, who arrested Peter the Jew (Sh'mon aka Simon aka Simeon aka Cephas aka The Apostle Peter) and John the Jew (Yochanon aka The Apostle John), when they were preaching about the resurrection of the Man of Truth in the Temple (Acts 4:1-4). It was the High Priest and other Sadducees, who arrested the Original Apostles of Truth, when they were healing people in the Temple (Acts 5:12-18).
The Hasmoneans created the unjust courts, by corrupting the office of the priests.
The High priests, most, if not all of the chief priests, and many of the other priests, did not even accept that the Prophets of Truth had been sent by the Father of Truth, even though He said in the Law of Truth, that He would send the Prophets of Truth.
Many of the priests were involved in scams to cheat people out of money, who came to the Temple, particularly for the Feasts of Truth.
For example, when archeologists in the 1800s were excavating the Huldah Gates, they found a straight line carved in the stone inside two of the gates. The line was supposed to be the length of a cubit. The problem with determining the length of a cubit, was the one for measuring how much to sell to the priests, was longer than the one for measuring how much to buy from the priests. The priests literally had diverse measures for conducting commerce, contrary to the Law of Truth, with those, who came into the Temple (Deuteronomy 25:13-16).
Also, the priests had the final say, on whether or not an animal brought for sacrifice was acceptable. They would often find a supposed blemish, that made an animal not acceptable. They would then direct the worshiper to someone, who would sell them an acceptable animal, for the unacceptable animal, and enough money to buy another animal. Later, the formerly unacceptable animal was exchanged with some one else, on whose animal the priests found a supposed blemish.
It was not uncommon for people from far away lands, to bring money to buy animals to sacrifice, once they arrived at the Temple. These coins often had images on them, sometimes of idols, but more often of rulers, or even animals. During the time of the Hasmoneans, the High Priest ruled that these coins were a type of idol, due to the image on them, and could not be brought into the Temple. So those who traveled to the Temple, had to exchange them with an approved money changer, for an exorbitant fee. While exchanging money for a nominal fee was a legitimate business, this was extortion.
Then there was the court of the Gentiles. This was the largest part of the Temple, outside of the Soreg, the wall of partition, that divided where Jews, and those who became Jews through circumcision, could go, and where the Gentiles could go. It was so large, because there were many more Gentiles than Jews in the Temple, and the Temple was meant for all people, not just the Jews. The court of the Gentiles was meant to be a place for the Gentiles to be able to pray. The blessing of seeking the Father of Truth in the Temple, had never meant for only the Jews (1 Kings 8:41-43).
However, Caiaphas turned the court of the Gentiles into a market place, leaving no place for the Gentiles to pray in the Temple.
The buying and selling of animals, and the exchanging of money, along with other similar activities had been conducted on the Western Plaza, where the Western Wall (aka The Wailing Wall) is located today. If this had been done honestly, there would have been nothing wrong with these activities at the Western Plaza.
However, Caiaphas sold space in the court of the Gentiles to merchants to conduct these activities. In time, the court of the Gentiles became known as the Market Place of Caiaphas.
The honest merchants, who respected the Law of Truth, would not set up shop in the Temple, but the dishonest ones had no problem doing this. They knew that pressure would be on people to do business with them, after they were informed in the Temple by the priests, that their money and animals had to be exchanged. For these reasons, the Man of Truth said that the priests had turned the Temple into a den of thieves (Mark 11:15-18).
The fact is that the Man of Truth had been bad for their racket, and the Children of Truth were also bad for their business. So the corrupt priests desired to rid themselves of the Children of Truth, just like they had tried to do with the Man of Truth.
It was the chief priests, who plotted to kill Lazarus, because people knew that the Man of Truth had raised him from the dead (John 12:9-11).
It was the High Priests and the chief priests, who ordered the Apostles of Truth arrested again, when the Apostles of Truth were preaching in the Temple again, after the Angel of Truth released them from prison (Acts 5:22-26).
It was the High Priest, who questioned Stephen the Jew at his trial (Acts 7:1-2).
It was the High Priest, who gave letters to Paul the Jew to arrest the Children of Truth in Damascus (Acts 9:1-2). It was the chief priests, who sign those letters (Acts 9:14). It was the chief priests, who wanted him to bring the Children of Truth back to Jerusalem, so they could be tried in their unjust court (Acts 9:21).
It was the usurping High Priest, Ananias, who commanded that Paul the Jew be struck across the mouth, contrary to the Law of Truth, when Paul the Jew was on trial before the same unjust court, that he had brought the Children of Truth to face (Acts 23:2-3). This High Priest was not recognized by Paul the Jew as the legitimate High Priest, because Ananias had usurped to vacant office of the High Priest, before the Romans appointed a replacement for the High Priest, which the Roman governor had killed (Acts 23:4-5).
The Hasmoneans created the unjust courts, by empowering the Sanhedrin.
There had been an assembly of seventy elders along with the High Priest, since at least the days of Nehemiah, when the exiles from Judah returned to the southern kingdom of Judah. There may have been such an assembly before the Babylonian exile as well, perhaps going back to the days of Joshua. This assembly was patterned after the seventy elders, who accompanied Moses in the Tabernacle, and spoke there by the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) (Numbers 11:16-25).
This assembly was the final authority in the Jewish world, on matters concerning the application of the Law of Truth to all areas of life. However, the rise of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the corruption of the priests, changed the composition, authority, and rulings of this assembly.
First, the High Priest was replaced by an elder elected out of the assembly, because the High Priest had become corrupted into advocating for reforms to adopt Greek customs, that were contrary to the Law of Truth. This elected elder was called the Prince of the Assembly.
Next, the scribes and lawyers, who wanted the assembly would make rulings based on the Oral Torah, formed a party known as the Pharisees. After that, the chief priests and rulers, who wanted the assembly would make rulings based on only the Law of Truth, without the rest of the Original Covenant, and the interpretation of the Law of Truth based on Greek philosophy, formed a rival party known as the Sadducees.
These two parties soon made agreements with each other, and put in procedural rulings, that made it very difficult for someone, who did not belong to either party, to have a seat in the assembly. Even if someone, who did belong to either party, did manage to get a seat in the assembly, they were usually forced to vote with one of the two parties, most of the time anyways. The two parties made sure was simply no room for a third option.
So the qualification to be a member of the assembly to be a literal elder, was effectively replaced with a requirement to be either a Pharisee or Sadducee.
One of the agreements that the two parties of the assembly made, as that the Prince of the Assembly would come from the majority party, while the Av Beit Din of the Sanhedrin, who was in charge when the assembly sat to decide criminal cases, would come from the minority party.
By this time, the assembly became officially known as the Great Sanhedrin, even though it was just called the Sanhedrin, most of the time.
Although the High Priest was no longer part of the Sanhedrin, some of the chief priests were always part of the Sanhedrin. The High Priest was always a Sadducee, after the death of the last Hasmonean High Priest, until the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Since the High Priest appointed the chief priests, eventually only Sadducees served as chief priests. The High Priest could also remove someone from the office of chief priests, if they did something that displeased him enough. So, the High Priest was still very influential on the party of the Sadducees, and the rulings of the Sanhedrin.
When the Sadducees began to become the minority party most of the time, it meant they were the ones, who decided most of the criminal cases. Due to the influence of the High Priest, he often effectively controlled the rulings of the Av Beit Din in most criminal cases, without having to actually be part of the Sanhedrin.
The High Priest could also attend any session of the Sanhedrin as well, in a seat of honor that was in the Temple side of the Hall of Hewn Stones. This only added to the influence of the High Priest on the rulings of the Sanhedrin.
None of this would have happened, without the continuous power struggles between the Hasmoneans over the position of High Priest. As a result, they gave the Sanhedrin authority, that the assembly had never been given in the Law of Truth. Both parties were formed to take advantage of the authority of the High Priest, that was transferred to the Sanhedrin.
In order to retain, or gain possession of, the office of High Priest, the Hasmoneans continually courted the favor of one of the two parties of the Sanhedrin. They also would use one party as a means to hurt the other party, that was causing them problems in the Sanhedrin. This competition and strife lead to a cycle, where the Sanhedrin gained more and more authority over the years, and the two parties gained complete control over the Sanhedrin.
So by the time of the Man of Truth, the Sanhedrin was composed of scribes and lawyers from the Pharisees, and priests and rulers from the Sadducees. There were also elders in the Sanhedrin, who were mostly Pharisees as well.
The groups that made up the Sanhedrin, would work together both in the Hall of Hewn Stones, and outside of it, to deal with anyone they perceived as a threat to the authority of the Sanhedrin.
It was the Sanhedrin, that questioned Peter the Jew and John the Jew about the name, that they used to heal the lame man at the gate of Temple (Acts 4:5-9). The Sanhedrin could not deny that the lame man had been healed in the name of the Man of Truth, since he standing there as living proof (Acts 4:10-16). So, the Sanhedrin threatened them, but could not punish them as they wished, since the common Jews in the Temple knew that this was the work of the Father of Truth (Acts 4:17-22). Peter the Jew and John the Jew then went back to the Children of Truth, told them about their deliverance from the Sanhedrin, asked for boldness to proclaim that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel, and they were given more power to performs signs to confirm their message (Acts 4:23-31).
It was the Sanhedrin, that met to decide what to do about the Apostles of Truth, after they were arrested for healing people in the Temple, but were unaware, that an Angel of Truth had released the Apostles of Truth, who were telling people in the Temple about the Man of Truth (Acts 5:19-21). The Sanhedrin demanded, that the Apostles of Truth stop telling people about the death, burial, and resurrection of the Man of Truth (Acts 5:27-28). The Sanhedrin sought to kill the Apostles of Truth, when they refused to stop telling people about the Man of Truth (Acts 5:29-33). The Sanhedrin was then warned by Gamaliel, to do nothing to the Apostles of Truth, and let the Father of Truth deal with the Apostles of Truth, if they were not telling the truth (Acts 5:34-39). The Sanhedrin beat the Apostles of Truth instead, and let them go (Acts 5:40). After their trial before the Sanhedrin was over, the Apostles of Truth went back to preaching and teaching people in the Temple about the Man of Truth (Acts 5:41-42).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, who were stirred up by the testimony of false witnesses, arrested Stephen the Jew, and brought him to the Sanhedrin for a trial (Acts 6:11-14). It was the Sanhedrin, who saw the face of Stephen the Jew shine with the glory of the Father of Truth, like an Angel of Truth, at his trial (Acts 6:15). It was the Sanhedrin, that Stephen the Jew said, had resisted the Spirit of Truth by killing the Man of Truth, because they did not keep the Law of Truth (Acts 7:51-53). It was the Sanhedrin, which became so angry at his words that they lost all self-control (Acts 7:54-57). It was the Sanhedrin, which became an angry mob that stoned Stephen the Jew to death (Acts 7:58-60).
It was the Sanhedrin, that sent Paul the Jew out as a one man death squad, to bring the Children of Truth back to their unjust court for trial (Acts 22:4-5).
It was the Sanhedrin, that sought to try Paul the Jew in their unjust court, for becoming one of the Children of Truth (Acts 22:30-23:1). It was the Sanhedrin, that Paul the Jew ended his first trial by getting the Pharisees to take his side against the Sadducees (Acts 23:6-10).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, that plotted with other Jews to ambush Paul the Jew, on his way to a second trial in their unjust court (Acts 23:12-15). It was members of the Sanhedrin, that asked for Paul the Jew to be sent back for second trial, to kill him in transit, even though he had not been found guilty of anything in his first trial (Acts 23:27-30).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, who accused Paul the Jew to the Roman governor of breaking the Law of Truth (Acts 24:1-9). It was the Sanhedrin, which Paul the Jew pointed out, that not found him guilty of breaking the Law of Truth at his first trial (Acts 24:10-21).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, that asked the next Roman governor to send Paul the Jew back to Jerusalem for a third trial, so they could kill him in transit (Acts 25:1-3). They planned to kill Paul the Jew, without giving him a trial (Acts 25:14-16). They simply wanted him dead (Acts 25:24). They wanted him dead, because Paul the Jew had been preaching far and wide, that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Acts 26:16-21).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, that made false accusations against Paul the Jew to the new Roman governor (Acts 25:4-7). They again accused Paul the Jew of breaking the Law of Truth (Acts 25:17-19). Their accusations were without merit (Acts 26:2-6).
It was members of the Sanhedrin, who forced Paul the Jew to appeal to Caesar, so they could not kill him in transit to a third trial before their unjust court (Acts 25:8-12). They caused Paul the Jew to remain in prison, until he could be sent to Rome to appeal to Caesar (Acts 25:20-21). They caused Paul the Jew to held for an appeal to Caesar, even though there was no crime to charge Paul the Jew with (Acts 25:25-27). They were the only reason, that Paul the Jew remained in custody (Acts 26:31-32).
The Hasmoneans created the unjust courts, by the influence of the Sanhedrin on the local courts.
The Sanhedrin was the final authority to decide matters concerning the Law of Truth, but there was actually such assemblies in every Jewish community. These assemblies in most communities consisted of twenty-three men, who settled disputes about the Law of Truth in that community. There were also seventy one member assemblies in some of the larger cities, that acted as regional appeal courts between the local courts and the Sanhedrin.
This arrangement of local courts, appeal courts, and one supreme court was patterned after the advice that Jethro gave to Moses (Moishe) (Exodus 18:13-26).
These local courts were originally to be held in courtyards at the gate of each city, and the trials conducted by a judge (Deuteronomy 16:18-20). The judge alone did not decide matters, but worked with an assembly of elders to decide matters (Deuteronomy 21:1-2). This assembly of elders were required to give their consent before any judgment could be carried out (Deuteronomy 21:18-21).
These elders were literally elders, being sixty years of age or greater. A man was not considered an elder before the age of sixty, and was required to pay the full amount to fulfill a vow (Leviticus 27:3). When he became an elder at sixty years of age, then he was required to pay much less to fulfill a vow (Leviticus 27:7).
The judge was sometimes a literal elder was well, but was not required to be. The judge did have to at least be considered a grown man.
In the Law of Truth, a person was not considered to be grown until the age of twenty (Numbers 14:28-31). For this reason, a man could not go to war as part of the army, until he was twenty years old (Numbers 26:2).
However, during the turbulent years of the Hasmoneans, many Jews had turned away from the Law of Truth, so the men had to demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the Law of Truth, to be eligible to be part of the assembly. This was considered more important than age, since the members of the assembly had to be knowledgeable of the Law of Truth, and committed to doing what it said (Exodus 18:20-22).
Since there was a lack of elders, who were willing to do this, those who clung to the Law of Truth, rightly judged that it was better to have someone underage, who was committed to keeping the Law of Truth as part of the assembly, than someone of the right age, who did not keep it (Ecclesiastes 4:13). So the age to be part of the assembly, at least the local assemblies, was lowered to twenty years, when a man was considered to be a full grown man.
As many of the qualified men died in the unrest of Hasmonean rule, the age was lowered to twelve, if the candidate could demonstrate that they had sufficient understanding of the Law of Truth. This is what the Man of Truth did in the Temple, when he was examined at age twelve by the greatest teachers in Israel (Luke 2:42-47).
Those who passed this examination were called Sons of the Commandment. Today, Jewish boys go through a similar process at age twelve, and have a ceremony after they pass the examination, that is called a Bar Mitzvah. (Bar Mitzvah is Aramaic, and literally means, "Son of the Commandment".)
All of the courts had a structure similar to that of the Sanhedrin. Just as the Sanhedrin met in the Hall of Hewn Stones, that was partly in the Temple and partly outside of the Temple, these local courts met in the local synagogue, from the time of the Hasmoneans. When a local court met in the synagogue, the synagogue was called the House of Judgment (Beit Din).
There was a prince in charge of the court in most cases, and an Av Beit Din, who was in charge of the court in criminal cases. The Angel of the Synagogue, who was responsible for conducting synagogue services, was the prince of these lower courts. The Chief of the Synagogue, who was responsible for taking care of the synagogue, and administration of the finances, acted as the Av Beit Din in these lower courts. These two positions replaced that of judge in the local courts.
Under the Juris Judaica, the law of the Jews, Jews could settle civil cases in these courts, instead of the Roman courts. This is what the Children of Truth were admonished to do by Paul the Jew (1 Corinthians 6:1-7). These courts could also decide criminal cases as well, that involved violations of the Law of Truth. This is why Roman governors like Gallio, told the Jews to take care of these violations of the Law of Truth themselves (Acts 18:12-16).
By the time of the Man of Truth, the Sanhedrin had such influence on the synagogues throughout the Jewish world, that their rulings became the basis for the rulings of the local courts.
The Angel of the Synagogue, and often the Chief of the Synagogue, who came to Jerusalem for the Feasts of Truth, would learn what the latest rulings of the Sanhedrin were, and make rulings in the court that met in their synagogue, based on that. Since the Pharisees were the majority in the Sanhedrin, most of the time after the Hasmoneans, the majority of these rulings were based on the Oral Torah, instead of the Law of Truth.
So, most of the rulings of the local courts came to based on the doctrine of the the two parties of the Sanhedrin, that the Man of Truth warned the Children of Truth to avoid (Matthew 16:11-12). These local courts made the same rulings that the Sanhedrin would have made, if it was conducting the trials. So the network of synagogues that spread through the Jewish world, both in Israel and beyond, became a network of unjust courts.
For this reason, the Man of Truth warned, that the Children of Truth would stand trial in these unjust courts, and be beaten in the synagogue, where these unjust courts met (Matthew 10:17). He warned, that the Pharisees and scribes, who controlled these synagogues, would persecute the Children of Truth in these unjust courts, just as their fathers had persecuted the Prophets of Truth (Matthew 23:29-34). He warned, that these unjust courts would try to keep the Children of Truth from taking the Good News into all the world (Mark 13:9-10). He warned, that these unjust courts would remove the Children of Truth from the synagogues, and kill them, because their members do not know the Father of Truth (John 16:2-3).
The Man of Truth told the Children of Truth, that the Spirit of Truth would tell them what to say, when they were on trial in these unjust courts (Luke 12:11-12). He told them, that they would be tried in these unjust courts, as a testimony about their witness of the Good News (Luke 21:12-13).
One of these unjust courts in Jerusalem arrested Stephen the Jew, and made false accusations against him to Sanhedrin (Acts 6:8-14).
Paul the Jew worked with the unjust courts in Jerusalem, to arrest and deliver the Children of Truth to the Sanhedrin, so they could be put to death (Acts 26:9-10).
Paul the Jew worked with the unjust courts in the land of Israel, to arrest and deliver the Children of Truth to the Sanhedrin, so they could be put to death (Acts 22:4). He had the Children of Truth imprisoned, and beaten in these unjust courts (Acts 22:19). He even worked with the unjust courts in Gentile cities in the land of Israel, to persecute the Children of Truth (Acts 26:11).
It was members of the unjust courts in Damascus, where Paul the Jew sought to have believers arrested, and then sent to Jerusalem to stand trial before the Sanhedrin (Acts 9:1-2). These members of these unjust courts knew, that he had been sent to destroy the Children of Truth by delivering them to the Sanhedrin (Acts 9:20-21). He had came to Damascus to work with these unjust courts, to arrest and deliver the Children of Truth to the Sanhedrin, so they could be put to death (Acts 22:5).
It was members of unjust courts in Damascus, that sought to kill Paul the Jew without a trial, once he started preaching the Good News (Acts 9:20-24).
It was members of unjust court in Antioch of Pisidia, that spoke against the Good News, which Paul the Jew preached (Acts 13:42-45). These members of this unjust court, stirred up the Gentile rulers of the city, and had mission team of Paul the Jew ran out of town, for preaching the Good News to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-50).
It was members of the unjust court in Iconium, that turned the Gentiles of Iconium against the mission team of Paul the Jew (Acts 14:1-2). These members of this unjust court plotted with the Gentile rulers of the city to abuse, and then stone to death, the mission team of Paul the Jew (Acts 14:3-5).
It was members of the unjust courts of Antioch of Pisidia and Iconium, that went to Lystra to stir up the Gentiles there against Paul the Jew, so that they stoned him until they thought he was dead (Acts 14:19).
It was members of the unjust court in Thessaloniki, that stirred up the city into an uproar, and lead an angry mob to the house of Jason the Jew, where the mission team of Paul the Jew had been staying, to hand them over to the angry mob (Acts 17:1-5). These members of this unjust court arrested Jason the Jew, and made false accusations against him, and the mission team of Paul the Jew (Acts 17:6-9).
It was members of the unjust court in Thessaloniki, that went to Berea, to stir up an angry mob against Paul the Jew there (Acts 17:13).
It was members of the unjust court in Corinth, that dragged Paul the Jew before the Roman governor, to falsely accuse him of teaching things contrary to the Law of Truth (Acts 18:4-13).
It was members of the unjust court in Ephesus, that spoke against the Good News, which Paul the Jew preached to the Gentiles (Acts 19:8-9).
It was members of the unjust court in Ephesus, that later stirred up a mob in the Temple in Jerusalem to kill Paul the Jew, by making false accusations, that he had been doing things contrary to the Law of Truth (Acts 21:27-32). These members of this unjust court did not even bother to show up, to make their false accusations against Paul the Jew concerning the Temple, when he stood on trial before the Roman governor in Caesarea (Acts 24:18-19).
Besides all of this, Paul the Jew was flogged with thirty-nine stripes in the unjust courts, five different times, for preaching the Good News (2 Corinthians 11:23-24).
Without the Hasmoneans setting the stage, the unjust courts would have never came into existence. Without these unjust courts, the Good News would have never spread so far, in such a short amount of time.
The Man of Truth had not only warned, that these unjust courts would persecute the Children of Truth, but he also told them, how to respond to that persecution. He told them, that when persecution arose in one city, then flee to another city (Matthew 10:23).
The Children of Truth were all staying Jerusalem, until Paul the Jew persecuted them, and they fled to other cities in the land of Israel (Acts 8:1). The Children of Truth that fled Jerusalem, were still staying in the cities of Israel, until Paul the Jew persecuted them, so that they fled to cities outside of Israel, and preached the Good News in every city, that they fled to (Acts 8:3-4).
So thanks to the unjust courts, including the Sanhedrin, that worked with Paul the Jew, the Good News was being preached to Jews, who lived hundreds of miles outside of Jerusalem, about a year after the resurrection of the Man of Truth (Acts 11:19).
After Paul the Jew was forced to escape the members of the unjust court in Damascus, when they tried to kill him for preaching the Good News, he went to Jerusalem, and met his first partner in taking the Good News to the Gentiles, Barnabas the Jew (Acts 9:23-27).
When the mission team of Paul the Jew was ran out of town, by the plot of the members of the unjust court in Antioch of Pisidia, then they went to Iconium to preach the Good News (Acts 13:49-51). When the members of the unjust court in Iconium, tried to have the mission team of Paul the Jew stoned to death, then they went to Lystra to preach the Good News (Acts 14:5-7). When the members of the unjust courts of Antioch of Pisidia, and Iconium, persuaded the people of Lystra to stone Paul the Jew, then the mission team of Paul the Jew went to Derbe to preach the Good News (Acts 14:19-21).
When the mission team of Paul the Jew, and his second partner in taking the Good News to the Gentiles, Silas, were hunted by an angry mob, led by the members of the unjust court in Thessaloniki, then they went to Berea to preach the Good News (Acts 17:5-12). When the members of the unjust court in Thessaloniki, stirred up an angry mob against Paul the Jew in Berea, then he went to Athens to preach the Good News, while he waited for the rest of his mission team (Acts 17:13-18).
If the members of the unjust court in Ephesus, had not stirred up an angry mob against Paul the Jew in Jerusalem, then he would have never been taken into custody by the Romans (Acts 21:27-33). If the Sanhedrin had been a just court, then Paul the Jew never would have remained in Roman custody (Acts 23:1-10). If the Sanhedrin had not raised false accusations against Paul the Jew, in his trial before the Roman governor, then he would never appealed to Caesar (Acts 25:7-12). The unjust courts of Ephesus and Jerusalem had caused Paul the Jew, to be sent to Rome to preach the Good News (Acts 28:16-23).
This pattern of the Good News being spread, by the Children of Truth being scattered by the unjust courts, was not just limited to Paul the Jew and his mission team, but continued for the Children of Truth, long after he died. Even though, it was not the intention of the Hasmoneans, the unjust courts that they created, led to the rapid spread of the Good News across Asia, Europe, and Africa.
These things happened, to cause the Good News to go into all the world, as the Man of Truth had commanded. Sometimes, the Children of Truth are more herded than led.
What the unjust courts meant for evil, the Father of Truth meant for good, to save many people, like in life of Joseph (Genesis 50:20). The Father of Truth caused the trouble, caused by the unjust courts, to work together for the good of the Children of Truth, in carrying out His purposes (Romans 8:28).
However, the cities with these unjust courts did not go unpunished.
The Man of Truth told the Children of Truth, to shake the dust of that city off of their feet, for that city was under the curse of the Father of Truth, for rejecting the Good News (Matthew 10:14-15). He told them, to shake the dust of that city off of their feet as a testimony, that the city was cursed by the Father of Truth, for rejecting the Good News (Mark 6:11). He told the Children of Truth, to go throughout the streets of that city, if possible, and tell the people of that city, that they were shaking the dust of that city off of their feet, because it was cursed by the Father of Truth, for rejecting the Good News (Luke 10:10-12).
This is what the mission team of Paul the Jew did, when they were ran out of Antioch in Pisidia, due to the false accusations of the members of the unjust court there (Acts 13:50-51).
The members of the unjust courts, and others that ran the mission team of Paul the Jew out of Antioch in Pisidia, came under the curse of the Father of Truth. They were cast into the Chamber of Horrors, like those in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, who rejected the Good News that the Man of Truth told them (Luke 10:13-15).
Everyone, who dies under the curse of the Father of Truth, will be cast into the Chamber of Horrors, known as Hell.
The truth is that everyone, who does not accept that the Man of Truth is the Messiah of Israel, remains under the curse of the Father of Truth (John 3:36). Everyone who rejects the Good News, is under the curse of the Father of Truth (Romans 1:16-18). Everyone, who refuses to repent, is under the curse of the Father of Truth (Romans 2:2-5). Everyone, who does not obey the Man of Truth, is under the curse of the Father of Truth (Romans 2:8-9).
The Good News is, that the Man of Truth died, so we come under the blessing of the Father of Truth (Romans 5:8-10). The Good News is, that he died for our sins, so we come under the blessing of the Father of Truth (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Good News is, that he came under the curse of the Father of Truth on the cross, so we come under the blessing of the Father of Truth (Galatians 3:13-14). The Good News is, that he came into this world, so we come under the blessing of the Father of Truth (1 Timothy 1:15).
The Father of Truth raised the Man of Truth from the dead, so everyone could be certain that everyone, who has been told the Good News, will either be cursed or blessed, in accordance with their rejection, or acceptance, of the Good News (Acts 17:30-31). The Father of Truth raised him from the dead, so everyone could be certain, that the Man of Truth is the Messiah of Israel (Romans 1:1-4). The Father of Truth raised him from the dead, so everyone could be justified, by putting their trust in the Man of Truth (Romans 4:24-25). The Father of Truth raised him from the dead, so everyone could live a life free from sin, like the Man of Truth (Romans 6:4-11).
Everyone, who surrenders control of their life to the Man of Truth, because they believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead, will come into the House of Truth, where they will live under the blessing of the Father of Truth (Romans 10:9).
Come into the House of Truth!
Labels: Hasmoneans, Persecution, Pharisees, Sadducees, Sanhedrin, Sovereignty
posted by The House Of Truth @ February 24, 2018
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