Introduction

This is a book based on Luke’s Gospel concentrating on how Luke followed God’s law of context to write an account of Jesus’ ministry. This book points out the laws of context Luke followed, showing how each was used in his book to draw attention to details and lessons.

If it’s one thing I learned as an engineer, it is, you can’t make a better design or product by thinking like or copying people who designed the product your working on. The earthly term is thinking out of the box. You have to strive to reach a higher level of understanding and knowledge. The first step is to look back and understand the process in the original design. To apply this to Luke’s Gospel and Christianity as a whole, “You can’t get out of this world by thinking like it.”

What does the world do to God’s Bible? They separate a few verses or a single story then try to tell you what they think it means. They may hit on a few details sitting on the surface. They may see a part of the lesson, but this book will begin to tell you how much has been missed.

It’s time to stop using the Bible as a reference book or some sort of dictionary that tells people what the meaning of a concept, doctrine, or tradition is, and look at it the way God wrote and constructed all of the sixty six books we call the Bible. The Bible was never intended to be a dictionary to pull of a shelf to look for proof to support a preconceived idea. The Bible is a collection of stories arranged by an Infinite God to tell us about His plan of salvation, how His Son provided the perfect sacrifice, and how that plan will be fulfilled.

This entire book was written by following a few basic rules of context. This book also explains those rules of context in simple terms by showing when, where, and how Luke used those rules to write his Gospel. A special Bible graphic has been added to the stories reviewing the rule Luke introduced and used.

Those rules of context are consistent throughout the Bible. Once you learn a few of those simple rules, you’ll see God’s Word open up in a way you never imaged. You’ll also see God’s Spirit is alive and well, and still working 24/7 to reach this fallen world. If your one of those Christians who’ve been told, “God’s Spirit just doesn’t talk to this world anymore,” or, “we already have all the information we need,” you gotta read this book and share it.

     Luke Chapter 1

I wanted to try something a little different in this book. I really want to write stories about the events and characters in Luke’s book describing the scenes and lessons. But my ministry is to teach people how to study the Bible on their own. I’ve always wondered how people did it. You know, how they look up texts and links between texts in different chapters and books. God blessed me with the opportunity to learn from some of the best. After writing a number of books on Bible study, I thought it was time to write a book with interesting stories and descriptions while throwing in a few lessons about how to study the Bible.

My back ground in Bible study is not formal. I learned a few details from a few people who were able to explain study methods. I found it difficult to find people who actually study their Bibles. Most people consider a casual reading, opening up to a few chapters at random, or following a read through the Bible in a year program was Bible Study. Others think going over some preprinted material is studying their Bible. The sad fact is,most Christians want someone to study for them, then provide an condensed answer in the shortest time possible. The people I’ve learned from have seen this same phenomenon throughout Christianity.

One of my main mentors has been Dr. Lee Gugliotto, author, teacher, and retired pastor. His online courses have been helpful beyond imagination. Not only have they been a real eye opener along the lines of Bible Study, but what people will do with that information. Very few people seem to have the interest and dedication to open their Bible, and use those simple rules of context we’ve learned. For me, it has become a life style. Something I have a great desire to share.

Of course once I dove deeper into God’s Word, God made sure He surrounded me with people at and near the same level, as well as a few at a much higher level. Of course there has always been people with an interest to learn more. Finding out what those people were ready for was discussed in previous books, and of course we will cover details Jesus taught about how and when to reach people – on all levels.

In this book, I am going to provide a copy of the entire chapter with key words highlighted. This will help you to see how the author called attention to major and minor details. As we go through each chapter in detail, you’ll see why God arranged His inspired word in this particular way, which is consistent throughout the Bible. This can best be described as a Study on a Page. Now it’s time to take an unforgettable journey though Luke’s Gospel.

Luke 1:1-80 NLTse Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. (2) They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. (3) Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, (4) so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught. (5) When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. (6) Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. (7) They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. (8) One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. (9) As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. (10) While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. (11) While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. (12) Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. (13) But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. (14) You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, (15) for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. (16) And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. (17) He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” (18) Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” (19) Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! (20) But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” (21) Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. (22) When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary. (23) When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. (24) Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. (25) “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” (26) In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, (27) to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. (28) Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” (29) Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. (30) “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! (31) You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. (32) He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. (33) And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (34) Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” (35) The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. (36) What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. (37) For nothing is impossible with God.” (38) Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. (39) A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town (40) where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. (41) At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (42) Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. (43) Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? (44) When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. (45) You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” (46) Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. (47) How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! (48) For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. (49) For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. (50) He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. (51) His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. (52) He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. (53) He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. (54) He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. (55) For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.” (56) Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home. (57) When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. (58) And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. (59) When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. (60) But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” (61) “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” (62) So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. (63) He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” (64) Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. (65) Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. (66) Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way. (67) Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: (68) “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. (69) He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, (70) just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. (71) Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. (72) He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant– (73) the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. (74) We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, (75) in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. (76) “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. (77) You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. (78) Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, (79) to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” (80) John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

I’m not sure how to approach this. For one thing, I’ve never seen a book like this, and I thought I would just write stories about Luke’s book, and add a few details about how to study the Bible. To really understand the study method I use, you have to see how key words are highlighted.

     To Write a Perfect Account

Luke 1:1-4 NLTse Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. (2) They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. (3) Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, (4) so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.

I love the way Luke begins his book. The first thing Luke pointed out was, “many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.” I know how he feels. A lot of books have been written about Jesus. Even in Luke’s day, books about Jesus were popular. You’ll notice Luke doesn’t bother going into detail about those other books. Some people think he is referring to the other three gospels. We don’t know that for certain. We can assume Luke may have read those other books, but Luke did tells us, “They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.” This statement leads us to believe Luke read those other books, and may have used them as references while writing His own book.

Luke also went into a some details about how he gathered information. “Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.” This shows Luke looked into claims from those other books, then decided to write a book of his own to set the record straight.

We have no idea what other books Luke may have read. Other modern books cover some possibles. I prefer to stick to the Bible because I’ve found insurmountable proof the Bible is the inspired Word of God. I’ve found every detail we need to prove every point God considered important is backed up and proven with His Word. I see absolutely no reason to go outside of the Bible for any information. Well that’s true in 99% of all cases. There are a few little things we can use from other books to get an understanding of some of the events. As we progress through Luke’s Gospel, we’ll notice, Luke, nor any of the other gospel writers used any references from outside God’s scripture. As a matter of fact, as we progress through Luke’s Gospel, we will see a pattern established when scripture is quoted. God had a reason to write sixty six books with minimal references to other books. Those few references were to a few missing books written by other prophets or chronicles about the kings of Judah and Israel.

Of course there are a lot of useful books available today. Many of them dwell on history. There is one thing I’ve found while attempting to use outside sources to gather historical data. It is almost impossible to find two historians who agree. One thing is for certain. Eyewitness accounts of history can be and are often biased. Sometimes it is biased based on personal views. Other times it is biased based on the fact some historians were employed by the king in charge. Most kings insisted only their victories were recorded. Kings didn’t want the world to remember their set backs and defeats.

If we look at and consider how history is recorded today, no one can deny opinions are biased and often distorted. A historian who idolizes a current president will record his life and actions far differently than a historian supporting the other party. In short, whenever we go outside of the Bible, we have to consider the source. God may be on trial…. but the evidence is in. The universe has seen what the accuser is capable of. He is his own character witness. On the other side of that trial, God doesn’t mind being questioned. As a matter of fact, He welcomes questions. God already recorded the answers in His book. This is what I’ve found as undeniable evidence, God is God and the author of the Bible.

    A Message Delivered by Gabriel

Luke 1:5-22 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. (6) Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. (7) They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. (8) One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. (9) As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. (10) While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. (11) While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. (12) Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. (13) But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. (14) You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, (15) for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. (16) And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. (17) He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” (18) Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” (19) Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! (20) But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” (21) Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. (22) When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.

The first thing Luke got into at the beginning of his book was the date. This is important. We see authors specifying dates using a reigning king to establish a time line. Sometimes this can be confusing, like in the case of Herod.

Here is a Bible Study step you want to learn:

I use a free Bible Study program called E-Sword. With this free program, you can add a number of free Bibles. One you have to download is called the KJV+. This is the version containing Strong’s numbers and works with the Strong Concordance, a very important Bible Study tool. In this example, I looked up the word Herod in the KVJ+, looked at the Strong’s number to find it was the name of four kings in Jerusalem. One of the Bibles you may want to buy is the NLTse (New Living Translation, second edition).

Since those four kings named Herod spanned a long period of time, this may seem confusing. All I can tell you is, if God didn’t see a reason to set the exact date of this event, it may not be important. Then again, having a pretty good idea of how God wrote His book, some specific dates take a bit of digging in the Bible. But I’ve always been able to find the answers in the Bible. As a matter of fact, in this case, checking the other gospels will reveal additional information about which Herod Luke referred to, as well as using other references to zero in dates. That is a detail you can study on your own. That way you’ll see for yourself how God’s Spirit will bring out unexpected details. Talking about unexpected details, doesn’t it seem a little strange Luke would begin his book with a story about Zechariah and his son John? This brings up a number of important Bible Study rules.

When something is unusual, it is time to pay attention.

When God repeats Himself, it is time to pay attention.

The introduction to a book and chapter establish its context.

Using a few general rules of context, we can take a close look at the beginning, or introduction to Luke’s book. Luke wants to assure his friend, and us, everything he recorded is true. We have to ask why Luke decided to begin his book with a story about Zechariah and his son. The gospel writers each had their own style of writing and used their own introductions. We’ll learn how the Bible explains why Luke used this story at the beginning of his book. You can use the same method to study the other gospels as well as other books in the Bible.

Since we already recognized something strange, the obvious next step is to look at what is repeated. This takes a little practice and I would strongly suggest you pray after highlighting keys words and put the study away for a while. That’s when the answers will come. I use a simple method to pray and approach God’s throne for answers. I pray to have my sins forgiven, and ask to be cleansed by Jesus’ blood. I then ask to approach God’s throne to sit and learn at His feet. That’s when it’s time to listen. Once you approach the Infinite Teacher and God of the universe, it is time to listen. Once God gets started on a subject, be prepared to hear details you’ve never seen before. One of the details God pointed out was a new beginning. When I looked at the key words, I could see how birth and born stood out. That showed me how this story centered on a new beginning.

Zechariah went through the usual preparations. He was washed and dressed in his white linen ephod with blue trim, a symbol of God’s law. Zechariah carried two small gold boxes. One was for the ashes, the other filled with a new supply of incense. Nothing seemed special about the day. It seemed Zechariah had done this a thousand times. The usual crowd gathered outside the temple to offer up petitions, prayer requests to God. Zechariah heard them all. Prayers never seemed to change. People always needed help and Zechariah was always happy to add them all to his prayer list. Every once in a while he would get personally involved. On a few occasions he was able to personally help people. Some times with funds, other times as a friend, to be there when they needed someone to listen.

Once the ashes were cleaned and the new incense lite, Zechariah watched it burn for a while. He watched the smoke raise up while remembering stories about how the smoke would drift up over the vail into the Most Holy portion of the Tabernacle. The ceilings were so high in Herod’s temple, Zechariah wondered if there would ever be enough smoke to reach the Most Holy. Zechariah felt an emptiness in his heart as he looked at the vail, knowing the ark was not there. Looking back to check the burning incense once more, Zechariah wondered why God answered some prayers, but not others.

Suddenly the lights seemed to dim a bit. Zechariah looked away for an instant, then back at the incense he was responsible for just in time to see a faint, then a clear image of a figure standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. Zechariah never saw another person in the temple before. Especially not one tall enough to reach the ceiling. It took a while for Zechariah’s heart rate to return to something near normal. He had no idea what to do or say. After a while the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

The first thing the angel wanted to do was calm Zechariah. Then the angel assured Zechariah, God heard his prayer. For a second Zechariah wondered which one. The last thing Zechariah expected was the answer the angel gave. The angel didn’t beat around the bush. Not only did he tell Zechariah his wife Elizabeth was going to have a son, but the angel told him what to name his son. Zechariah thought this was strange. Isn’t it the right of a father to name his son? Didn’t the angel know this would be his firstborn son? Didn’t the angel know it was tradition to name the firstborn son after the father, and train the child to carry on the father’s profession? Especially with the priesthood.

The rest of the angel’s message confirmed Zechariah’s prayer for a son to carry on his legacy as a priest. Zechariah felt good to hear his son would bring joy by turning people to God. But Zechariah wasn’t sure about that spirit and power of Elijah. But is sounded good.

The angel must have done a good job of comforting Zechariah, because, Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Imagine hearing the answer to a major prayer personally delivered by an angel from God. Then what happened? Zechariah questioned the good news. Why? Was Zechariah upset because he couldn’t name the baby? Did he really doubt the angel and the message? Something was wrong.

Notice the angel didn’t try to second guess what Zechariah was thinking, or discuss the issue. The angel identified himself and his task. “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” The speed and direct way Gabriel delivered the message showed how angels work. They deliver messages, adding nothing, and we can trust that they will leave nothing out. Gabriel didn’t attempt to over explain the situation or enter into a debate. Zechariah opened his mouth and the wrong thing came out. Gabriel began the conversation with a word of comfort and ended it with a rebuke.

This shows how angels follow orders from God as well as showing, when God communicates with us, there is a price to pay when doubt is allowed to set in. After all, when Pharaoh didn’t listen to the message Moses delivered, he had to pay the price. Why would God treat a priest any differently?

The rebuke caught Zechariah by surprise. He suddenly noticed Gabriel was twice as tall as him. Zechariah began wondering what he was thinking when he questioned Gabriel. That’s when Zechariah realized, Gabriel delivered a series of important messages to Daniel, one of the greatest prophets in scripture. Zechariah realized Gabriel stood next to God’s throne. His mind was filled with a thousand questions. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. This was a price to high to pay. Zechariah had a chance to ask Gabriel all those questions he had about God. He could stand there and talk to Gabriel for days. But trying as hard as he could, nothing came out. After a few minutes, Gabriel vanished.

It was an experience Zechariah had to share. But when he came out of the temple, he still couldn’t speak. Zechariah began to add up the losses he faced by questioning God’s messenger. There were also a number of other details Zechariah had to think over. That’s one reason Zechariah lost his voice. To give him time and put him in a position to think about his life, and beliefs.

When we look at key words Luke repeated, we see the words birth and born stand out. Examining the texts, we see Gabriel delivered a message about Zechariah’s son using words to deliver a message of hope, joy, peace, and unity. At the same time, we see Zechariah the priest loosing his voice. Of course there is a connection. This marked the end of the old priesthood and the beginning of a new priesthood. Not a new priesthood to God, but new to Zechariah’s generation. Notice how the word old is also repeated. The old was giving birth to something new.

God has a way of revealing details like those when you take time to pray about the studies you work on. If nothing else, you can see how a person who actually prayers, and listens to God, will never run out of new details to share. People may claim they are safe. They may claim they can tell the difference between the right message and a wrong one. But can they really tell the difference between someone who prays and someone who copies information from another person? Once you learn to approach God’s throne and listen to details He has to share, you’ll have no trouble telling when you meet a person who has been in God’s presence, or on the other extreme, a person who never learned to leave this world when it comes to learning lessons from scripture.

Another important Bible Study rule is, when you see scripture quoted by an author, always look up the original texts. An inspired writer will only quote a small portion of scripture. Just enough to point you back to the original texts. It’s your job to open up and read the original texts. And remember to check to introduction and summation for the chapter the original scripture is located. This a a major way God uses to communicate with us. An easy way to locate the original texts is to use a chain reference in a Study Bible. Or you can use the TSK (Treasury of Scripture Knowledge) you can download and use with E-Sword, and other Bible computer programs.

And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

This prophecy is recorded in Malachi 4, which happens to be the perfect example to teach about context found in parallel chapters. Those are chapters, one with a prophecy and the other with its fulfillment. Since it is a short chapter, it will be easy to show how the introduction ans summation add more information to the New Testament chapter it is quoted in.

Malachi 4:1-6 NLTse The LORD of Heaven’s Armies says, “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed–roots, branches, and all. (2) “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. (3) On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. (4) “Remember to obey the Law of Moses, my servant–all the decrees and regulations that I gave him on Mount Sinai for all Israel. (5) “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD arrives. (6) His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

The first important feature we see is the last line in Malachi 4. We can see Zechariah was the first one to experience this curse. Once we put the two together we see a sort of chemical reaction occur. People could guess from today to the the day Jesus returns about the curse in Malachi 4, but when we study using the general laws of context, we see how God’s Bible always explains itself. What did Zechariah do to deserve his curse? First, he questioned God’s messenger. Not just any messenger, but Gabriel, the angel we see active in other books of the Bible. Many say it was Zechariah’s doubt or lack of faith. You can add that to the list. How many people know anything about Elijah’s power we’re supposed to see in the last days?

Another factor we see behind the scene is Zechariah’s desire to follow tradition. Zechariah wanted John to grow up to be just like himself. That was the last thing God wanted or needed. God needed someone He could bring up and train himself. God needed someone who would take His message and deliver it exactly the way it was designed. Zechariah was an old priest and stuck in his ways. Lines between truth and tradition were blurred. John had an important task. He had to prepare the world for Jesus’ ministry. So far, generations of priests all the way from Aaron in the wilderness to Zechariah during the Roman occupation failed. God needed a new plan, and the established priesthood proved they were not up to the task. Hence, the fulfillment of the symbol of a new birth.

Symbols always point to something far greater.

Symbols can only be interpreted by God’s Word.

Key words help to point to scripture explaining the meaning of a symbol.

The meaning of a symbol is often explained within the chapter it is recorded.

Symbols must always be interpreted within context.

Without a doubt, Luke repeated the words birth and born to draw attention to them. In this case they are used as a symbol. Since Luke used the symbol of a physical birth, and the fulfillment must be far greater, the symbol must point to a spiritual birth. Look at other words Luke repeated. The key words priest and old share a relationship linked to the new birth. It is not a physical birth, but a spiritual. The original prophecy explained everything long before Luke established the link between those key words, old, priest, and birth. “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”

What does the Sun of Righteousness point to? See how we would have missed that very important point if we just did a casual reading? This is what I mean when I wrote about what some people consider Bible Study, compared to learning how God arranged His Word so information is found at just the right time.

God has always worked with a predetermined structure. Timing has always been a large part of that structure. Before you finish this book, I hope you will begin to understand God’s timing which seems to be one of the most difficult subjects for people to understand and explain. For now we will cover one of the easiest concepts of God’s timing, and you will see examples unfold throughout this book.

God’s timing is best explained using what we view as a linear, or strait, one dimensional time line. God of course has a different view of time. He knows nothing but eternity and has the power to see future events, as well as having a perfect memory of the past. Since we do not possess those qualities to the same degree as God, He arranged the Bible in a manner we should find easy to understand. The fulfillment of a prophecy represents one point on that linear time line. As we study, using the basic rules of context, we find events and lessons intersecting that point. In this example, John’s conception and birth are intersected by the prophecy in Malachi chapter 4. Some fulfillments have a number of lines intersecting their point in time. Each intersecting line teaches a lesson. Each line travels on an angle in its own associated time period. In this case, the symbol, Sun of Righteousness, covers the same time period in one aspect of time, and much more.

The Sun of Righteousness points to the John’s message. It also points to Jesus’ ministry, here on earth, before His birth on earth, and His ministry in Heaven. As you can see, one intersecting line through a single point in earth’s history can add so much to our understanding. We can see the extent of that intersecting timeline based on Malachi’s introduction to chapter 4. “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed–roots, branches, and all.” Some of the words point us to John’s ministry as well as Jesus’ earthly ministry, and beyond to the fulfillment of one phase of Jesus’ ministry in Heaven to the beginning of the next phase. To understand the spiritual concept of John’s birth and ministry, we have to observe the intersecting timeline of Jesus’ ministry. This is one of God’s ways of explaining His concept of time.

This also shows how important it is for us to progress only as fast as God’s Word and His Spirit lead. Believe me, I am so tempted to get into details about Herod, how he came to power, the Roman government, their concept of a Republic, how they revolutionized taxes, and how many of those details apply today. But it is far more important to stick to context.

Another term to consider is, “healing in His wings.” What thoughts does that induce in your mind? Oh come on. This book wouldn’t be any fun to write or read if your not involved in the process. And one of the main goals is to get you involved in Bible Study and of course in connection with God’s Spirit. This is a time to pause and think about other stories in the Bible with the symbol wings. How does Malachi 4 help to understand those stories? Think about that for a moment. This book will also cover pauses Jesus used during His ministry to get people around Him to think, and more importantly, open their minds and hearts up to God’s Spirit.