Life and Times of Jesus

Larry I. DeRycke

Description

Having no real knowledge of the measurements used during the time that Jesus walked the Earth, I will give all mentions of measurements, and volume in the Metric format for the ease of understanding for the people of today.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Religion

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris US
• Date de parution: 08 novembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669854630
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Life and Times of Jesus
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Larry I. DeRycke
 
Copyright © 2022 by Larry I. DeRycke.
Library of Congress Control Number:
2022920924
ISBN:
Hardcover
978-1-6698-5464-7

Softcover
978-1-6698-5462-3

eBook
978-1-6698-5463-0
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
 
Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
 
 
Rev. date: 11/04/2022
 
 
 
Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
 
848435
Contents
Prelude
 
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
 
Acknowledgements:
Prelude
Having no real knowledge of the measurements used during the time that Jesus walked the Earth, I will give all mentions of measurements, and volume in the Metric format for the ease of understanding for the people of today.
A Fictional Account
This novel is fictional, even though many of the people and events did happen in history, many others are simply made up by me, so as to give the story a logical completeness of the untold parts that the Apostles and ancient Prophets could not fit into those writings that they did make.
Chapter I
Zacharias and Elizabeth
Zacharias, a Priest of the Temple which stood in the city of Jerusalem in the lands of Judaea, stood atop the balcony of the top step of the Temple Building, looking down at the multitude of people there on this Sabbath Day. The people were there to be witness to the Burning of Incense and to pray and give worship to God Almighty.
On this Sabbath Day, it was Zacharias’ privilege of being the Temple Priest who performed that Ceremony of the Burning of the Incense, and to lead in prayer of all those gathered in the Temple Court yard.
As he stood there, atop the balcony, Zacharias recited the words from scripture, that were the start of the holy ceremony to be performed. Loudly, and with a strong voice, so those all about could hear his words, Zacharias spoke the ancient words given to the Nation of Israel by Moses about 1,500 years previous, who, himself, had received the words from God Almighty.
Finishing the reading of the long-established words, Zacharias then gave a prayer for all those present, and the Nation as a whole. “Lord, God, Holy art thou, give your mercy unto thine people, giving them peace and good days. Lead them away from the Devils temptations, that they shall always be your people, to be righteous in your eyes, to forever live within your house. Amen.”
With that being said, Zacharias turned and walked in through the great doorway of the Temple Building, and into the area known as the Holy Place, which lay first before the inner compartment, which was the Holy of Holies, and separated from the rest of the building by a Great Vail. Zacharias walked up to the altar, and lit the fire within the bowl that would burn the Incense.
The Angel Gabriel
As Zacharias stood in front of the altar, feeding the incense stick into the fire and watching the smoke thereof rise up to the high rafters of the room, and while giving prayer to God Almighty; a man appeared to him, standing off to the right side of the altar.
“ Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. ”
At first Zacharias was startled and a little frightened at this sudden and unexpected man’s entry into the Temple.
“Sir,” said Zacharias to the stranger, with a slight trembling in his voice, and not understanding the words that the man had spoken, “it is not permitted that any but Priests are to enter into the Temple Building, you need to leave, now.”
“Thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth,” the stranger again spoke, ignoring Zacharias’ demanded that he leave. “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.”
Zacharias, stood there, forgetting the incense stick between his fingers, trying to make sense of the words that this stranger spoke to him, more startled than he was frightened. “You must be mistaken, I and my wife are aged and long in years, and Elizabeth is beyond the age of carrying a child to term,” Zacharias gently explained to the man.
“And many of the children of Israel shall your son turn to the Lord their God,” the stranger continued, paying no mind to Zacharias’ scolding.
“And your son shall go before God in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Finally, understanding what this man was saying, Zacharias realized that this was no man, but must be an Angel sent to him from God, giving prophecy that Elizabeth would give birth to a son, and that the son would grow up to be a Man of God.
“Whereby shall I know this?” Zacharias said still in confusion, “For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.”
With words only in a whisper, afraid that if he spoke to loud that this Angel might disappear, Zacharias asked with trembling words of hope, “How can a woman, well past the age of child bearing, now give birth?”
“I am Gabriel,” the Angel announced, “ that stands in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tid ings.”
Zacharias, stood there, still confused, and finding it difficult that he was being spoken to by an Angel, and Hope upon Hope that it might be possible that Elizabeth, after all these years, could at long last give him a son.
Then Zacharias, remembering his education in scriptures and recognized the name Gabriel, “ Gabriel? ” Zacharias questioned, “are you the same Gabriel that spoke all those hundreds of years ago to Daniel?”
“And, behold,” the Angel spoke again, once more ignoring Zacharias’ question, “thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their se ason.”
Upon speaking those words, the Angel Gabriel vanished from before Zacharias’ eyes, having completed the task given to him by the Almighty God.
The Multitude Marveled
Outside, standing at the bottom of the steps that lead up to the Temple Building, several of the people there to witness the Ceremony of the Burning of Incense, began to ask each other, “What is keeping the Priest Zacharias, has something befallen him?”
Another asked, “Shall we send someone in to inquire of Zacharias?”
“No,” said another, “none but priests may enter in.”
Standing next to Elizabeth, Zacharias’ wife, a family friend, said, “I wonder if he has fallen down again, perhaps someone should go ask a priest to check on him.”
Hearing all these words spoken by the concerned people gathered, Josias, a student of Zacharias, left his assigned place atop the balcony and went to see how his teacher was doing.
Inside the temple, Zacharias was shaken to his soul, and began to tremble. Looking all around, he saw no one else present, “Had this all been a dream, or was it truly a vision from God, that Elizabeth would give him a son, even after all these years of she being his wife?”
The incense stick between his fingers, having burnt down to a stubble, burnt his fingers causing him to drop the remainder into the censor bowl. With both hands upon the altar, Zacharias went down to his knees before the altar and prayed a prayer of thanks to God Almighty. But when he opened his mouth to speak his prayer out loud, no sound came out of them, and he remembered what the Angel Gabriel had said, “You shall be dumb.” So, in his mind, his lips moving soundlessly Zacharias gave his prayer. “Lord God, merciful and loving, you have indeed answered my prayers, that I might have a son, as has always been, I am your eternal servant. Amen.”
Josias entered into the Temple, finding Zacharias in front of the altar on his knees, and with his hands holding on to the altar with a small fire inside the incense bowl, with the smoke of the incense still rising up out of the bowl.
“Zacharias?” asked the much younger Priest, “are you all right, have you fallen down? Reaching Zacharias, Josias grabbed hold of his mentors’ arm and lifted him up from off his knees.
Zacharias looked into the eyes of his student, and attempted to speak, but again the words would not come forth. Reaching into his garment and an inner pocket, Zacharias pulled out a writing pad and stylist, and quickly wrote upon it. “I have seen a vision from God, and my voice has been taken