The Trinity. Satans’s False Doctrine

“DO NOT CLING TO ME, FOR I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO MY FATHER, BUT GO TO MY BRETHREN AND SAY TO THEM, I AM ASCENDING TO MY FATHER AND YOUR FATHER, AND TO MY GOD AND YOUR GOD.”

JOHN 20:17

THE TRINITY-SATAN’S FALSE DOCTRINE

JESUS CHRIST IS NOT GOD!

Would it surprise you to know that one of the most prominent doctrines in Christianity today has no basis in scripture? The doctrine of the “Holy Trinity” considered by many to be essential to one’s very salvation, is not found in Christianity until at least three hundred years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Even more shocking is the fact that the concept of a triune godhead likely comes from the traditions of paganism!

AN ANCIENT STATUE OF THE HINDU TRINITY

Keep in mind that there are many sincere believers in the trinity doctrine and not all are just mindless followers of a tradition. While there are numerous scriptures that show Jesus to be just who he said he was, the SON of God, there are a handful of New Testament scriptures that might, IF taken out of context, cause one to conclude that Jesus is himself God.

THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE CONFUSION

There seems to be a lack of attention paid to the things that the Bible says about Jesus in his pre-human existence. Scripture tells us that Jesus was the “Logos,” or in English, the “Word,” at the beginning of creation. It is the role that he possessed prior to his earthly ministry which causes many to falsely conclude that he is not only the Son of God, but indeed is God.

SCRIPTURE SHOWS JESUS WAS CREATED BY GOD

“THESE THINGS SAYS THE AMEN, THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS, THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD.”

REVELATION 3:14

We are taught in the Bible that the Heavenly Father is without beginning and without end. Jesus Christ in his own words claims to be God’s first, or “chief” creation. According to the Apostle John, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten SON.” (John 3:16) If Jesus was “begotten” some other being must have “beget” him. According to Webster’s Dictionary, “Beget” means to be the “FATHER OR TO SIRE. To bring into being.” This being the case, a higher power must have created Jesus.

In examining the account of creation as written in the book of Genesis, it is clear that the Heavenly Father employed a helper in the creation process. “Let US make man in our image, according to our likeness, let them have dominion over the the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) It is our contention that Jesus Christ in his pre-human form was this very helper.

“THINGS WERE MADE THROUGH HIM”

The gospel of the Apostle John tells us that “All things were made THROUGH him, (Jesus) and without him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:3) The majority of translations use the word “through,” which is wrongly translated in the original King James Bible as “all things were made by him.” If all things were made through him, this indicates that he was carrying out orders that had been delegated by a higher authority. Jesus acted as Jehovah’s agency and is the one who dealt directly with mankind in the Old Testament.

JESUS IS THE “ARM” OF JEHOVAH”

There are numerous scriptures that speak of Jehovah’s Holy “arm.” When one examines the context of these verses it becomes clear that this “arm” is Jesus Christ. In speaking of the coming redeemer, “therefore his own arm brought salvation FOR him.” (Isaiah 59:16) “The Lord has made bare his Holy arm in the eyes of all nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see his salvation.” (Isaiah 52:10) “Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule over them.” (Isaiah 40:10) “And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (John 12:38) and (Isaiah 53:1) Jesus serves as the General of Jehovah. He is the one who carries out the will of his Father.

PROVERBS 8TH CHAPTER SPEAKS OF THE ROLE OF OF THE “LOGOS”

To further comprehend the role of the “Logos,” turn your Bible to the book of Proverbs the 8th chapter verses 22-31.” Verse 30 says, “I was beside him as a master craftsman; and I was daily his delight.” Clearly we see here that Jesus was with the Father, but he was separate from the Heavenly Father.

“THE WORD WAS GOD”

JOHN 1:1

For centuries, a poor translation of John 1:1, as well as a misunderstanding of biblical usage for the word “god,” has caused millions to wrongly believe in the trinity. In most Bibles, John 1:1 reads “In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God.” This scripture is the cornerstone of Trinitarian creed.

HOW SHOULD JOHN 1:1 BE TRANSLATED?

The first argument in refuting this interpretation is an appeal to common sense. How could the Word be with God and be God at the same time? If the point here was to say that the Word was God, why bother saying that he was with him? Would not the passage more likely read (In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was in all things God?) The very word structure of this passage provides strong evidence for mistranslation.

In an effort to validate their own bias towards the trinity doctrine, it appears that the translators have ignored an obvious distinction between the Logos and the Heavenly Father in John 1:1. The Greek word that is used for god in the passage is theos. In the two uses of the word “god” there is a difference in its usage. In the first use “the Word was with God” the word is ho theos meaning THE God.” In the second usage of this verse it is simply theos. Given this, the proper reading of John 1:1 should be “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the God, and a god was the Word.” Verse 2 goes on to say, “He was in the beginning with the (ho theos) God.”

According to the Strongs Concordance, the Greek word theos, which is numbered 2316 in the Greek dictionary found towards the back of the publication, means “a deity, especially with word (3588) the supreme Divinity.” Now let us examine word 3588. This word is the very “ho” placed before the name of God in the first usage in John 1:1.

Given this obvious distinction between theos and ho theos, by the Apostle John, can there be any doubt that Jesus Christ in his pre-human condition was an all together separate being from the God of the universe?

THE HEBREW WORD “ELOHIM”

Numerous times in the Old Testament the Hebrew word elohim is used for the word God. It is often used when referring to the Heavenly Father, but the meaning of elohim is simply “mighty one” or one in authority. Given this, elohim is applied to angels as in Psalm 8:5 “You have made him (the future Messiah) a little lower than the angels (elohim) and have crowned him with glory and honor.”

In other instances in the Old Testament elohim is used when speaking of powerful human beings. For instance in Exodus 7:1 Moses is called elohim “See I have made you as God to Pharaoh.” Psalm 82:6-7 refers to the saints as elohim “I said you are gods, and all of you are children of the most high God.”

FRAUDULENT BIBLICAL PASSAGES IN 1ST JOHN 5:7-8

Further proof that the doctrine of the trinity is false lies in the book of 1st John. Trinitarians have used the words of 1st John 5:7-8 as a key argument for the trinity. “For there are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one.” There is an enormous problem however in using these verses to bolster the trinity doctrine. The passage is not authentic! These words only appear in five later manuscripts and are not found in any of the earlier New Testament texts. These verses are such obvious forgeries that even staunch Trinitarian scholars have been forced to admit as much. Among them are the publishers of the New King James translation and various study bibles.

Let us now take a look at 1st John 5:7-8 in its true context without the spurious passage. “For there are three who bear witness, the spirit, the water, and the blood, and these things agree as one.” Upon seeing how these verses are intended to read, it is clear that in no way do they offer a credible argument for the trinity. Now examine verse nine “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God that he has testified in his SON Jesus Christ.” Clearly these passages are talking about two separate beings, the Heavenly Father and his only begotten SON Jesus Christ.

“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE”

JOHN 10:30

Supporters of the trinity often quote the words of Jesus “I and the Father are one” as proof for Jesus’ being God in the flesh. Once again they take the words of Jesus completely out of context. If one examines Jesus’ own words later on in the very same gospel of John, he explains this oneness.

On the night of his arrest our Lord prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He prayed vehemently for the well being of his Apostles. He asks God that “they all may be ONE, as you Father, are in me, and I in you; that they also may be ONE in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And the glory which you gave me I have given them, and that they may be ONE just as we are ONE.” (John 17:21-22)

Clearly Jesus was not asking his Father to make his apostles one in the same person. He was requesting that they be one in thought, purpose, and deed. Jesus Christ and Jehovah, his God and our God, are indeed one, but it is a oneness in their mission. This oneness of purpose can be compared to having a President and a Vice President. They are not the same literal persons, but they are one in representing the office of the presidency.

“HE WHO HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER”

JOHN 14:9

This passage is often used by trinity advocates as another proof that Jesus was claiming to be God. If we are to take this passage literally, there appears to be serious contradiction in Jesus’ words in other scriptures. How can Jesus say “he who has seen me has seen the Father” and in another place say “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.” (John 6:46) “And the Father himself who sent me, has testified of me. You have neither heard his voice at anytime, nor seen his form.” (John 5:37) Or what about the words of John “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten son, who is in the bosom of the Father has declared him.” Then again in (1st John 4:12) “No one has seen God at any time.” Thankfully, the scriptures do not contradict themselves.

It appears that the true meanings of Jesus’ words are if you have seen him, you have seen the works of the Father. The word “seen” is translated from the Greek word horao (Strongs 3708) which means “to discern clearly.”

“BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS I AM”

JOHN 8:58)

One of the more credible arguments made by well meaning Trinitarians is the use of Jesus’ words in verse 58 of the 8th chapter of John. In this conversation with the Pharisees, the Lord was rebuking them for not knowing who he really was. He informed them that their father Abraham rejoiced to see his day and he saw it and he was glad. (John 8:57) In doubting him, the Jewish spokesman responded, “you are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Following this in verse 58 Jesus said “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was I AM.”

While on the surface one might conclude that Jesus was claiming to be God by declaring “I AM.” Consider the words in the previous verses, “If I honor myself my honor is nothing. It is my Father who honors me, of whom you say that he is your God.” verse 54.

Jesus was quoting from the book of Exodus when God appeared to Moses at the burning bush. “I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 3:14) It is our contention that Jesus in his pre-human existence acted as the one carrying out Jehovah’s wishes. He was representing Jehovah, as his messenger before mankind. What Jesus told the Pharisees was that he knew God, his Father, personally, and that he was present in Abraham’s time acting upon the will of his Father.

DID THOMAS’ WORDS “MY LORD AND MY GOD” PROVE THE TRINITY?

Trinitarians use the words of the Apostle Thomas upon seeing Jesus following his resurrection “My Lord and my God.” (John (20:28) as proof that Jesus was his own Father. Once again we refer to the Greek word theos and the meaning of this word. While this word has been used in places referring to the Heavenly Father, it can also be applied to those in authority. Jesus in his resurrected condition was the head of the Christian church and was truly Thomas’ Lord and ruler.

JESUS NEVER ONCE CLAIMED TO BE GOD

If Jesus Christ was God, his own father, why didn’t he come out and say so? Why did he come up with such a confusing doctrine known as the trinity? In all cases Jesus Christ speaks of his Father being his superior. Here are just a few scriptures, “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father.” (John 6:57) “My doctrine is not mine but his who sent me.” (John 7:16) “For the Father judges no one, but committed all judgment to the SON.” (John 5:22) “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one upon me.” (Luke 22:29) “All authority has been given to me in Heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18) “All things have been delivered to me by my Father” (John 11:27) “In this love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be a propitiation for our sins.” (1st John 4:10)

“THE FATHER IS GREATER THAN I”

John 14:28

Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry he claimed to be subjected to the will of his Father. When speaking to his apostles the night before he was put to death, he said, “You have heard me say to you, I am going away and coming back to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice because I said, I am going to the Father, for my FATHER IS GREATER THAN I.” (John 14:28)

“THE SON HIMSELF WILL BE SUBJECTED TO HIM”

1st CORINTHIANS 15:28

The Apostle Paul in speaking of the time when God’s plan for mankind is complete, when death is destroyed and Christ’s earthly reign comes to an end, has this to say. “Now when all things are made subject to him, (The Father) then the SON HIMSELF WILL BE SUBJECTED TO HIM who put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1st Corinthians 15:28) Now we ask, if Jesus is part of some “godhead” why would he ever be “subjected” to another?

“GOD OUR SAVIOR”

Those advocating the trinity have used the words of the Apostle where he calls God “our savior” (1st Timothy 1:1) as another proof for Christ’s deity. While Jesus Christ carried out the role of savior, his Father is ultimately our savior because he designed the plan that rescued the human race. All things are by the Father through the son. “We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the son to be the savior of the world.” (1st John 4:14)

OTHER SCRIPTURES DISPROVING THE TRINITY

There are numerous scriptures that disprove the trinity doctrine. Here are more words from Jesus on the subject. “Of that day and hour (when God’s kingdom is set up fully) knoweth no man, no not angels, neither the Son, but my Father only.” (Mark 13:32) “I send the promise of my Father upon you.” (Luke 24:49) “I am come in my Father’s name.” (John 5:43) “Whatsoever I speak, therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” (John 12:50)

WHAT ABOUT THE THE HOLY SPIRIT?

In addition to proclaiming that Jesus Christ is God, there is a third being of the so-called trinity. The Holy Spirit wrongly translated “Holy Ghost” in the original King James Bible, who is also said to be God. Unfortunately for the Trinitarian there is not one scripture in either the old or New Testament that says that the Holy Spirit is part of the godhead.

When the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit it is referring to the spirit of truth. This spirit is possessed by those who fully understand the plan of God, and that Jesus Christ died as a ransom for the entire world of mankind. Jesus, when being tempted by Satan in the wilderness quoted (Deuteronomy 6:13) “Man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Clearly there cannot be a better description of the holy sprit than this. This spirit of truth can be best described as “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Another way in which to understand the Holy Spirit is to compare it to the context of school spirit or patriotic spirit. Someone with the Holy Spirit has within them the spirit of God.

THE “COMFORTER” PROMISED BY JESUS

In preparing the apostles for his departure, Jesus promised them that his Father would send a “comforter” that would teach them all things. (John 14:25-26) He goes on to tell them that this comforter would be the Holy Spirit.

It is true that Jesus spoke of this comforter as “he” when explaining to them about this “spirit of truth.” (John 16:7-12) He does not however claim that this was another form of God. The “he” is likely an angel, which were used as God’s messengers throughout the Bible. This angel carried the message of the “spirit of truth” to the apostles on the day of Pentecost after Jesus ascended into Heaven. Just as when speaking of himself, our Lord taught that this comforter came from the Father.(John 14:25)

JESUS RECIEVED A GREATER EXISTENCE UPON HIS RESSURECTION

“THEREFORE GOD HAS HIGHLY EXALTED HIM AND GIVEN HIM THE NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME.”

PHILIPIANS 2:9

We are taught in scripture that upon his obedience to the Heavenly Father, our Lord received a higher spiritual plane than he possessed in his pre-human existence. The Apostle Paul tells us that the “first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam (Jesus) BECAME A LIFE GIVING SPIRIT.” (1st Corinthians 15:45) Jesus upon his obedience to his Heavenly Father was rewarded with a new nature, “the divine nature” as mentioned by the Apostle Peter in (2nd Peter 1:4). Jesus was the first, the HEAD of his symbolic BODY, which are the saints; they also are to receive the reward of immortality, meaning that they cannot die. Over these the “second death has NO power.” (Revelation 20:6)

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

There is overwhelming scriptural evidence that reveals the trinity as a false doctrine. While we respect sincere students of the Bible who disagree with us, it is offensive to hear those advocating the trinity claiming one must believe in it as a basis for salvation. If this were the case we are confident that the God of the universe would have presented it in a far less confusing way! Some advocates of the trinity claim it to be a great “mystery,” one that is impossible to fully comprehend. Now wait a minute, didn’t the Apostle Paul instruct followers of Christ to “prove all things?” (1st Thessalonians 5:21)

This discussion of who Jesus was and his relationship to the Heavenly Father, goes far deeper than the issues presented in this article. There are many words used in describing God in the Bible. For a more detailed study of the issue click here to an e-book known as The Doctrine of Christ.

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/adrianbiblestudents/trinityfalsedoctrine.html

Borrowing from the Neighbors: Pagan Imagery in Christian Art

by Sarah K. Yeomans Talkback Add Your Comment
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Living in the Greco-Roman world, early Christians were able to draw from a set of rich artistic paradigms when they set out to depict their stories and beliefs in decorative contexts. This often led to the assimilation of well-established pagan artistic styles and images into early Christian art. The sculptors, fresco painters and mosaic artists who created Christian images did so by using the prolific examples of art and decoration that shaped their artistic landscape. The earliest known Christian art can be found in the catacombs of Rome. This nascent and largely populist religion was viewed with varying degrees of hostility by the Roman authorities in the first few centuries after Jesus’ death, ranging from disdainful tolerance to outright persecution. Not surprisingly, early Christians were discreet in their worship, and their art was executed quite literally underground. With the issuance of Emperor Constantine’s Edict of Milan, which effectively legalized Christianity, Christian art became much more overt and widespread.
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. And yet, although the dogma and belief systems were in many ways markedly different from pagan religion, many of the images early Christians generated were quite similar to those that adorned the walls and floors of buildings belonging to their pagan neighbors. Thus the pagan image of Endymion sleeping under the watchful eye of the goddess Selene became the prototype of Jonah asleep beneath the vine (Jonah 4). Likewise, the scenes of jovial dinners (symposia) that were often depicted in Greek funerary contexts (and later in Roman ones, with a slightly less exuberant tone) became models for the Christian funerary images of the rewards of heaven.* This is not so strange; as emerging underdogs in a nation with a long and well-established artistic tradition, those same artisans and craftsman who were now creating art in a Christian context naturally turned to images and styles that were familiar to them. Thus the early images of Christ portray a young, beardless man who bears a strong resemblance to the god Apollo of the Greco-Roman world. This is not to say that Christians necessarily confused the two, but rather that they chose an image of a pre-established deity with noble associations to portray their own idea of the sacred.
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Helios, the Greek god of the sun (who was later often identified with Apollo, the god of light), is another ancient pagan figure whose image reverberated through monotheistic art; both Christians and Jews used the image of the Greek god of the sun in religious contexts. The Greek deity was most commonly depicted in a chariot drawn by four horses (the quadriga). The chariot represented the sun, and according to Greek mythology, the daily journey taken by the god across the sky was the source of sunlight.
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. In a Christian funerary context, the image of Christ as Helios is commonly interpreted as being representative of the resurrection. In early Jewish depictions, it has been hypothesized that the image of Helios, or simply the sun as in the case of the mosaic at Sepphoris, represents God’s omnipotence.** In the context of ancient Jewish synagogues in Israel, the image of Helios is set within the context of zodiac symbols. For some, this reinforces the thesis that the early Jews saw Israel as being subject to planetary influence, and that early Judaism may have been characterized by a belief in minor deities in addition to Yahweh.*** The mythological figure of Orpheus, who enchanted all of nature with his poetry and music, is another example of a pagan artistic type that was used in both early Christian as well as Jewish iconography. For the early Jews, the association of music and poetry with Orpheus likely led to the same image being used to represent King David, who famously sang his praises to God. Indeed, instances of David depicted with Orpheus imagery are well and firmly documented.†
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Equally well documented are images of Christ as Orpheus, particularly in the catacombs of Rome. One of the most famous aspects of the Orpheus myth from antiquity is the story of Orpheus’s determined descent into Hades to rescue his love Eurydice, who had been snatched from him by an untimely death. While he was ultimately not successful in recovering Eurydice, he himself emerged from the underworld alive. This particular aspect of the myth resonated with early Christians, who saw this as an allegorical reference to Christ’s descent into and return from the fiery depths of hell. Orpheus thus became a symbol of victory over death, and a symbol of eternal life.
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Of course, the image of Orpheus with the accompanying cadre of beautiful plants and exquisitely detailed animals, both real and imagined, made for a beautiful ornamental design in any context. Sometimes, even during the Christian period, a decorative image of Orpheus was simply that: an image of Orpheus.‡ In the case of the famous sixth-century A.D. Jerusalem mosaic (now in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum), which depicts an exquisitely detailed image of Orpheus that was originally interpreted as a representation of Christ, it is likely that the figure is simply an artistic panel that recalls a quaint and harmless story from an older time.
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. An even more common motif featured in early Christian art that draws directly from pagan funerary art is that of the Good Shepherd. Commonly represented as a young, beardless man holding a sheep across his shoulders, we see this representation in pagan funerary contexts long before the advent of Christianity. Initially, this image seems to have an association with the pagan god Hermes, who was the patron deity of shepherds and who would accompany the souls of the deceased into Hades. Eventually, however, the image seems to have developed into a symbol of care and comfort in the afterlife. In antiquity, this widely disseminated image was an ideal candidate for artistic syncretism. The Gospels’ story of Christ as the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-9) and similar parables that make allegorical reference to the image of a benevolent and protective shepherd (Luke 15:3-7; Matthew 18:12-13) was an excellent fit for an image that was already known, used and associated with divine protectiveness.
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. The use by the Christians of pagan sacred imagery is not necessarily confined solely to the Greco-Roman world. The cultural and religious syncretism that took place in Greek and Roman society with other, even older civilizations meant that many early Christians had a wealth of artistic examples that may have originated outside of their immediate cultural landscape. One example is an Egyptian artistic motif: Scholars have long hypothesized that the image of Mary nursing or holding the Christ child close to her breast is an iconographic image borrowed from the ancient Egyptian motif of the goddess Isis nursing the infant Horus.
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. The custom of borrowing images from the pagan world to represent the sacred ideal did not die out in antiquity. Renaissance art by very definition looked back toward the watershed achievements of ancient artists and recreated them in a Christian context. Pagan figures such as Orpheus, Apollo and Hercules were often firmly placed within a Christian context by the Renaissance period. One of the most notable examples is Michelangelo’s use of the noble face of the Apollo Belvedere as the face of Christ in the Last Judgment. Already in the Vatican collection at the time Michelangelo was painting his masterpiece, the artist likely had constant access to the statue that was one of the sources of his inspiration.
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. While Christian art certainly evolved, changed and developed countless works of art that demonstrate unique styles and images, artists did not shy away from creating new meaning from established artistic models. Indeed, many believe that this approach only serves to enrich and elevate beautiful and meaningful representations of faith-no matter what the religion. Notes *See Robin A. Jensen, “Dining in Heaven,” BAR, October 1998 **See Zeev Weiss, “The Sepphoris Synagogue Mosaic,” BAR, September/October 2000. ***See Lucille A. Roussin, “Helios in the Synagogue,” BAR, March/April 2001. †See Connie Kestenbaum Greene, “King David’s Head from Gaza Synagogue Restored,” BAR, March/April 1994. ‡See Jas Elner, “Double Identity: Orpheus as David. Orpheus as Christ?” BAR, March/April 2009.

Nehemiah-The Man Behind the Wall

by Dorothy D. Resig Talkback Add Your Comment
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Few people are familiar with the Biblical figure Nehemiah, and yet he was instrumental in the rebuilding and reestablishment of Jerusalem in the fifth century B.C. following the Babylonian exile. Although there is no consensus about the relative chronologies of the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (the Biblical dates are unclear), Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem probably preceded Ezra’s by a couple years.* Both men worked together to restore the city and rededicate its people to God. Nehemiah was a high official in the Persian court of King Artaxerxes I at the capital city of Susa, which lay 150 miles east of the Tigris River in what is now modern Iran. Nehemiah served as the king’s cupbearer (Nehemiah 1:11), which evidently put him in a position to speak to the king and request favors from him. After hearing about the sad state of affairs in Judah, Nehemiah acquired the king’s permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and its fortifications. He is even given letters from the king to ensure safe passage and to obtain timber from the king’s forest for the gates and walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem in 445 B.C. as the provincial governor of Judah/Yehud. He immediately surveyed the damage to the entire city on his well-known night journey around the walls (Nehemiah 2:12-15). He enlisted the help of the people to quickly repair the breaches in the wall. He also urged them to set up guards to defend against the constant threat of those who opposed their efforts, including the armies of Samaria, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites. As governor, Nehemiah says that he didn’t take advantage of food and land allotments that were allowed him due to his office, because there was already such a great burden on the people of his province (Nehemiah 5:14-19). He also made the other nobles and officials forgive all outstanding debts and ordered them to return all land and money that had been taken as taxes so the people would be able to feed themselves and their families.
Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. The hurried work of repairing and rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls and gates was completed in just 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15). Another of Nehemiah’s accomplishments was to make a record and genealogy of all the nobles, officials and people who were then living in Judah. The Book of Nehemiah is usually read together with the Book of Ezra as one long book. Nehemiah 8-10 is considered part of the so-called “Ezra Source” (which includes Ezra 7-10), while Nehemiah 1-7 and 11-13 are from a separate source that scholars call the “Nehemiah Memoir.” The Nehemiah Memoir is written in the first person and recounts details of Nehemiah’s life, his deeds and his administration of the province, probably meant to serve as an official record of his accomplishments to be deposited in the Temple archives. The accounts are punctuated by prayers to God, such as “Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people” (Nehemiah 5:19). The following text is the first portion of the Nehemiah Memoir (1:1-7:4) from the New Revised Standard Version. In it, Nehemiah describes his efforts to rebuild the city, even in the face of hostile neighbors: Nehemiah 1 ¹The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital, ²one of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah; and I asked them about the Jews that survived, those who had escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem. ³They replied, ‘The survivors there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.’ ⁴When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. ⁵I said, ‘O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; ⁶let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned. ⁷We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. ⁸Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; ⁹but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.” ¹⁰They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great power and your strong hand. ¹¹O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man!’

At the time, I was cupbearer to the king. Nehemiah Sent to Judah Nehemiah 2 ¹In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served to him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. ²So the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be sadness of the heart.’ Then I was very much afraid. ³I said to the king, ‘May the king live for ever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my ancestors’ graves, lies waste, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’ ⁴Then the king said to me, ‘What do you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. ⁵Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, so that I may rebuild it.’ ⁶The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), ‘How long will you be gone, and when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. ⁷Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; ⁸and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.’ And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me. ⁹Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent officers of the army and cavalry with me. ¹⁰When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. Nehemiah’s Inspection of the Walls ¹¹So I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days. ¹²Then I got up during the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the animal I rode. ¹³I went out by night by the Valley Gate past the Dragon’s Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. ¹⁴Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool; but there was no place for the animal I was riding to continue. ¹⁵So I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. ¹⁶The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest that were to do the work. ¹⁷Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burnt. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer suffer disgrace.’ ¹⁸I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. Then they said, ‘Let us start building!’ So they committed themselves to the common good. ¹⁹But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they mocked and ridiculed us, saying, ‘What is this that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?’ ²⁰Then I replied to them, ‘The God of heaven is the one who will give us success, and we his servants are going to start building; but you have no share or claim or historic right in Jerusalem.’ Nehemiah 3 ¹Then the high priest Eliashib set to work with his fellow-priests and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set up its doors; they consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred and as far as the Tower of Hananel. ²And the men of Jericho built next to him. And next to them Zaccur son of Imri built. ³The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. ⁴Next to them Meremoth son of Uriah son of Hakkoz made repairs. Next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah son of Meshezabel made repairs. Next to them Zadok son of Baana made repairs. ⁵Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord. ⁶Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. ⁷Next to them repairs were made by Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite-the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah-who were under the jurisdiction of the governor of the province Beyond the River. ⁸Next to them Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs; and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. ⁹Next to them Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. ¹⁰Next to them Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house; and next to him Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs. ¹¹Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. ¹²Next to him Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters. ¹³Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate; they rebuilt it and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate. ¹⁴Malchijah son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate; he rebuilt it and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. ¹⁵And Shallum son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he rebuilt it and covered it and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars; and he built the wall of the Pool of Shelah of the king’s garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David. ¹⁶After him Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, repaired from a point opposite the graves of David, as far as the artificial pool and the house of the warriors. ¹⁷After him the Levites made repairs: Rehum son of Bani; next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. ¹⁸After him their kin made repairs: Binnui, son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah; ¹⁹next to him Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the ascent to the armoury at the Angle. ²⁰After him Baruch son of Zabbai repaired another section from the Angle to the door of the house of the high priest Eliashib. ²¹After him Meremoth son of Uriah son of Hakkoz repaired another section from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib. ²²After him the priests, the men of the surrounding area, made repairs. ²³After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah son of Maaseiah son of Ananiah made repairs beside his own house. ²⁴After him Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the Angle and to the corner. ²⁵Palal son of Uzai repaired opposite the Angle and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king at the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah son of Parosh ²⁶and the temple servants living on Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower. ²⁷After him the Tekoites repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel. ²⁸Above the Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each one opposite his own house. ²⁹After them Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his own house. After him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs. ³⁰After him Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. After him Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. ³¹After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, opposite the Muster Gate, and to the upper room of the corner. ³²And between the upper room of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs. Nehemiah 4 ¹Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he mocked the Jews. ²He said in the presence of his associates and of the army of Samaria, ‘What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore things? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish it in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish-and burnt ones at that?’ ³Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, ‘That stone wall they are building-any fox going up on it would break it down!’ ⁴Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their taunt back on their own heads, and give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. ⁵Do not cover their guilt, and do not let their sin be blotted out from your sight; for they have hurled insults in the face of the builders. ⁶So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work. ⁷But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the gaps were beginning to be closed, they were very angry, ⁸and all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. ⁹So we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. ¹⁰But Judah said, ‘The strength of the burden-bearers is failing, and there is too much rubbish, so that we are unable to work on the wall.’ ¹¹And our enemies said, ‘They will not know or see anything before we come upon them and kill them and stop the work.’ ¹²When the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times, ‘From all the places where they live they will come up against us.’ ¹³So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. ¹⁴After I looked these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.’ ¹⁵When our enemies heard that their plot was known to us, and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. ¹⁶From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and body-armour; and the leaders posted themselves behind the whole house of Judah, ¹⁷who were building the wall. The burden-bearers carried their loads in such a way that each laboured on the work with one hand and with the other held a weapon. ¹⁸And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. ¹⁹And I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, ‘The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. ²⁰Rally to us wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet. Our God will fight for us.’ ²¹So we laboured at the work, and half of them held the spears from break of dawn until the stars came out. ²²I also said to the people at that time, ‘Let every man and his servant pass the night inside Jerusalem, so that they may be a guard for us by night and may labour by day.’ ²³So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me ever took off our clothes; each kept his weapon in his right hand. Nehemiah 5 ¹Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish kin. ²For there were those who said, ‘With our sons and our daughters, we are many; we must get grain, so that we may eat and stay alive.’ ³There were also those who said, ‘We are having to pledge our fields, our vineyards, and our houses in order to get grain during the famine.’ ⁴And there were those who said, ‘We are having to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king’s tax. ⁵Now our flesh is the same as that of our kindred; our children are the same as their children; and yet we are forcing our sons and daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been ravished; we are powerless, and our fields and vineyards now belong to others.’ ⁶I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. ⁷After thinking it over, I brought charges against the nobles and the officials; I said to them, ‘You are all taking interest from your own people.’ And I called a great assembly to deal with them, ⁸and said to them, ‘As far as we were able, we have bought back our Jewish kindred who had been sold to other nations; but now you are selling your own kin, who must then be bought back by us!’ They were silent, and could not find a word to say. ⁹So I said, ‘The thing that you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God, to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? ¹⁰Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us stop this taking of interest. ¹¹Restore to them, this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the interest on money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.’ ¹²Then they said, ‘We will restore everything and demand nothing more from them. We will do as you say.’ And I called the priests, and made them take an oath to do as they had promised. ¹³I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, ‘So may God shake out everyone from house and from property who does not perform this promise. Thus may they be shaken out and emptied.’ And all the assembly said, ‘Amen’, and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised. The Generosity of Nehemiah ¹⁴Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. ¹⁵The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people, and took food and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. ¹⁶Indeed, I devoted myself to the work on this wall, and acquired no land; and all my servants were gathered there for the work. ¹⁷Moreover, there were at my table one hundred and fifty people, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations around us. ¹⁸Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and every ten days skins of wine in abundance; yet with all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because of the heavy burden of labour on the people. ¹⁹Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people. Nehemiah 6 ¹Now when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that there was no gap left in it (though up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), ²Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, ‘Come and let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.’ But they intended to do me harm. ³So I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?’ ⁴They sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. ⁵In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. ⁶In it was written, ‘It is reported among the nations-and Geshem also says it-that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall; and according to this report you wish to become their king. ⁷You have also set up prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, “There is a king in Judah!” And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. So come, therefore, and let us confer together.’ ⁸Then I sent to him, saying, ‘No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own mind’ ⁹-for they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.’ But now, O God, strengthen my hands. ¹⁰One day when I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house, he said, ‘Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, tonight they are coming to kill you.’ ¹¹But I said, ‘Should a man like me run away? Would a man like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!’ ¹²Then I perceived and saw that God had not sent him at all, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³He was hired for this purpose, to intimidate me and make me sin by acting in this way, and so they could give me a bad name, in order to taunt me. ¹⁴Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid. The Wall Completed ¹⁵So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. ¹⁷Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. ¹⁸For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. ¹⁹Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence, and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me. Nehemiah 7 ¹Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, ²I gave my brother Hanani charge over Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel-for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. ³And I said to them, ‘The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot; while the gatekeepers are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their watch-posts, and others before their own houses.’ ⁴The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few and no houses had been built.