Original Sin

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... ho hum. Oh, I wish there was something new to report, but that's not the case. Ho hum. And, later? Another urban nomad-kind-of-an-evening ... ho hum.

Well, when all else fails, discuss the Good Book. I was pondering the "original sin" for most of the day. What I am talking about is Adam and Eve's indiscretion in the "Garden of Eden" when they partook of the forbidden fruit of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad." The Almighty had commanded them to not eat the fruit from that particular tree, but Eve was conned by the "serpent." The punishment, of course, was eviction from the "Garden" and eventual death (from natural causes).

The concept of sin is important. Mind you, there were only two humans on the entire planet, so the list of available sins at the time was limited. Offhand, other than partaking of the forbidden fruit, only debauchery (i.e., cursing the Almighty) comes to mind as the only other possible sin. There was nothing to steal, nothing to covet, nothing to lie about, and no one to terminate. Fornication and adultery were not applicable. In addition, there is no evidence in the Scriptures indicating that any kind of law was in effect.

There is not much else that we know. Prior to eating the forbidden fruit, the first human pair did not realize that they were naked. Nor did they feel any shame. If I ventured to guess, I would say that they were wrapped up in innocence. I do not sense that there was any other kind of "perfection" evident. In a sense, innocence is perfection. Of course, everything changed once the forbidden fruit was eaten.

Adam and Eve were most likely destined to live eternally prior to the incident. Their lifespan appeared to be dependent on the "Tree of Life." Although the Good Book does not go into detail about that particular tree, I would assume that its function was clear. When evicted from the "Garden," neither Adam or Eve could access the fruit of the "Tree of Life." Ironically, as Adam and his offspring lived a long lifespan of close to a thousand years, the Almighty had reset the attribute to 120 years after Noah's time. If the Almighty could genetically set the lifespan of humans, why was the "Tree of Life" necessary for longevity?

What we do know is that we humans apparently became "slaves to sin" after the first pair's indiscretion. Hence, we suffer the same sentence that was handed down to Adam and Eve. After all, the Good Book states that "the wages of sin is death." However, "kicking the bucket" is not really the issue. The Almighty could simply restore myriad "Tree of Life" groves with abundant life-giving fruit for the picking. No, the real issue is sin. We must either find a way to return to innocence, or the sin must be redeemed. Yet, how can the sins of billions upon billions of people who have come and gone since Adam's time be redeemed?

And, what exactly is sin? Without considering any laws, sin is the act of going against what is known to be "right." The Apostle Paul said, "I really don't understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't. Instead, I do what I hate." (NLT) Within the constraint of laws, sin is the breaking of those laws. As you may recall, Moses was given a whole canon of such laws.

I am sure that you know where we're heading with this. We are seeking the "truth," my friends. As I have said before, the truth will set us free.

NLT - New Living Translation

Embellishments

I was off to Hawai'i Kai at 8:45am this morning. Moms was home when I arrived. My nephew was also home. He was awake and manning the video gaming console. Moms and I made the usual rounds in Hawai'i Kai. You know the drill. For lunch, moms and I ordered plate lunches from the Foodland deli counter. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert.

I departed at 1:30pm. I spent about 30 minutes in Koko Head Park. However, the gale force winds made the experience very miserable. I drove to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym ... you know the drill. I was back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4:45pm, just in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores. I also discovered that one burner on the electric stove downstairs was on full blast. The elements were a bright red. The heat was almost unbearable. I surmised the the stove had been on all day. As always, idiocy prevails at Slob Manor.

Moms has decided that we won't be attending Aunty M's funeral since no one in the immediate family has contacted her yet. In addition, the service will be held in an "apostate" church, which is intolerable to moms. In a way, I am relieved. However, I do not know how the rest of the family will perceive that "brush off."

Moms has also indicated that she is going to try again to devote more time to the church ministry. I sense that the pressure is coming from the congregation. I once thought that moms may have found the "true" religion, but I now know better. I pretty much know most of the doctrines of that particular church. Thus, when I completed my extensive reading of the Good Book (New Living Translation), I was shocked to discover that the whole premise of the church's existence had absolutely no basis in the Scriptures. In furthering my research, I learned that pyramidology and astrology were at the core of those beliefs. The church itself has manifested an extremely bad reputation in the last few years. I have read so many articles about the sect, but the problems highlighted are typical of most organized religions.

My concerns are doctrinal. Nothing more, nothing less. That is the big problem with all of the apostate churches that comprise Christendom. And, the sad fact of the matter is that the whole history of the so-called "Christian Church" is tainted with doctrinal embellishments. As anyone can plainly see, the Good Book certainly does not cover every conceivable topic about human life, the Creator, or the creation. Not satisfied with such an abridged document, the human mind sets out to fill in the blanks. With what? Embellishments, of course!

Take the "trinity" doctrine, for example. That's one of my favorite topics, and one of the few issues that I can agree with moms' church. The Good Book makes no mention of a "trinity." The word is never used. However, the Christian good ol' boys back in 341 AD had no way of explaining who Jesus was. Was he human? Was he a deity? Was he the "Son of God"? Was he God? There were a few ambiguous verses that could be miscontrued as stating that Jesus was God (either modal or trinitarian). Thus, the only solution was to embellish an answer and insert it in the Nicene Creed. Does any human have an inkling about what a spirit being actually is? I seriously doubt it. So, how could the fools determine that Jesus was a triune God?

Of more serious concern is the fact that the Israelites, God's "chosen people," were not even told that Jesus existed. They were only warned of a coming Messiah in essentially cryptic terms. The Holy Spirit was known to the Jews, although the latter is only mentioned a handful of times in the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). Why didn't YHWH¹ reveal His triune Self to His people?

¹YHWH, the tetragrammaton representing Yahweh, Jehovah, Ieovah, the name of the God.

Monastic Aspirations

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday ... Post Office, gym, Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center ... absolutely nothing new. I purchased a delicious Garlic Chicken bento (for dinner) at Foodland, along with a pint of Dreyer's® ice cream (which I consumed as I waited for the bus). And, later? Can you say, "An urban nomad kind-of-an-evening"?

The search for the elusive Creator continues to bring me back to the Good Book. There are no other alternatives. Only the "living God" appears to be the source of all creation including the entire universe. No other entity has stepped forward to claim responsibility. All of the old pagan gods have disappeared. Have you heard anyone discuss Molech recently? Human philosophers come and go. Their words may teach us how to live or how to question our existence. However, no answer is given to address the universe and, more important, the origin of live.

I will sporadically continue to read about early Christianity. However, I am already convinced that the entire structure of the latter was convoluted beyond recognition before the Middle Ages. I have been reading a lot of material on the Net about the doctrinal problems of various sects of Christianity. I have discovered that the truth can only be found by making at least one complete read of the Good Book. What really amazed me is that my understanding of the Scriptures parallels that of many others, including researchers and scholars.

I carry my budget copy of the New Living Translation (NLT) with me almost daily. I continue to read various portions of the Scriptures, especially during the boring bus rides. As you may have guessed, I have made a complete turnaround concerning my position about the NLT. The excessive footnotes redeemed the NLT. I am planning to budget some money to obtain a reference edition so that I can effectively increase my research. Why am I doing so? There is some kind of force that is compelling me. I am now locked in theological discourses in my mind for most of the day everyday. I can no longer justify any distractions. My desire to become a monk may finally be fulfilled!

Foggy Bottom Redux

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... oh brother! I attended the Abe Lincoln event at the library, which was really just a one-hour lecture by an obscure UH professor. That way, I was able to partake of the food that was served at noon with a clean conscience. However, I observed that a variety of non-participants were stuffing their faces with the food. I also noticed that the homeless never partake of the food. Only the halfway house derelicts come out of the woodwork when free food is available. Needless to say, I was only able to sample a small serving before all of the food was gone. As I walked past several tables, I noticed that the halfway house derelicts had several plates stacked high with food.

I also continued my informal research into early Christianity. Later, I performed my usual workout at the gym. Then, I waited 30 minutes at the bus stop. An African-American guy was sitting on the net bench. He was wearing soiled patent leather shoes with no socks. He had a large sheet wrapped around him, which may have been all that he was wearing. He was talking to himself non-stop.

I finally returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 5pm, just in time for an urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. Sheesh!

Well, Mr. Ray solved the problem about the non-operational halogen fog lamps on my Nissan® Frontier truck. The headlights must be on before the fog lamps will operate. It's a good thing there is no fog in Hawai'i. We only have vog.

Tomorrow is Forever (Reprise)

My Nissan® Frontier truck and I were on our way to Hawai'i Kai at 8:15am this morning. I put $10 in petrol in the tank at the Union 76® station. I noted that the fuel gauge and digital mileage calculator did not budge. I thought that the gauge was busted. I became immediately perturbed.

Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I were on our way to Ala Moana Center within a few minutes. The fuel gauge finally registered the added petrol just as we departed. The digital mileage calculator was still in a coma.

Moms shopped at Longs® and also purchased two pairs of shoes at Robins. Then, moms to the dentist's office. I meandered to Barnes & Noble®. I purchased a cup of decaffeinated coffee and walked around the store. I spent a bit of time in the Good Book section. I perused a few elaborate volumes of the New Living Translation. I was tempted to purchase one to aid in my research, but thought better of the idea.

I met up with moms at about 11am. We walked to Shirokiya for our usual Yakitori bento lunch. Afterward, moms shopped at Sears®. Then, we drove back to Hawai'i Kai. On the way home, I noticed that the digital mileage calculator had corrected itself.

Moms served up Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. My nephew was engaged in one of his favorite video games as usual. I stayed until 1:50pm. Moms wanted me to drop off a deposit at her bank because she wasn't sure if her account was overdrawn.

I drove to Koko Marina. I couldn't find shaded parking, so I drove to Koko Head Park. I didn't sit outside very long because of the gale force winds. Instead, I opted to sit in my beloved Nissan® truck. I looked over the Owner's (and other) Manual(s) for my truck. I have noticed that the front end is squeaking, most likely because of the sad conditions of the roads. Squeaking usually means that a chassis lube is in order, or a rubber bushing could be wearing out. There was nothing in the manuals about any scheduled chassis lube jobs. I also looked up the location of the fuse boxes. My halogen fog lamps have never been operational. I have no idea why. Thus, I will need to trace the electrical wiring later, starting with the fuse box.

Finally, I returned to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, dropped off the deposit for moms, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I performed the dreaded laundry chores once I set foot in my squalid room. In my haste, I neglected to gather all of the soiled clothes. What a maroon! Well, the evening will be the same as always.

Moms mentioned that Aunty M (pops' sister) passed on recently. Moms must have heard the news from the dentist since one of my cousins is married to him. Well, sadly, that means another funeral to attend. I am certainly not looking forward to the occasion.

Prince Kuhio Day 2009

I was on my way to Kahala Mall on the bus at 8:20am this morning. My only planned destination was Barnes & Noble®, although I made a quick stop at Longs® for no particular reason. I perused a few Linux magazines in the Barnes & Noble® Café while I sipped a cup of decaffeinated coffee. Later, I looked around the store. I finally departed at 11am.

Back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I decided to wash my Nissan® Frontier truck. Then, I cleaned the interior with my Dirt Devil® Quick Power® handheld vacuum cleaner. After I completed the task, I performed a few other minor chores.

I left Slob Manor at 1:30pm. I stopped off at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. Then, I drove to Hawai'i Kai. I found shaded parking in Koko Marina, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland again, and returned to Slob Manor. The evening? Sadly, more of the same.

Despite the rhetoric of the secular and religious dispensationalists, there is not going to be a global economic collapse. There isn't going to be a human-made calamity. And, Armageddon is not coming. The whole world will return to the status quo before the year is over. The boom times are coming back with a vengeance!

So far, no doomsayer has been completely correct in predicting the end times. Only minor glitches have occurred. As I just stated, there will be no collapse. There will not be an Armageddon. Not in our time anyway. I have to come to realize the folly of my own error. I am not at all certain that I can remain a Socialist either. Now, can I make up for lost time?

By my own estimates, I have about 23 years left on the planet. I am wasting my life away right now. I have maybe ten "good" years left. Unfortunately, I made my vow to remain in Hawai'i as long as moms is around. I am almost certain that moms will survive another 15 years. That will leave me with only seven years, and I will already be decrepit by then. What I must do is establish what I need to accomplish within the limitations that have been set forth. So, what exactly do I want to do? I am speaking of personal accomplishments that will give me a modicum of satisfaction as I enter my final years. It's too late for me to do anything and everything. However, I can, at the least, realize a couple of personal accomplishments. That would certainly be much better than spending all my time at the helm of my crappy Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer.

Yes, I again read various verses in the Good Book (New Living Translation) and verified that the Apostles were certain that the "end of days" was near at hand. Yet, nothing happened ... nothing has happened for 1,900 years. I asked myself, "Where is God?" Yet, I still know that there is a Creator ... out there somewhere.

Spiritual Walden

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was fairly mundane until I stepped off the bus after returning from town. As I crossed Kalani'ana'ole Highway at Pu'uikena, a white trash asswipe in a crappy "American" sedan almost ran me over in the crosswalk as the dolt made a left turn. I was not able to get the license plate number but the car was shit-grayish-blue sedan with the left front wheel cover missing. I will eventually run into the asshole somewhere sometime. Then, it's going to be payback time!

I have been reading a few of the latest "economic collapse" stories by the usual doomsayers. I must admit that I am no longer convinced that anything will happen to the empire's economy except for a minor glitch. The current so-called "recession" will be over before the end of the year. The stock market will soar (possible for Dow to exceed 30,000). We will return to the status quo and exceed all growth expectations. Consumer spending will come back like a tsunami. Real estate will once again dominate. Let me tell you why. No other first- or second-world nation is going to let the Fascist empire collapse. They have too much at stake. The Fed and Treasury can "print" as much fiat currency as they want. There won't be any repercussions. There will be a slight devaluation of the dollar and some minor inflation. All of the other nations' central banks have enough interest rate headroom to maintain a safe buffer. Those central banks will purchase as many dollars as necessary to keep their own currency from rising in value against the dollar. No matter how many dollars are injected into the "system," they will be absorbed. The collapse should have come about already. It didn't.

There will be a lot of unemployed and homeless losers, but no one will care. They are simply "collateral damage." There will be no reason to worry about social unrest until unemployment and under-employment approaches 60 percent of the population. Even with 50 percent of the labor force emancipated, the empire's economy will still be surging. That's because the other 50 percent will have so much more money to spend and invest.

As I mentioned yesterday, my research into early Christian history has been interesting. I am now commencing the period of the Middle Ages. In just the first 1,000 years, there were dramatic changes in the construct of Christianity per se. I was flabbergasted. However, I am not going to summarize that history in the "blog."

What concerns me now is that, even knowing a Supreme Being must exist, I cannot be certain that Christianity is the conduit to such an entity. Right now, I am not even certain whether Christianity supersedes Judaism. Yet, there are no other alternatives. If, by chance, I were to conclude that the entire work of the Scriptures is authentic, then I would still not call myself a "Christian." Instead, I would call myself a "disciple of YHWH¹ and Jesus." And, what about "baptism by immersion"? How would I accomplish that? Certainly not any representative of the apostate sects.

I have also begun to read certain sub-books in the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") of the Good Book (New Living Translation) again in order to get a better grasp on doctrinal issues. After shedding a lot of false doctrinal interpretations, I have found that the second read is free of prejudice. It is as if I am reading entirely new material.

So, what has been the purpose of my foray into the Good Book? I can't really say that I know. Perhaps I was seeking salvation. Or, maybe I wanted to get to the bottom of "Armageddon." Then again, I could be looking to find the Creator. That is, I may be attempting to call home. And, of course, I have to wonder how that all fits in with the exodus. So far, the journey has been an interesting, albeit passive, one. The spiritual journey isn't over yet. I will be reporting tidbits from time to time, if not daily.

¹YHWH, the tetragrammaton representing Yahweh, Jehovah, Ieovah, the name of the God.

No Time for Bonzo

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... should I just leave it at that? My research centering on early Christianity continued. As I suspected, the Gentile influence was most pervasive in changing the construct of the congregations. The Gentiles were, for the most part, polytheistic and also entrenched in Greek philosophy. Polytheism is what I suspect to be the culprit that brought about the concept of the triune God. The mumbo-jumbo that surfaced insofar as doctrinal interpretation was a natural outcome of secular schools of philosophy. Thus, real Christianity has not existed since before 100 AD. The history of the "church" is quite interesting. I have learned a lot about the origins of "church" rituals, "church" architecture, "church" hierarchy, "church" vestments, and so forth. However, I became somewhat disillusioned. Why hasn't the Almighty acted upon the debauchery that has been going on in His name for the past 1,900 years?

When I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I performed the dreaded laundry chores. I am only maintaining a minimal amount of personal chores these days. Heck, I haven't even prepared my tax returns yet. All of the relevant figures are in my tax spreadsheet. I have loaded the spreadsheet in my Palm® TX. That's about as far as I got. Sheesh!

Forty-Dog Chill

I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai at 9am this morning. Moms was home when I arrived. So was my nephew, but he was still sound asleep. I happened to notice that the right taillight of my Nissan® Frontier truck was cracked. I noticed scuff marks on the plastic. I was highly perturbed. In fact, my mood became quite foul. To my credit, I did not outwardly display my hostility to anyone at any time.

Moms and I made the usual rounds in Hawai'i Kai ... Longs® in Kuapa Kai and Foodland in Koko Marina. Moms and I stopped for lunch at Zippy's. While we were eating our lunches, two ducks waddled up to our table and started quacking. There were several tables of patrons, but the ducks apparently ignored them. Zippy's borders the Kuapa Pond harbor. I found a package of crackers abandoned at another table. I broke up the crackers and fed the pieces to the ducks.

Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:30pm. Afterward, I had to stop off at my local bank in Kuapa Kai. When I exited the bank, I saw the same two ducks that were at Zippy's outside. They were quacking quite happily. Mind you, Zippy's is located at the other side of Kuapa Pond. Well, I was happy to see the ducks. In fact, that's what broke my dismal spell.

I drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, and performed my usual workout. In the weight room, a guy recognized me from the downtown gym. I chatted with him briefly. On the way out, I saw the 80-year-old guy who always talks to me. He was sitting on one of the chairs near the entrance. I sat and chatted with him for a few minutes. Then, I was off to Foodland to shop for groceries. What I really wanted was a bottle of cheap booze. I espied a few chillin' forty-dogs of malt liquor (no King Cobra® however). I was tempted, but I did not give in. Instead, I purchased a nice hot meal (i.e., local-style bento) for dinner.

When I set foot in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I was almost completely sickened by my impoverished living conditions. I tried to enjoy my dinner. However, I had to continually do battle with the myriad sugar ants. In addition, the gale force winds almost brought me to a homicidal rampage. Dust and crap was swirling around in my squalid room. How can anyone enjoy a meal under such conditions? Well, the evening promises to be a repeat of every evening since I stopped my nightly excursion to Kahala Mall. I am seriously contemplating the return of the latter benign activity.

Sadly, I have missed the opportunity to cash in on the current huge stock market rally. Word has it that the rally is for real, and it signals the turnaround of the empire's most resilient economy. We are going back to the status quo. Long live the Fascist empire! Of course, I am a Socialist, so I know better. I am really at the point where I don't care about the damned money anymore. I will be robbed of every last cent soon enough. Therefore, I have done nothing with my investment accounts. Why bother? Of course, with such a momentous stock market rally in progress, we should turn to Benito Mussolini in gratitude for the modern Fascist empire.

A few days ago, I brought up the issue of the "true religion" in terms of Christianity. I believe that author Midge Louaillier (from "A Hand in the Darkness") summed up the latter well:

There is a true church on the earth today, but it's not affiliated with any one church or organization. The true church is people, people who believe in Jesus Christ, who accept him as Lord in their hearts, who are reborn into the family of God, who accept the Bible as the word of God as revealed by His Spirit, who walk with their God as best they can, who love one another, who are committed to carrying the message of salvation through Christ and the word of God's Kingdom to others. They do not represent anyone or anything other than Jehovah and his son Christ Jesus. Because Jehovah and Jesus live within them, dwell in their hearts, they are led by the Holy Spirit, not men. Christ is their head and directs their steps. They fellowship, pray, worship, share, and work together, but not under the authority of any man-made church or organization.

Further, Louaillier added:

This is the problem with Christianity in the form of organized religion. Each sect has taken its own pieces of Bible truth and put them together to form a particular pattern of doctrine. The price a member pays for belonging to that group is freedom, freedom to question, to receive and share fresh insight, freedom to decide spiritual matters according to his or her conscience apart from organizational law. Exercising such freedoms are considered disloyal and detrimental to a denomination's strength and unity. Spirituality, the very thing a person's religion is set up to cultivate, is sacrificed for order and control.

All I can say is, "Amen!"

Apocalypse Postponed

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday ... woe to anyone expecting anything out of the ordinary. I checked my box at the Post Office. More crap. My automobile registration fee ($219) is due. Hawai'i is the only State where the registration fee stays the same or goes up as the vehicle ages. And, according to Bank of Hawai'i, my "condotel" mortgage payment is going up because the property tax on the dump increased. Strange, isn't it? We are in a global depression, but there's no reprieve for the poor man.

To say that my day was ruined would be an understatement. I felt much better after I performed my usual workout at the gym. Sadly, the hottie gym trainer was conspicuously absent. On the way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) on the bus, I was tempted to stop off in Aina Haina again. However, I did not feel like spending any more money. After all, I have to pay the robber barons first.

Did you enjoy the ol' lavahead's foray into the account of Revelation? I seemingly omitted Jesus' "second coming." From what I can tell, Jesus returns after the "great tribulation," (the battle at) Armageddon, and the final judgment are completed. There is no indication that Jesus would appear anytime beforehand. In addition, the "second coming" will not be a stealth affair as indicated by the following Scriptures:

• Matthew 24:30
• Mark 13:26
• Luke 25:27

On the contrary, the "second coming" will be quite visible.

I should also mention that religious scholars postulated about how many of the Christian congregations went into a state of disarray after the passing of the Apostles. Further, there was a high expectation that the "great tribulation" was right around the corner. As I mentioned in my own commentary, I noticed an urgency in the Apostles' message. When the "great tribulation" did not materialize, the leaders of the early congregations had to reorganize the basic structure (i.e., hierarchy, doctrine, etc.) in order to quell discontent and maintain numbers. So, what happened to the "end of days"?

Fiery Finale

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was marked by nothing eventful. The itinerary was the same as always. I was rather fatigued because I did not sleep well. Yet another ridiculous dream had me up every two hours. Naturally, I had to drain the lizard each time I awoke. My fatigue did not help my disposition. I felt bewildered and betrayed.

The library hosted another Abe Lincoln event. Food was served afterward, but I refrained from partaking. I walked to the gym about an hour earlier than usual. I intended to complete my workout sooner. I ended up performing my workout in a very leisurely fashion. My time constraints became a matter of fiction. I rode a crowded bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I made a stopover at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. I purchased a nice Miso Saba Bento for dinner, not that I deserved such a treat.

I ate the bento for dinner, performed the dreaded laundry chores, and prepared for another evening of the same usual nonsense. I have nowhere to go, no one to see, and nothing to do. Sheesh!

In the finale of the account of Revelation, the heavens open to reveal a rider on a white horse. The rider is named "Faithful and True." The army of Heaven followed on white horses. We learn that the rider the Lamb. He will strike down the nations and rule them with an iron rod. On his robe near his thigh was written, "King of all kings and Lord of all Lords." An angel appears to announce a banquet that God has prepared where the participants will feast upon the flesh of the fallen ones in the upcoming war.

The beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered to fight the Lamb and Heaven's army. The beast and the false prophet were captured and thrown into the "fiery lake." Their entire army was devastated.

An angel appears with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in hand. The angel will seize the dragon (i.e., Satan) and bind him chains. The dragon is to be thrown into the bottomless pit and locked up for a thousand years.

John sees a variety of thrones with a judges sitting upon them. The souls of those who had been martyred for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming God's word are brought back to life. They will rule with Jesus as priests of God for the thousand years. The "second death" will not apply to them. This is the "first resurrection."

After the thousand years, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit. He will go out to deceive the nations and recruit them for battle. Satan and his army will surround God's people and the Holy city. However, the Almighty will rain down destruction upon them. Satan will be cast into the "fiery lake."

The final judgment will bring all of the souls who passed on to the "great white throne" and the one sitting upon it. The "Book of Life" will be opened. The souls will be judged according to their deeds. Those names appearing in the "Book of Life" will be part of the "second resurrection." Death and the grave will be thrown in the "fiery lake," along with those who were not in the "book of Life." This is the "second death."

A "new Heaven and a new earth" will replace the old ones. The "new Jerusalem," the Holy city, will descend from the heavens (to earth, I assume). This is the "bride." There is no Temple in the city, as God will now live among His people.

There are probably a few more issues that need to be discussed. I am too fatigued to continue at this point in time. I will make one quick observation ... the events in Revelation as well as the account of Daniel appear to be describing the Roman Empire. Most of the secular historians agree. A case in point is the fact that Augustus had erected a statue of himself and required everyone to worship it. Sound familiar? Yep, it's in Revelation.

Circumlocution

I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai at 8:50am this morning in my Nissan® Frontier truck. So far, the repaired tire has maintained it integrity. Moms and I only made the rounds in Koko Marina. We ate lunch at Loco Moco. Then, moms shopped for groceries at Foodland. Later, moms served up Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:30pm.

I drove to Koko Head Park and spent about 20 minutes there. I then returned to Koko Marina, only to be disappointed when I could not find shaded parking. I drove back to Koko Head Park and spent more time there. When I finally drove back to Koko Marina, I was fortunate to find the one and only available space in the small parking structure. I walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and meandered back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).

Moms received a little over $18,000 in the settlement with the House of Lolo's insurance company. The cash settlement is the second to last act of the mangy mutt episode. Moms is planning to give the lawyer a $3,000 gift. My sister-in-law will receive $5,000 (which I truly believe that she deserves). I urged moms to keep the rest for emergency purposes.

Moms also wants me to study the Good Book with a member of her church. I refused. Since I completed the reading of the Good Book (New Living Translation), I discovered many questionable doctrines from that particular church. I spent many more hours on the Net to find even more material. There was a lot of useless crap as well, which would apply to every hypocritical church on the planet. My only concern was doctrinal issues. I know that most of the church members are good people who are quite dedicated. However, the leadership of the church has apparently veered off into apostasy. I believe that the leaders know of the problems. However, they face a quandary. A major doctrinal change will cause the entire foundation of the church's beliefs to collapse. It would be a fiasco. Thirty years ago, the church had an excellent opportunity to come clean, but it refused to do so. Instead, it launched another campaign of obfuscation and and engaged in doctrinal relativism. I cannot be a part of that.

Yesterday, we discovered, according to the account of Revelation, that (the battle at) Armageddon will begin sometime near the finale of the entire "great tribulation." When the seventh angel poured out the bowl of God's wrath, a might shout was heard from the Temple. "It is finished!" The city of Babylon split into three sections and the cities of many nations were reduced to rubble.

An angel leads John to the wilderness. A woman is sitting atop a scarlet beast with blasphemies written all over it. The woman is dressed in scarlet and purple clothing. On her forehead was written, "Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World." The woman rules over the beast. The beast itself is a composition of a number of kings and kingdoms that will rise in opposition to the Lamb. The woman is the "city that rules over the kings of the world." In the coming war, the Lamb will prevail.

The scarlet beast, however, despises the woman. In time, the beast will turn against the woman and consume her. That, of course, is part of the Almighty's plan. Once the beast subdues the woman, and angel is heard proclaiming, "Babylon is fallen!" All of the kings and wealthy merchants will mourn for Babylon.

Then, a great celebration occurs in Heaven. All of the Heavens praise the Almighty. An announcement is made that the wedding feast of the Lamb will shortly commence.

The question of the identity of the woman has been burning through the ages. Secular historians believe that John used "Babylon" as a codename for Rome. Religious scholars believe that Babylon is the church itself or false religious organizations. Although the angel explains the symbolism to John, the latter is still cryptic and confusing. I am inclined to believe that the woman is a symbol of apostate Christianity since all of the worldly "kingdoms" are represented by the scarlet beast. Is the prophecy stating that world governments will turn against the apostate Christian churches and destroy them? We are not told, and I will not venture to guess.

Obviously, the ol' lavahead's analyses of Scripture is quite sophomoric. I do not claim to be a Scriptural scholar. I have been perusing quite a few religious and secular commentary, many of which have been quite impressive in eschatological research. No word or nuance is left unturned. I had to step back and ponder whether the early Apostolic Christians were engaged in such discussions in their small congregations. If not, what exactly did they learn in order to receive salvation?

Has religion been reworked to make it less accessible to the layman? Is a soothsayer or prophet required to decipher the writing and interpret them for the masses? During the time of the Apostles, there were no Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament"). Somehow an adequate "testimony" was given that was effective enough to convert formerly pagan Gentiles. The real truth is gradually being lost in circumlocution.

Harvest of Frustration

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... no need for a prophet to tell us what happened. In other words, the itinerary and the routine were the same as always. The only deviation was a quick jaunt to the Institute of Hair Design to restore my monk haircut.

Previously, I discussed the issue of "true religion." What I meant was "true religion" in the purview of Christianity. In other words, out of the myriad denominations and sects of Christianity, which one is the "true" one? The answer is fairly obvious ... none of them. All of the denominations and sects of Christianity have veered way off into apostasy. None of them are coming back. So, what must a true Christian do?

Does one search for a denomination or sect that is similar to the Apostolic congregations and join it? Will a stand-in from the facsimile "church" perform one's baptism by immersion? Does one spread the "Good News" based upon the doctrines of the facsimile "church"? All in all, is it possible to be whole-hearted about joining and participating in a facsimile "church"? I will return to that issue later.

Incidentally, "gospel," a word abbreviation of "Godspeed," means "good news." Thus, the "Gospels" are the synopsis of the "Good News." The "Good News," of course, was the coming of the Messiah, his teachings, his "new covenant," his resurrection, and the coming righteous Kingdom of God. Overall, the "Good News" was to signify the redemption of human sins and offer the prospect of eternal life to those who repent. Hence, the strong focus on Jesus in the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament"). The Jews who converted to Christianity already knew about the Law of Moses and the prophesy of the Messiah. The Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") on scrolls were already in their hands. They did not, however, know about Jesus. That's where the "Good News" comes in.

Continuing with the account of Revelation, John sees the Lamb and the 144,000 standing on Mount Zion. The choir of 144,000 is signing a new song of which only they know the words. An angel flies through the sky proclaiming the "Good News" to all peoples and nations. Another angel follows, announcing that "Babylon has fallen." A third angel warns that those who worshiped the beast and its statue (and received the mark of the beast) will suffer the consequences. Who or what is Babylon?

A white cloud appeared with someone like the Son of Man sitting on it. He has a gold crown on his head and sickle in his hand. An angel tells the Son of Man to begin the "harvest of the earth." Then, two more angels appeared, one of which has a sickle. The "harvest" yields the "grapes" that are put into the winepress of God's wrath. Blood flowed out of the winepress. No doubt, the time of judgment is to begin.

A vast sea of glass mixed with fire appeared. On it were the survivors who were victorious over the beast, the statue, and the number (i.e., "666") representing his name. They were holding harps and singing the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb.

Seven angels were each given a gold bowl filled with God's wrath. The first six angels poured out their bowls which resulted in numerous calamities. After the sixth angel poured out the bowl, three evil spirits that looked like frogs leaped from the mouths of the beast, the dragon, and the false prophet. The demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and armies of the world to a place called "Armageddon" to do battle against the Almighty. Yes, this is the "Armageddon" that has mystified people for centuries.

From what I gather, "Armageddon" is a distinct point toward the end of the "great tribulation." However, when does (or did) the "great tribulation" begin? In reading the "Gospels," I found that Jesus' warning seemed to specifically point to the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. I did not sense that he was referring to a symbolic Jerusalem or a symbolic Temple. Secular historians also believe that "Babylon" as used by John of Patmos (not Apostle John) was a codename for the Roman Empire. Is it possible, then, that Jesus and John were both signifying that the destruction of 70 AD was approximately when the "great tribulation" would begin? Over 1,900 years have elapsed since that time. Could we have been experiencing many of the signs of the "great tribulation" already? If so, at what point in the prophesy are we at now?

I can truthfully say that I have become deeply frustrated with the current project of reviewing the account of Revelation. Clearly, there is no way for a mere mortal to understand the entire account. Only wild guesses can be made (which is 100 percent of the available material about Revelation). No doubt, I will be wrapping up the project in a couple of days or so. I will maintain a running commentary on some of the issues, but it will not dominate the "blog."

Panini Prophecy

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... back to the old routine. All I can say is thank goodness for my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. How can a $60 appliance bring so much joy? Well, the ability to make a tasty panini dinner in less than ten minutes total is certainly joyful.

My research into early Christianity continues unabated, although I have become fairly disillusioned. What has bothered me is that the basis of Christianity has been the four "Gospels," Acts of the Apostles, and a series of letters to Christian congregations. I shouldn't be disillusioned since the Israelites did not have any written documents for a long period of time. All information was word of mouth and handed down from generation to generation. The same holds true for early Christianity. The Christians, however, did possess an archive of the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). After all, many of the early Christians were former Jews. Jesus never wrote anything down during his earthly tenure, and the four "Gospels" appeared several decades after Jesus' resurrection.

I have previously mentioned that less than a hundred years after Jesus' resurrection the "church" hierarchy began introducing new rituals, idols, and doctrines. Here's an example. The "Lord's Supper" was celebrated every evening during the time of the Apostles. That was the time to "break bread" and fellowship. People would also share food with the less fortunate. Originally, the Apostles had celebrated the "Passover" (a Jewish celebration) with Jesus, noted as the "Last Supper" in the "Gospels." Later, the "Lord's Meal" was restricted to Sunday, the Christian "Sabbath." In the end, the "Eucharist" somehow ended up replacing the "Lord's Meal," complete with silly rituals and liturgy.

The rift between the Jews and the Christian hierarchy continued to increase during that time. The Sunday "Sabbath" was chosen to differentiate it from the Jewish "Sabbath" that was held on Saturday. Even Christian fasting days were deliberately chosen to not coincide with Jewish fasting. By 300 AD, the Christian "church" had metamorphosed into an organization quite dissimilar from its roots.

With that said, in the account of Revelation, the seventh angel blew the trumpet to commence the "third terror." Thus, the Almighty (not Jesus) began his rule and initiated the time of judgment. The Temple of God (in Heaven) was opened and the Ark of the Covenant could be seen inside. As you may recall, the Ark had long disappeared before the Babylonian conquest. Is that where it ended up? We are not told, and I will not venture to guess.

An earthquake and hailstorm subsequently ensued. Then, John witnessed an event of great significance in Heaven. A woman with a crown of twelve stars was about to give birth to a son who would rule the nations with an iron rod. However, a dragon (i.e., the great "serpent" of old, Satan) attempted to snatch the child. However, the child was caught to God and his throne. The woman escaped to the wilderness where the Almighty had made provisions for her protection. Is the woman the nation of Israel? Is the woman's son the Son of God? We are not told, and I will not venture to guess.

The archangel Michael and his angels then launched a war against the dragon. The dragon lost and was hurled down to earth with its followers (i.e., evil angels). The dragon attempted to pursue the woman and drown her, but the Almighty maintained His protection of her.

A "beast from the sea" with seven head and ten horns emerged to join forces with the dragon. The beast was given to great blasphemies against the Almighty. It was also allowed to conquer God's Holy people and rule the nations. Many people chose to worship the beast, thereby insuring that they would not be listed in the "Book of Life."

Then, a "beast from the earth" emerged with two horns like a lamb and a voice like the dragon. He required everyone on earth to worship the "beast from the sea" and construct a statue of it. The statue was given the power to speak, whereby it commanded the people to worship. A mark, the number "666," on the right hand or forehead was also required of the people. Who or what are these beasts?

A number of secular historians have offered the thesis that the preceding prophecy involved the Roman Empire (as one of the beasts). The number "666" when interpreted using the equivalent Jewish alphabet supposedly spells "Nero Caesar." History tells us that the Roman Empire heavily persecuted the Christians (prior to Constantine). However, if John's prophecy foretold Roman times as the prelude to the "end of days," then his prophecy has failed.

Dispensationalist's Holiday

My Nissan® Frontier truck and I were on our way to town at 8:15am this morning. My destination? New City Nissan® to repair the front tire and to obtain the bogus "safety" check. I was surprised that the total came to be $43 and some change. That's less than the quote from the rip-off petrol station to just repair the tire alone. I really don't mind servicing my truck at the dealership. I am pretty much guaranteed excellent work, obviously to insure brand loyalty. I was out of there by 10am.

I drove to Ala Moana Center and found shaded parking. I rode the bus to town to salvage the urban nomad kind-of-a-day. I stationed myself in the inner courtyard of library until 1pm. Then, I performed my usual workout at the gym. I rode the bus back to Ala Moana. After retrieving my truck, I was on my way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I stopped off at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. I was hoping to find a decent bento. Nada. I purchased a couple of other items just to justify the stopover.

Back at Slob Manor, I performed the dreaded laundry chores. Then, I commenced the usual afternoon and evening ritual (i.e., same ol' shit). What else is new?

After further contemplation, I realized why Jesus is the primary focus of the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament"). Jesus is the Messiah (or Christ). He is the Saviour of humankind. His earthly tenure fulfilled both prophesy and redemption. In addition, Jesus made a new covenant that covered both Jews and Gentiles. I will come back to that issue some time later.

I was finally able to peruse a few of the non-"canonized" books that were considered for inclusion in the Good Book. The books were authored after the Apostolic Period, so that could be the reason why they were not included. Mind you, the non-"canonized" books are probably the oldest Christian documents in existence aside from the Good Book. Yet, what was evident is that Christianity was well on its way to apostasy within just a hundred years after Jesus' resurrection. By then, the informal congregations had given way to "churches" with hierarchies and bureaucracies along with increasing rituals, idols, and non-Scriptural doctrines. What a change from the time of the Apostles!

Then, I realized why there is no "true religion" especially in Christianity. Even with the Almighty's blessing, look what happened to the Israelites. Thus, there is no mandate to search for the "true religion." Neither Jesus or the Apostles discussed a "true religion." And, the prophecies in Revelation do not allude to a "true religion" for salvation either. The Apostles had established congregations, but their purpose was fellowship, protection, and ease of communication¹. Yet, divisions continued to plague the congregations. Matters only got worse once the Apostles had passed on.

Even I had once thought that there must be a "true religion." Otherwise, there would be no way to obtain salvation and redemption. And, there would be no way for God's Will to be fulfilled. Yet, what has happened since the time of the Apostles? What church even resembles anything like the original Christian congregations? Does the Good Book have the answer?

With that said, when the seventh seal on the scroll is broken, a lot more destruction ensues. Seven angels are given seven trumpets. The first four angels blow their trumpets, bringing about a series of calamities. When the fifth angel blew a trumpet, it unleashed the first of the "three terrors," a series of devastating calamities. Afterward, the sixth angel is to blow a trumpet and bring about the "second terror," another series of devastating calamities. There are, apparently, humans who have survived all of the calamities so far. Yet, they "refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God." Would repentance and salvation still be available during the "great tribulation"?

John hears the "seven thunders," but he is told to not write what the "seven thunders" said. He is also given a small scroll by an angel. John does not disclose the contents of the scroll. He is told to eat the scroll. It tastes like honey in his mouth but turns sour in his stomach. What does the preceding mean? We are not told, and I will not venture to guess. Later, John is then told that he must prophesy again.

John is given a measuring stick to measure the Temple of God and the altar. He must also count the number of worshipers. The Temple is assumed to be in Jerusalem (or "Zion"), whereupon two witnesses (i.e., prophets) will appear. They are given extraordinary powers in order to protect themselves as they deliver their messages. However, once their mission is complete, the "beast that comes up from the bottomless pit" (i.e., Satan) kills them. The witnesses are not buried but left on display for all to see. After 3.5 days, they are brought back to life. A great earthquake ensues. Thus ends the "second terror." Who are the two witnesses? Some believe that Enoch and Elijah are the chosen ones, although there is not one hint concerning the identities of the two witnesses. Then, what is the meaning of the events? We are not told, and I will not venture to guess.

The account of Revelation becomes more difficult to understand the further we read. There are already a few verses that need a prophet's interpretation. However, the main chronology remains clear. The "great tribulation" is a time of immense destruction and suffering. However, take note that I have not equated the "great tribulation" with Armageddon. So much to learn, so little time.

¹In the early days, only the Hebrew Scriptures were readily available. All of the Christian dogma were relayed by letters or word of mouth.

Byblos Binge & Purge

I was off to Hawai'i Kai at 8:50am this morning in my Nissan® Frontier truck. Moms and I made the usual rounds in Hawai'i Kai. We ate lunch at Yummy's. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 2pm. The rest of the afternoon followed my usual Monday itinerary. The evening? No change. The weather was very nice today, by the way.

I am sure that most people could care less about the religious mumbo-jumbo that I have been writing about in the "blog." Perhaps a few may feel that I have lost my mind. Perhaps ... perhaps not. I have become quite interested in the Scriptures because some non-sinister force is compelling me to do. I have also been disillusioned with the myriad interpretations and embellishments that have been offered by the myriad religious organizations. Incidentally, I have attempted to avoid quotation or citing of Scripture in order to prevent the text from resembling a proselyte work. However, there may be occasion that I must include the latter or former.

I should mention that I have made the painful decision to continue to use the New Living Translation (NLT) as the sole reference Good Book. I have found that the footnotes have provided enough information to yield the accuracy that I desire.

With that said, I must confess that the account of Revelation has opened up Pandora's Box for me. The research, albeit informal, has led to some shocking revelations (no pun intended). These revelations have been mind-numbing and depressing. I will discuss a few of these topics as a primer before proceeding with the breaking of the seventh seal. In fact, the latter topics are important in order to conceive the finale of "God's Will."

I left off yesterday with a discussion about resurrection. I must build upon the topic for a reason. Hence, the following are the relevant Scriptures that I found about resurrection:

• Mark 12:24-27
• Luke 20:34-38
• 1st of Thessalonians 4:15-18
• 1st of Corinthians 14:44 and 15:51-53

From the context of my preliminary reading of the aforementioned Scriptures, a resurrected person will not return in a "natural body (i.e., human form), but will return in a "spiritual body" (i.e., similar to the angels). Thus, the resurrected soul "will neither marry nor be given in marriage" (NLT). The latter statement is in-line with the understanding that spirit beings are asexual. They do not procreate. What about the remaining physical souls on the earth? Those "who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (NLT). The latter suggests that all remaining humans will be transformed to "spiritual beings" with "eternal life."

Originally, "God's will" for humans appeared to be that of living on earth in a paradisaical "Garden of Eden" with "eternal life" sustained by the long extinct "Tree of Life." The human mission was to "be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground" (NLT). Although I have found references for a "new heavens and new earth," I have not found any Scripture stating that humans will return to their original mission in Paradise on Earth. In fact, in the following Scriptures:

• Isaiah 24:1-23
• 2nd of Peter 3:10-13

the destruction of the entire earth is foretold. I was quite stunned. Nonetheless, I will continue to research the issue to insure that my findings are correct. As a non-scholar, I cannot be too certain.

Of course, when I came to my senses, I realized that there are a number of Scriptures which promote the thought, "The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it." Yet, when is that supposed to happen?

I have also observed that the name of the Almighty expressed as YHWH¹ only appears in a handful of verses in the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament"). Quite surprising considering that the name (if not replaced by "Lord") appears consistently throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). In fact, I am certain that the absence of the Holy Name is one of the reasons that there is confusion about the so-called "trinity."

I have perused a number of scholarly documents which go into surprisingly long diatribes about the "trinity" and its foundations. However, the Scriptures themselves are not what I call "doctoral dissertation" class documents. The analyses are therefore ludicrous overkill. In simple logic, why would the Almighty (who answers to no one and who holds the ultimate truth) create a ruse of three entities that are really just one? Why weren't the three entities revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures? Why would Jesus be praying to himself? If Jesus did expire (so-called "crucifixion"), then who would have been around to resurrect him? Who then is sitting at the "right hand of God"? Of course, there are arguments about whether one is referring to "modalism" (i.e., God reveals himself in three distinct forms) or true "trinitarianism" (i.e., God existing as one but existing in three entities). Both definitions are ridiculous.

If I was suspicious, I would terminate my informal research right here and now. After all, I have described the seeming lack of continuity between the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. Although, Jesus' short tenure on the earth was primarily to offer salvation to the Israelites, the mission changed when the Apostles assumed the leadership. With the ushering in of the Gentiles, there was a massive upheaval with the scrapping of the "old" Law (i.e., Law of Moses). The changes were substantial. The Almighty took a backseat to Jesus in the Greek Scriptures. However, I must soldier on!

¹YHWH, the tetragrammaton representing Yahweh, Jehovah, Ieovah, the name of the God.

Sunday Salvation

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday was made enjoyable by a beautiful sunny day. Another rainstorm ensued last night, and there seemed to be little chance that it would clear up by morning. What a pleasant surprise!

The urban nomad itinerary was maintained, basically a trip to the gym, a glimpse of the hottie gym trainer, and a bus ride back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I stopped off at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center along the way. I purchased a pint of Dreyer's® ice cream (which I ate at the us stop) and a Yakitori bento meal. That's the first time I have seen any bento at Foodland in Aina Haina. So, the dinner problem was solved. I also walked to kawaikui Beach Park and spent about 30 minutes there. Pete, the homeless guy, was barbequing something. Someone else was there visiting him. Perhaps he was doing some entertaining, eh? The evening for the ol' lavahead will be the same as always.

In my discussion about the account of Revelation, I neglected to mention that the seven torches in the Almighty's court represent the "sevenfold Spirit" or Holy Spirit. The number seven always signifies Divine "completeness." When the symbolic "Lamb" made its appearance, it possessed seven horns and seven eyes, which also represent the Holy Spirit. We should not that the Holy Spirit was integrated into the "Lamb," as opposed to being separate from the Almighty. Thus, we have more proof that the "trinity" is a myth.

Prior to the breaking of the seventh seal, we are introduced to the the 144,000 of God's servants who are to receive the mark of salvation on their foreheads. The 144,000 are taken from the 12 tribes of Israel (2,000 per tribe). They have been "purchased" as a special offering to both the Almighty and the "Lamb." There have many different interpretations about who the 144,000 really are. Yet, the account of Revelation offers no other description (e.g., "saved" Christians). Can we assume that the 144,000 are part of the promise that the Almighty made to Abraham and David? We are not told, and I will not venture to guess.

There is a strong connection to the Israelites even though the latter had lost favor with the Almighty. The number twelve is always associated with the 12 tribes of Israel. The reason that there were 12 Apostles must be assumed to relate to the 12 tribes as well. And, we should note that the prophets of Israel always looked toward the coming of the "New Jerusalem" (later the "new heavens and new earth") after "judgment day." The account of Revelation also points to the "New Jerusalem."

Also of interest is the fact that the term "resurrection" does not appear in the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). The prophets had constantly referred to a day of judgment and vaguely described salvation for only a select few (because of God's wrath toward a non-repentant Israel). Hence, the Jews appeared to not have the hope and knowledge of resurrection. The concept of resurrection only came about after Jesus was resurrected. Hence, Jesus was the first to ever be resurrected. We should note that Jesus and his Apostles often "awakened" the souls of those who had slipped into Hades¹. However, by definition, those events are not resurrections. Therefore, a resurrection must involve the transference of the soul to Heaven (i.e., conversion to a spirit being).

Then, we are introduced to the "vast crowd" from every nation, people, and language, the souls who had passed on during the "great tribulation." From what we can gather, the "vast crowd" had previously been marked for salvation and must constitute mostly Gentiles and Christians. Now, the seventh seal is to be broken.

¹Hades, or common burial grave.

Saturday Shenanigans

The rain commenced yesterday afternoon. By evening, a wild storm ensued. Rain continued through the night. This morning, I wasn't sure if I could fulfill the typical urban nomad kind-of-a-day. I was able to wait for the bus during a short break in the storm. When I arrived in town, the rain was moderate. I was fairly wet from the walk to the library. There was an event honoring Abe Lincoln. Food and beverages were right afterward. A few of the homeless and a number of halfway house derelicts showed up just to eat. I have never partaken of the food, but I made an exception today. I only put three small items and some baby carrot on my small plate. The derelicts had several plates full of food and kept going up for more. I was thankful that I did not have to eat my usual fare (i.e., granola) for lunch.

I continued my secular research on early Christianity. I am only concerned about the period between Jesus' time and about 150 years subsequent. I walked to the gym a little earlier than usual while there was a break in the rain. I performed my usual workout. Afterward, I observed that the weather had abruptly changed for the better. The sun was even shining. I rode a crowded bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I performed the dreaded laundry chores a day early. Actually, I am shifting my laundry schedule in order to accommodate the other inconsiderate Slob Manor residents. However, every time I shift my schedule, then they also change their schedule to the exact same days. Punks!

During my continuing dissection of the account of Revelation, I began to ponder whether the whole depicted chronology is what is referred to as the "great tribulation." The phrase only appears once in the Good Book, nearly at the end of Revelation itself. As we have discussed prior, Jesus had provided his disciples with a description of the "end of times" (or the "last days") during his earthly tenure. He did not defer to any "great tribulation." He also mentioned that the time of the end was near, which is what prompted the urgency of the Apostles' message. Could the "end of days" be the "great tribulation"? Could the "great tribulation" have already commenced? Daniel wrote of the daily sacrifice that was to be terminated and a sacrilegious object which causes desolation that was to be erected and worshipped in his discourse about the end times (given to him in a vision). We know that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans circa 70 AD and a pagan altar was constructed on the rubble of Herod's Temple. Did the "great tribulation" being then?

If the chronology of Revelation is the "great tribulation," then its course will run for a very long time (well over a thousand years). Oddly, the breaking of the first six seals on the scroll of destruction is described in a short series of paragraphs. The detail of the destruction, albeit in symbolic terms, appears to be relatively minor compared with the drawn out scenario when the seventh seal is broken. Closer scrutiny of the effects of each of the first six broken seals reveals similar events to what Jesus described as the "last days." Has the "great tribulation" already been in progress for 1,900 years now?

Friday Follies

I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai at 8:45am this morning. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I at lunch early at the Tokyo Noodle House in Kuapa Kai. I did not particularly care for the place. Then, moms, myself, and my Nissan® Frontier truck ended up in Koko Marina so that moms could shop for groceries at Foodland. Later, moms served Breyer's® Natural Vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Moms had forgotten to purchase a container of Zippy's chili, so we had to go back to Koko Marina. When we returned, I chatted with moms briefly. Then, I was on my way back to Koko Marina. I found shaded parking, performed my usual workout at the gym, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).

And, back at Slob Manor ... the Indian guy has been slamming doors and everything else for weeks. I am not sure if he's having a problem, or he's just a dumb ass, or both. Most likely, both. I don't particularly care for the guy. The whole second floor is a garbage dump overrun by myriad ants thanks to all of the rotting food lying around. The bathroom, of course, is about as clean as a septic tank. After seeing the crap that was clogging the bathroom sink, I have decided to let the whole bathroom degenerate into a slime pit. On occasion, I will spray down the faucet handles with chlorine beach for sanitation purposes. I am not even certain if the bleach will do anything. Sheesh!

This is supposedly Sinister Kahuna Day, but we aren't superstitious, are we? In discussing the account of Revelation, I neglected to mention that any attempt to calculate the exact date when the "end of times" commences would be a fruitless endeavor. Certainly, Revelation is of no help there as well. The account of Revelation only describes the chronology of the "end of times." In fact, in numerous other Scriptures, the beginning of the "end of times" is acknowledged as being only known to the Creator. Jesus described the "signs" that would signal the beginning of the end. Do those sign apply to our time? Certainly there appears to be ample evidence of present fulfillment, but we cannot be absolutely sure. Jesus stated that the end (i.e., the Revelation scenario) would come as a complete surprise (i.e., "a thief in the night"). Thus, Jesus warned that all should be prepared and remain vigilant.

So, what of those religions that profess to know the date of the "end of times"? We can only conclude that they are false prophets, coming to mislead the masses. No amount of trivial calculations or piece-mealing numbers and Scriptures together in order to feebly produce a date will yield anything accurate. Rather, such endeavors will only expose the false prophets for what they are and possibly bring on their destruction.

The account of Revelation convenes in the symbolic court of the Almighty, who is sitting in His Throne and surrounded by 24 "elders" sitting in their thrones. Who are the "elders"? We are not told, and I will not venture to guess. There are also four "living beings" of hideous syntheses in the center of the court. Who are the four "living beings"? We are not told, and I will not venture to guess. However, the four "living beings" happen to translate for John some of the events that follow. There are also myriad angels in the periphery of the court, so neither the 24 "elders" or the four "living beings" are angels. Subsequently, the "Lamb" appears, although the description is certainly not of an earthly lamb or sheep. The "Lamb" takes a scroll that is clenched in the hand of the Almighty. Only the "Lamb" is authorized to break the seven seals of the scroll. When each of the seals is sequentially broken, an "end of times" event is triggered. There are seven such events, with the seventh being the most devastating because it triggers seven sub-events announced by trumpets and the corresponding three "terrors."

Mind-boggling, isn't it? Yet, if the progression of the "canonized" Scriptures is accurate, then the events are of utmost importance. There has been no true prophet brought forward to explain these events to us. We are not told that there will be any more prophets. Hence, we are on this journey alone. The Apostles called the knowledge the "truth." And, the "truth" will set us "free." Freedom is what the urban nomad desires, and that is where he is heading.

Thursday Turpitude

Yet another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has come to pass. I continued my secular research about early Christianity at the library. From what I can ascertain, it did not take longer than 100 years after the passing of the last Apostle before Christianity made sweeping changes to its content and form, such that Christianity looked nothing like that of the time of the Apostles.

Christianity, itself, has its basis in the Apostles. Why do I say that? Because Jesus made clear that his priority was to offer salvation to the Jews. Mind you, the Jews were no longer like their Israelite ancestors. They were scattered and exiled in what was called the "Diaspora." Upon their return to the former homeland, they had divided up into sects, formulated new laws, and incorporated the synagogue into their worship. Christianity was first made available exclusively to the Jews (or foreigners who had converted).

I also discovered that the account of Revelation may have been penned by a different John, not the Apostle John. Sometimes the author is described as "John of Patmos (although he did not originate from there; he was exiled there). My dissection of Revelation is going to be slow and tedious. My premise is that Revelation can either somehow be interpreted through other Scriptural cross-references or must require a latter day prophet for interpretation. Not having the latter available, I will attempt the former. The first portion of Revelation includes messages from Jesus (through John's vision) to seven Christian Congregations in what was known as Asia (now Turkey), specifically the Western coast. The congregations were in close proximity and possibly along a common thoroughfare. There does not appear to be anything prophetic in the messages, although the number seven is predominant.

Well, I'll leave at that for today. I have got a lot more research to do on other religious topics on the Web this evening. As for the rest of the day, the urban nomad itinerary was maintained. However, I spent most of the day in deep contemplation about the topics that I will be researching. Even during my workout at the gym, I was engaged in deep thought. Some of my research will not be included in the "blog," mainly because there is less than one legitimate reader per day.

Wednesday Whisperings

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... just waiting for the "end of days." Actually, no that's not true. After reading the Apostle John's account of Revelation in the Good Book (New Living Translation), I would rather avoid Armageddon. However, I cannot say that the rest of humanity agrees with me. In fact, it appears as though humanity is egging on the Almighty to take action.

I am continuing my research about early Christianity using a variety of secular sources in the library. One tidbit that I found interesting was that the Good Book consists of a series of "canonized" smaller books. "Canonized" means that a group of mortals made the decision about which books were to be included in Good Book. There are about five books that are missing for one reason or another. In fact, a couple of the "canonized" books were almost not included, the account of Revelation being one. Does that make the Good Book unreliable?

I have been profoundly affected by the reading of the Good Book. Revelation had the most adverse affect, I might add. I have felt a sense of doom and derealization, the force of which is beyond anything that I have ever experienced. The account of Revelation has moved me to evaluate my life and my beliefs. In fact, the earth and its foolish inhabitants seems so small and trivial. I have, believe or not, instituted some changes in my personality and temperament.

The power of the destruction during the "end of days" will be mind-numbing, to say the least. Is the Almighty justified? Well, given the fact that Christianity did not even require 200 years to become adulterated and divided, there is no question that humans cannot control the impulse to sin and debauch themselves. In reading just the early history of Christianity, I can see why the Almighty would be furious. Can humans ever keep their worship pure? Apparently not.

Two thousand years later, and humans find themselves in an even greater quandary as the epidemic of the "seven sins" runs rampant. We have lost control of everything ... our lives, our environment, our ability to govern ourselves. The world economy is in a shambles because of greed. Religion has become a total joke. Corruption is at a pinnacle in government. And, peace is an elusive dream. What exactly have we humans done to redeem ourselves? If we don't destroy ourselves first, then Armageddon will.

The homeless guy from Kawaikui Beach Park (who owns a bicycle) boarded the bus this morning near Aina Haina. He apparently remembers me, even though I haven't been to the beach park in several weeks.

I performed my usual workout at the gym. I ran into Professor Dan while I was there. The acceptable white soap is finally back in the dispensers in the shower, thank goodness. After I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I performed the dreaded laundry chores. Another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening awaited me.

Tuesday Tidbits

Yesterday, I read a few more of the Apostles' letters in the Good Book (inaccurate New Living Translation). The Letter to the Hebrews further clarified the "new covenant." In essence, the old Mosaic Law has been superseded. The rationale that was provided seemed to be sound. Yet, there apparently was a lot of resistance to change.

The authors of the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") constantly quote from the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") in order to provide proof of the fulfillment of prophecy (notably the life of Jesus). Fortunately, the New Living Translation (NLT) provides cross-references to the original sources. I was able to substantiate many of the prophetic verses. However, some of the quoted verses seemed to be taken out of context. Obviously, more research on my part will be required.

As I mentioned before, the Apostles' work appeared to be of the utmost urgency because of the fear of running out of time at the "end of days." Did the Apostles believe that "Judgment Day" was close at hand, such that they would live to see that day?

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... same as any other urban nomad kind-of-a-day. The weather was extremely nice, as opposed to the rainstorm that ensued just before I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) yesterday afternoon.

Well, I finally completed the reading of the Good Book (NLT) this morning at 11:45am in the inner courtyard of the library. That's two months exactly since I procured the latter at Barnes & Noble®. As I expected, the Apostle John's account of Revelation was seemingly impossible to decipher. The prophesy, of course, deals with Armageddon, the "end of days." The chronology of Revelation is a more detailed symbolic timeline of what Jesus was quoted as describing the "last days" in the so-called "Gospels." The mystery of Revelation can be unlocked by careful research. If the Good Book is true to itself, then the interpretation of Revelation should manifest itself. There is no other way since we have no modern day prophets or apostles to do the work for us. Of course, there are myriad interpretations available from myriad sources. Yet, only careful scrutiny will reveal the integrity of those interpretations.

I have also commenced some minor research into the history of the Christian church since its formation by the Apostles. As I mentioned prior, Christianity was adulterated almost immediately after the passing of the last of the Apostles. So, the research continues. In the meantime, I am not certain about the disposition of my copy of the NLT. I want to switch to a more literal and accurate translation from this point forward.

Monday Melancholia

Once again, Monday found me and my Nissan® Frontier truck in Hawai'i Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. My sister-in-law was still illin', so she was home as well. Moms and I made the usual rounds in Hawai'i Kai. We all know the drill already. We ate lunch at Panda Express® in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center. We were fortunate to enjoy fairly nice weather. Later, moms served Foremost® vanilla ice cream for dessert. I chatted with moms until 1pm.

Earlier in the morning, my tire pressure alarm went off again in my Nissan® Frontier truck. That's the second time in two weeks. Seems that both front tires have slow leaks. Upon inspection, I discovered a nail in the right front tire. I assume that there's a nail in the other tire as well, although I could not locate it. Two nails in both front tires? Coincidence? I think not. Looks more like vandalism to me. Most likely one of the homeowners on the side street that I park along near Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I asked for a quote at the Union 76® petrol station in Hawai'i Kai. I don't particularly care to do business with the dump, although I usually purchase petrol there. The quote was $45 per tire (because of the pressure sensors), and payment was demanded in cash. Not ever carrying any cash, I left the dump. In a way, I was thankful.

My Nissan® Frontier truck is about four years old now, albeit with less than 12,000 miles on it. Nonetheless, it has already lost most of its value. So, why do I take care it so much? And, why do I worry about it so much? Perhaps that is why the sinister kahuna toyed with the oversized cranium by perusading a loser in da 'hood to hammer a couple of nails in his tires.

I followed my usual afternoon itinerary ... workout at the gym and shop at Foodland, both in Koko Marina. I was very perturbed about my vandalized tires. Another $100 will be thrown down the toilet again. When are these useless expenses going to end? Fortunately, I was able to find a nice $4 hot meal (read: local-style bento) while at Foodland.

Last night, I discovered that brighter colors render nicely on the new "compatible" LCD screen that I installed in my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. Thus, I simply changed my desktop wallpaper while keeping the dark "Dust" theme. What a difference!

Sunday Solace

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday repeats itself again. Are we going back in time? The weather was much nicer today, if that's a consolation. I followed the usual itinerary and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 2:30pm, just in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores.

I am getting used to the extremely bright, washed out LCD screen on my rejuvenated Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. Perhaps my eyes are simply adjusting and compensating for the deficiencies. I find that, if I sit about two feet away from the screen, everything actually looks fine. Well, that's what I tell myself.

In the Good Book (inaccurate New Living Translation), I am now reading the various letters from a handful of Apostles to the various congregations. To be honest, I have a difficult time putting the Good Book down. It has been intriguing reading. I had read most of the Good Book before (different translation). However, my mind was not focused. Only after I spent over a year of intensive reading in the library, mostly current affairs stuff, that I became a much better reader.

The Apostle Paul's Letter to the Romans was perhaps the most intriguing treatise that I have read so far. As I had suspected, Jesus' earthly mission did not include the Gentiles. Had the Jews actually repented and accepted Jesus as the Messiah, the fate of the Gentiles would have been unknown. Obviously, most of us are Gentiles. However, Paul pointed out the "mystery of God," which was the Almighty's plan to include Gentiles, from the very words of the prophets of old.

The letters also reveal the gradual deprecation of Mosaic Law. In fact, the premise of the latter was sealed by the "new covenant" initiated during Jesus' last supper with his disciples. Incidentally, Jesus' last supper, also called the "Lord's Supper," is the only celebration mentioned for Christians. I would strongly suggest that everyone read the Letter to the Romans for a remarkable theological dissertation of the law and sin. I was quite moved by what I read, almost breaking down and weeping at one point.

There was an urgency to the message of the Apostles. Their work was carried out expeditiously because of the coming "end of days." Of course, it did not take long after the last of the Apostles passed on that the "church" of Christianity became watered down and adulterated by pagan beliefs and idols. Christianity quickly developed into Christendom¹ and eventually became the church of the Gentiles. Yet, the "end" did not come. Now, the time is about 2,000 years later. What happened?

¹Christendom, a grouping of apostate religious sects claiming to be Christian.

Days of Future Past (Reprise)

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... nothing new to report. The day was rainy, but nothing stops the urban nomad from fulfilling his itinerary (i.e., library, gym).

I continue to read the Good Book (inaccurate New Living Translation). I spent over four hours on the project, and I have completed the so-called "Four Gospels" and Acts of the Apostles. I am now reading the Letter to the Romans from the Apostle Paul. What has become clear is that Jesus' earthly tenure was primarily to offer the Israelites a chance to redeem themselves once again in accordance with the Almighty's covenant with Abraham. Since the Jews had once again lost their focus, the Almighty had provided a new provision of "baptism" to "separate the chaff from the wheat." Not until Simon Peter received a vision that changed his view of the Gentiles as being "unclean" did the Apostles then focus their ministry outside of the Jewish community.

In fact, Jesus and his Apostles practiced the rituals of Mosaic Law, including attending the mandatory festivals and celebrations. The moniker "Christian" was not officially sanctioned until divine providence assigned the latter to label the congregation in Antioch in Syria. Even then, the Christians were essentially Jews who had been "baptized" by water immersion. When the Gentiles were finally admitted into the Christian congregation, there were an assortment of problems including resentment by the Jews. Of course, the biggest problem was whether the Mosaic Law applied to the Gentiles (which came up because of the issue of circumcision). In the end, the Gentile Christians were exempted from most of the Mosaic Law.

Well, my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer has been reduced to a piece of crap. The new LCD panel is just not working for me. Everything is washed out. Anything black is rendered as light gray. Obviously, I spent considerable time changing my desktop to a dark theme a couple of months ago. Now, it's a light gray theme. What's even more stupid is that I discovered that individual applications (e.g., movie players) will adjust the brightness of the whole desktop. Yeah, that's right, individual applications will change the brightness setting for no apparent reason. Just starting up the application causes the whole screen to go to full brightness. Ubuntu Linux is a big joke. I guess that my next computer will once again be an Apple® product.

Horrors of Technology (Reprise)

I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai at 8:30am this morning in my Nissan® Frontier truck. I made a quick stop at Longs® in Kuapa Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. The package with my new "compatible" LCD panel for my crippled Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer was waiting for me. Moms said that it was delivered yesterday. I opened the box to inspect the unit. It looked almost identical to the old unit, which was no surprise since it was badged as an LG® model. A few minutes later, moms served a slice of Tutu's Pumpkin Pie to me for breakfast.

My sister-in-law returned early from work at 10am because she was illin'. Moms and I departed for Koko Marina shortly afterward. We ate lunch at Zippy's. Then, moms shopped for groceries at Foodland. We ran into an old high school classmate of mine, Eric, in the store. He is also a member of the same church that moms attends. That was the first time I have seen Eric in 37 years. I could barely recognize him, although he did not have any gray hair. Later, moms served Custard Pie and Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert.

I kept moms company until 12:50pm. Then, I had to stop at the neighbor's place to see if I could solve another computer problem. From what I could tell from the symptoms that were described to me, there is either a virus, a "trojan horse" program, or a worm residing in stealth on the computer. I was not able to detect its presence with the installed virus scanner or malware utility.

I drove back to Koko Marina at 1:50pm. I found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, and shopped at Foodland. Once again, I really wasn't in the mood to shop for food. Absolutely nothing looked delicious to me. In fact, only desserts seem to have any taste. I purchased the usual veggie "rations" for my weekend dinners. I found a marked-down $2 hot meal (i.e., local-style bento) including pork spare ribs, asparagus and mushrooms, and rice. I then drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).

I was back in my squalid room by 4:20pm. I decided to repair my crippled Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. Replacing the LCD panel was fairly easy. The new panel was nearly identical to the old one. Only the circuit board was slightly different. The new LCD panel was made in China as opposed to the old one which was made in Korea. I slipped the new LCD panel in place and plugged in the connectors. I fired up the computer. The new LCD screen was working fine. I reassembled the computer. Then, I ate my dinner. Only the orange that I ate afterward tasted good to me.

After dinner, I powered up my rejuvenated Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. The display was was too bright, and the contrast was washed out. I lowered the brightness as far as it could go, but the display was still way too bright. There's no way to adjust the contrast. The viewing angle was also much more limited. I was a little perturbed, but there's not much that I can do. I am certainly not going to return the LCD panel and order an exact replacement (for much more dough). Then, it crossed my mind that the CCFL (Cold-Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlight is brand new. When I first purchased the computer, the original display may have been just as bright. However, over 1.5 years of time, the CCFL backlight in the old LCD panel may have been getting dimmer. So, in a month or so, I may see the brightness normalize as the CCFL backlight burns in.

I neglected to mention that the landlord came by Slob Manor yesterday (as per my request) to unclog the drain in the second floor bathroom basin. Frankly, I was sick and tired of using the plunger. The landlord disassembled the drainpipe. There was a pair of chopsticks, a spoon, and several bottle caps stuck inside along with clumps of hair and other crap. I was able to chat with the landlord about the state of the economy as well. Interesting, to say the least.

Bread of Life

"Pleasure-seeking. In the Red Army there are also quite a few people whose individualism finds expression in pleasure seeking. They always hope that their unit will march into big cities. They want to go there not to work but to enjoy themselves. The last thing they want is to work in the Red areas where life is hard." -- Chairman Mao

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... did I mention that there is a small shop on Smith Street in Chinatown called Urban Nomad? I noticed the store a couple of weeks ago while I stood across the street from the bus stop. In the afternoon, I walk to the bus stop deep in Chinatown. I stand across the street while I wait because of the sheer number of cigarette-smoking derelicts at that bus stop.

I am now reading the account of John in the Good Book (inaccurate New Living Translation). I should mention that more details of the life of John the Baptist were provided in the account of Luke. The birth and commission of John the Baptist was apparently ordained from a Higher Source. Even John's name was not the choice of his parents. The act of "baptism" by water was evidently commissioned by a Higher Source. John the Baptist's sole purpose was to bring the Israelites back into the fold through water immersion in preparation for the coming of the Messiah.

The birth of Jesus, the Christ (or Messiah), was also ordained and commissioned by a Higher Source. However, Jesus is the name given to the child born on earth, the actual son of God who existed long before as the "Word" (according to the account of John). Hence, Jesus is the earthly name of God's son, which literally means "YHWH¹ saves." What is Jesus' spirit world name? What about the reference to Immanuel?

Despite a few of the discrepancies that I have pointed out, my reading of the Good Book has been both enjoyable and informative. The Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") has given me a broader insight into the strong conviction of justice that has run consistently through the Good Book. The numerous references to helping the poor and destitute made me finally realize that one of the Almighty's purposes was to make humans understand the need to care for each other as exercised through the agency of "free will." Sadly, humans have failed miserably in that respect. I came to realize the latter points as I read the accounts of Jesus' teachings. Then, I retrospectively pondered the Hebrew Scriptures to discover that the same theme is also evident, most notably pronounced in the "prophetic" books.

There are new unanswered questions arising. For example, why did Jesus curse the fig tree that had no fruit (out of season)? Why was it necessary for Jesus to put his finger in a deaf man's ear or place his hands on a blind man's eyes while at other times he merely spoke to heal? Jesus also made it clear that his purpose was to redeem the Israelites, not the Gentiles. So, when exactly were the Gentiles welcomed?

Did you know that the Good Book is the most printed book in the world? In second place is ... "The Sayings of Chairman Mao" ... can you believe it? Sheesh!

¹YHWH, the tetragrammaton representing Yahweh, Jehovah, Ieovah, the name of the God.

Probing the Good Book

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... an exact clone of yesterday's urban nomad kind-of-a-day. I am not even sure of what day it is anymore, not that the latter really matters. Well, it had to be Wednesday because that's when I must perform the dreaded laundry chores.

I am currently reading the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") in the Good Book (the inaccurate New Living Translation), having just completed the account by Matthew. There is still a bit of incongruity because of a 500-plus year gap in the Good Book. I am assuming that Israel and Judah had ceased to exist. Under the Roman Empire, the area was known as Palestine with the provinces of Samaria, Judea, and Galilee. And, there were two sects of Jews, the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

From what I gather, John the Baptist was the son of the prophet Zechariah. However, I cannot seem to discern how the act of "baptism by water" came to be since it clearly wasn't practiced by the Israelites. In the account of Matthew, Jesus' disciples understood John the Baptist to be the prophet Elijah (perhaps figuratively, although according to the 2nd of Kings, the prophet Elijah was swept up by the chariot of God). In the account of John, the testimony of John the Baptist clearly denies that he is Elijah. Another astonishing discovery is that there was an epidemic of demon-possessed individuals during the time of Jesus. There is also a more active inclusion of Satan in the Greek Scriptures. In the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"), there are only three references to Satan, the last being in Zechariah's account. I also recall no instances of demon possession recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.

I am approaching two months in my reading of the Good Book. I procured a copy of the inaccurate New Living Translation on January 10th of this year, although I did not begin a real earnest effort to read the Good Book until later that month. For me, there is no question that the universe and all lifeforms are of intelligent origin. The big question is whether the God YHWH¹ of the Good Book is that intelligent source. In the last years of my life, the issue has become important, just as it was to reconnect with my parents.

My investment accounts are yielding very close to zero percent in dividends, and the rate is going lower by the day. I am expecting that $459,000 will only bring in about $50 total in dividends this month. Can you believe it? I transferred $1,050 to my local bank from my investment accounts early this evening. Each month will bring successively higher withdrawals. As we can see, the money won't last long. Thus, I will now have to search out various CD accounts that are paying anything close to three percent interest per annum. Then, I will have to go through the process of transferring most of the money to those accounts. I am in dire straits right now. My only option from this point forward will be homelessness in order to save cash.

¹YHWH, the tetragrammaton representing Yahweh, Jehovah, Ieovah, the name of the God.

Caravanserai

Can you believe it? Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has expired. The keywords for the day: library, gym, gale force winds, and satanic gargoyles. Add in a little rain, and there we have a true urban nomad kind-of-a-day.

The only excitement at the gym occurred when I was taking a shower. Just as I was about to lather up with the provided liquid soap, I discovered that the old white liquid soap that smells like toilet bowl cleaner was back. For a while, there was another white liquid soap that was actually pretty good. So, I had to run around to all of the stalls to find the only dispenser with the good liquid soap.

I have completed the reading of the "prophetic" books and, therefore, completed the entire Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") in the Good Book (the inaccurate New Living Translation). The accounts according to Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and Malachi included cryptic visions which left me baffled. The majority of the "prophetic" books deal with the desolation and enslavement of the nations of Israel and Judah caused by the Babylonian invasion, their subsequent release by King Cyrus (Kūrūš) of Persia, and the restoration of the Temple of God. Then, there are non-contiguous references to the "end times" and the "end of days" of which I am to assume is Armageddon. There are also a couple of Messianic prophesies involving the "Anointed One." What is frustrating is that the aforementioned topics are crucial to the transition to the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New testament").

My expenses were finally under control last month (see below). Unfortunately, the next few months will not be as frugal, what with income taxes and all. My goal is to "put a leash" on my spending. In fact, now is a good time to divest as many useless possessions as possible. That's my consumer tip to you. As for the ol' lavahead, he is too fatigued to dump his useless crap, not that there's much left.