Chasing the Prophetic Unicorn
David C. Pack of the Restored Church of God does not seem to grasp the concept that unicorns are mythical creatures that only exist in the imagination. Some can wonder whether he really believes the goofy ideas spewing out of his mouth or if he simply lacks the basic mental capacity that most adults develop.
The reality is an unfortunate blend of both.
Since every prophetic neuron firing in his brain is accepted as God’s inspiration, he believes his most convoluted theories…temporarily. But to compound matters, the Pastor General is also a theological nincompoop desperate for validation. He will thunder, pound the table, and demonstrate his signature “arrogant sniff” during dramatic pauses, even though his avalanche of proofs is constructed with wet cardboard and smoke.
Perhaps he is trolling his doubters by intentionally creating content gold that he knows will invite ridicule when examined carefully and critical thinking is applied.
During the “Greatest Untold Story! (Part 628),” given on March 21, 2026, the Pastor General admitted that finding the date for the return of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God is a unicorn. The unicorn that he and the RCG brethren have been chasing after has finally been captured.
Part 628 – March 21, 2026
@ 13:54 Apparently, we're looking for some kind of of unicorn. Reserve potentially for one-time use. Some kind of theological, or biblical, or scriptural date. Unicorn date.
Instead of being clever, he is conjuring yet another dismal swamp filled to the brim with malarkey, discovered by using stone-cold math on a path paved with empty coincidences that will later be a plentiful source of embarrassment. So much for the days of a "precision of doctrine."
The Old Testament prophets could not figure it out. The New Testament apostles could not figure it out. But humble, ole shepherd David C. Pack figured it out.
The Kingdom of God Arrives on Abib 24 (April 10, 2026)
Flashback Part 571 – April 19, 2025
@ 1:17:43 What would I tell you, brethren? How could I stand up here and say, “Well, I don’t know. Maybe it’s not the 24th.” If it’s not, you’re never gonna hear me say that.
@ 1:36:41 I guess you could say it could be the 24th next year. …And man, if it’s not the 24th, as I said before, I will never say that.
Part 628 – March 21, 2026
@ 09:11 The Bible is true. Now, you may think, “Why do you need to tell yourself that, Mr. Pack?” Well, because I'm trying to figure something out, which is so hard [chuckles], and there are many, many dates that turn out to be false.
@ 13:45 Well, we've never figured it out. I have now.
@ 15:15 But there’s only one date. What I call a, you know, a unicorn that's out there that no one's been ever been able to figure out.
I am not qualified to know if David C. Pack is clinically an idiot, but he seems so focused on rushing words out of his mouth that he does not bother to allow his ears to hear them. Maybe if his brain got those two to pay attention to each other, fewer dumb ideas sold as “present truth” would need to be recanted.Since unicorns do not exist, neither does the magical date David C. Pack seeks to discover. The arrival of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God is inevitable, but David C. Pack will never be the one to figure it out. Never. He will catch a live unicorn before he unveils the correct date for God doing anything.
@ 17:35 You're gonna see this this date emerges with a clarity that will just blow your mind. You'll blow your mind. Shock you, really. It it it this date that nobody could figure out comes with an avalanche of proof. An avalanche of proof.
No matter how high the pile of malarkey is stacked, David C. Pack will never be correct about the coming Kingdom of God. But he has no problem blaspheming and taking the Lord’s name in vain when he lays false doctrines at God’s feet.The man does not even know how to blush.
@ 34:34 So, unless it were revealed to me, what God had concealed in His Word, though He might make me sort of search it out and dig and scratch. Eventually, He would reveal it, and I would I would know the date.
@ 35:13 But, like I said, now that all of what God is gonna do has been resolved, I'm not gonna change any of it
@ 1:28:05 So, we're learning about this unicorn date that appears to be two days after Passover, three weeks away.
@ 1:45:52 God as much as could have said, “We gotta create a unicorn. A date no one will ever think about or even refer to again.”
@ 55:51 It suggests you got out of the Days of Unleavened Bread. Two days after the Days of Unleavened Bread is the Sabbath of the 24th. The Bible does talk an awful lot about the 24th. Now, we're just, but we gotta prove it.
There is no end to the numbers Dave has previously claimed that the "Bible talks an awful lot about." His fixation is with Abib 24 for the moment.No prophetic explanation is complete without a few coincidences to tip the scales.
@ 1:01:28 And by the way, this man whose last name is Passover, couldn't help but think about the fact that this church was reformed on the second Passover. Why?
@ 1:41:14 Now, the odds are 364 to 1 that this church would begin on the second Passover. Is that a coincidence?
@ 1:55:24 A Sabbath, anciently, after the Exodus in the 24th is the Sabbath this year, not last year. 19-plus days away. It appears after so long a journey and wondering that the 1335 days serves five purposes. I wanna tell you why they would be 24 days before the 24th.
@ 1:58:46 This very date is literally part of the Mystery of God having disappeared from history.
What has disappeared from Headquarters at The Restored Church of God is theological integrity, critical thinking, Bible literacy, accountability, and men of strength holding fast to the truth. Those are now phantom unicorns roaming the Main Hall and in the Third Floor Executive Imaginarium.But the RCG brethren have a bigger unicorn to fry: the idea that David C. Pack will ever fulfill the role of Elijah the Prophet. The Pastor General and human idol’s prophetic role is the fat unicorn in the room. He is no prophet, no apostle, and does not speak with God’s authority.
The All-Believing Zealots who cling to that notion will someday face the reality that all that they are now taught in The Restored Church of God are the manifestations of one man’s twisted imagination.
The Abib 24, 2026, arrival of the Kingdom of God is not the only unicorn they are chasing.You will see unicorns fly before you see David C. Pack accomplish anything biblical.
27 comments:
These people really believe they are on to something. They think they know what is going to happen. I know, because I once believed as they do. I wished and hoped that it would NEVER happen in my lifetime, but they had convinced me that only we knew the truth. So many of the people I came up with are dead now. They died without their life times of sacrifices being validated even while their oppressors lorded it over them and lived the highlife. So sad that people can be manipulated and controlled in such ways.
Unicorn? I don't think so. Dave is more of a My Little Phony.
Anon, Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 9:27:26 PM PDT, wrote:
These people really believe they are on to something. They think they know what is going to happen. I know, because I once believed as they do. I wished and hoped that it would NEVER happen in my lifetime, but they had convinced me that only we knew the truth. So many of the people I came up with are dead now. They died without their life times of sacrifices being validated even while their oppressors lorded it over them and lived the highlife. So sad that people can be manipulated and controlled in such ways.
******
Anon, Amen to all of that you wrote...been there, done that, sort of speak!
David Pack, instead of being inspired to come up with such false early dates, like every day is an April Fool's joke day, for Christ's reign on earth, might he ever just consider saying something for a date way, way, out there, such as:
"The Kingdom of God, and Jesus Christ present, will be established on earth after, not during or before, a little season (Rev 20:3, 7)."
It's nice and simple, and kind of vague; however, Christ and Satan understood what a season was:
"And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season." Luke 4:13
When will Dave Pack, instead of chasing his prophetic unicorn(s), eventually have the patience to wait until the end of that short time of that particular little season?
Time will tell...
John
I have a feeling Mr Pack has the right date this time...... (eye roll. )....
The 24th day of the first month has a Biblical match - in Daniel 10:4, when Daniel saw a great prophetic vision.
I'll let the group analyze that.
Perhaps Pack is a demented malignant narcissist.
People like Dave should be charged with willful deception, cross-examined in court, and executed if found guilty. Why do we settle for less? The world would be far better of without psychopaths like Dave. The guy is a huge waste of time and money.
My present understanding is that the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ (Rev 11:15) prior to the “little season” (Rev 20:3).
That is, the time before the “little season” is when God through Jesus will have a dwelling presence in the Messianic Temple (Eze 43:7a); a Davidic king/prince will be God and His Christ’s viceregent on earth (cp. Jer 33:17; Ezek 45:22); the Levitical priests will offer sacrifices continually in the Messianic Temple (Jer. 33:18); the Law will go out from Zion (Isa 2:3), and many nations will be joined to the Lord (Zech 2:11).
1Ki 8:12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
1Ki 8:13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.
1Ki 8:49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwellingplace, and maintain their cause,
While God, through Jesus, will have a dwelling-presence in the earthly temple, both God and His Christ will be dwelling in heaven during this fulfillment of this stage of Their kingdom; The “temple” dispensation of the Old Covenant Kingdom of God provides the type for the [earthly] “temple” dispensation of the New Covenant Kingdom of God.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
This is the time when Jesus begins to put all his enemies under his feet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
The “seven last plagues” occur before the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Zec 14:5 and the Lord [kurios] my God [theos] shall come, and all the saints with him. (Brenton, LXX).
1Th 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord [kurios] Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Paul provides the Messianic interpretation of Zech 14:5 - God, through Jesus, comes to establish His kingdom - cp. God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ/in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself (cp. 2 Cor 5:18-19; John 14:9).
After fulfilling the second-half of His prophetic week (three and a half years) the Christ will return to heaven - the lower realm of heaven is where He will rule over the earth and the higher realm of heaven is where He is high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Dave Pack wants to create a unicorn? That would be more likely than him getting the date of Christ's return correct.
underrated comment 5:18 lol :)
Whoa! I liked the last depiction! Pagassos as a unicorn! Way cool.
Get a clue, he’s had progressive dementia for years. How is the not?
Anon, Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 2:35:34 AM PDT, wrote:
"My present understanding is that the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ (Rev 11:15) prior to the “little season” (Rev 20:3).
That is, the time before the “little season” is when God through Jesus will have a dwelling presence in the Messianic Temple (Eze 43:7a); a Davidic king/prince will be God...
******
Anon, what you wrote above does not happen prior to "the little season," and your entire theory (most of what followed) is built on sand. God will not be in some Messianic Temple, and David will not be God! When David is resurrected he will be in flesh, and see God; he said so himself, and time will tell...
Later, you wrote: "...This is the time when Jesus begins to put all his enemies under his feet..."
******
Have you not read Psalm 110:1?
"The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool."
It isn't the lord, Jesus, that make enemies a footstool! The lord has lots of enemies, but it is the LORD, Jesus' God, Jesus' Father, who makes the lord's enemies a footstool: puts the enemies down, and yes, time will tell.
Further, you comment saying: "...The “seven last plagues” occur before the battle of that great day of God Almighty..."
******
Now, that makes no sense, because the battle of that Great Day of God Almighty is one of those 7 Last Plagues. It is number 6.
Revelation 16:12 "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared."
:13 "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet."
:14 "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."
Case closed!
The timing of most of what you wrote is way off base, but you believe what you wish, but will "...The “seven last plagues” occur before the battle of that great day of God Almighty," or is that battle the 6th of the seven last plagues?
Time will tell...
John
2:35 forgot a little something. In His human life, Jesus was a Jew, not a Levite. His priesthood was after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 7:17) Hebrews 5, 6, and 7 go into further detail. Why is this symbolic? The Levites were the ones charged with administering the Sinai Covenant. Melchizedek was a Christ-like priestly figure in the Old Testament, and there is even considerable debate over the possibility that his existence was an example of theophany. At any rate, New Covenant, new order of priests. Type and antetype, physical and spiritual. New administration. I don't recall the ministers devoting much time or attention to this or dwelling on it, because their time was already maxxed out in teaching the laws of the Old Covenant. It's yet another area of missed opportunity to understand. During recovery from Armstrongism we had to learn from other resources the relative significance of this change.
In my previous post I wrote:
“After fulfilling the second-half of His prophetic week (three and a half years) the Christ will return to heaven - the lower realm of heaven is where He will rule over the earth and the higher realm of heaven is where He is high priest after the order of Melchisedec.”
In this I was saying that Christ’s high priesthood, after the order of Melchisedec, will be in heaven, that is during the Messianic Age.
Anonymous 9:55 wrote:
“2:35 forgot a little something. In His human life, Jesus was a Jew, not a Levite. His priesthood was after the order of Melchizedek...”
Please explain as I can’t make sense of your comment as it relates to my post.
I love this. I wish I had thought of it while writing the article. Don't be surprised if you see this in a future article. I laughed out loud. Literally.
Perhaps? You don't even need to thumb the scale on that one...
God will judge. I always err on the side of mercy for everyone. But I do not want to be anywhere near the Judgement Seat of Christ when DCP stands before Him.
Are you really that dense, or just trying to be obtuse, 4:08?
John writes:
"the battle of that Great Day of God Almighty is one of those 7 Last Plagues. It is number 6."
I disagree.
Rev 16:12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.
The sixth plague is to prepare the way of the kings, assisted by three unclean spirits.
Rev 16:14 They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them [autous] for [eis] the [ton] battle [polemon] on the great day of God Almighty. (NIV).
Rev 16:16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
In Revelation 16:14, in the Greek phrase “synagagein autous eis ton polemon” the pronoun, article and noun are in the accusative case indicating “purpose” in the gathering of the kings, so the preposition “eis” is best translated "for"; the context indicates purpose or destination (cp. 16:16), making "for" or "in preparation for" the most accurate translation.
The staging ground for the armies appears to be in the Jezreel Valley:
“The immensity of the plain is so astonishing that when Napoleon Bonaparte first viewed it, he was reported to have said, “All the armies of the world could maneuver their forces on this vast plain. . . . There is no place in the whole world more suited for war than this. . . . [It is] the most natural battleground of the whole earth” (Cline 2002: 142; ellipses and brackets original) [Cline, Eric H. 2002. The Battles of Armageddon: Megiddo and the Jezreel Valley from the Bronze Age to the Nuclear Age. Ann Arbor MI: University of Michigan.]” (biblearchaeology.org).
To understand the chronological story line it is suggested that Joshua son of Nun’s conquest of Jericho, which is the opening engagement in the conquest of the Promised Land, provides a type for Joshua son of God’s conquest of Jerusalem which is also the opening engagement in the conquest of the world.
Jos 6:13 And the seven priests bearing the seven [hepta] trumpets [salpigx] went on before the Lord; and afterwards the men of war went on, and the remainder of the multitude went after the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the priests sounded [[salpizo] with the trumpets [salpigx]. (LXX)
Rev 8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven [hepta] trumpets [salpigx] prepared themselves to sound [salpizo].
The six marches, once around Jericho, for six days, types the first six trumpets (Rev 8:2).
On the seventh day there are seven marches around Jericho which types the seven last plagues of the seventh trumpet (Rev 15:1).
Jos 6:20 And the priests sounded with the trumpets: and when the people heard the trumpets, all the people shouted at once with a loud and strong shout; and all the wall FELL [PIPTO] round about, and all the people went up into the city: (LXX).
Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations FELL [PIPTO]: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
The wall of Jericho fell preparing the way for the battle/fighting to begin.
(It is likely, considering the siesmic activity in the Jordan rift valley, that an earthquake occurred when the people shouted causing the walls of Jericho to fall round about)
Before “the battle of that great day of God Almighty” occurs there is the seventh vial that also helps prepare for the battle.
Part 2
But before the battle begins there is the insert of Rev 17:1—19:10. In this insert the reason is given why “great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath”. Except for verse 14 all the events in Rev 17 have already occurred in the chronological story line of Revelation. All that is left is for Christ to return and the battle to begin.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to GATHER [SYNAGAGEIN] them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Rev 16:16 Then they GATHERED [SYNĒGAGEN] the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies GATHERED [SYNĒGMENA] to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.
Rev 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
While the staging ground for the armies appears to be in the Jezreel Valley, the battle takes place in the vicinity of Jerusalem (cp. Joel 3:12-14; Zech 14:1-4).
Jos 6:21 and Joshua devoted it to destruction, and all things that were in the city, man and woman, young man and old, and calf and ass, with the edge of the SWORD [RHOMPHAIA]. (LXX).
Rev 19:15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp SWORD [RHOMPHAIA] with which to strike down the nations.
2Th 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
Rev 19:17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, GATHER [SYNACHTHĒTE] for [eis] the great supper of God, (ESV).
Rev 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet ...The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Rev 19:21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
As per the argument above, the “seven last plagues” occur before the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
John writes:
“God will not be in some Messianic Temple, and David will not be God!”
I agree with you that God will not have a dwelling presence in the Messianic Temple, it is Jesus who will; and I never said David, the son of Jesse, would be God.
In regard to the latter I wrote:
“a Davidic king/prince will be God and His Christ's viceregent on earth (cp. Jer 33:17; Ezek 45:22)”
I referenced Jer 33:17 and 45:22 which read:
Jer 33:17 For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
Eze 45:22 And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering.
To support that the prince is human; I could have quoted this:
Eze 46:16 Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons'; it shall be their possession by inheritance.
Eze 46:17 But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons' for them.
In the Messianic Age, if the prince has gifted his servant some land it must be returned at the Jubilee year; but a gift to his sons remains his sons.
2Ch 9:8 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.
When I said a Davidic king will be God and the Christ’s viceregent it was used in the sense that the smart Gentile woman understood.
Just as God delighted to set Solomon on His throne to be king for Him, Jesus is going to set up the Davidic kings to rule for him during the Messianic Age; and so David will not lack a man to sit on the throne of the Lord during this time.
In regard to the former point I referenced this Scripture:
Eze 43:7a And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever,
The context of above reads:
Eze 43:2 And, behold, the glory [doxa, LXX] of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
Eze 43:5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory [doxa, LXX] of the LORD filled the house.
Eze 43:6a And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.
This event occurs at the beginning of the Kingdom Age.
Heb 1:3 who, being the radiance of His glory [doxa] and the exact expression of His substance, and upholding all things by the power of His word, through having made the purification of sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (BLB).
Jn 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [skénoó] among us, (and we beheld his glory [doxa]...
Ex 40:34 Then a cloud covered the tent [skéné, LXX] of the congregation, and the glory [doxa, LXX] of the LORD filled the tabernacle [skéné, LXX].
[Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying: "Behold, the tabernacle [skéné] of God is with men, and He will tabernacle [skénoó] with them, and they will be His peoples, and God Himself will be with them as their God. (BLB)].
“The Word "lived for a while among us." Properly the verb signifies "to pitch one's tent;"... In Jewish ears the word might arouse other associations. The place of worship during the wanderings of Israel in the wilderness, the place where God had vouchsafed his presence, was "the Tabernacle," and that noun corresponds to the verb used here” (Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, Revised, NICNT, p. 91).
Part 2
Jn 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [skénoó] among us, (and we beheld his glory [doxa]...
“That John wants us to recall God's presence in the tabernacle in the wilderness seems clear from the immediate reference to "glory," for glory was associated with the tabernacle. When, for example, it was first set up, "the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle" (Exod. 40:34)...” (Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, Revised, NICNT, p. 91).
Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and Jesus’ ‘glory’ will fill the house indicating that Jesus will have a dwelling-presence in the Messianic Temple just as he did in the Solomonic Temple and the Mosaic Tabernacle.
Lev 26:11 And I will set my tabernacle [skéné, LXX] among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.
Lev 26:12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle [skēnous] were dissolved...
Jesus “dwelt” in the Mosaic Tabernacle and metaphoric walked among his people; and Jesus repeated the pattern when he “dwelt” in his tabernacle house and literally walked among his people.
Mt 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
So in the old and new covenant Jesus was God with his people.
Jn 12:45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
Jn 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
While God is the God of the Old and New Testament it was and is Jesus who was and is the God-being who dynamically interacted with mankind.
Jn 3:34a For he whom God hath sent [apostello] speaketh the words of God:
“At significant length, Jesus is shown to be the Father’s commissioned “agent” one “sent” by him (e.g. Jn 3:17, 34; 5:23-24, 30, 36-38). Scholars often compare the Jewish institution of the saliah (an “agent”); beyond this comparison, the agency principle that the saliah embodies was pervasive in the ancient Mediterranean world...” (C. S. Keener, “The Gospel of John,” Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, p.429).
Jn 12:44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
Jn 12:45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
“THE PRINCIPLE THAT WHAT IS DONE TO, OR FOR, A PERSON’S AGENT OR EMISSARY IS ACTUALLY DONE TO, OR FOR, THE PERSON WHO SENT HIM appears frequently in the Gospel tradition (see for example, Mt 10:40; Mk 9:37; Lk 9:48; 10:16), but just once so far (negatively) in John’s Gospel (“Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent me,” 5:23). Here Jesus states it for the first time positively, adding for good measure, “the person who sees me sees the One who sent me” (v. 45). In the following chapters, he will make this principle of agency explicit to his disciples, telling them that “the person who receives me receives the One who sent me” (13:20), “the person who has hates me also hates my Father” (15:23)” (J. Ramsey Michaels, The Gospel of John, NICNT, p.714).
Jn 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
“His reply, “THE PERSON WHO HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER,” IS SIMPLY A COROLLARY OF THE PRINCIPLE OF AGENCY that he has already presented, first to the reader (12:44-45) and then to his disciples at the meal (13:20)” (J. Ramsey Michaels, The Gospel of John, NICNT, p.777).
To understand Ps 110:1 one needs to understand the “principle of agency”.
He’s a con man. And a narcissist.
John asks:
Have you not read Psalm 110:1?
Yes I have; but when I read it informed by ancient near-eastern thoughtforms I do not interpret it as you do.
But did you read what I posted?:
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when HE SHALL HAVE DELIVERED up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when HE SHALL HAVE PUT DOWN all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For HE MUST REIGN, till HE HATH PUT all enemies under his (own) feet.
But I did not put the pronouns and verbs in upper case, as I have done now.
Jesus is the grammatical subject of all verbs in 15:24-25.
In the Psalm God was speaking in the first person but Paul changed it the third person attributing the role to Christ of putting all enemies under his (own) feet. That is, in the Psalm it was the activity of God but Paul reads it as the presently reigning Christ.
In the Psalm it was God who would put the Lord’s enemies under the Lord’s feet but Paul has Christ putting his own enemies under his own feet.
David provides the precedent for this:
1Ki 5:3a Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side,
1 Ki 5:3b until the LORD put them [his enemies] under the soles of his feet.
2Sa 7:1a And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house,
2Sa 7:1b and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;
From 1Ki 5:3b and 2Sa 7:1b it may be seen that the LORD had put David’s enemies under the sole of his feet and that the LORD had given David rest.
2Sa 7:8a “And now, this shall you say to my servant David. Thus has Yahweh of hosts said...
2 Sa 7:9 I have been with you wherever you went, destroying all your enemies before you. I have made your fame as great as that if the greatest of the land.
2 Sa 7:10a I have established a place for my people Israel and I have planted them so that the might dwell where they are, disturbed no more. (A.A. Anderson, 2 Samuel, WBC, p.121).
I have used Arnold Anderson's translation as he has right tense as it aligns with God giving David rest from his enemies. Note ‘I haves’ attributed to God.
In 2 Sa 7:8a it was Yahweh of hosts who destroyed all David’s enemies.
But how did Yahweh accomplish this? He accomplished this through David himself. And he will do the same for Christ, putting Christ’s enemies under Christ’s feet through Christ himself.
In Hebrew thought and traditional Judaism, God is understood as the ultimate prime mover (First Cause) and the absolute source of all existence (AI).
This is captured through the “principle of agency”:
“Agent (Heb. Shaliah): The main point of the Jewish law of agency is expressed in the dictum, “a person’s agent is regarded as the person himself” (Ned. 72B; Kidd, 41b). Therefore any act committed by a duly APPOINTED AGENT is regarded as having been committed by THE PRINCIPAL, who therefore bears full responsibility for it with consequent complete absence of liability on the part of the agent” (R.J.Z. Werblowsky & G. Wigoder, The Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion, p.15).
Ps 110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord [’adōnî,], Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Ps 110:5 The Lord [’ădōnāy] at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
The ‘first cause’ is expressed in Psalm 110. In verse 1 the Lord is at the LORD’s right hand and in verse 5 ’ădōnāy, always used of God, is at the king’s right hand. In ancient near-eastern thought being at God’s right hand refers to divine honour, and God at your right hand symbolizes divine protection.
I stand by what I posted:
“My present understanding is that the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ (Rev 11:15) prior to the “little season” (Rev 20:3).”
Anonymous 12:08 writes:
Are you really that dense, or just trying to be obtuse, 4:08?
I must be “dense” by your definition as I don’t understand your point.
Thank you for the confirmation. I do admire your bravery.
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