And she learned that this new discovery supports the King Solomon is an intriguing
figure because the Bible makes [Music] so for many years historians debated the existence of King Solomon’s tomb which was said to hold a portion of his immense wealth as no one who claimed to know its whereabouts was able to locate it King Solomon remains a fascinating figure with the Bible detailing his Reign Over vast territories however a significant turn of events occurred when a group of Israeli archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem embarked on an excavation of King David’s long-lost temple in a surprising twist they uncovered the final resting place of his son King Solomon this discovery suggests that what we thought we knew about the tomb’s location and contents might have been fundamentally flawed in this episode we will explain in more detail smash that thumbs up button for me leave me a comment below and share this video with your friends and let’s get started before we dive in let’s share some important information about the King Solomon Solomon also referred to as Jedediah was a Jewish king of ancient Israel and the son of King David succeeding him on the throne he is recognized as one of the last rulers of a United Israel in Judah notably Solomon constructed the first temple in Jerusalem dedicating it to Yahweh or God he is renowned for his immense wealth wisdom and power and is regarded as one of the 48 Jewish prophets in the New Testament he is depicted as a wise teacher whose wisdom is ultimately eclipsed by that of Jesus of Nazareth the Quran also honors him as a significant Muslim Prophet additionally outside of biblical accounts Solomon is often recognized as a magician and Exorcist associated with various amulets uncovering King Solomon’s tomb a team of scientists and archaeologists spearheaded by AET Mazar from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem made the remarkable discovery of Solomon’s tomb in the city of David this followed Dr maz’s significant archaeological find in 1986 when she uncovered a Monumental Gate House initially dated to the 9th century bcee located about 150 M north of the city of David in the oal area at that time mazzar did not have enough evidence to connect the Gat house to King Solomon and chose not to assert such a claim in 2009 she returned to excavate the oal site once more as her team uncovered layers dating back to the first temple period and gathered more findings Mazar began to reassess the dating of the gate house with the new evidence in hand she concluded that it likely dated back to the 10th Century bcee aligning it with the era of King Solomon why trust maz’s archaeological Discovery Dr iset Mazar was an outstanding scientist with a profound respect for the scientific ific method as an archaeologist one of her guiding principles was we must let the stone speak the late herel Shanks emphasized her qualifications in a 2007 article in biblical archaeology review asserting that her professional competence would not be questioned Mazar is regarded as a Biblical scientist skillfully drawing connections between biblical narratives and archaeological evidence unlike many modern Scholars she had No Reservations about integrating the Bible into her research her findings include over 30 bulle one of which particularly excited her unlike many scientists and Scholars who often see science and religion as adversarial mazzar embraced the potential Harmony between the two her expertise played a crucial role in this significant discovery which interestingly was not specifically aimed at locating Solomon’s tomb but rather something even larger while Excavating the oldest section of Jerusalem in search of King David’s Palace Mazar and her team stumbled upon a massive wall M measuring about 210 ft long known in Arabic as the Cave of the Kings this segment featured a gate house a corner Tower in a Royal structure the sheer size of the wall led the archaeologists to suspect it could be part of a more grandiose building possibly a temple or Palace fueling their excitement about a potential link to King Solomon’s Reign radio carbon dating confirmed that the site dates back to the time of Solomon Mazar noted that this was the first instance of finding a structure from that period that aligns with descriptions of King Solomon’s buildings in Jerusalem but could this have been built by another king and not Solomon keep watching Mazar clarified that there were very few Kings from the 10th Century capable of building such a structure primarily David and Solomon according to the Bible King David famous for his battle with Goliath was Solomon’s father and is credited with initiating the construction of the first temple in Jerusalem on the temple additionally Ceramics found near the wall helped to date the structure to the latter half of the 10th Century bcee coinciding with King Solomon’s Reign among the discoveries were Earth andwar storage vessels approximately 3 ft tall 1 m one of which bore a Hebrew inscription identifying it as belonging to a high-ranking government official archaeological and historical significance the discovery of King Solomon’s Temple has long been a primary objective for archaeologists and the the recent finding of a wall segment in the oal area represents a historic Milestone this area one of the oldest sections of Jerusalem is believed to be the location of King David’s Palace this significant Discovery has shed new light on the area’s history reinforcing biblical Traditions that place King Solomon the legendary monarch of ancient Israel in the city of David this finding is crucial as it supports the biblical portrayal of Solomon as a powerful ruler presiding over a vast Kingdom countering minimalist views that depict him as merely an insignificant tribal leader the city of David named after King David Solomon’s father is considered the oldest part of Jerusalem situated just south of today’s Old City it is thought to be the original settlement where David established his Capital after conquering Jerusalem from the jebusites extensive excavations in this area have revealed numerous ancient structures and artifacts that illuminate jerus Jem’s early history known as W Hil the city of David is recognized as the original core of ancient Jerusalem during the bronze and iron ages it lies on the southern part of Jerusalem’s Eastern Ridge flanked by the kidan valley to the west and the Tyra poon Valley to the east just south of the Temple mount the site contains remnants from the middle Bronze Age including a defensive Network surrounding the guon spring among the significant discoveries are the large Stone structure and the stepstone structure from the Iron Age both of which have sparked ongoing scholarly debate about their connections to King David or later periods one of the remarkable findings in the city of David is the syum tunnel also known as hezekiah’s tunnel constructed to channel water into the city this tunnel exemplifies the advanced engineering capabilities of ancient Jerusalem’s inhabitants although traditionally attributed to Hezekiah recent excavations have suggested that the tunnel may be older additionally remnants from the Roman period such as the pool of silom in the step Street have also been Unearthed today these excavated areas are part of the Jerusalem walls National Park managed by the Israel nature and Parks Authority and operated by the ER David Foundation the park is situated in W Hillway adjacent to the Palestinian neighborhood of silwan in East Jerusalem which borders an Israeli settlement another significant Discovery is the large Stone structure which some believe may be the remains of King David’s Palace if connected to David and Solomon this substantial building underscores the city of David’s role as a center of power and governance during their Reigns despite recent groundbreaking discoveries previous archaeologists face challenges in definitively locating Royal tombs associated with Solomon or his successors several factors may explain this historical Gap the vastness of the city of David may have left some areas unexplored in earlier AV a or the tombs could have been lost or damaged over time due to Jerusalem’s turbulent history of wars and invasions with ancient structures potentially buried under later constructions archaeologists remain committed to uncovering these Royal tombs recognizing the transformative potential of such findings discovering these tombs would provide vital insights into the rulers of ancient Israel and their burial practices enriching our understanding of that era while the Royal tombs may still be elusive the discoveries made within the city of David have been invaluable they have allowed archaeologists and historians to reconstruct Jerusalem’s past and the lives of its inhabitants during the United monarchy with each new finding broadening our knowledge and clarifying the historical narrative before the eventual discovery of the tombs many intriguing theories regarding hidden Chambers and other speculations circulated let’s delve into some of these theories and speculations hypothesis and speculations before Dr maz’s groundbreaking discovery there was considerable speculation regarding the location of Solomon’s tomb some theories posited that it lay beneath the Temple mount a site of immense religious importance to Judaism Christianity and Islam known as Haram Al Sharif or the noble Sanctuary among Muslims the Temple Mount is believed to be the spot from which the prophet Muhammad ascended to the divine presence on a miraculous night Journey the Dome of the Rock and Architectural Marvel of Islam commemorates this event the Temple Mount has been a coveted piece of land throughout history conquered and claimed by various civilizations including the jebusites Israelites Babylonians Greeks Persians Romans byzantines early Muslims Crusaders mamlock Ottomans and the British it has witnessed a remarkable number of significant historical events perhaps more than any other 35 acres in the world however archaeological investigations at the site have been limited as a site of active worship it is governed by an Islamic Council known as the wakf which has consistently prohibited excavations viewing them as acts of desecration aside from some covert explorations of cave systems and tunnels by European adventurers in the late 19th century and minor archaeological work conducted by the British between 1938 in 1942 during Renovations of the aloa mosque the historical layers beneath the Temple Mount have largely remained untouched consequently even if Solomon’s tomb were located there it would be exceedingly difficult to locate without proper excavation theories regarding hidden Chambers beneath the Temple Mount remain just that unproven theories lacking concrete evidence furthermore certain historical accounts and traditions reference Royal burials in the vicinity of the Temple mount ancient texts suggest that Kings including Solomon might have been interred near the sacred site adding to the Intrigue surrounding the location of Solomon’s tomb one reason to consider that Solomon’s tomb could be near the Temple Mount is its association with the first temple also known as Solomon’s Temple built by Solomon and serving as a vital place of worship for the Israelites given the temple significance it stands to reason that Solomon’s burial site might also be nearby there are even more the series some ancient texts hint at Hidden Chambers and secret passages beneath the Temple Mount implying the existence of rooms or tunnels where significant items possibly including Royal tombs were concealed however without the ability to explore these areas confirming such accounts remains challenging limited archaeological work around the Temple Mount has yet to yield definitive evidence of Solomon’s tomb and such investigations are often conducted with Extreme Caution to avoid disturbing the site while numerous interesting artifacts and structures have been uncovered the mystery of Solomon’s tomb continues to elude resolution if Solomon’s tomb were indeed situated at the Temple Mount as some theories suggest it would be a groundbreaking discovery for archaeologists and those interested in history and religion alike however this is not the only Theory regarding the tomb’s location what other hypotheses have emerged over time let’s explore further one notable location is zedekiah’s cave also known as Solomon’s quaries which spans 5 Acres beneath the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem’s old city this extensive underground Limestone Quarry is believed to have supplied the stone for King Solomon’s first temple and is the largest Quarry in Jerusalem the durable meliki limestone found here was ideal for Royal constructions the cave has a storied history including Legends of King zedekiah hiding there from Babylonian soldiers and its connections to the Freemason while these Tales are largely speculative the cave is now open to the public for guided tours although certain areas remain closed for safety or ongoing excavation another potential site is hezekiah’s tunnel which is part of Jerusalem’s ancient water system and has been suggested as a possible hiding place for Solomon’s tomb Doug during King hezekiah’s reign in preparation for an Assyrian Invasion this tunnel connects the guihan spring to the pool of salom and runs beneath the city revealing sections of the Western Wall and significant historical sites like Warren gate other proposed locations for Solomon’s tomb include Mount Zion which is traditionally associated with the city of David however this theory is based on a misconception as the actual burial site of King David is believed to be located within the city of David itself what is the helmet of salvation Paul lists the helmet of salvation as the fifth part of the armor of God what does it mean for for us today how do we put it on and how does it protect us and take the helmet of salvation Ephesians 6:17 when a soldier of the Apostle Paul’s day suited up for battle the helmet was the last piece of the Armament to be put in place in fact without the helmet a soldier would be so vulnerable that the rest of the armor would be of little use Paul’s statement take the helmet of salvation is the shortest description given to any of the pieces of armor it required almost no explanation in terms of its value what did the Roman helmet look like the Roman helmet known as a Gala could vary quite a bit in design since Mass manufacturing didn’t exist at that time and each helmet was created individually there was also some variation in the helmet design over time during the life of the Empire usually the helmets were made of metal though poorer soldiers or soldiers from the early days of the Empire may have had leather helmets fortified with pieces of metal the most obvious value of the helmet was to protect against blows to the Head helmets usually had cheek plates to guard against blows to the face and a metal piece in the back to protect against blows to the back of the neck in addition during the early 1 Century the helmets began to include a brow Ridge to provide protection for the eyes to understand why Paul describes salvation in terms of a helmet we have to take a closer look at what salvation is how does the bible define salvation Salvation means being saved receiving Deliverance for Christians salvation means receiving deliverance from the penalty of sin notice what Paul said about what we are saved from and what we are saved by but God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us much more then having now been justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son much more having been reconciled we shall I’ll be saved by his life Romans 58 to10 what is the Wrath we are saved from it is the wrath of God against sin since we have all sinned the penalty we would all face without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is eternal death for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord Romans 6:23 salvation and eternal life are gifts God greatly desires to give to mankind for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth e First Timothy 2:34 that salvation or deliverance from sin opens the door for us to join the family of God to live forever with him as his children and so the helmet of salvation is not exclusively about deliverance from sin or living forever but about living forever as a child of God it’s about being free from sin and Bel belonging to an eternal family where evil has been banished forever how do we receive salvation Salvation as Paul points out in Romans 6:23 is the gift of God it is not something we earn however is salvation simply given to us regardless of what we do in this life the Bible tells us to repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit acts 238 in order to receive for forgiveness of sins we must repent and be baptized we also need to walk in God’s ways therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls James 10121 what does a helmet have to do with salvation a helmet protects a soldier against damaging and deadly blows to the Head spiritually speaking the helmet of salvation provides hope and protects the Mind against anything that would disorient or destroy the Christian such as discouragement or deceit a helmet protects a soldier against damaging and deadly blows to the Head spiritually speaking the helmet of salvation provides hope and protects the Mind against anything that would disorient or destroy the Christian such as discouragement or deceit notice 1 Thessalonians 589 but let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation for God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ the helmet of salvation gives us hope the author of the book of Hebrews Compares hope to an anchor giving us stability and the ability to weather the worst of storms thus God determining to show more abundantly to The Heirs of Promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold of the Hope set before us this hope we have as an anchor of the Soul both sure and steadfast and which enters the presence behind the veil Hebrews 6:17 or 19 God’s promise to do his part in bringing salvation to us cannot be broken the Apostle Peter refers to this hope as a living thing something that cannot Decay nor can it be defiled it is something to spiritually motivate and sustain us throughout our lives blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His abundant Mercy has begotten us again to a Living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance Incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away for Peter 1 13-4 emphasis added in a world where nothing is permanent the promise of Salvation made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ never Fades away it repres presents stability in an unstable World it gives hope in the worst of circumstances enabling us to fight against Despair and discouragement the helmet of salvation protects our vision the helmet also protected the eyes of the soldier enabling him to maintain physical Vision spiritual vision allows the Christian to fix his or her eyes on the goal pressing forward without distraction or detours therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ens snares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God Hebrews 121:2 the Apostle Paul set an example of pressing forward with his eyes on the goal at all times and he urged the Brethren of the church church at Philippi to do the same not that I have already attained or am already perfected but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me Brethren I do not count myself to have apprehended but one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus therefore let us as many as are mature have this mind Philippians 33125 with the helmet of salvation in place a Christian can focus on the goal of Salvation imitating the life of Jesus Christ in order to reach the goal that he made possible for us we have hope that can sustain us on the journey and vision to lock our eyes firmly on the goal what a valuable piece of armor the helmet truly is the reason we take the helmet of salvation a soldier going into battle without a helmet would have instant ly exposed himself to the deadliest of blows leaving off any piece of the armor would have been dangerous but to go without the helmet would have been Unthinkable we can no more afford to be without the helmet of salvation today the helmet of salvation protects us and keeps our Focus where it needs to be the end of the race when we’re wearing that helmet it doesn’t matter what Satan throws at us we know what we’re fighting for and we know that our Salvation our deliverance is a gift from someone far greater than our enemy the helmet of salvation means we don’t have to live in fear of Satan when he tries to disorient and destroy us the helmet reminds us that our Victory will come not from us but from the God who rules the universe and that God wants to give us that Victory and with that helmet firmly Seated on our heads we can focus on living the life God called us to live fighting the good fight on our journey to the kingdom of God when the Apostle Paul wrote of the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation he could have been echoing a passage in Isaiah where God the Redeemer of Zion puts on these same pieces of armor for he put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on his head he put on the garments of Vengeance for clothing and was clad with Zeal as a cloak Isaiah 59:17 salvation is the ultimate goal for a Christian the armor to get us there is indispensable put on the helmet of salvation now how to put on the armor of God in our war with Satan his society and our human weaknesses we need spiritual help God provides the powerful armor of God to protect us and give us Victory God provides these six aspects of the Christian Life plus prayer Verse 18 to strengthen and protect us and ultimately help us to Triumph in our spiritual battles each piece of the armor of God is essential and the Bible tells us how to put them on and use them effectively how to use the armor of God to defend against the attacks of Satan the Bible tells us we are in a war and our adversary Satan the Devil is bent on destroying us the Apostle Paul warns us to beware of Satan’s devices and tactics sir 2 Corinthians 21 Paul addressed this in Ephesians 61020 where he talks about putting on the whole armor of God Ephesians was one of Paul’s letters written from prison during Paul’s time in prison he obviously became well acquainted with the armor worn and carried by his captors in the Roman army following Isaiah’s lead Isaiah 59:17 Paul drew a powerful comparison between a soldier’s armor and the Spiritual armor of God Paul wrote finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might verse 10 you see we don’t have to be discouraged by Satan’s devices or by his power and stealth we aren’t in this battle alone we we have access to the greatest power in the universe verse 11 continues put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the Ws of the devil this is a comprehensive defense strategy and we have to pay attention to all parts of this armor God offers but if we do we will be able to withstand Satan’s attacks fighting spiritual battles today for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities against Powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the Heavenly places verse 12 the Bible describes unseen spiritual battles such as the Titanic battle at the end of the age that the Apostle John witnessed and war broke out in heaven Michael and his angels fought with the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought but they did not Prevail nor was any place found for them in heaven any longer so the Great Dragon was cast out that Serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world Revelation 1279 all this is happening behind the scenes in the spiritual world but it has great influence over the physical world Satan and the demons are invisible and he is a master of camouflage he is able to convince people that he doesn’t exist and he is able to sway society and suggest wrong thoughts to us without our even realizing he is there Paul continued in Ephesians 6:13 therefore take take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand what does he mean to stand he was emphasizing that with God’s help we will be able to hold the line to not Retreat to not give up an inch of God’s territory now Paul starts to list the individual elements of this Spiritual armor the Bible also tells us how to put on the armor of God here is how you can use each piece of armor to fight against the powers of Satan a belt was the first piece of equipment put on and it secures all the other pieces of our armor wearing the belt showed that the soldier was ready for action since he would only loosen his belt when he went off duty truth should surround us like a belt knowing God’s truth is the Surefire antidote to Satan’s lies and deception and to be truly ready for the battle we must be completely truthful ourselves in our inner being like our creator as Jesus said your word is truth John 17:17 Paul exhorted us to speak the truth in love Ephesians 4:15 in these perilous end times a Christian Soldier must love the truth for protection against the Lawless one and Satan s in Thessalonians 2:9-10 next Paul tells us to put on the breastplate of righteousness without righteousness we leave ourselves open to Satan’s attacks to be righteous is first of all to repent and be forgiven of our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Jesus Christ that justifies us and makes us right with God Romans 5:9 then in gratitude We should strive to do what is right in God’s eyes Psalm 119 172 tells us that God’s Commandments are righteousness so to be righteous is to obey God’s laws of Love obeying God is beneficial not burdensome Deuteronomy 10:13 1 John 53 Isaiah 59:17 says that God himself puts on righteousness as a breath plate this may be part of what inspired Paul to use this analogy Isaiah 59 starts by explaining that your iniquities have separated you from your God verse two iniquity is the opposite of righteousness so when we give into sin without repenting we are removing our breastplate and leaving ourselves open to more of Satan’s attacks three what are the shoes of the gospel of peace shoes might not be the most exciting piece of armor but the Zander van NIV Bible commentary highlights their importance the military successes both of Alexander the Great and of Julius Caesar were due in large measure to their armies being well Shaw and thus able to undertake long marches at incredible speed over rough terrain the word preparation denoting Readiness reminds us that we are to be eager to preach the gospel of peace the Church of God is sent to announce the good news of God’s kingdom which will spread his way of Peace around the whole world having our spiritual shoes on we will be ready to spread the news to others Albert barnes’s notes on the Bible tells us that the sandals of the Roman soldier often were fitted with nails or armed with spikes to make the hold firm in the ground God’s good news in our mission our marching orders to preach it serve as our Firm Foundation when our faith in God’s power and love is strong it is impossible for Satan to break through our shield and land a blow faith means more than just believing that God exists of course course it includes a firm belief that everything God does is truly for our good also faith is the absolute conviction that God will always do what he has promised Romans 4:18 to 21 Faith protects us in many ways think about Daniel in the Lion’s Den Faith was like a force field to protect Daniel from those vicious teeth and Shadrach meach and Abednego were protected from the fiery furnace of course their faith in God and his eternal plan allowed them to say that they would obey God even if he didn’t protect them physically then Daniel 3:18 faith is powerful and protects us not only from physical dangers but from the even more challenging spiritual Temptations and dangers The Shield of faith is not just for personal protection the Roman soldiers had a strategy of joining their Shields together if we join our Shields that is strengthen each other with our faith building up and serving as we are able we will be able able to take on any challenge five what is the helmet of salvation we can receive tremendous hope and comfort by focusing on the incredible sacrifice Jesus Christ gave to save us and the wonderful Kingdom that is the goal of our Salvation this hope protects our minds from the discouragement and despair in this world the hope of Salvation has protected and strengthened God’s people Through the Ages as Hannah prayed my heart rejoices in the Lord my horn is exalted in the Lord I smile at my enemies because I rejoice in your salvation 1 Samuel 2021 and as David wrote The Lord is my light and my salvation Whom Shall I Fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Psalm 2711 six what is the sword of the spirit the sword of the spirit like the Roman Gladius can also help us to conquer all our enemies including that most difficult one our entrenched human weaknesses Hebrews 4:12 explains for the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of Soul and Spirit and of joints and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart remember how Jesus used the word of God to defeat Satan Matthew 41-10 Christ used scripture quotes three times he brought to mind the scriptures that dealt with the situation that showed what he should do and that strengthened his resolve and so should we our sword won’t stay sharp on its own we must continually sharpen it with regular and focused Bible study by studying the word of God daily we can have God’s wisdom in the Forefront of our minds ready to help us make wise choices and fight off Satan’s attacks praying always with all prayer and supplication Paul ends this section encouraging us to pray fervently for ourselves for each other and for the work of the church praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints and for me that utterance may be given to me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known The Mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains that in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak Ephesians 6:18 to20 the church and each of us individually moves forward on our knees praying reminds us of the battle reminds us of the source of our strength and defense and reminds God that we are fully committed to following him as obedient and faithful soldiers prayer and bible study are the most powerful tools for combating Satan’s weapons when we put on this whole armor of God we will be prepared for Satan’s attempts to attack us with pride Envy Lust For forbidden Pleasures itching ears disappointment discouragement doubt or division or any other tricks he may use there is so much more we can learn from this this powerful list of defenses God makes available to us hopefully this article has wetted your appetite to study this important subject in more detail make it a goal to study the armor of God in Greater depth in the related articles below remember we’re at War let’s be alert to Satan’s devices and let’s put on the whole armor of God what is the shield of Faith Paul said Christians should be above all taking the shield of Faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one Ephesians 6:16 what did the Roman shield look like the Roman Shield or scotum was a central part of the solders defense the scum of the first century was rectangular in shape and rounded on the ends it was typically made from two sheets of wood that were glued together then covered with canvas and leather the canvas and leather could be doused with water to protect against flaming arrows The Shield weighed about 22 lb and was roughly 40 in high and 30 in across a metal piece ran across the center of the shield so it could also be used as a weapon to punch or push forward Paul in his analogy of the Christian Armament says that above all we should be taking the shield of Faith what is the definition of faith to see why faith is so important we must first understand what faith is the author of Hebrews describes it as the realization of something we can’t see now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of Things Not Seen for by it the elders obtained a good testimony Hebrews 11: 1-2 the word faith in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word pistus defined by Vine’s complete expository dictionary as firm belief faith is an unshakable belief in the promises of God the Bible’s Faith chapter Hebrews 11 highlights men and women of God who died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them AAR off were assured of them embraced them and confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth Hebrews 1113 their faith their unshakable belief in the promises of God allowed them to overcome Satan’s attacks and traps Moses for instance when he became of age refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin is esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he looked to the reward Hebrews 11:2 24:26 his faith was his shield rather than pursue the passing pleasures of sin as royalty in Egypt Moses followed where God led him even when it would have been easier to give up the Apostle Paul specifically mentions that the shield of faith is needed to defend against the attacks of Satan the fiery darts of the wicked one those fiery darts can take many shapes and forms because Satan is always looking for effective ways to attack us where we’re weak notice Paul’s statement put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the Ws of the devil Ephesians 6:11 indeed Satan is a Wy adversary he approached Eve in the Garden of Eden by tempting her with fruit that was pleasant to the eyes and by telling her it would bring wisdom so when the woman saw that the tree was good for food that it was pleasant to the eyes in a tree desirable to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate Genesis 3:6 Paul warned the church at Corinth about Satan’s devices his methods of taking advantage of us if we fail to forgive one another now whom you forgive anything I also forgive for if indeed I have forgiven anything I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ lest Satan should take advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices 2 Corinthians 21011 how to use The Shield of faith in fact just like a Roman soldier in battle was confronted by the arrows or fiery darts of the enemy we too can be attacked at any time and at any angle by the Ws of Satan The Shield of faith is the armor God has given us to defend against those attacks a shield whether it be physical or spiritual can only be effective when it is raised this requires an ongoing state of preparedness and patience on our part the Apostle Peter paints a vivid picture of how we must humble ourselves and hold up the shield of Faith against Satan therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time casting all your care upon him for he cares for you be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour resist him steadfast in the faith knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your Brotherhood in the world but may the God of all Grace who called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after you have suffered a while perfect establish strengthen and settle you Nar Peter 5610 when Paul listed the spiritual armaments in Ephesians 6 he emphasize Faith saying that above all we need to take the shield in Greek this phrase tells us to add the shield to every other piece of armor that came before it that the shield of faith is to be used in addition to the rest of the armor of God God by examining some of the attributes and spiritual benefits of faith we can begin to understand and value its importance one we are justified by faith as human beings we all sin for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23 the penalty for sin is death for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord Romans 6:23 what we as humans earn is a death penalty because we all have sinned through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ it is possible to be given the unearned gift of eternal life this justification of our sins before God requires faith on our part therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in Hope of the glory of God Romans 51:2 the gra of God that washes away our sins that justifies us through faith enables us to keep fighting without that justification we’ve already lost the battle our sins would remain Unforgiven which means the death penalty would still be hanging over our heads and nothing would ever change that but because of Grace we can be justified before God and our faith in that justification becomes the shield of faith that protects us from the fiery darts of Satan two Faith makes it possible to please God good things happen when we please God consider these two passages about the blessings God desires to give to those who live their lives in a way that is pleasing to him when a man’s ways please the Lord he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him Proverbs 16:7 also Luke the 12:32 do not fear Little Flock for it is your father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom with its many biblical examples of people who were faithful to God God Hebrews 11 shows how vital and rewarding it is to please him with our faith but without faith it is impossible to please him for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him verse 6 because faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen it allows us to see beyond how things are right now and focus on what they will be one day Faith allows us to trust that a God we can’t see will fulfill his promise to establish a future we can’t imagine the more we exercise that trust in obedience to him choosing the right way over the easy way the more we please him three Faith enables us to overcome Christians are admonished to overcome evil rather than giving into or being overwhelmed by evil do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good Romans 12:21 the elements of spiritual arm armor listed in Ephesians 6 are for the purpose of Defending ourselves against evil in the attacks of Satan The Shield of Faith goes one step further by allowing us not only to defend ourselves but to actively overcome evil for whatever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith dures John Tim 54 our faith in God and the promises he has made can be strengthened when we consider the example of Jesus Christ who overcame the forces of Temptation he faced he admonished his disciples to bear this in mind as he faced his crucifixion these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world John 16:33 for Faith allows us to Shield each other the Roman soldiers of Paul’s day were sometimes subject to a virtual shower of arrows that rain down on them from above for example when Siege to a walled city or a fortified Hill they had to advance while arrows were launched from above them as a protection to enable them to advance they used a formation known as the testudo or tortoise formation the tortoise formation involved banding together in order to raise Shields against arrows coming from any direction the soldiers formed a tight Square those in the front raised their shields in front of them those on the sides face to the side and raise their Shields similarly those in the back face the back and raise ra their Shields those in the middle raised their Shields overhead to protect against arrows flying in from above in this way no part of the band of soldiers was left exposed the Greek historian Plutarch described the testudo as follows but the full armed infantry facing round received the light troops within and those in the first rank knelt on one knee holding their Shields before them the next rank holding theirs over the first and so again others over these much like the tiling of a house or the rows of seats in a theater the whole affording sure defense against arrows which glance upon them without doing any harm lives of the noble grecians and Romans chapter 60 the Apostle Paul spoke of the need for the body of Christ to be joined together helping each other much like the band of soldiers who raised their Shields to defend each other from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does it share causes growth of the Body for the edifying of itself in love Ephesians 4:16 Jesus is looking for our faith a shield whether it be physical or spiritual can only be effective when it is raised this requires an ongoing state of preparedness and patience on our part Jesus raised the question in the context of patient endurance through difficulties and trials of whether he would even find faith on the earth when he returns and shall God not avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to him though he Bears long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily nevertheless when the son of man comes will he really find faith on the earth Luke 1878 to truly be faithful our unshakable belief in the promises of God must be enduring The Shield cannot remain effective if it is lowered to personalize Jesus question when the son of man comes will your Shield of Faith be raised what is the source sword of the spirit and take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Ephesians 6:17 what is the significance of a weapon being listed in the armor of God the first five elements of the armor of God are defensive pieces armaments the Christian can use to defend against spiritual attack why would an offensive weapon be listed with the other pieces of armor what should a Christian do with the sword of the spirit what did the Roman sword look like the sword used by Roman soldiers was a short sword known as a Gladius and in the hands of a skilled man it was a fearsome weapon in fact it became known as the sword that conquered the world it was sharpened on both sides making it lethal against an unarmored foe the point was also sharpened enabling it to pierce armor usually around 20 to 30 in Long the Gladius was not the medieval style long sword usually associated with the armor of God this Roman sword was light around 2 lb short and designed to be wielded easily with one hand while the other hand grasped the shield its size meant it could be drawn in close quarters and its sharpened edges made it a threat to any enemy who got too close an infantry man in the Roman Legions would also go into battle with a dagger a few Spears and possibly a few darts but the Gladius was the only offensive weapon listed by Paul and it was the main weapon in the solders Arsenal the word of God is a sword Paul defines the sword of the spirit as the the word of God Ephesians 6:17 this isn’t the only place where God’s word the Bible is described as a sword the author of Hebrews also makes reference to it for the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of Soul and Spirit and of joints and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and there is no creature hidden from his sight but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account Hebrews War 412 to13 the word of God is even sharper than the Roman sword it is capable of piercing to the deepest levels of one’s heart and attitude and it is also a tool of discernment in the hands of the skilled user knowing this raises two important questions is the sword of the spirit only for use as an offensive weapon and who is the foe against which the sword is to be used the sword of the spirit helps defend us while the gladiate was the primary offensive weapon available to a legionaire it was also invaluable for defense being used to Parry and deflect attacks by an opponent so also is the word of God valuable in defending against spiritual attack to understand how to defend ourselves with the word of God the sword of the spirit we don’t have to look any further than the example of Jesus Christ himself in one of the Bible’s most iconic confrontations Jesus demonstrated how valuable it is to be grounded in the word of God Satan the devil was eager for an opportunity to derail the plan of God and after Jesus had spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness Satan thought he had found the perfect opportunity the word of God is our strength then Jesus was led up by the spirit Into the Wilderness to be tempted by the devil and when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights afterward he was hungry now when the tempter came to him he said if you are the Son of God command that these Stones become bread Matthew 4113 Satan knew full well that Jesus Christ was the son of God but he prefaced each of his attacks by saying if you are the Son of God emphasis added throughout he wanted to pull Christ away from his dependence upon the father and the realization that he was there to do the father’s will each time Jesus used the scriptures to defend against and refute Satan’s Temptations Satan tried to pray on Christ’s very real physical hunger but Jesus replied it is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God verse 4 this is a quote from Deuteronomy 8:3 and it shows where Jesus Christ’s priorities truly were the word of God gives us context Satan continued the attack then the devil took him up into the holy city set him on the Pinnacle of the temple and said to him if you are the Son of God throw yourself down for it it is written he shall give the Angels charge over you and in their hands they shall bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone verses 56 this is an incomplete quote from Psalm 91 111-12 Satan leaves out a very important thought here’s verse 11 with the missing part in italics for he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways Psalm 9111 the idea being conveyed is that God will send angels for protection when it’s needed not not that you should throw yourself from Great Heights just to see if God Will Save You Jesus saw through this tactic and answered Satan it is written again you shall not tempt the Lord your God Matthew 4:7 quoted from Deuteronomy 6:16 we also must be wary of anyone taking quotes from The Bible out of context to properly wield the sword of the spirit we must study the Bible carefully recognizing that it all fits together if two scriptures seem to conflict we must study further to understand what God intended by each of them the word of God sets the standards Satan made one final attempt again the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their glory and he said to him all these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me Matthew 4:8-9 it was a Gambit the point of all these attacks was to have Jesus worship Satan instead of God and in exchange for that worship Satan was offering all the kingdoms of the world Jesus had come to the Earth to offer himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world forever shattering Satan’s power over the world Hebrews 2:14 Satan was offering a shortcut worship me he was saying and I’ll give you the world for the price of that one compromise that one sin Jesus could take the easy way out but the Son of God would be tarnished forever powerless to truly save anyone it would be assuming Satan the father of Lies would actually fulfill his offer a momentary Victory but an eternal loss turning once again to scripture Jesus replied away with you Satan for it is written you shall Worship the Lord your God and him Only You Shall Serve verse 10 quoted from Deuteronomy 6:13 this was the end on this occasion of Satan’s efforts to unsee Christ as the ruler of the world to come in each case Jesus skillfully used thorough knowledge of the scripture to Parry and deflect the attacks what do we attack with the sword of the spirit we have seen from the example of Jesus Christ that the enemy of the Christian is Satan the devil as he tries to separate us from our God see also where Peter B 589 the Apostle Paul used a military analogy when he talked about the Christian fight he described thoughts and attitudes that we must defeat just as a soldier would use his weapons to defeat the enemy we are to use the word of God to discern those thoughts and attitudes that are contrary to God’s way and use that sword to bring those attitudes and thoughts into captivity that is the Christian battle and that is how we use the offensive weapon in our armor for though we walk in the flesh we do not war according to the flesh for the weapons of our Warfare are not carnal But Mighty in God for pulling down strongholds casting down arguments and every High thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God bringing every thought into captivity to The Obedience of Christ 2 Corinthians 10:35 these are our targets these are the things we must defeat on the battlefield we are to use the word of God to discern thoughts and attitudes that are contrary to God’s way and use that sword to bring our own attitudes and thoughts into captivity that is the Christian battle and that is how we use the sword of the spirit we cannot use the sword of the spirit without training Roman soldiers could not be sent into battle without having extensive training in the use of the Gladius they were first trained using Shields made of wicker and swords made of wood these items were typically about twice the weight of the normal swords and shields the thought was that if the trainee could use these heavier items skillfully he would be at an advantage when using the real weapons which were much lighter by comparison after training extensively with the wooden weapons the soldiers were then paired against each other for further training and combat techniques in moves the importance of the training was reflected in the food rations given by the Romans instructors often received double rations trainees who didn’t achieve desired levels of skill were given inferior rations until their training evaluations improved as Christians we also must train and be skillful in the use of the sword of the spirit the author of Hebrews tells us that we must become gradually more knowledgeable and skilled in the word of God until we are able to use it to discern good from evil for though by this time you ought to be teachers you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the Oracles of God and you have come to need milk and not solid food for everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness for he is a babe but solid food belongs to those who are of full age that is those who by reason of use have their senses exercise to discern both good and evil Hebrews 14 this level of skill this proficiency with the sword of the spirit comes by reason of use we have to be familiar with the Bible and we must have our spiritual senses sharpened by it in order to make full use of the weapon God has given us how to train with the sword of the spirit the desire to become knowledgeable in God’s word skilled in the use of the sword has to come from within do you see how valuable it is and do you desire to have a high level of skill notice the attitude ude shown by the psalmist when it came to God’s word I have restrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep your word I have not departed from your judgments for you yourself have taught me how sweet are your words to my taste sweeter than honey to my mouth through your precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way Psalm 11911 104 this is the attitude and approach to God’s word that can make a skilled spirit spiritual Warrior the psalmist shows us the attitudes a good swordsman needs a hatred for evil a love for God’s word and a continual desire to understand and obey his judgments his way of life we can’t use the word of God to repel Satan’s assaults unless we’re intimately familiar with it the more we dedicate ourselves to studying and living Our Lives according to God’s word the better will be at handling the sword of the spirit on the battlefield the soldiers of the Roman Empire couldn’t hope to survive a war without the proper training neither can you the good news is that you have access to all the training you need you just have to be willing to engage with it the Apostle Paul listed several pieces of armor worn by the Roman soldiers of his day and made an analogy about the Spiritual armor needed by Christians the second piece of armor the breastplate is likened to righteousness having put on the breastplate of righteousness Ephesians 6:4 14 soldiers of that time had another piece of protective armor to ward off enemy blows The Shield but during the heat of battle those blows could come from unexpected directions or there could be too many to ward off with just a shield the breastplate provided protection against the unexpected and against overwhelming numbers for the past 24 years it has drawn on underground water sources to cultivate wheat and other crops in the Syrian desert a series of images from three different landsat satellites operated by NASA and the US Geological Survey reveals crops irrigated with fossil water left over from the last ice age these ancient water reserves alongside rainwater stored over hundreds of thousands of years are now found in aquifers buried beneath Desert Sands Saudi Arabia drills into the desert floor to access these underground rivers and lakes irrigating crops through a system called Center pivot Irrigation in this area region water is non-renewable as annual rainfall barely reaches a few cenm around 1 in hydrologist estimate it will only be economically viable to pump water for another 50 years although the exact amount of water remaining underground is unknown these 1 km g.
62 Mi wide agricultural fields are displayed in four lsad Images the shortwave infrared near infrared and green Spectrum bands set 74 and 2 from lanat 4 and 5 TM as well as lanat 7 etm plus sensors were used to create the images healthy vegetation appears bright green dry plants are orange urban areas such as the town of tabuk show up as purple and Barren land is dark pink the breastplate worn by Roman soldiers was generally made of iron though some wealthier soldiers may have worn a bronze breastplate thank you for watching and stay tuned for the next video [Music]
