|
The Dead Sea Scrolls -- Possible Parallels to Mormon Doctrine and Practices |
|
|
|
|
Monday, 09 August 2004 |
|
Page 11 of 30 10.
RESTORATION IN LAST DAYS:
"and renew for thee the
covenant of eternal priesthood and give thee thy place in His Holy
Dwelling-place." BLACK p. 140 HYMNS Col. III. 26-27. BLACK in his study
of the RELIGIOUS AND THEOLOGICAL aspects of the Dead Sea Scrolls
considers that the thesis of the emergence of the Primitive Church from
this side of Judaism will stand or fall depending on what evidence
there is. He then summarizes a series of main connections, which we
will extract in part: l. Qumran practiced baptismal rites, the Jewish
sects did too, but at Qumran the rites were practiced in relation to a
movement of repentance, of entry into a New Covenant, and a New
Covenanted Israel, in preparation for an impending divine Judgement.
The Qumran New Covenant was largely a renewal of the Old Covenant;
and the life of the new covenant was subjected to an even more rigorous
and burdensome legalism than that of the strictest Pharisee. He became
a member of an exclusive sect, of a saved Remnant. The proclamation
was: "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand, and by their
prophetic and Messianic ministries." p. 168. "The sacred meal of Qumran
consisted solely of bread and or/wine.It may be that such a meal was
eaten in anticipation of the coming of the Prince of David's line (or
Nasi), and his participation in the sacred meal of Ezekiel." p, 169. 2.
"Qumran appears also to have developed a doctrine of redemption by
vicarious suffering and to have viewed this as among its chief arcana
or mysteries. The famous Suffering Servant Prophecies of Isaiah are
applied to this group of "saints and potential martyrs." 170. The sect
at Qumran had Messianic expectations, still being debated; one is a
highly-priestly Messiah. The sect also cherished the expectation of the
coming of the Moses-like Prophet of Deut. Xviii.18, which elsewhere has
been treated as a forerunner of the true Messiah. This forerunner will
be of Ephraim, be killed by lawless men, his blood will cry for
vengeance from the ground, and his name will be Joseph. This is
particularly developed in 3rd ENOCH-THE HEBREW BOOOK OF ENOCH.
GASTER, p. 438, as part of his translation of a fragment
called THE
NEW COVENANT, quotes: "Howbeit, in the time of Thy good pleasure, thou
wilt (again) choose unto Thyself a people, for Thou has remembered Thy
covenant; and Thou wilt make them to be set apart unto Thee as an holy
thing distinct from all the peoples; and Thou wilt renew Thy Covenant
unto them with a show of glory (perhaps the vision to Joseph in the
groove?) and with words of Thy holy (spirit) with works of Thy hand and
with a script of Thy right hand, revealing unto them both the basic
roots of glory and the heights of eternity; and Thou wilt appoint
for them a faithful shepherd, (a new Moses) one who will ..the
lowly the." The fragment breaks off there. Historically when did
this happen? And who were the new people, and who was the faithful
shepherd? {mospagebreak
title=11 - Gifts of the Spirit and Crown of Glory and Garments of
Glory}11. GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND CROWN OF GLORY AND GARMENTS OF
GLORY:
BROWNLEE, p. 14: "These are the counsels of the Spirit for the
sons of truth in the world; and the visitation of all who walk by it
consists in healing and abundant peace during length of days, and to
bear seed with all everlasting blessings and eternal rejoicing in the
victorious life of eternity, and a crown of glory, together with
raiment of majesty in eternal light." The is as good an expression of
bearing seed for eternity reserved for those who are Celestial as any
in LDS scripture. In 1 QSb (THE BENEDICTIONS) Col. III.22-29 we can
extract: "The Lord bless thee from His Holy Dwelling-place, and make
thee a crown of glory in the midst of the holy ones (the saints or the
angels, cf. Infra), and renew for thee the covenant of eternal
priesthood and give thee thy place in (His) Holy Dwelling-place" BLACK
p. 140.
|
|
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 12 July 2006 )
|