Genesis Bible Study:

Va’ Yera (And He Appeared)


The Scriptures for this week’s study:

PROPHETS:
Genesis 18:1-22:24 

PROPHETS:
2 Kings 4:1-37 

NEW TESTAMENT:
Romans 9:6-9 
Galatians 4:1-5:6
Hebrews 11:17-19
James 2:14-24



QUICK SUMMARY OF THIS TORAH PORTION:

Parsha in 60 Seconds Presents Vayeira


ARCHIVE OF OUR STUDIES:

2012 Broadcast:

2013 Broadcast:

VHC Week 4 - Torah Portion: Va’ Yera (And He Appeared)

2016 Broadcast:

(2016) Virtual House Church - Bible Study - Week 04: Va’ Yera

2017 Broadcast:

(2017) Virtual House Church - Bible Study - Week 04: Va' Yera

2020 Broadcast:

(2020) Virtual House Church - Bible Study - Genesis Week 04: Va' Yera


STUDIES DONE BY OTHERS:

And He Appeared (Torah Portion: Vayera) 2015 - 2016


Ardelle’s “Your Living Waters”
Torah Commentary:


Workbook Discussion Questions:

How does this week’s Torah Portion Relate to the Haftarah and Brit Chadasha Portions?

 

What did you find most interesting about this week’s reading?
 

What is the general theme of this reading and how does it apply to our lives today? 

 


For more details concerning the events of this week’s study, please read the following chapters of Jasher, which complement this Torah portion:


ADDITIONAL STUDY RESOURCES:

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More study resources related to the subjects of this week’s study can be found at:

www.babylonrisingblog.com and www.babylonrisingbooks.com

Another Valuable Resource to Have:


PAST NOTES FROM THIS WEEK’S STUDY:

 

Are the three angels/men that approached Abraham evidence of the Trinity at work?

I confess, I have struggled with the passage in Genesis 18 as it pertains to that question. It does make for a compelling argument until you turn the page to chapter 19 (keeping in mind that there were no chapter breaks), which picks up where 18 left off concerning the “other two men” that left. Chapter 19 starts out with…

“1 Now the two ANGELS came to Sodom in the evening…”
and
“15 When the morning dawned, the ANGELS urged Lot to hurry…”

הַמַּלְאָכִ֤ים <- the “הַ” (the) is a call back to the two “men” of the previous chapter. Thus, we learn that those “men” were really angels.

So are Jesus and the Holy Spirit now to be considered angels (which were created beings)? I think not.

That One who remained and talked with Abraham was not described as an angel, but as the LORD (YHWH). I don’t see the angel/men in chapter 19 described that way. Furthermore, look how the “angels” responded in Gen. 19:

13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD (YHWH), and the Lord (YHWH) has sent us to destroy it.”

If we are talking about the Trinity at work here, why didn’t they say, “For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before OUR face, and WE have come to destroy it.”? After all, the 3 are one = God (Elohim). In Genesis we see Elohim saying, “Let US make man…” So, why would They not use the same sort of language here, if we are in fact seeing the plurality of God at work in this case as in the account of man’s creation? 

Just because three were present, that does not mean ipso facto that we are talking about/seeing the Trinity. There were two “angel/men” at the Tomb (Luke 24:4 and John 20:12) after Jesus’ resurrection. There were two “angel/men” at Christ’s ascension (Acts 1:10) as well. So, are we to believe that was the Father and Holy Spirit showing up at both of those events too?

No. I think a better argument would be that it was a pre-incarnate Yeshua (Jesus) who stayed behind to talk with Abraham as the Word that was YHWH (John 1:1). I’m certainly open to other ways of looking at it. That’s just the way I’ve looked at it and the conclusions I’ve come to. The text does not lend itself to a belief that we are seeing the Trinity manifesting as 3 “persons” to Abraham. Rather, it appears YHWH had an angelic escort of two angels with Him.


Sodom & Gomorrah:

Revealing God's Treasure - Sodom & Gomorrah - Found


The following is from the Ark Discovery website
http://www.arkdiscovery.com/sodom_&_gomorrah.htm

The five cities of the plain have been located and the evidence is staggering.  For the first time in modern history we have found round balls of brimstone, or nearly pure sulfur, embedded in an ashen area near the Dead Sea, which show clear signs of having once been ancient building structures! 

Above:  Lighter colored formations can be seen near the Dead Sea.

Above:  ziggurat stands amidst ashen ruins in Gomorrah, with darker terrain in rear. Government sign with gate, attempting to keep vehicles out.

Josephus Saw the Cities — Why Can’t We?

The cities were located in the plain, so they should not be located in the low area now covered by the Dead Sea.  These cities were well known in the first century, as Josephus said, “The traces or shadows of the five cities are still to be seen.”  If Josephus could see them, then we should be able to see them also.  The water level of the Dead Sea has fallen since the time of Josephus, so the areas Josephus saw in his day are still visible today.

Biblical Warning For All

The cities of the plain were destroyed as a warning for all that this same event will happen again one day to the wicked.  One would think God is capable of preserving this ancient lesson for us to see and to learn from.

Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens”  Genesis 19:24.  “Turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly”  II Peter 2:6.  (The word for “example” means an exhibit for warning.)

Analysis of the Brimstone

These sulfur balls are mostly golf ball sized, and some have burn marks all around them!  Webster’s Dictionary says that “brimstone” = sulfur.  Accordingly, we have found the absolute proof that we have finally located Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities of the plain!

Above at left is brimstone with a burned, hardened shell that has the unburned sulfur inside, and next to it is brimstone without a burned shell.  The photo at right is a shell or capsule with unburned sulfur inside.  Tiny crystals are on its surface which were formed when the sulfur was burning and was in a liquid state, then it burned out.


Above:  Located on the side of a ziggurat, this brimstone in a shell is opened to reveal the unburned sulfur inside

Each of the cities of the plain contain evidence of brimstone which God rained down upon the cities to destroy them.  The brimstone is composed of 96-98 percent sulfur, with trace amounts of magnesium which create an extremely high temperature burn.  This is the only place on earth where you can find 96 percent pure monoclinic sulfur in a round ball.  This brimstone isNOT from any type of geo-thermal activity as there is no evidence of such in the area, and geo-thermal sulfur nodules are only 40 percent pure sulfur and are of the rhombic type.

Above:  holding a chunk of ash that has a burned ring which surrounds an unburned ball of sulfur

Above:  removing the lid from a brimstone shell reveals a round ball of sulfur inside

Above:  Jason cut this brimstone out of the material

Above:  Brimstone with burn ring

Analysis of the Ash

God rained down upon these cities was so hot that it burned the limestone blocks that were used in the construction of the cities.  The ash there today is composed of Calcium Sulfate and Calcium Carbonate which are by-products of the limestone and sulfur burning. 

Everything in these cities burned and turned into ash, including the buildings themselves as the Bible says that the cities were to be destroyed also.  The Bible told us that God rained down “fire and brimstone”  When God rains down fire, it is a consuming fire, just like the time of Elijah when God sent down fire to destroy the stone altar, the limestone buildings here were totally destroyed and turned into ash. 

 Above:  The extremely high burning temperatures created a multi-shaded layering of ash that was formed by thermal ionization, caused by electrons repelling and attracting, creating a swirling effect in the remains. 

Above:  layers of multi-shaded ash, crumble in your hand.  Dead Sea and sphinx in rear

Cities Visible in Satellite Photos

The cities are almost entirely turned into white ash, and can be seen in the satellite photographs below.

Notice each of the cities stand out from the surrounding terrain because of the white ash contained within them.  The city of Zoar was a “little one” or a newly built city that was square.  As cities grew or expanded they quickly lost this square shape.

Genesis 10:19 indicates the five cities formed the Canaanite border, thus the could not have been grouped together at the south end of the Dead Sea as popularly believed.  They form a north-south line along the Jordan/Dead Sea area.  Gomorrah is located at the base of Masada, and in 1998, additional formations were found in Jordan on the opposite of the Dead Sea from Gomorrah in the Lisan Peninsula, including a large cemetery area containing 1,000,000 graves.  The same structures as found on the Israeli side were also found on the Jordanian side –   ash, brimstone and even ceramic tile.

Above –   looking southwest at the southern end of the Dead Sea

Above – The northern end of the Dead Sea, looking southwest

Man-made Formations

Man-made formations are found in the cities, including ziggurats, sphinxes, windows, arched doorways and walls resembling double Canaanite city walls. 

Above:  On the left is a ziggurat and on the right a tower

Above:  ziggurat shape on raised platform composed of white material

Above:  Ninety degree angles extending out from a wall demonstrating unnatural architecture

Above:  Arched doorway still stands today.

Sphinx Shapes

Unique shapes are visible in the cities that are not found in nature, including sphinx shapes like the ones below. 

Above: This sphinx formation on a raised platform is about 40 feet long and was made of a different whiter material than the surrounding platform. It may have been a worship figure or god and was made of a special material.   Masada in rear.

Above:  Another sphinx shape sits at the edge of the city.  They thought it would protect them, but it too was consumed in the destruction of fire and brimstone.

Sulphur Crystals

The extreme heat caused unusual specimens that can be found in the cities, including the creation of sulfur crystals.  Below are photos of a large slab of crystals found by our Ark Discovery Team.

Above:  The top layer is a solid slab of sulfur crystals created by a complete layer of brimstone underneath that was burning, then turned to a liquid, then cooled down leaving this layer of crystals.  Approximately six feet long.

Above:  Here we can see the brimstone underneath the crystals that are on top.

Above:  another shot of the brimstone underneath and the crystals on top

Above:  In another area, we found sulfur crystals which are a remnant of the consumed brimstone.

Above:  two feet in diameter clump of crystals.  Another group was found later when I broke open a large clump “live” on video. 

Above:  more crystals resulting from the sulphur burning, turning to liquid, and cooling into crystals.

Anomalies

More evidence of the extreme heat was found. 

Above:  this specimen shows signs of having been melted, with the upper portion bubbling and the lower section pooled into a solid.

Above:   Specimen that some people think resembles bone, with the marrow in the middle. This looks similar to the specimens found by Dr. Lennart Moller, author of The Exodus Case 

A spear head and a cache of burned gold which is now gold salts, burned bones, jars, and tile have also been found by others who have visited the cities.

Most photos by Kevin Fisher.

[source: http://www.arkdiscovery.com/sodom_&_gomorrah.htm ]


Concerning Lot’s Daughters:


Who Was “the Angel of the LORD” that appeared to Abraham?

Identity: THE ANGEL OF YHWH (The Angel of the Lord)


More study resources related to the subjects of this week’s study can be found at:

www.babylonrisingblog.com and www.babylonrisingbooks.com


The Tribulation Protection Plan:

Exodus 34:21-24 (NLT)

21 “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, even during the seasons of plowing and harvest.

22 “You must celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the first crop of the wheat harvest, and celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season. 23 Three times each year every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the Lord, the God of Israel. 24 I will drive out the other nations ahead of you and expand your territory, so no one will covet and conquer your land while you appear before the Lord your God three times each year.

Leviticus 26:3-13 (NRSV)

3 If you follow my statutes and keep my commandments and observe them faithfully, 4 I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.5 Your threshing shall overtake the vintage, and the vintage shall overtake the sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and live securely in your land. 6 And I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one shall make you afraid; I will remove dangerous animals from the land, and no sword shall go through your land. 7 You shall give chase to your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 Five of you shall give chase to a hundred, and a hundred of you shall give chase to ten thousand; your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9 I will look with favor upon you and make you fruitful and multiply you; and I will maintain my covenant with you. 10 You shall eat old grain long stored, and you shall have to clear out the old to make way for the new. 11 I will place my dwelling in your midst, and I shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people. 13 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be their slaves no more; I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

Also listen to John William Galt (the voice of the movies) reading Psalm 91:

The Psalm 91 Protection Plan: A comfort for those in troubled times


More related study resources: babylonrisingblog.com and babylonrisingbooks.com