An Excerpt from Psalms of Solomon (First/Second Century BCE) – “Mark of Salvation” and “Mark of Destruction”
1 When I was persecuted I called on the Lord’s name;
I expected the help of Jacob’s God and I was saved.
For you, O God, are the hope and refuge of the poor.
2 For who, O God, is strong except he who confesses you in truth;
and what person is powerful except he who confesses your name?
3 A new psalm with song with a happy heart,
the fruit of the lips with the tuned instrument of the tongue,
the first fruits of the lips from a devout and righteous heart.
4 The one who does these things will never be disturbed by evil;
the flame of fire and anger against the unrighteous shall not touch him
5 when it goes out from the Lord’s presence against sinners
to destroy the sinners’ every assurance.
6 For God’s mark is on the righteous for (their) salvation.
7 Famine and sword and death shall be far from the righteous;
for they will retreat from the devout like those pursued by famine.
8 But they shall pursue sinners and overtake them,
for those who act lawlessly shall not escape the Lord’s judgment.
9 They shall be overtaken as by those experienced in war,
for on their forehead (is) the mark of destruction.
10 And the inheritance of sinners is destruction and darkness,
and their lawless actions shall pursue them below into Hades.
11 Their inheritance shall not be found for their children,
for lawless actions shall devastate the homes of sinners.
(Psalms of Solomon 15:1-11)
Is this passage related to the mark of the beast in the end times? It seams very relevant to today’s world.
That’s up to you to determine. This was written by another Jew about 100 years before John.
1000 before John
No, Psalms of Solomon do not actually belong to King Solomon from the Bible. They were written by other Jews during the Hellenistic era, but prior to NT.
I keep wanting to join these studies but dont know if I can afford to as I cant seem to find out how much it actually costs in Rands, and whether the studies are just sent to email?
Just click the “join” link in the menu – https://israelbiblecenter.com/membership-account/certificate-in-jewish-studies/
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Hi,
What psalm is this? It is definitely not psalm 15.
Debbi, this is not from the canonical book of Psalms. Psalms of Solomon is a separate Jewish book from the Hellenistic era.
the mark of salvation could very well have to do with having the mind of Christ versus having a carnal mind which is at enmity against God. the mark of the beast which is given in the forehead. could correspond to the carnal mind.
I love that phrase, “carnal mind.”
Would “meat head” be another possible transltion? 😉
Thanks for this revelation. Christ in us is the mark of salvation and absence of Christ(canal mind) mark of destruction(beast mind)
Sounds like our walk of righteousness causes the wicked to be automatically devoured.Perhaps there’s a Law working there.
The passage is about the judgment of wicked which comes from God, but the righteous are preserved untouched by it. They do not cause it.
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When I look around me it seems very clear that the wicked are very often prospering. Does the above Psalm refer to the after life?
Yes, but also to their earthly lives.
it reminds me of ezekiel 9. there, those who grieved over the sins of the nation were marked on their foreheads. then everyone else was killed by the angels. i think of now, when evil is so rampant, we are to grieve with Him over the evil, especially as done by “believers”. What do you think?
I personally tend to get very upset about evil perpetrated by “believers”, it incenses me beyond measure. I have to continually ask God to fill me with mercy, so I can pray for those who do evil with sincerity. I cannot change the evil ways of others and I cannot fight them all and win, so I pray for God to intervene.
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Please forgive us and thank you for your wonderful articles. I accidently found this website this morning and have been so blessed from reading all of the wonderful articles and have shared many of them. Christians have been taught many things that are not correct and lack of understanding of the Jewish context of scripture. My eyes have been opened and I have been trying in my own small way to share what I now realize. I hope to become more like Ruth. God bless you!
So glad you found us, Christine. Welcome!
I am a student of IBC for almost a year now. I truly enjoy all the lessons especially the ones you are teaching Prof. Shir. Todah Rabbah!
Dear Lida, bevakasha… thank you so much for the kind words. Some people just connect with each other. I guess my teaching style blends well with how your thoughts flow naturally. I am glad about that. I am thrilled that you enjoy this journey. Share the blessing with others!
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Thank you, Professor Shir: I am just beginning to learn from IBC, and feel I have just tumbled into a gold miine of teaching, drawing me much closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. I shall try and share what I am learning with members of my family.
We are so glad you choose to study with us! Your enthusiasm is a source of encouragement to us.
(b) I believe the Mark of Satan is a pentagram or a Hexagram or possibly a Hexagram with an inlay of the pentagram. (Not much space here so please see next comment (a) for YHWH’s Mark).
Ty U Prof Shir, (a) I believe the Mark of YHWH is not Alpha Omega but its ALEPH & Tav.(אֵ֥ת)-These 2 Hebrew Letters not only spell TORAH but it also denotes “OTH” a Sign, or a Mark. Those who diligently follow TORAH are marked with Aleph Tav. Right?
There is no indication of any specific geometric signs here. All modern cultural connotation of pentagrams and hexagrams are such for us only, not for ancient people who wrote these words. What you mention, Bethany is not off, it just has nothing to do with this particular text.
We are glad that you are finding our articles enlightening. You’ve already started your path into Scripture, but there’s so much more that awaits you! Consider enrolling in our immersive online courses: The Stories of Jewish Church I: Acts 1-5 or Biblical Hebrew I: First Steps. We guarantee that they will deepen your understanding of Scripture and enrich your faith experience.
the mark for the beliver is the word of God; the mark for the non-beliver is the mind without Christ Matt 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
My posts often don’t say “Waiting for Moderation”. But hoping you get this- about 4Q534, frag1col1, my traits; mole left, scar right matching on wrists, same on knees, white stripe through beard, which is otherwise red, and centered mole on empty scrotum, another on side of morning glory wood. Genesis45
Shiloh, I am not an expert on the scrolls and Aramaic is not my strongest language, but from what I can see at first glance – the translation you offer is not precise… No wrists, no knees. It is unclear who was depicted in this text, it’s too fragmented to tell.
May God bless you with more revelation knowledge and continue to open your spiritual eyes in a deeper way.
🙂
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I am so blessed to be connected with you and Dr. Eli. I really wanted to join you but it is not possible for me as it costs a lot. I’m from Pakistan. But still through email articles I’m find it New beginning of understanding the scriptures.
It is a great privilege to have you with us, Rebecca. Please, write to me directly about becoming a student. We have some scholarships for Christ-followers in Pakistan.
I’d love to know more biblical teaching with Jewish roots but can’t afford.
Sorry to hear that. The articles in this section of the website are all free. 🙂
We are very happy that you’ve joined our discussion forum. Would you believe that these articles are only a taste of what Israel Bible Center has to offer? We also provide comprehensive teaching on a variety of biblical, historical, and cultural topics. You might begin with The Stories of Jewish Church I: Acts 1-5 or Biblical Hebrew I: First Steps. You’ll be amazed at the Jewish world that awaits you. Don’t delay another minute: enroll now!
My testimony on my work-in-progress website, 37plus73.com, clarifies not only the He – she issue of Jer 23:6 & 33:16, but this ancient prophetic witness from the Esseneses faith, 4Q534frag1,col1, gives awesome doctrinal validation to all of the extra-Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls, in context of my testimony-not translational expertise.
Ok, so this is personal. That is why it makes sense to you but not everyone else. I see.
I am soo grateful for your time with my thoughts, but I’m explaining experts who know the Jews wait for a human Messiah and Christians who believe in my brother Jesus as diety are both right! My marks on my Mat 19:12 castration mirrors Joseph’s circumcision the Jews wait for!
I´m thankful for all you give us here but may I ask what translation of Psalms of Solomon you are using?
I usually use Charlesworth translation or R H Charles.
Israel Bible Center equips you with the tools you need to enter into the Jewish world of Scripture. We provide first-rate teaching, and the opportunity to learn from some of the world’s top scholars. As a student, you will be able to interact personally with our teaching faculty, and gain access to hundreds of hours of Bible courses, including Biblical Hebrew I: First Steps and . Become a part of the community of teachers and students at Israel Bible Center today!
Shalom. I love the depth of study shown here and I have been a big fan of your organisation. i have always wanted to join but I have no internet at home. If I can fix this up I will join. I love the Hebrew language; how it looks, how it sounds, the beauty of it is psalms and other songs. I love Hebrew people.
🙂 Peace upon you, thanks for being a friend!
amon and nothing
.. for those that are too poor to buy a musical instrument, there is always a DIY project you can try, such as a home-made harp … but, I do love it that our first instrument is our natural voice; whether in narration, prayer, & song …I love to awaken in the small hours, for tea, & song & meditation & reading of the Word …
… how lawlessness can come upon you as a meteorological huge spiritual cloud front … yes, how tragic is the unawareness of those of no faith, who create this atmosphere to their own destruction, as well as project it onto the righteous …
… would their be a relationship to conscience & the hypothamic region of the brain & what we call ‘the third eye’ of the pituitary gland? … this would help define the difference between the conscience or ‘seat of the soul’ & conscious, which is the pre-frontal cognitive functioning aspect of human thought & behaviour … the conscience being a place beholding the world, ‘as a glass darkly’ … & upon enlightment at our Salvation, it lights up, or progresses through stages of ‘dim switch’?
The conscience, on the other hand, is what keeps you from acting upon your most basic urges and desires. Your conscience is the moral basis that helps guide prosocial behavior and leads you to behave in socially acceptable and even altruistic ways.
When thinking about these two concepts, just remember that conscious means to be awake and aware while conscience means your inner sense of right and wrong.
…
… the Mark of Cain, being the first mark … a hallmark stamped upon him, to be a testament to others of his nature … the Mark of Destruction would function as the same? … those who are ‘dead in sin’, without Faith … the Mark of Salvation would be those who are embossed in their mind, like a brand used to identify sheep? … this would be the identifier that the gathering Angels would see when sent out during the Tribulation to gather up the lapsed in the Faith, who did not qualify in the Resurrection or Raptured up
… I do know that through our journey in Faith we do experience ‘the dropping of scales from our eyes’ to see in newness as well as ‘the circumcision of the heart’ when the hardened heart is circumsized into the love & deep compassion of YHWH when the fullness of His love for us is felt & known …
… I find interesting in Revelation that some ‘take the Mark of the Beast on the forehead, or on the hand; (palm or wrist)? … would the apostate Christian who makes the fatal choice to receive this Mark be unable to receive it in the forehead? … but, will have to receive it in the hand? …
I can’t speak to specific Christian beliefs. I think they are diverse on this topic. Most Christians I know think Revelation speaks of the specific tangible physical mark. I don’t.
Israel Bible Center equips you with the tools you need to enter into the Jewish world of Scripture. We provide first-rate teaching, and the opportunity to learn from some of the world’s top scholars. As a student, you will be able to interact personally with our teaching faculty, and gain access to hundreds of hours of Bible courses, including Biblical Hebrew I: First Steps and The Stories of Jewish Christ: Among the Rabbis. Become a part of the community of teachers and students at Israel Bible Center today!
Salam Alaikum
Besides Quran, I have deep interest in knowing the real Biblical truths.Your approach seems to be the one i am looking for.God of jews, Christian and Moslems is the same there must be an interrelationship between the three religions and not enemity
Each religious system (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) is unique and despite the large overlap, the central claims of each are not so easy to harmonize or reconcile without someone agreeing to change. But that does not mean we can’t agree to disagree and still be good neighbors to each other.
I thank you so much for you have made me to see the scripture in quite a different perspective. Shalom
I need to edit an error. My castrstion isn’t a Matt.19:12, but Matt.5:30. I’m commanded not to say I’m castrated any more, but, that I lost my seed. “I lost my seed”=146(a=1&z=26), 73×2. Joseph=73. And,(a=1&z=800)=1253. Joseph=253. 1260 days(Rev.11:3). My old name, Tyler Pierson Alexander=260. Zech.4:10.=7 eyes. Elijah’s here, too.