Using the Bible to Interpret the Bible – 9:23 verses tell us to deny ourselves and do what is right

Mark 9:23 ".. All things are possible to him who believes"

 

The Bible's like referenced verses can be taken together as a set to help interpret a common theme found in the text. In this post I show how the Bible's 9:23 verses together tell us that we are to seek wisdom from God and then do what he asks of us. The KJV and similar bibles have 25 verses that have a common 9:23 reference. They can be found in the following books (Gen, Exo, Lev, Num, Deu, Josh, Judg, 1Sam, 1Kin, 2Kin, 1Chr, 2Chr, Neh, Est, Job, Jer, Dan, Matt, Mrk, Luke, John, Act, Rom, 1Cor, Heb).

 

Since the Bible’s “Like Referenced Verses” all will share some aspect of a common theme, we can use the theme we find in them to get a better understanding of what the Bible is telling us.  The common theme running through like referenced verses does not in any way change the message in the text and should not be construed to assume that all the verses all have the same message. Instead, the common themes in like referenced verses help put in context some teaching that is contained specifically in the verse’ text.

All things are possible to him who believes…

Mark 9:23 is often quoted “all things are possible to him who believes”. But when you understand how the context of 9:23 verses guides our interpretation, we probably will no longer assume this means that anything is possible if we believe enough. When you read other of the Bible’s 9:23 verses a clearer understanding comes into view…

Once you know the 9:23 verse reference helps you associate other similar passages you probably will draw a different conclusion regarding what God is saying.

·         Luke 9:23 If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me

·         1Cor 9:23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

·         Mrk 9:23 And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes."

·         Dan 9:23 "… so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.

·         Num 9:23 …they kept the LORD'S charge, according to the command of the LORD

·         Chr 9:23 ..the kings.. were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.

·         Jer 9:23 "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, (don’t trust in your own strength)

·         Est 9:23 Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them.

·         John 9:23 ..his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." (we must make our own decision to do what is right?)

·         Deu 9:23 .. you neither believed Him nor listened to His voice.

·         Josh 9:23 "Now therefore, you are cursed, and you shall never cease being slaves

What conclusion do you now think Mark 9:23 “all things are possible to him who believes” means?

My conclusion is that this verse is more correctly telling us that God has given us the ability to follow his word and keep his commandments. It is possible to do his will if we believe in him. We are to listen to, and comprehend the messages and teaching of God and do them according to his will…not our own.

The Negative side…

In every like reference verse pattern I see in the Bible I find different categories of how the theme is found; First, evidence of the theme itself; second, passages that show the theme being put into action; and also the theme as it applies negatively. Of course, there’s also usually about 20-30% of the verses that I’m uncertain of how they fit the theme. As always, the Bible is way too complex for us to fully understand, but as shown in this and other posts about Like Referenced verses, the patterns and themes found in these verses are too consistent to attribute to happenstance.

Following are 9:23 verses that speak to the negative side of

Judg 9:23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, (there are spiritual forces that work to prevent us from following God’s will?)

Matt 9:23 When Jesus came into the official's house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, (as a result of not following God’s will?)

Job 9:23 "If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent. (not doing God’s will will leave us in despair?)

How this Number/Text Pattern Works

This is explained much more thoroughly in my book but the simplified explanation is that I believe that the many numbers associated with any text of the Bible have some influence on contents of the text. I personally suspect that the exact text of the Bible could be completely verified if we knew God's algorithm for how numbers fit the text (of course, we will never figure this out). Nonetheless, we can use numbers we do find associated with verses to find other verses with similar numbering. Similar numbering suggests we would find some similar contents in the text. I believe Bible patterns are strong evidence for this possibility.
 

The Bible's 4:23 Verses point to God's Holy Spirit being among us -- Mark 4:23 "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

In another post I explain how the Bible's chapter and verse numbers are divinely appointed as much as the text is (http://amazingword.blogspot.com/2010/01/like-referenced-verses-have-thread-of.html). As we are approaching the 23rd of April 2014, I thought I would look up what common thread of theme I would find in the Bible's 4:23 verses...

There are a total of 24 Bible verses with chapter and verse equal to "4:23". The ten I show below are pretty good evidence these verses often speak of God's Holy Spirit (or Jesus himself) coming to us or having been with us. In breaking down the chapter and verse number; number 23 is about God being with us (where two or three are gathered, he is in our midst (http://amazingword.blogspot.com/2010/01/like-referenced-verses-have-thread-of.html); and number four points to men, places or things of earth.

How do you use this information?

Be watchful of every Bible number and be aware that by examining verses with like chapter and verse numbers, you can often observe clues as to interpretation of scripture you are studying.

A selection of 10 of all 24 verses with chapter and verse 4:23

• Philp 4:23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
• Eph 4:23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
• Mrk 4:23 "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
• Prov 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
• Dan 4:23 'In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven..
• Matt 4:23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching..proclaiming the gospel..healing every kind of disease…
• John 4:23 "an hour is coming.. when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth..
• Josh 4:23 "For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed…
• Deu 4:23 "So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you...
• Gal 4:23 ..and the son by the free woman (was born) through the promise (spirit).

 

Number for Jesus name is 888 and Amos 9, the 888th Bible chapter is a first person "I Will" chapter by Jesus

Amos Chapter 9 - The 888th KJV Chapter (Also NIV, NASB, ESV...)

Hebrew Numerals (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_numerals)

The system of Hebrew numerals is a quasi-decimal alphabetic numeral system using the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In this system, there is no notation for zero, and the numeric values for individual letters are added together. Each unit (1, 2, ..., 9) is assigned a separate letter, each tens (10, 20, ..., 90) a separate letter, and the first four hundreds (100, 200, 300, 400) a separate letter. The later hundreds (500, 600, 700, 800 and 900) are represented by the sum of two or three letters representing the first four hundreds. To represent numbers from 1,000 to 999,999, the same letters are reused to serve as thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands. Gematria (Jewish numerology) uses these transformations extensively.

This form of number gematria is also used in the greek text and reveals the equivalent number for the name of Jesus is 888. (http://www.biblewheel.com/GR/GR_888.php). This is explained on many different websites with diagrams such as the following.

Many scholars are aware of this numeric value for the name of Jesus but it has gone unnoticed that the Bible's 888th chapter seems to confirm the association of #888 with the LORD who speaks in first person in the 9th chapter of Amos. It seems Amos chapter 9 is telling us the name of the promised messiah is Jesus. See the highlighted text of the chapter below to see how intensely this chapter refers directly to the LORD Jesus and his name. I don't think this is coincidence...

Joel 9

This chapter has just 15 verses and 13 of those verses declare "I will" in reference to the LORD (Jesus). Verse 6 declares "The LORD is His Name"; verse 12 "My name declares the LORD"; and the chapter ends with the declaration "Says the LORD your God".

Amo 9:1 I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said, "Smite the capitals so that the thresholds will shake, And break them on the heads of them all! Then I will slay the rest of them with the sword; They will not have a fugitive who will flee, Or a refugee who will escape.

Amo 9:2 "Though they dig into Sheol, From there will My hand take them; And though they ascend to heaven, From there will I bring them down.

Amo 9:3 "Though they hide on the summit of Carmel, I will search them out and take them from there; And though they conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea, From there I will command the serpent and it will bite them.

Amo 9:4 "And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword that it slay them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good."

Amo 9:5 The Lord GOD of hosts, The One who touches the land so that it melts, And all those who dwell in it mourn, And all of it rises up like the Nile And subsides like the Nile of Egypt;

Amo 9:6 The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth, He who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth, The LORD is His name.

Amo 9:7 "Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me, O sons of Israel?" declares the LORD. "Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, And the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?

Amo 9:8 "Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," Declares the LORD.

Amo 9:9 "For behold, I am commanding, And I will shake the house of Israel among all nations As {grain is shaken in a sieve, But not a kernel will fall to the ground.

Amo 9:10 "All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, Those who say, 'The calamity will not overtake or confront us.'

Amo 9:11 "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old;

Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name," Declares the LORD who does this.

Amo 9:13 "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved.

Amo 9:14 "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live {in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit.

Amo 9:15 "I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them," Says the LORD your God.

Nine Key chapters and verses you should highlight in your Bible -- God's Bible Highlighting

Nine Chapters of the Bible that Deserve to be Highlighted in your personal Bible 

Did you know the 911th Bible chapter appears to warn us what will happen to nations turning from God? Or that the 666th chapter reflects the theme of sin and tells us no person is without sin? The numbering of Bible chapters seems to be a message from God that his word is perfectly put together and his numbering confirms strong messages to us from scripture. Following are nine key chapters in scripture where God's numbering of chapter and verse are amazing signs of the miracle of Biblical perfection.

(see the list of nine verses lower in this text)

The Exact Middle Bible chapter, the middle Bible verse, the 500th and 1000th chapter and other numerical curiosities very obviously seem to line up in textual meaning to the numbers they are assigned. For example, John 3, a chapter that many be the most key chapter of the Bible also happens to be the exact 1000th chapter of a total of 1189 chapters, and Josephus said #1000 was God's number of perfection. Weather you consider this a cool coincidence or the product of divine assignment by God, either reason is worth noting in your Bible. That's what this writing is about.

Would God Highlight the Bible for Us?

There are many ways that all the books we read are somehow highlighted to point out key points the author wants to make. For example, formatting with bold, italic or underlined text; call outs and various heading styles; boxes surrounding key text ; and so on. We sometimes even highlight documents ourselves with various color highlighting pens. In a related way, I suspect God wanted to leave some highlights around selected text and wanted this highlighting to be revealed in the last days. But how could this be done? The Bible could not have such formatting when it was written, and if it did, it would have been lost over time. The Bible is a text document that would be translated thousands of times and into many languages and such graphical highlighting would not be workable. But I believe I can show where the Christian Bible is highlighted in a way nobody expected.

My book, website, blog and tweets all point out evidences that God supernaturally numbered the Bible. Every book, chapter and verse is in the correct order and all these are numbered sequentially even though you only see chapter and verse numbers printed. You can examine these other website resources for more about God's Bible numbering. This article is meant to show some of God's highlighting in the Bible you use today. Even if you don't use a King James type structured Bible, some of these evidences reveal chapter and verse numbers that amazingly point to special contents in the text.

First, to get an idea of what numbering I'm speaking of, consider some of the following ways scripture is numbered (assuming the KJV, NIV, ESV, NASB type Bible structure.)

Numbers we can easily see:

• Every chapter in every book is numbered and the numbers are important
• Every verse in every chapter is numbered and the numbers are important
• The total count of verses in every chapter can be seen by looking at the last chapter verses
• The total count of chapters in every book has symbolic meaning for that book
• All numbers in the text have corresponding significance
• Lists in the Bible can be sequentially numbered and the number of an item in lists has correspondence to that number's symbolism

Examples of supernatural numbering not printed in our Bibles

• 66 books all have a number from one 1-66 associated with them.
• 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books have corresponding numbers associated with them  (1-39 and 1-27). A second numbering counts only full books of the Bible. IE 1st and 2nd Kings are counted as a single book. (57 book count)
• 1189 chapters have a 1-1189 chapter number associated with them (Cross Bible Chapter count)
• All 31,102 verses in the Bible are invisibly numbered from 1-31102 (Cross Bible Verse Count)
• All verses in each book have a sequential number associated with them (Cross Book Verse Count)

Now that we are aware of these possible numberings, let's see how they have been put to use to highlight and help us interpret Biblical text.

The Bible's Numbering reflects God's Highlighting of special locations of scripture

Assume our perfect God has created our Bible with DNA like numbering/text perfection - then everything in scripture should line up in multiple ways -- all consistent with related symbolic meanings. It does! God has used his Holy Spirit inspired numbering to highlight text we should take special note of. Once you realize these highlighted locations you might want to somehow highlight them in your own Bible.

Following are special locations in the text I believe God highlighted with his own defined numbering. I hope they are curious enough to compel you to investigate them on your own. Individually, any of these number associations might be a product of incredible coincidence,  but when considered together as a group, assuming these all are a product of happenstance is virtually impossible. It is not just these Bible locations that I believe are significant, but the examples below are presented as a few strong evidences I like to share because they demonstrate the Bible is accurate and preserved by God. Also, that the highlighting by numbering points out special knowledge we can take away as a result of understanding God's numbers. The Bible's numbers help us interpret scripture by being able to compare passages and their meanings with symbols found related to similar texts.

• John 3, the 1000th chapter -- of only 1189 chapters of the Bible, this is the only one thousandth numbered verse and is a tremendous highlight to what many call the most important chapter of the Bible. John 3:16 ...for God so loved the World.
• Psalm 117, the 595th and exact middle Bible chapter is highlighted by the fact that it is the shortest and only two verse chapter of the Bible. Both these verses declare "Praise the LORD" and divide the Bible in two parts seemingly indicating that the Bible is about the LORD (Jesus Christ).
• Psa 117:1 Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples!
• Psa 117:2 For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!
• Psalm 103:1-2 are the two verses at the exact center of all Bible verse numbering. These are the 15551st and 15552nd Bible verses. In a very same manner as the middle chapter at Psalm 117, these two verses also point to the LORD at the verse numbered center of the Bible. They both declare "Bless the LORD, O my soul...". Interesting also to note that the exact center verses of the Bible fall on a chapter boundary as the 1st and 2nd chapter verses.
• Psa 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, {bless} His holy name.
• Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;
• The 500th Bible chapter is Psalm 22 about Jesus on the Cross -- An incredible chapter that points to Jesus on the cross in his act of sacrifice to pardon every believer from sin. 50 and 500 may be thought of as numbers of pardoning of sin associated with years of Jubilee the Bible explains. Hard to imagine it is coincidence this 500th chapter just happens to belong to this very special picture of Jesus.
• Psa 22:1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.
• Psa 22:2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest.
• The 24,000th verse highlights the DAY of the Lord -- at intersections of 5 references to number 24s about the Day of the Lord -- Matthew 24:42 about the Day of the Lord -- Mathematically shows is statistically impossible chance occurrence. The 24th chapter about the DAY of the Lord; the 42nd verse (reverse of 24) is the key verse to watch out for we don't know when this DAY will occur. These four references to things related to 24 are all found in the 24,000th verse of the Bible. God has highlighted this very special verse for us. (Imagine this verse with a yellow highlight made by God to point out this critical event we are all to be looking forward to)
• Matt 24:40 "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
• Matt 24:41 "Two women {will be} grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
• Matt 24:42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
•  Jeremiah 32 is the 777th chapter of the Bible and #777 relates to God consecrating or separating us from sin. That is, a number relating to Bible verses about God saving us from sin. There's much evidence point to this symbolism. First, this 777th chapter tells of the deed of purchase for Israel. The LORD has purchased our freedom - Jer 32:14 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Take these deeds, this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, that they may last a long time.". Also, the only three verses of the Bible with a cross Bible verse number containing four sevens all speak of consecration/sanctification.
• 7777th verse - 1Sam 21:4 The priest answered David and said, "There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread
• 17777th verse - Isa 6:7 He touched my mouth {with it} and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven."
• 27777th verse - Act 24:7 "But Lysias the commander came along, and with much violence took him out of our hands (thus they were assuming to be cleansing the temple by removing Paul).
• Revelation 14:4 points to the 144,000 who go before Jesus -- The verse at Revelation 14:3 tells of the 144,000 who will be purchased from the earth at the Lord's return but it is the next verse that's more important and describes who these 144,000 are. Is it coincidence the verse is Revelation 14:4 (144) whose verse number matches those who it describes? 
• Rev 14:3 & 14:4 These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These {are} the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
• 911th Bible chapter (Haggai 2) points to September 11th type events in the Bible. 911 appears to be a God inspired Bible number and is always found related to consequences declared for nations who have as a government/people turned from God.
• Daniel 9:11 Israel has transgressed God's law and calamity is declared for them. -- Dan 9:11 "Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him....v12 "Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us...to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem.
  
• Haggai chapter 2 (911th chapter) is about the wrath of the Lord on Israel because they had turned away from God and did not come back --Hag 2:6 "For thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. Hag 2:7 'I will shake all the nations;...
• Genesis 11:9 The Tower of Babel -- Gen 11:9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth. (in Bible gematria 11:9 and 9:11 are closely related numbers)
• 1Kin 19:11 911 -- a Biblical 911 like event?  ...the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains... (the Return of the Lord)
• Rev 11:9 is also the 11911th verse -- a future 911?  ...nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days... (11:9 is same as 9:11)
• Gen 31:37 is the 911th Bible verse - The nation hides it idols... "Though you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods (idols)? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two.
• #1260 points to return of Jesus in 1,260 (3.5 years, 42 weeks). The following and many other 12:6 Bible verses point to the return of God's son - Especially Revelation 12:6 and Daniel 12:6.
• Revelation 12:6 “Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.”
• Daniel 12:6 how long until end of the age? v7 says "times, time, 1/2 time" (3.5 yrs/"1260" days)
• Zech 12:6 "In that day I will make clans of Judah like a firepot
• Matthew 12:6 "But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here 
• Acts 12:6 that night Peter, sleeping between two soldiers.. v7 Angel of LORD appeared 
• Mark "12:6" He had one more..he sent a beloved son..saying 'They will respect my son' 

If you sincerely ponder these Bible numberings I think you will find it very difficult to dismiss all of them as a product of chance. If not produced by coincidence, how did they come to be? Since the Bible was brought together from many sources, it is not possible men simply made all these numbers line up.

Impossible as it sounds, this evidence all points to a supernaturally created Word of God.