Dumb Idols - Spiritual Thoughts of Daniel J. Clausen

     A lesser known messianic prophecy in the book of Genesis, known as the "Shiloh Prophecy" sheds significant light on the timing of the messianic age. The prophecy reads, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people."        This prophecy connects the coming of Shiloh, identified as a person, to a time when the scepter, a symbol of rule, passed out of the control of Judah. This verse is part of Jacob's blessings and prophecies for his sons before his death. Each of Jacob's sons receives a specific blessing or prophecy, and in the case of Judah, Jacob foretells the continuity of royal authority within the tribe until the arrival of Shiloh, a figure long interpreted as the Messiah. Passing the Scepter     This begs the question, did the scepter ever pass from Judah?  The traditional interpretation is that the scepter departed from Judah with the Roman conq

     Sola Scriptura or "Scripture Alone," either as a doctrine or practice, never existed prior to the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s. In fact, throughout the initial 1500 years of church history, Sola Scriptura did not have any proponents, particularly because it was never seriously considered.  The formalized doctrine of Sola Scriptura, emphasizing the exclusive authority of the Bible for matters of faith and practice, emerged during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. While early church fathers often emphasized the ultimate authority of Scripture, the specific formulation of Sola Scriptura as a doctrine took shape much later in history.     And necessarily so. The idea that those who directly interacted with the apostles, such as Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, and Polycarp of Smyrna, would discard their firsthand experiences from months or years of discipleship in favor of a few written letters seems implausible. These early disciples had the unique advant

 Note: Contains original research and perspectives. The writings of the early church contain a wealth of knowledge and rare information that is uncommonly known in the present. In one example of this, Eusebius of Caesarea, renowned for his "Ecclesiastical History," (written around 312), offers a captivating historical insight that unveils a lesser-known facet of the crucifixion narrative. In his writings, Eusebius emphasizes the intriguing shift in the Jewish Priesthood that occurred during the period of Roman rule in Judea. The Breaking of the Ancient Line of Priesthood While he is making note of how long Jesus' public ministry was, he counts it as less than four years, because there were four High Priests listed in the Gospels, and he cites Josephus Flavius for the succession of the High Priests. As an explanation for this, he mentions in passing, in Book 1, Chapter 10, of the Ecclesiastical History, "The rites indeed of the law, having been already abolished since

  As a matter of historical record, this decree from Nicolas Hastier is being recorded regarding the status of Luis Martinez and Rudy Stevens in the OSMTJ branch under the direction of Nicolas Haimovici Hastier and his Magisterial Council. A Magisterial Decree by Nicolas Hastier was released today, seemingly with an intended purpose of performing some clean up regarding the Luis Martinez situation. The Grand Marshall under Hastier, Rudy Stevens, has been using his own website osmtj-international dot net, promoting both status of Nicolas Hastier as Regent, and Luis Martinez as Grand Master at the same time, an organizational impossibility. Doing so presents the suggestion that Luis Martinez is somehow working together with Hastier, either in the present or as a valid continuation. In the past, Martinez has make explicit claims to this fact. Both of these are false. Furthermore, Stevens repeatedly signs himself as Grand Seneschal of the Order. The Grand Magisterial Council under Hastier