His Glory Blog

During the time of Jesus there were three sects of Jewish priests. The Gospels talk about two and Josephus mentions the third who would not have been present to bring accusations against Jesus. The two we hear about are the Sadducees and Pharisees. The Sadducees followed the Torah and did not believe the Messiah was needed for reconciliation to God. The Pharisees took the Old Testament laws and added to them creating a false set of rules and practices that placed them in higher standing among Israel. They were purely legalistic with no desire to see the greater revelation within the laws. This is why they were constantly questioning Jesus about adherence to laws He created and came to fulfill. The desire of the Pharisee was to put the Messiah under the same the foot that had been placed on the necks of the Jewish masses. The Pharisee were trying to corrupt the Word of God in Jesus the same way they had corrupted the Word of God in Scripture. Jesus refers to them as thieves when He says: John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. He makes clear what God thinks of the false reverence from the Sadducees and Pharisees: Matt. 15.11, preceded by 15.8 This people draweth nigh unto Me (God) with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips; but their heart* is far from me; (11) that which cometh out of the mouth defileth a man.

Josephus mentions the third sect called the Essenes. This sect broke away from the legalism of the Sadducees and the corruption of the Pharisees to devote themselves to studying the Word of God and making written copies to share genuine revelations from God through Moses, the Judges, and the Prophets. They left Jerusalem and relocated to Qumran, at the northwest coast of the Dead Sea around 170 BC. It is from this group that the Dead Sea Scrolls were produced and saved. These scrolls, when found in 1945 proved to be the oldest copies of many of the Old Testament books. The fact that they matched what modern day Bible readers find in their hands shows how accurately scripture have been preserved at the dismay of atheist worldwide.

The amazing outcome of Judaism taken away from corruption and legalism is how much closer the beliefs of the Essenes were to the words of Jesus Himself. So much so that some scholars accuse Jesus of spending time in Qumran before His ministry begins to explain the similarities. On the other hand, Jewish scholars who committed to study the Word of God and all of its direction, without worrying about status and control of followers understood what legalism will never convey, the heart of Jehovah. The heart that sent His only begotten Son as a final atonement for sin. The concept of God creating the New Covenant He described through the Prophets was lost in laws and corruption.

The Essenes describe the battle between good and evil spirits (I Q5 iii) which is echoed on Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. They talk about the works of the law showing loving kindness and humility (I Q5 viii 1-4) which resembles the message of Jesus as opposed to the persecution of the Jewish Hierarchy. Essene writings also acknowledge the laws of God being engraved on their hearts and the knowledge that is kept away from His people with smooth talk referring to the corruption in Jerusalem (I QH viii 7-12). Jesus shows the same danger in Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 

The Essenes used dedication to God’s Word in Scripture and dedication to God over the influence of the rest of the Jewish hierarchy to see the heart of the Father. They understood the need for a Messiah. They believed He would come to give final interpretation of the Law of the Prophets and leave the law subjugated to grace (shown through David) and mercy (shown through Noah) through faith (shown through Abraham). They saw much more than anyone before God became flesh and provided the message Himself. Now the New Testament provides the complete revelation of God’s heart for His creation and His plan for His Kingdom. The end of the Essenes came with the belief that the Messiah would cleanse the temple and allow them to return to leadership there. They had already moved away from animal sacrifice and reliance on mercy and grace, but the Temple built for God still held reverence. When Jerusalem was conquered and the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD the Essenes were lost. The hope of God was that the Temple would make its place in their hearts where He desired to be. We can also hope that the Essenes accepted the message of the Messiah that they had already understood and found the eternal life through God’s New Covenant.

Community Rule of the Dead Sea Scrolls “The Master shall instruct all the sons of light and shall teach them the nature of all the children of men according to the kind of spirit which they possess, the signs identifying their works in their lifetime, their visitation for chastisement, and the time of their reward.”