Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
Continuing: the above is Luke 22:3 & 4 and is preceded by Luke’s describing the LORD’s teaching in the temple about the days of His vengeance. The passage (Luke 21) ends telling us His teaching in the temple in the day, defining when there is light upon the earth, and when the darkness comes (when His teaching is no longer in the temple) His abode is on the mount of Olives (only in the anointed). The idea in this statement is the central focus of the LORD’s discourse.
The name Judas is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Judah, which we know represents the leaders of God’s people. Here it is speaking in general of the leaders who were followers of Christ, and represents those hearing but not understanding His teaching. They, therefore, were disillusioned and joined (communed) with the old corrupted religious and civil government to destroy Him.
Luke 21
22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh.
29 And he spoke to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
30 When they now shoot forth, you see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
31 So likewise you, when you see these things come to pass, know you that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
37 And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.
38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.
Luke 22
1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
5 And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
6 And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.
7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed.
8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where will you that we prepare?
10 And he said unto them, Behold, when you are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he enters in.
The word Luke uses in Luke 22:4, translated “communed,” is the Greek word sullaleo, a compound word from sun, meaning to join together with, as in a confederation; and the word laleo, meaning to talk, as in to teach or preach. It is referring to what Isaiah wrote of in Isaiah 8, when God’s people followed the advice of those misleading them and joined in a confederacy against Him.
Sullaleo is only used six times in the word of God; three are in Matthew, Mark, and Luke telling of when the LORD was on the mountain (probably mount Olive) of transfiguration and “talked” with Moses and Elijah. It is telling of His being taught and taking counsel from God speaking to Him through His Holy Spirit and giving Him understanding of the law and the prophets.
The other time Luke uses the word it is Luke 4:36, when those who were struggling to understand who the LORD is “spoke” among themselves. The passage tells of when the LORD cast out the spirit of an unclean devil from the man in the church (synagogue – the place where they all gathered together – communed).
Luke 4
32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.
33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,
34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with you, you Jesus of Nazareth? are you come to destroy us? I know you who you are; the Holy One of God.
35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold your peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.
36 And they were all amazed, and spoke [sullaleo] among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.
We see the meaning of sullaleo made unquestionably clear in its final use, again by Luke, in Acts 25:12 where it is rendered “conferred.” It is telling in a pattern of the same council of leaders who were trying to figure out the way through the dilemma of Paul’s teaching Christ, against which there can be no resistance. We know the solution they devised was to send him to Caesar, who would eventually attempt to silence the preaching by executing Paul.
Acts 25
10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as you very well know.
11 For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred [sullaleo] with the council, answered, Have you appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shall you go.
This takes us to the bitter waters and the sweet, and what makes them such. The bitter waters are what now comes from the pulpits and are the preaching of all Satan’s ministers. They are preaching the blessings in word, while in fact (works, or the lack of them), it curses God’s people to the bottomless pit, meaning the never-ending fall away from Him, who is the only source of all true blessing, which touches all people.
James tells of the bitter and sweet waters at the same time he speaks of trees that bring forth fruit after their own kind. He begins this discourse by telling us precisely who he is speaking of. He is telling of those who made themselves “masters” over God’s people, whose tongues refuse to be tamed and which set the fires of Gehenna (the trash pit outside Jerusalem where the fires always burned, where worms lived in the fires without dying, and where the children were sacrificed to idols).
James 3
1 My brethren, be not many masters [teachers], knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor lists.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of Gehenna.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
The word translated “masters” is didaskolos, meaning teacher or instructor. It is a word most often used of the LORD, as the Master teacher who teaches the wisdom that comes from above, and bears the fruit of righteousness (truth, equity, and justice), which we know is the only way to peace (mutual security and civilization).
The problem is the untamed tongue teaches the creations of men and claims it is God’s word. This is not a rhetorical statement! Those preaching in all the pulpits where God’s people gather in His name are preaching their own words, stories meant to bring their will to pass. “Hypocrites! for you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of Gehenna than yourselves.”
Matthew 23
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore you be witnesses unto yourselves, that you are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill you up then the measure of your fathers.
33 You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of Gehenna?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall you scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zechariah son of Barachias, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, You shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the LORD. [This is not a rhetorical statement! Why do you not hear it?]
1 John 4
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know you the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them.
6 We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
The trial of the spirit is what is written of in Exodus 15 where we are told of the bitter waters which were made sweet by casting the tree into them.
Exodus 15
9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
10 You did blow with your wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who is like unto you, O LORD, among the gods? who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them.
13 You in your mercy have led forth the people which you have redeemed: you have guided them in your strength unto your holy habitation.
14 The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of your arm they shall be as still as a stone; till your people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which you have purchased.
17 You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which you have made for you to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O LORD, which your hands have established.
18 The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.
19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.
20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
21 And Miriam answered them, Sing you to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea.
22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
26 And said, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healed you.
27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
The above tells of the waters made bitter by murmuring against Moses, his name meaning drawn from the waters. The tree is one of the same trees spoken of in Genesis 1 & 2, of which we are first told bring forth fruit after their own kind; and next of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. If you remember, there is only one tree not be eaten from, and it wasn’t the tree of life. The tree of life is the one spoken of above ending James 3, and it is the tree cast into the waters that were bitter. These are all speaking of to whose advice and counsel God’s people are listening. In Exodus 15 above and James 3, the place arrived at is the same. Elim means palms tree, and the numbers tell of the perfecting of the waters and the trees bearing fruit. Elim is from the word ‘ayil, meaning strength, which is what is returned when that which is perfect has come.
I am the tree cast into the water, as was Jonah, as was Joseph, and by casting away this word of God came the storm and the famine. These results are the product of listing to men instead of the tree of life, and with casting it away is removed all understanding of God’s word.
The word “cast” in Exodus 15:25 is the Hebrew word shalak, the same word used three time in Genesis 37 in telling pit into which Joseph’s brothers cast him, where there was no water. It is the same word used in Jonah 2:3 to tell the deep into which he was cast.
It is also the word used in Daniel 8:7, 11 & 12 in telling of the two horns (church and state government formed under God) that were cast down and trodden under foot. This makes the way for the false worship to replace it, which then casts down the sanctuary and truth. These are all speaking in concurrence.
Daniel 9
7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast [shalak] him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast [shalak] down.
12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast [shalak] down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.
13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spoke, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary [qodesh – the holy of holies – the way into the presence of God] be cleansed [purified again].
15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
19 And he said, Behold, I will make you know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.
20 The ram which you saw having two horns are the kings of Media [the middle – those who passed through waters on dry land] and Persia [and became purified in the trials that followed].
21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia [drunken with power and founded on mire]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king [in the same state God’s people were in before they were delivered].
22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king [the wicked and unreasonable men of 2 Thessalonians 3 – the false teachers infesting the false church] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by the power of Satan, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by [false] peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut you up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
Psalms 50
1 The mighty God, even the LORD, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined.
3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, even your God.
8 I will not reprove you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.
9 I will take no bullock out of your house, nor he goats out of your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay your vows unto the most High:
15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.
16 But unto the wicked God says, What have you to do to declare my statutes, or that you should take my covenant in your mouth?
17 Seeing you hate instruction, and cast [shalak] my words behind you.
18 When you saw a thief, then you consented with him, and have been partaker with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue framed deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things have you done, and I kept silence; you thought that I was altogether such an one as yourself: but I will reprove you, and set them in order before your eyes.
22 Now consider this, you that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
23 Whoso offers praise glorifies me: and to him that orders his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
