@doctorsex @Terry @matty @PeterPower @Wolffkran AS FAR AS ALL THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD LITERATURE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DIG UP THUS FAR IS CONCERNED, THERE WERE A BUNCH OF COMPETING SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT AND RELIGIOUS SECTS IN THAT FAMILY

BUT ALL OF THEM AGREED THAT THERE WAS GOD, THE SPIRIT OF GOD WHOM HE SENDS DOWN ON PROPHETS TO PROPHESY HIS WILL, AND ALSO ANOTHER GUY, A SECOND POWER IN HEAVEN,
A SOMEONE WHO HAS HIS OWN WILL THAT HE CAN EXPRESS OR IS ALLOWED TO EXPRESS BY GOD,
AND OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE HE IS ALLOWED TO ENACT THIS DISTINCT WILL IT MUST BE IN FULL ACCORD WITH GOD'S WILL

MAYBE ITS A VERY BIG ANGEL
MAYBE ITS THE MESSIAH
MAYBE ITS SOME SORT OF A DIVINIZED HUMAN
BECAUSE HE IS HUMAN SHAPED, MAYBE
LIKE ADAM?
OR ENOCH, ENOCH HAD HIS DANTE'S INFERNO JOURNEY, MAYBE HE'S STILL UP THERE?
OR MELCHIZEDEK? HE'S A GENTILE WHO WORSHIPPED GOD MOST HIGH, THEREFORE PART OF THAT ANCIENT, ORIGINAL ORDER OF WORSHIP THAT PRECEDES THE CREATION OF THE HEBREWS AND IS HIGHER THAN IT!



ALSO ALL OF THEM HAD TO CONFRONT THE SAME AGREED UPON REALITY -- THAT THEY CAME BACK FROM EXILE, BUILT A TEMPLE, AND THEN GOD DIDN'T COME BACK


NO PILLAR OF FIRE, NO CLOUD OF LIGHT, NONE OF THE STUFF THAT USED TO HAPPEN AND WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAPPENED.
A GREEK KING SACRIFICED PIGS TO ZEUS IN THAT TEMPLE -- AND NOTHING.
A ROMAN GENERAL BURST DOWN THE DOORS, MARCHED INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES TO SEE THE BIG MARBLE IDOL OF THE GOD OF THE HEBREWS, AND HAVING SEEN THE ROOM EMPTY DECIDED THAT IT WAS A VERY PROFOUND AND INTELLECTUAL RELIGION THAT WORSHIPS WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE GOD, WHILE THE WORSHIPPERS GROUND THEIR TEETH AND PULLED THEIR HAIR.