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The Sound of Locusts and the Sign of Tongues: Judgment Before the Day of the LORD

  The Sound of Locusts and the Sign of Tongues: Judgment Before the Day of the LORD By Domingo Cantu III Locusts as a Symbol of Judgment From the days of Egypt’s plagues to the visions of the prophets, locusts have been one of the Bible’s most vivid images of judgment. When Pharaoh refused to let Israel go, God unleashed swarms of locusts that devoured every green thing left in the land (Exodus 10). Later, in the covenant warnings, God told Israel that disobedience would bring locusts to consume their harvests (Deuteronomy 28). The prophets picked up this imagery. Joel describes locusts as a devastating army that heralds “the day of the LORD” (Joel 2). Amos saw them in visions as instruments of divine discipline (Amos 7). Nahum used locusts as a metaphor for Nineveh’s merchants and soldiers who would vanish under God’s judgment (Nahum 3). In each case, locusts swarm, chatter, and overwhelm — leaving nothing but desolation. The Noise of Judgment Joel compares the sound of locusts to...

Paradise And The Grave: Is God’s Garden Beneath Our Feet?

  Paradise And The Grave: Is God’s Garden Beneath Our Feet? By Domingo Cantu III When most people hear the word Paradise , they imagine heaven—a place where souls float peacefully in the presence of God. But what if that’s not how the Bible defines paradise at all? What if, according to Scripture, paradise isn’t somewhere we escape to when we die… but somewhere God is preparing to restore us—right here in His creation? Let’s take a fresh look at what the Bible actually says, especially through the lens of 1 Corinthians 15:35–49, where Paul lays out one of the clearest teachings on the resurrection. He compares the human body to a seed that is planted in the ground. It must first die and decay before it can be raised in glory. He writes, “That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies… It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory.” That language—sowing, planting, raising—should grab our attention. Paul isn’t drawing from Greek philosophy or modern theology. He’s drawing f...

Doing Greater Works: John 14:12–14 in Covenant Perspective

  Doing Greater Works: John 14:12–14 in Covenant Perspective By Domingo Cantu III John 14:12–14 (NKJV): "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." These verses are frequently quoted but rarely understood in context. They’ve been used to justify miracle campaigns, name-it-and-claim-it theology, and exaggerated spiritual promises. But when we slow down and read these words through the lens of biblical covenant, we discover something far more powerful, purposeful, and practical. “Greater Works” — But According to What Standard? When Yeshua says His followers will do “greater works,” we must ask: Greater in what sense? Was He promising more impressive miracles than healing the blind or raising the dead? Not quite. In a covena...

When Jesus Breathed: A Torah Pattern in John 20:22

  When Jesus Breathed: A Torah Pattern in John 20:22 By Domingo Cantu III “And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” (John 20:22) This verse is often read as a prelude to Pentecost, but there is something profoundly Hebraic happening here that deserves closer attention. When Jesus breathes on His disciples and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit, He isn’t just performing a symbolic act. He is enacting a pattern that echoes a Torah-based moment of divine delegation and shared responsibility—a moment found in Numbers 11. In Numbers 11, Moses is overwhelmed by the task of leading the people of Israel through the wilderness. God responds not by replacing Moses, but by sharing the Spirit that rested on Moses with seventy elders, enabling them to assist him in shepherding the nation: “ Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the bur...

The Blood Between the Altar: Was Zechariah, Father of John the Baptist, the Final Witness Before the Judgment?

  The Blood Between the Altar: Was Zechariah, Father of John the Baptist, the Final Witness Before the Judgment? By Domingo Cantu III “That on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”  —Matthew 23:35–36 (NKJV) When Jesus condemned the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, He concluded His rebuke with a solemn charge: that His generation bore the guilt of shedding righteous blood—from Abel to Zechariah. Most interpreters identify this Zechariah with either the prophet of the same name or the priest Zechariah son of Jehoiada, killed in the temple court (2 Chronicles 24:20–22). But what if the reference hits even closer to home? What if Jesus wasn’t only looking back to Israel’s distant past—but speaking prophetically about His own time? What if Jesus was pointi...

Acts 15: A Starting Point, Not a Stopping Point for Gentile Discipleship

  By Domingo Cantu III One of the most contested chapters in the conversation around Torah and the New Testament is Acts 15. For many, it seems like the Jerusalem Council decided that Gentile believers didn’t need to follow the Law of Moses—case closed. But a closer look reveals something far more nuanced, rooted in Scripture, covenant, and the mission of God. The Context: Gentiles Are Coming In As Gentiles began coming to faith in Yeshua (Jesus), questions arose about how they were to live within the covenant people of God. Should they be circumcised and formally convert to Judaism to be saved? This was the heart of the controversy: Is conversion to Judaism necessary for covenant membership? The apostles, elders, and leading Pharisaic believers in Messiah gathered in Jerusalem to settle this. But the answer they reached has often been misinterpreted as abolishing the Torah for Gentiles altogether. The Verdict: No to Circumcision for Justification, Yes to Holiness The council’s con...

Why Did Jesus Entrust His Mother To John?

Why Did Jesus Entrust His Mother To John?  By Domingo Cantu III  A Closer Look at the Crossroad of Faith and Family At the foot of the cross, amid the agony and final breaths of the Messiah, Jesus speaks words that continue to stir hearts and spark theological reflection: “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” (John 19:26–27) Why did Jesus entrust the care of His mother, Mary, to the beloved disciple John, rather than to one of His biological brothers? It’s a moment packed with emotion, significance, and subtle layers of meaning. On the surface, it may seem like a simple act of provision, a dying son ensuring his mother is cared for. But as with so much in Scripture, a deeper look reveals layers of theology, discipleship, and covenantal imagery. Let’s explore several explanations that have been proposed—and consider what they might mean for us today. 1. His Brothers Were Not Yet Believers One of the most widely accepted explanations is ba...