Have you heard that the Sanhedrin is being re-established? I don’t know what to make of this, so I’ll just report; you decide.
The Sanhedrin was an ancient Jewish judicial and adminstrative body. The council was made up of 71 members, including both Pharisees (believed in the entire Old Testament and resurrection of the dead) and Sadducees (believed only the first 5 books of the OT and didn’t believe in resurrection) and presided over by the chief priest. The Bible depicts the Sanhedrin as delivering Jesus to the Romans for execution:
Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.
Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. (John 11: 45-53)
That was the beginning of the plot to kill Jesus. He was accused of blasphemy for claiming to be God, but they wanted to be sure:
As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, “If You are the Christ, tell us.”But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.”
Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?”
So He said to them, “You rightly say that I am.”
And they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”(Luke 22: 66-71)
The Sanhedrin needed the testimony of at least two witnesses, which they couldn’t find, so false witnesses came forward. Blaspheming the Hebrew God wasn’t a crime under Roman law, capital or otherwise, so the Jews accused Jesus of plotting to overthrow Roman authority. Because they didn’t have authority to execute Jesus, the Sanhedrin pressured Pontius Pilate to kill him:
Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”
And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!” But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled…
Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!” (Mark 15: 1-5, 12-14)
As you can see, Christians have a bad association with the Sanhedrin. But its re-estalishment is… interesting.
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This is a VERY important development.
For instance, with the re-establishment of the Sanhedrin it will become possible to address the issue of only a man being able to grant his wife a divorce.
Many, many issues of Jewish law will be addressable now.
According to Jewish law, in a capital case, the eyewitnesses are required to be the executioners. Jewish law doesn’t permit “washing their hands” by handing over someone to a Roman executioner. Just a point of clarification.
(www.ou.org/about/judaism/sanhedrin.htm) The Sanhedrin took pains avoid execution.
I haven’t heard of any of the rabbis mentioned in the article, so I wouldn’t give it much weight. Also, it is hard to have a “Supreme Court” without minor courts which would be required to hear cases, first. City courts would require groups of 23 judges.
By the way, there’s an interesting Christainity Today article (www.ctlibrary.com/ct/1998/apr6/8t4048.html) Jesus v. Sanhedrin which notes: Because Israel at this time was a puppet Jewish state under the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire, the Sanhedrin did not possess the legal power to …
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By definition, at that time, THAT Sanhedrin, or those who might have called themselves a Sanhedrin, had alreadly lost authority.
A revolving door Sanhedrin. Only in modern day times! It will be more useful when they actually put some sort of permanence in place. Problem with the revolving door process is that it allows the the law to be manipulated by special interest groups. Until a true, “law standard” is in place it seems it will be nothing more than a political football.
If the Sanhedrin is being re-established, I think it means that they have found an undefiled descendant of the Levites. Don’t remember all the particulars or requirements but there was a world wide search for such a “Golden Child”. Only then could they seriously think about rebuilding the Temple.
I think this is a matter for the people of Israel. People should be very careful with this. It could stray easily into the “blood libel” stories which create anti-semitism.
So we can’t even talk about it without being called “anti-semitic?” What kind of world am I living in?
I don’t see how anyone can hear about this and not believe that we’re living in “end times”. I’m not suggesting it’s right around the corner - but who knows for sure? Only our Lord.
“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:17)
Maybe that “Golden Child” was Caiaphas Jr.
I mean “is”, not “was”… (duh)
From an Jewish site:
“We said what Ezekiel prophecied that the Sanhedrin {Jewish Rabbi Court of 71 Elders, first established by Moses} would be re-established in Israel. Will this be the same Sanhedrin mentioned specifically in the prophecies of Ezekiel? Yes we believe so. Here is why. The Rabbi’s will change. As covered in my book “Shekinah Prophecy” those Rabbi’s who will end up being on this Court are mentioned by name. This must first occur before the Ezekiel’s Temple is built.”
Interesting indeed LB
Timdly… there is bound to be ruffled feathers on this issue since all recorded testimony is irreconcilable.
The issues between the Pharisees (of whose tradition I follow) and the Sadducees are enormous. The written law concerning the first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible (aka the Torah) is simply not complete nor meant to be. Oral law is necessary, and the Sadducees rejected ALL oral (traditional) law. There are explicit Biblical commands applying to Jews concerning all kinds of thing with NO details “You shall slaughter these animals in the manner which I show you”, “shall be on the doorposts of your house” and “for frontlets between your eyes”. No details about kosher slaughter, the requirements concerning the knife. No details about the mezuzah (the box on the doorposts of Jewish homes) and its contents (passages from the Torah written on parchment by a qualified scribe), no details on WHAT is placed between the eyes. What KIND of blue is put on the threads on the corners of garments and what are those threads and how are they made? The Torah, to use an analogy, is properly seen as Cliff Notes to the lecture at Mt. Sinai… great as a refresher but NOT intended to be a complete reference book. But if you don’t attend the lab or have someone who did show you the specifics, it’s impossible to get it. After-the-fact, most commentators see that it seems G-d intentionally recorded the Bible in ways that would FORCE discussion and wrestling with it for generations, requiring oral transmission, and not render it a dusty cookbook of observances gathering dust.
Anyway… I don’t mean to stifle discussion or debate, but the issue of suggesting that a legitimate Sanhedrin was involved with the murder of anyone, let alone Jesus, can be perceived as if someone accused your grandfather of participating in a lynching.
I once rented a room from an old man who was sodomized by a gang of Russians coming home from church because he had the gall to be walking on the street on the night of December 24… and be Jewish. He was 9. He spent every Christmas with all the lights off in his apartment.
Does the lynching of Leo Frank suggest that the US Supreme Court or the Georgia court system was responsible?
Mobs are not synonymous with the authorities and they can get out of hand. That’s what makes them mobs.
WAY too many people are still around who have been at the violent giving or receiving end of the “Christ killer” epithet. I’m young, just 42, and remember it during a simple game of dodgeball when I was in public high school–mentally taking note to NEVER let my eye completely off the guy. I was nominally Jewish in my observance at the time. Aside from my taking off for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, there was little to distinguish my behavior from that of any other student… I ate the school lunches, was a jock, a bit of a class clown, and an honor student. I don’t know what I did to “trigger” the core of the hate my classmate was taught, but hate can run deep and stirring it by suggesting that the Roman-beseiged (go read your Josephus as to how bad it was, then) Sanhedrin, per se, had it in for someone is problematic to say the least. Consider the Roman Legions at your door, famous for levelling cities and enslaving entire nations. That context is simply missing from Mark and Luke, neither of whom were eyewitnesses and were written nearly half a century after the traumatic events.
Anyway…
Present cultural and moral crises should UNITE religiously-oriented people of faith versus the secular onslaught.
When the Messiah comes (or comes back!), no doubt he’ll judge us on how we treated each other, not on how we argued about the circumstances of those days. And when those messianic prophecies are finally fulfilled in total (peace on earth, end of religious strife, end of famine, etc.) we should all be too busy being grateful.
May G-d bless you, La Shawn.
The entire Judaean social infrastructure had gone crooked beyond redemption long before the first century CE. Reading about the backstabbing and infighting during the Hasmonaean period is upsetting enough; reading about the Jewish Revolt is absolutely heartbreaking. Anyway Aaron’s right; maybe they wore the right outfits and funny hats but they were not a Sanhedrin.
Further thoughts: There aren’t any Sadducees or Essenes or Sicarii etc left; the Pharisees almost won that argument. But not totally. If they’re going to re-establish Sanhedrin, they should install some Karaites on it. Karaites are Jews who do not follow Pharasaic halakha; that is, they don’t use the Mishna, Talmud, and other such law books.
Can’t wait for Tim LaHaye to hear about this. Baptists will frenzy to your site commenting about eschatology. I thought eternal life began at conversion?
We are living in amazing times. The re-establishment of the
Sanhedrin may suggest just how close we are to the return of Jesus Christ. May I recommend the following web sites “Prophesy Today” (Jimmy Deyoung); “The Berean Call”
(Dave Hunt). May I also suggest the following book by Dr. Renald E.Showers of the Friends of Isreal Gospel Ministry…”What on Earth is God Doing”.
As for what God says of Isreal….read Isaiah 49:15-16; Jeremiah 33:19-22; Jeremiah 33:25-26; Amos 9:8-15.
Zechariah 12;13; and 14 appears fast upon us…..and it seems Zechariah 14:16 will be realized……
Finally, believers all pray “Even so, come Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20
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