Links: Print Version | Homepage | Rapture Letter | Verses of the Day | Site Map
“As Moses lifted up the serpent [the serpent made of bronze described in Numbers 21:8–9] in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
“…for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest any man should boast.”
Above is the content of John 3:14–16 and the content of Ephesians 2:8–9, respectively. Itʼs worthwhile to refrain from receiving the mark referenced in Revelation 13:11–18 and to instead receive eternal life for free by believing that Jesus is the Savior. Before doing any Bible studying and before praying to God the Father, it is useful for a person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior to try to think of any sins that one might have committed since one last confessed oneʼs known post-salvation sins to God the Father, and if one has indeed committed any, to then silently confess those sins to God the Father—confessing only one time for each sin—in accordance with what is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
This webpage could be periodically updated. If there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, and if the original author of this webpage is amongst those people disappearing en masse, then it is possible that this webpage will no longer be updated. Also, if there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, it is worthwhile to consider the possibility that those people have exited from the earth on the occasion known as the Rapture instead of assuming that that mass disappearance involves extraterrestrials abducting those people or involves the annihilation of those people or involves anything else other than the Rapture.
Below are links related to archived copies of this webpage.
archive.is/John314-16.com/John_10-28–30_and_the_Other_Verses_of_John_10-22–42.html
archive.ph/John314-16.com/John_10-28–30_and_the_Other_Verses_of_John_10-22–42.html
web.archive.org/*/John314-16.com/John_10-28–30_and_the_Other_Verses_of_John_10-22–42.html
Also, it is possible that it is worthwhile to print this content in case of time periods involving lack of Internet connectivity.
When studying the Word of God, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Hebrews 4:12:
“Indeed, the Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a critic of thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Note: The heart refers to the mind.
It is also beneficial to keep in mind the content of 2 Timothy 3:16–17 when studying the Word of God:
“All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be mature, having been thoroughly furnished unto all good work.”
It is the responsibility of a pastor-teacher to endeavor to correctly understand the Word of God and then to accurately teach the Word of God, as per the content of 2 Timothy 2:15:
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of Truth.”
A pastor-teacher is a communicator rather than a crutch on which to be leaned. In that regard, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping a pastor-teacher. Likewise, a believer should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping anyone other than the Trinity [God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit], as per Joshua 24:15, the content of which references Joshua speaking to the Israelites:
If it is disagreeable/bad/evil/wrong/wretchedness/displeasing in your sight to serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, choose for yourselves today whom you serve/worship: whether the gods ['elohiym / false gods] which your fathers have served/worshiped which were beyond the river or the gods ['elohiym / false gods] of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.
Note: Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after Joshua had been serving as the assistant of Moses while Moses was the leader of the Israelites, set the example for the Israelites. Joshua chose to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship God the Father rather than Joshua choosing to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship the lesser of multiple evils amongst multiple choices of 'elohiym [el-oh-HEEM]. The word 'elohiym with a lowercase e can refer to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges. The word 'Elohiym with a capital E refers to the Trinity. The word 'elohiym can also be used to refer to might as in mightiness. In that regard, the use of the word 'elohiym in reference to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges involves the connotation of mightiness in comparison to an average human. When a person puts oneʼs trust in and thereby serves as a devoted follower of and thus worships an angel or human, that angel or human is that personʼs false god. Regarding the foregoing, the content of Joshua 24:15 involves Joshua calling attention to the choices that the Israelites had, and that content involves Joshua permitting the Israelites to make their choices while Joshua led by example with his choice.
The gift of pastor-teacher is for the purpose of each pastor-teacher functioning as a messenger who communicates the Word of God rather than functioning as a priest between the Trinity and mankind. In that regard, the time period that can be referred to as the Church Age started fifty days after the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected, and all Church Age believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are priests. The Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest of Church Age believers, and believers should be willing to acknowledge/confess/profess to people the believersʼ faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as per Hebrews 4:14–15:
Therefore, since we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the acknowledgment/confession/profession. Indeed, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek [mel-KIZ-uh-dek], who was the ruler of Salem when Abraham was still named Abram. Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, as per Genesis 14:18, which references Melchizedek greeting Abram:
Then Melchizedek king of Salem has brought out bread and wine, and he is a priest of 'El [AYL] 'Elyown [el-YOHN] / God [focusing on God the Fatherʼs power] Most High.
The Lord Jesus Christ is also both a king and a priest because the Lord is the Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, as per Hebrews 7:14–17:
Indeed, it is evident that our Lord has arisen from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. Also, it is still much more evident: that according to the similarity of Melchizedek, Another of a different type of priest arises, Who has become such not on the basis of a law of fleshly command / physical requirement but according to the power of an indestructible life. Indeed, it is attested: “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER, ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”
Note: The Lord Jesus Christ is from the tribe of Judah. Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is qualified to be a priest because He was resurrected and therefore has an indestructible body. The above content in all capital letters is a reference to Psalm 110:4.
Because a king is royalty, a king who is a priest is a royal priest. In that regard, Church Age believers are royalty because they are members of the Lord Jesus Christʼs family. Therefore, all Church Age believers are royal priests, as per 1 Peter 2:9–10:
However, you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR ACQUISITION/PRESERVATION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are GODʼS PEOPLE. You had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
Note: Before the Church Age, Gentiles were not Godʼs people. In the Church Age, both Jewish and Gentile believers are Godʼs people. The content of 1 Peter 2:10 references Hosea 2:23. In that regard, Peter uses references involving Israel in the Old Testament to refer to Church Age believers.
Itʼs the message rather than the messenger that should be the focus of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Put succinctly: itʼs the message rather than the messenger. In that regard, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Revelation 22:8–9, which was written by the apostle John, who, in addition to writing The Revelation to John, wrote The Gospel According to John, The First Epistle of John, The Second Epistle of John, and The Third Epistle of John:
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things, but he says* to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
*Note: The word says is in the Greek historical present tense. By means of the Greek historical present tense, past action or future action can be described from the perspective of someone seeing the action as it occurs.
Regarding messages, believers should use the Word of God to examine what is being communicated. That is what the Bereans who are mentioned in Acts 17:10–12 did:
The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, who, when they arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness / readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore, many of them believed, and not a few prominent Greek women and men.
Note: The phrase not a few means “quite a few.”
Today, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to meet believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds on the occasion of the Rapture is one day closer than it was yesterday. The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies. Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies. While it is possible that the Rapture will occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh]—which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during August, September, or October of 2026, it is worthwhile for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to get into the habit of being prepared every day for the return of the Lord, just in case the Rapture will occur on a day other than the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah. Furthermore, it is worthwhile to be in the habit of being prepared for the Rapture so that if it does occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah, one can be prepared for that day because of already being in the habit of being prepared. Examples of being prepared for the Rapture include applying the content of 1 John 1:9 whenever one sins, being unselfish, and whenever circumstances are such that an opportunity arises, sharing the gospel—the good news that believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior Who was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity is the means by which a person is able to have eternal life. Regarding sharing the gospel, one could also have a written or printed message containing the gospel with that written or printed message located somewhere where it could be easily noticed so that if a person or people were to read or hear that written or printed message either before or after the Rapture occurs, that person or people would thereby read or hear the gospel by means of that written or printed message.
Regarding information about the Rapture, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52:
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again—and we do indeed believe that Jesus died and rose again—so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. Indeed, this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with a voice of an archangel and with a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive who remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
1 Corinthians 15:51–52
Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
After the Rapture will be the seven-year Tribulation. The believers who will be alive on the earth when the Rapture occurs will escape the Tribulation. 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 covers that topic. In that regard, in the book 1 Thessalonians, the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is immediately followed by the content of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11.
1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you, for you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. However, you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; therefore, let us not sleep as others, but let us be alert and sober. Indeed, those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. However, since we are of day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and benevolence/goodwill, and as a helmet, the hope / absolute confidence of deliverance, for God has not destined us for wrath but for obtaining deliverance through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore, comfort one another and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
Note: In this context, the day of the Lord is the time period that consists of the Rapture, the seven years of the Tribulation, and the Second Advent. In that regard, deliverance from the Tribulation is the deliverance in this context. Also, unspecified is who will be saying “Peace and safety!” In this context, sleeping refers to a lack of alertness. The alertness in this context involves being ready for the Rapture. In order to be ready for the Rapture, a believer needs to be filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and to pay attention for historical trends such as people saying “Peace and safety!” and for historical trends that match the pattern of the world being on the brink of tremendous calamities like those that will occur during the Tribulation. Regarding being filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity. After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored. The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1. Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30. In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit. Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer. After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.
The verses of the day for April 21st are John 10:28–30. The title of the book John is also known as “The Gospel According to John.” The book John was written by the apostle John. He also wrote The First Epistle of John, The Second Epistle of John, The Third Epistle of John, and The Revelation to John. Because it is useful to study verses in the context of the verses around them, below is content related to John 10:22–42. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ are in red.
Note: The capital city of the Roman Empire was the city Rome. The word Rome can be used to refer to the city Rome, to the kingdom of which that city was the capital, to the republic of which that city was the capital, or to the empire of which that city was the capital. The settlement that became the city Rome was founded in the 700s B.C. Rome eventually became a kingdom. That kingdom is known as the Roman Kingdom. Then Rome became a republic. That republic is known as the Roman Republic. After that, Rome became an empire. That empire is known as the Roman Empire.
The events described in John 10:22–42 occurred during a time when Israel still existed as a nation, albeit as an occupied province of the Roman Empire. The name of that Roman province was Judea [joo-DEE-uh or joo-DAY-uh]. The word Judea can also be spelled Judaea or Judæa. The character æ is a ligature [LIG-uh-chuhr or LIG-uh-choor] of a and e. Before the Romans conquered the region known as Judea, the name of the country of the Jewish people was Judah. The inhabitants of Judah can be referred to as Judahites [JOO-duh-ights]. The inhabitants of Judea can be referred to as Judeans [joo-DEE-uhnz or joo-DAY-uhnz]. Although the land of the Jews was the Roman-occupied province named Judea, the Romans permitted the Jews to have a certain amount of autonomy in governing themselves. Such a foreign-occupied condition while still having a degree of autonomy is known as the fourth cycle of discipline (out of a total of five cycles).
For geographical context, below is a link to a map that shows the location of Judea. On that map, Judea is in grid coordinates B6, C6, B7, and C7. Also, Galilee is in grid coordinates C3 and C4. Nazareth is in grid coordinate C4.
https://Classic.NET.Bible.org/images/maps/nt1.jpg
If the above link is inaccessible, the below link can be tried instead.
https://NETBible.org/media/images/maps/nt1.jpg
Below is a link to a map that shows the location of the capital city Rome. Jerusalem is also on the map.
https://NETBible.org/media/images/constable/45Rom-1.jpg
John 10:22
At that time, the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem.
Note: The Feast of the Dedication is a feast other than one of the feasts that were part of the Mosaic Law. The term Mosaic Law refers to the laws communicated by Moses to the ancient Israelites. Because Moses communicated those laws, they are known collectively as the Mosaic Law. The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law by being judged on the cross for the sins of humanity. Now that the Lord Jesus Christ has fulfilled the Mosaic Law, no believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are under the regulations of the Mosaic Law.
The Feast of the Dedication is also known as the Feast of Lights, Hanukkah [KHAH-nuh-kuh or HAH-nuh-kuh] (also spelled Hanukah and Chanukah and pronounced the same ways). It is celebrated on the day that some people consider to be the 25th of the Hebrew month Kislev [kihs-LAYV in Hebrew and KIHS-luhv or kees-LEHV in English] (also spelled Chislev and pronounced the same ways). Sometimes, people consider Kislev 25th to be in November, and sometimes people consider Kislev 25th to be in December.
John 10:23
It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the Temple in the Portico of Solomon / the Porch of Solomon / the Colonnade of Solomon / Solomonʼs Portico / Solomonʼs Porch / Solomonʼs Colonnade.
Note: When the Lord Jesus Christ was born as a human, the Roman province Judea was ruled by the Gentile king named Herod. The Temple referenced in this verse is the Second Temple. In that regard, King Solomon, the third king of Israel, had had the First Temple built. That Temple can also be called Solomonʼs Temple. Many years later, in 586 B.C., the First Temple was destroyed by the soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of Babylon. Later, the Second Temple was built. It was eventually larger than the First Temple. The Second Temple existed during the time of the First Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Second Temple can also be called Herodʼs Temple because King Herod, the ruler of Judea under the authority of the Romans, had construction work done in order to expand the Second Temple. The part of the Temple that is referenced in this verse was a structure involving a covered area with columns.
John 10:24
The Jews then gathered around Him and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense / How long do You lift up our soul? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Note: Rather than the content of this verse referring to all of the Jews who were alive at the time described in this verse, the content of this verse refers to the Jews who were opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 10:25
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Fatherʼs name—these testify of Me.
Note: The miracles that the Lord Jesus Christ had done reveal that He is indeed the Savior.
John 10:26
“However, you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.
John 10:27
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me,
John 10:28
and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
Note: The phrase and they will never perish refers to eternal life. In that regard, the content of this verse references the eternal security of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers can never lose their eternal life.
John 10:29
“My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Fatherʼs hand.
Note: The reference to a hand in this verse is an anthropomorphism [an-thruh-puh-MOR-fiz-uhm]. An anthropomorphism is a usage of terminology involving a physical characteristic to describe a characteristic of the Trinity. The anthropomorphism involving a hand in this verse is a metaphor that calls attention to the omnipotence [all-powerfulness] of God the Father.
John 10:30
“I and the Father are Ἕν [Hen, a Koine (KOI-nay) Greek neuter adjective that can be translated with the English word One].”
Note: Because the Koine Greek adjective transliterated as Hen is neuter, the word One must refer to something other than the Person Who is God the Son—in other words, something other than the Lord Jesus Christ—and the word One must refer to something other than the Person Who is God the Father. In that regard, the adjective transliterated as Hen is an inflected form of the root word εἷς [pronounced HAYSS and transliterated as heis]. If the word One were to refer to either God the Son or God the Father, then the form of the word heis would be masculine rather than neuter. That is an important distinction because God the Son and God the Father are two separate Persons.
Regarding God the Son and God the Father being One, the Members of the Trinity are One in essence. They all have the exact same characteristics. In that regard, They function in unity as a single, perfect Team. God the Father does the planning. God the Son executes the plan. God the Holy Spirit reveals the plan. In that regard, the United States Army used to have the slogan “An army of one.” Rather than indicating that there was only a single person in the U.S. Army, the slogan was focused on the goal of all of the members of the army cooperating so as to function as one team. Because there are plenty of verses in the Bible indicating that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are Members of the Trinity, the logical conclusion that can be drawn is that the word One in this verse refers to both God the Son and God the Father functioning together as one Team.
John 10:31
The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.
Note: As mentioned in the note for John 10:24, rather than the content of John 10:31 referring to all of the Jews who were alive at the time described in John 10:31, the content of John 10:31 refers to the Jews who were opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 10:32
Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father. For which of them are you stoning Me?”
John 10:33
The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.”
John 10:34
Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I SAID: “YOU ARE GODS”’?
Note: This verse references Psalm 82:6. In the context of John 10:34, the word Law refers to the entire Old Testament rather than to the part of the Old Testament known as the Mosaic Law. For reference, below is content related to Psalm 82.
Note: Inside the square brackets in the notes below, the letters i.e. are used to represent the phrase that is. The two letters are an abbreviation for the Latin words id est, which mean “that is.” When one reads those two letters, one can either say, “eye ee” or “that is.” If one is reading out loud, and if any hearers of that reading are unaware of what the letters i.e. represent, it is best to say “that is.” Also, the letters i.e. need to be followed by a comma.
Psalm 82:1
A Psalm of Asaph.
'Elohiym [el-oh-HEEM] / the Godhead stands in the congregation of 'El [AYL] / God [focusing on God the Fatherʼs power]. He judges in the midst of the 'elohiym / human rulers / human judges / gods.
Note: In this verse, the phrase stands in the congregation is an anthropomorphism that metaphorically refers to God the Father judging people in Israel. The Hebrew word translated as “human rulers / human judges / gods” in this verse is אֱלֹהִים [pronounced el-oh-HEEM and can be transliterated in this context as 'elohiym]. Depending on the context, אֱלֹהִים could refer to false gods, to angels, to human rulers or judges, or to the Godhead [i.e., the Trinity]. When referring to the Godhead, אֱלֹהִים is transliterated as 'Elohiym with a capital E. With regard to the usage of this word in reference to angels, human rulers, or human judges, all of those are more powerful than the average human being. In that regard, the word calls attention to the referents as being mighty in some way or ways. The context for the instance of אֱלֹהִים at the end of this verse is such that that instance of אֱלֹהִים at the end of this verse refers to human rulers or human judges whose power is such that they are compared to the power ascribed to the false gods by those who believed in false gods.
Psalm 82:2
How long do you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah.
Note: The word Selah in this verse refers to singers resting and instruments playing on. This is a picture of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ resting from worrying in the believerʼs thinking while the grace of God the Father continues on.
Psalm 82:3
Vindicate the weak and fatherless. Do justice for the afflicted and destitute.
Psalm 82:4
Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
Note: In the below content of Psalm 82:5, both instances of the pronoun They with a capital T and the instance of the pronoun they with a lowercase t refer to the human rulers / human judges that were referenced previously in this psalm.
Psalm 82:5
They have not known, nor do they understand. They walk about in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
Note: The human rulers / human judges were ignorant. In that regard, walking in darkness is a metaphorical reference to the human rulers / human judges conducting their lives in ignorance. Also, the shaking of the foundations of the earth is a reference to widespread injustice.
Psalm 82:6
I have said, “You are 'elohiym / human rulers / human judges / gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High.
Note: As with verse 1, the Hebrew word translated as “human rulers / human judges / gods” in this verse is אֱלֹהִים [pronounced el-oh-HEEM and can be transliterated in this context as 'elohiym]. As mentioned in the notes for verse 1, the word calls attention to the referents as being mighty in some way or ways. Also, the people to whom this is spoken are believers in the coming Savior (the Lord Jesus Christ had not yet been born as a human at the time that this psalm was written). The phrase all of you are sons of the Most High calls attention to the fact that they are believers.
Psalm 82:7
“Nevertheless, you die like men, and you fall like one of the captains / chiefs / princes / head people / rulers.”
Note: Even though the human rulers / human judges to whom this was spoken were powerful, they would still experience physical death. In this verse, the uses of a present tense in the phrases you die and you fall are references to the future. Such uses of a present tense have a rhetorical effect. In that regard, using a verb in a present tense to refer to the future can help a reader or hearer of the Word of God imagine future events as though the reader or hearer is watching those events as they occur.
Psalm 82:8
Arise, O 'Elohiym/Godhead. Judge the earth, for You inherit all the nations.
Note: In this verse, the use of the present tense in the phrase You inherit is a reference to the future.
Getting back to John 10:34, the Koine Greek noun that is translated as “GODS” in this verse is θεοί [pronounced theh-OY and transliterated as theoi]. That noun is an inflected form of the root word θεός [pronounced theh-AHS and transliterated as theos]. The content of John 10:34 is repeated below for reference.
John 10:34
Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I SAID: “YOU ARE GODS”’?
John 10:35
“If He called them gods—and He did indeed call them gods—to whom the Word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),
John 10:36
do you say of Him Whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
Note: The Lord Jesus Christ pointed out to His opponents that, in a particular context, sinners have been referred to as gods. In pointing that out, the Lord called attention to the fact that there can be contexts in which a human is referred to as a god without that reference involving blasphemy. In that regard, when the Lord Jesus Christ, Who never sinned, referred to Himself as a Member of the Godhead [i.e., the Trinity], the Lordʼs referring to Himself as a Member of the Godhead was a reference without any blasphemy involved.
John 10:37
“If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me,
John 10:38
but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and keep on knowing that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”
Note: The miracles that the Lord Jesus Christ had done reveal that He is indeed the Savior. Also, God the Father and God the Son are in fellowship with each Other. In other words, They have a relationship that is free from strife. That relationship is perfectly harmonious.
John 10:39
Therefore, they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.
Note: Unspecified is by what means the Lord eluded their grasp.
Note: In the below content of John 10:40, the Jordan River is the referent of the word Jordan. Also, John the Baptist is the John mentioned in that verse.
John 10:40
Then He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there.
John 10:41
Many came to Him and were saying, “John indeed performed no sign, but everything John said about this Man was true.”
John 10:42
Many believed in Him there.
Note: The content of this verse refers to people believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior.
Sincerely,
John