Commentary On The Damascus Document

Discussion in the Light of Integrated Prophecy

(Numerical references are to Column and Line number in the Document.)

The Land of Damascus

The title of the document, applied my modern scholarship, comes from several references within it to Damascus. The way this Damascus is treated shows that it was not a literal reference to ancient Damascus in Syria but symbolic for some other place. Scholars seem to be in universal agreement about this view.

Amos 5:27 states: "therefore I shall send you into exile beyond Damascus." The kingdoms of David and Solomon extended north into what is now Syria, including the city of Damascus. From the context of the remarks Amos was telling the people of Israel their fate before their kingdom was destroyed. In 722 BC the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V, and then under Sargon II, conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, destroyed its capital Samaria and sent the Israelites into exile and captivity in the "cities of the Medes," now part of eastern Iran and western Afghanistan. This action proved to be a fulfillment of the warning that God would send his people beyond ancient Damascus. We also know that at the breakup of the ancient kingdom of Israel the northern Ten Tribes traveled north to Asia Minor and around the Black Sea. See my work: http://www.world-destiny.org/a31tt.htm, http://www.world-destiny.org/a32sif.htm and following papers. They did not settle in Damascus, Syria. As I have shown, they then spread throughout Europe. From Europe, their descendants moved into, and controlled, the lands of North and South America. This means that a high percentage of the white population of the Americas is descended from the people of ancient Israel.

The natural question is why the word Damascus was used to identify someplace beyond the northern boundaries of the land of Israel. If this is not Damascus, Syria just what does the designation mean? This reference to some other symbolic Damascus is noted by:

6:5 . . . the penitents of Israel who went forth out of the land of Judah and sojourned in the land of Damascus . . .

6:19  . . . who entered into the New Covenant in the land of Damascus . . .

8:21 . . . All the men who entered into the New Covenant in the land of Damascus . . .

Map searches for Damascus and alternate language spellings reveal some interesting facts. Damas (French spelling) ) towns are found in northern Pakistan, at Guaviare, Colombia, South America, and at Puntarenas, Costa Rica. I found Damascus streets in the Netherlands (2), Dubai, Baghdad, Beirut, Lebanon, and Belfast, Ireland. I found a Damascus College in Victoria, Australia. I was unable to find reference to dimashq (Arabic spelling) or dimasheq (Hebrew spelling). Around the world the name Damascus seems sparsely used.

However, within the United States the use of the name Damascus is prevalent. It is found as towns in Oregon, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. Damascus townships exist in Pennsylvania and Ohio. There are literally hundreds of Damascus names for streets, roads, churches, businesses, and other appellations in the United States.

The United States is truly the land of Damascus.

We must be wary of the great use of symbolism in the Damascus Document, illustrated in Column 7.

"The booth of your King" means that the kingship was lost. At some future time this kingship (booth of David) would be reinstated, but in the new world, and with Melchizedek as the new David. See http://www.world-destiny.org/jam2.htm for more information.

The images are the books of the Prophets, the statues (not statutes) that God provided for us, but which Israel of old despised. These would be removed from the Israel of old, and sent to the land of Damascus, the United States.

In this new world a Star would arise to interpret the Teachings, the prophets, someone who will appear in the new Damascus. At that time he will raise up a new scepter, new precepts by which the children of Israel can be guided. Afterwards, after all the calamity and woe, when the people of Israel can look back, they will understand how he would be regarded as the "prince of all the congregation."

He will not personally destroy all the sons of Seth, a symbol for the Devil, but will be instrumental in bringing judgment upon them, through God's help and guidance. Thus they will be destroyed.

This is a full quotation of the passage in the book of Numbers, showing how it was adapted to the message of the Scroll:

• Num 24:17-19
  
  17 "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.
  18 Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong.
  19 A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city."

In this land a New Covenant will be formed.

The New Covenant

The idea of a New Covenant is also found in Column II, Lines 3 - 10 of the Habakkuk Scroll. There it refers to those who betrayed the New Covenant and did not believe when they heard all the things that were to happen in their final generation. They rejected the Priest whom God appointed in those days to interpret the prophets through whom he told of that impending disaster. The Hebrew word cohen, a priest, is used in the Habakkuk text for this individual. At the time of the establishment of the Old Covenant God called upon Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons to be priests. Prior to that time they were not priests. This created the official Hebrew institution. The important concept behind the priesthood was that they were men chosen to mediate between God and man. They were to act as teachers of the Law, i.e., the Holy Teachings. This individual also serves in that role. This does not mean that he comes from the Jews, nor does it mean that he was formally ordained into such a social function. Rather it means that he was called by God for his particular role in the teaching and destiny salvation of God's people.

As shown in the Habakkuk Scroll and the Damascus Document, this Priest is clearly an individual who does not offer prophecy of his own inspiration, but interprets the Great Truths of the prophecies of the Bible. As stated in Num 24:12-13 — And Balaam said to Balak, Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, "If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of Yahweh to do either good or bad of my own will; what Yahweh speaks, that will I speak."  Thus the words of God this individual conveys to his fellow man are not words coming directly out of his mouth from God. Who would believe him? Prophecy requires much time to "prove" but now there is little time left to formulate decisions. Since his role is as an interpreter or expositor of Biblical Prophecy it is a faith exercise that unbelieving persons can easily reject. But they do so at their own peril.

We can see that these people, these penitents, make a New Covenant with God. This is not a reaffirmation of the Old Covenant, nor it is a renewal of the Christian Covenant.

We can obtain an idea of the Christian Covenant by this statement from a United Methodist Women web site at:

http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/Bible/covenant.stm

Jews have always understood their faith as a practice of codes and rules. The Ten Commandments were such a codified definition of human conduct. But Jesus, when he lived here in the flesh, lifted us above Mosaic Law to understanding of a relationship with God that was founded on the intent of the heart. When asked which was the greatest commandment, he said:

• Matt 22:37-40
  "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

This freed everyone from Mosaic Law and opened the teachings of Jesus to the entire world. Christians referred to this as a New Covenant.

But Christians tied themselves to another concept that restricted the use of this commandment from Jesus. This concept caused the name Christian to be applied to them. It was the idea that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ. As John stated:

• 1 John 2:22-24
  Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Messiah. Such a man is the Antichrist — he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

When John made this remark he threw the new faith back into Law. If one did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, then he was not a Christian, and would be condemned. He would become the Antichrist, or one opposed to Jesus. Thus, the Christian New Covenant became not a matter purely of heartfelt relationship with God, but also a system of beliefs. It grew from an expression of the longings of the heart to an intellectual system of theology. The apostle Paul carried on lengthy dissertations about Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, expanding upon this belief system. Paul laid the foundation for generations of Christian theologians.

Human beings cannot live together without coming to some agreement about their social conduct and about their ideas of the universe. In their present state they simply are not built to stand above law. If we had followed the commandment of Jesus we might elevate our understanding of human laws, and obey the leadings of our hearts, but such developments are in the farther future of this world.

Furthermore, according to Christian understanding, if Jesus were to return to this world he would return as the Christ, the Messiah. Since the Messiah would be an earthly physical ruler, he would have to return as a man.

This is one of the most serious mistakes of Christianity. Jesus is not returning as a man; he is returning as God. Hence, the Christian definition of a New Covenant is not the New Covenant described in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Here another Covenant is formulated that is not dependent upon Christian interpretation of the teaching of Paul and the other apostles. Since those ideas were centered around the event of the life of Jesus upon earth, and his return, it was a religion about Jesus. As such the Christian religion, regardless of its historic form, Catholic or Protestant, always held ideas centered on Jesus as the Messiah. But if Jesus returns to this world, not as the expected Messiah, but as God, then the Christian theological framework is not sufficient to such an event.

The question becomes this: When Jesus returns how many people will be able to recognize him as God and welcome him in that form?

We surely cannot expect him to return without vivid demonstration of his power as God. Since he is a spiritual being, he must bring with him a spiritual manifestation equal to his status as a divine being.

But many men may not be able to respond to this mighty spiritual demonstration. They may have their minds so clouded with Messiah expectations or godlessness they cannot cope with this event. Christians will reject him because he is not returning as the Messiah. Secularists will reject him because they believe there is no God. Both groups may find other explanations for his spiritual presence. Modern scientists may think his presence in light is merely the results of a supernova. Or there may be other godless explanations.

On the other hand some human response, on which depends the future of the world, is that of recognizing his presence as God. This requires a major transformation in our conceptual structure. We must abandon the Christian Messiah image. And we must recognize the nature of the great spiritual battle that will break forth on our world. With a murderous onslaught by Devil's agents commencing on all sides, we will earnestly seek an ensuing reaffirmation of a closer relationship with Jesus. This longing of our hearts will bring a New Covenant. This New Covenant will not be dependent upon the interpretation of men in theological pursuits, but the development of a direct relationship with God through a great and soul searching Spiritual Experience.

This would be a dramatic movement away from the old Jewish and Christian covenants, the Old Covenant and the New Christian covenant. This would be a surgical severing of historic religious ties, from Moses and from Jesus as the Messiah.

This New Covenant will be welcomed by both Jews and Christians who have their hearts centered on God. This New Covenant will bind together people who did not know one another for two thousand years. No longer would there be allegiance to man-defined covenants that would divide the two people.

The Jewish and Christian covenants would not be completely abandoned. They would be redefined into a grander understanding of God and his actions on our world. Just as Christians redefined the Old Mosaic Covenant by the event of Jesus, so the New Covenant would redefine the old Messiah covenant by new and dramatic understanding of God. Moses was the basis of the Jewish covenant. Jesus was the basis of the formulation of the Christian Covenant. Now the Return of Jesus, as God, and as Creator, with spiritual responses from his people, will define this New Covenant.

To restate:

First, there will be the Return of Jesus. Not as a human mortal, but as God. He will bring about such an extraordinary change in world conditions that everyone will take notice. Atheist, agnostic, and religious believer will witness this new event on our world. Because of the extreme separation from God numerous godless interpretations of this event will be offered. No one, from our traditional religious understanding, can adequately place this event into a framework familiar to them. But those people who respond in a spiritual sense will come to know that this is God present among us. As a consequence there will be such trembling of the heart as to cause both Jews and Christians to reassign their spiritual loyalties.

Second, concomitant with the Return of Jesus will be a great spiritual and physical tribulation. Jesus will let loose our former Planetary Prince in order for him to prove his true spiritual state.  In the prospect of destroying God's people he will bring miraculous demonstrations of his power. Thousands upon thousands of Christians and Jews will be slaughtered to his insane purpose. No one on the planet will be safe. The hearts of men will turn to God as never before. They will seek after God in a manner not known in world history. They will abandon the old worn traditions of our historical religions. Now a truly New Covenant will be formed.

Third, the intense spiritual warfare between our God and our former Planetary Prince will multiply political tension among the nations. This will lead to the destruction of our civilization.

We cannot come to a New Covenant without mighty demonstration of spiritual power from God and his divine Sons, the rebellious gods.

The Divine Visitation

The visitation of Jesus is told to us plainly in this document and throughout the Dead Sea Scrolls. Repeatedly, time and again, we are told that we will be visited by our God.

To be faithful to the revelation given to us we must deal with the Visitation to take place at the time of the Great Judgment. A description is provided in the text, but it is so clouded with symbolism, and subject to such diverse and extraordinary interpretations, that we must consider it in detail.

Here the Judgment is specified. He gave them over to the sword, but remembered the covenant he made with their forefathers. He preserved a remnant and did not give them completely over to destruction.

Since this is a specification of world conditions at the time of Judgment, we must interpret the symbolism to that effect. Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, is not a description of ancient Babylon and that Nebuchadnezzar, but of some land and some rulership at the end of the age. That is why no one could make heads or tails of this passage. It was not intended to be taken as a reference to ancient Babylon, but to some other time period. This means that the 390 years must be understood in terms of our times. For example, if we were to take the demarcation point at the onset of the settling of the New Land, the new Damascus, we might take the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock in 1620. 390 years elapsed from that point would be 2010.

This is a remarkable coincidence to today.

While we recognize the settling of the lands of Central and South America more than a hundred years prior to 1620 the reference to the new Damascus concentrates the remark to North America, and the United States. Hence, we do not necessarily mean this to be literal to the exact year, but to a close approximation of that date. God would then raise up for them a Teacher of Righteousness to lead his people in the way of his heart. This is the time of the Visitation. He will now return to this world. Then the 20 years in which they groped their way must be understood as events to follow the Great Judgment. This would be a groping for 20 years after the Great Earth Events. Then the earth will spring forth in abundance, in 1:8 the goodness of the earth. When he raises up a Teacher he does so before the great events, not after.

The arrangement of the clauses in this statement makes it very difficult to understand the time sequence.

But many will reject this teaching, with the great price of death to pay for their refusal to accept.

• 7:9 But as for all them that reject, when God will bring a visitation upon the land, they shall be requited with the recompense of the wicked.

Here we see a promise of the Visitation, and the recompense upon unbelievers. Fortunately for this world,

• 7:21 These shall escape during the period of the first visitation, while the renegades were delivered up to the sword.

Compare with the "B" version, XIX and the fragment 4Q266, 3:3.

Those who believe the Teacher of Righteousness shall escape from nuclear destruction.

We can understand that the Teacher of Righteousness will arise at the end of the age. This is the time of the visitation of God.

Refer to the discussion at  http://www.world-destiny.org/q1/mdssd2.htm.

More than one visitation is specified. God will visit us more than one time, perhaps many.

A description of the perversity within man and God's action to remove it, and his visitations, are described in the Rules of the Community (The Manual of Discipline). See discussion at http://www.world-destiny.org/q1/rulesofcommunity.htm.

In Column 13 and 14 we find remarks again pertinent to the Return of Jesus, the coming destruction, and the rescue of God's people.

• 13:22 These are the regulations for the Instructor, to walk in them

• 13:23 in the appointed time when God visits the earth, when the word will be fulfilled which said: (Isa 7:17) There shall come upon your people days

• 14:1 such as have not come since the day on which Ephraim became separated from Judah, and (to) all those who walk in them, 

• 14:2 the covenant of God is faithful to save them from all the nets of the pit, but (Prov 27:12) the ignorant walk on, and are punished.

The word translated as Instructor is maskiyl which means to be instructive. It derives from sakal, to be circumspect, hence intelligent. It denotes to be prudent, wise, and to ponder. This individual cares for God's people, and gives of himself in prudence and wisdom to help rescue them.

Although I have refrained from using the "B" version of the Damascus Document, since I believe it was written by men at Qumran who were expounding on the revelations they had been given, nevertheless we find pertinent remarks. Those men strongly believed in the God's word. In spite of their strong faith they could not help but conflate upon that knowledge.