All rights reserved. Thanks, was researching on getting caught away, Pingback: Philips Transport Brent's Musings. What was the Ethiopian eunuch doing in Jerusalem? Jesus offers you forgiveness and a new life. Wow what great and mighty power we have as children of The Most High God. God, who knew this mans heart, had already decided to intervene. After this, Philip was suddenly taken away by the Spirit of the Lord, and the eunuch went on his way rejoicing (verse 39). I observed many Black Jews in Jerusalem in November 1966, all of them wearing the Kippah, and obviously Jewish in dress. What impact did the Ethiopian Eunuch have on the spread of Christianity? Was he miraculously transported by the spirit of the Lord? The Ethiopian Eunuch. The Apostle Paul and His Times: Christian History Timeline. Bethlehem came under Jordanian rule during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and was later captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Who converted the Ethiopian eunuch to Christianity? Honestly, many of us are ready to be the Philip in other peoples lives. After Philip was carried away, he appeared some time later at Azotus (Ashdod), a town about 50 km (30 miles) away. What matters here is the Ethiopian was saved. The city was on the border of Israel and Egypt in the southwest part of Israel near the Mediterranean Sea. How long did it take Jesus to walk from Nazareth to Jerusalem? He was committed. How far is Ethiopia from Jerusalem by chariot? Sitting in his chariot, he was reading the Book of Isaiah, specifically Isaiah 53:7-8. After the episode recorded in the first part of this chapter, Peter and John stay in this city of Samaria for an apparently short time. Glorious is the church that walks rejoicing after believing in the Lord than waiting on the man of God to come back and preach, again and again. [17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. WebA reading of Acts 8:26-39. The presence of an Ethiopian eunuch in the court of Judah demonstrates at least some form of contact between the two countries. However Christianity came to Alexandria, it quickly grew strong. Where did they stop once the Ethiopian eunuch had been baptized? How long was the road from Jerusalem to Gaza? He was urgent in his response to the Gospel message. Verse 35 said that Philip took the passage of Scripture that the eunuch was reading (which was Isaiah 53:7-8), and from there was able to tell him about Jesus. Philip realized God had put him there in that place and time; to lead this hungry searching man to know the God of Israel and His Son, Jesus the Anointed One. But I dont ever plan on running across country to stand outside a Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant that Tom Hanks is eating at. Currently when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him say goodbye to; as well as he went on his means being glad. Currently the Ethiopian eunuch prepared to hear the Scripture. There are two versions of his death, the first being that he died a natural death but the second one says he angered a local king who ordered him nailed to a bed, covered his whole body with paper, brimstones, oil, asphalt and brushwood and set him on fire. It was south of Egypt and was a mercantile kingdom that brought goods from the sea trade by caravan north through Israel, Damascus, and Syria. Yes, there is enough evidence that Philip did not impart the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon the Ethiopian eunuch. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing (Ac 8:39). Answer: He was happy to be making the journey and looked forward to worshiping in Jerusalem. Your email address will not be published. You can discover a new path for living. The Ethiopian eunuchs story starts out with an angel of the Lord telling Philip to travel along the desert road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. The Ethiopian eunuch is believed to have travelled over 3000 miles from Ethiopia to Jerusalem. Only two scriptural passages in the New Testament refer to eunuchs (eunouchos), namely Matthew 19:12 and Acts 8:27-39. Let us know your thoughts or concerns and well connect with you. Yet this didnt intimidate Philip, and he had enough boldness to ask the eunuch,Do you understand what you are reading? (Verse 30). 2. Perhaps he used his influence to convert many high ranking officials to the true gospel message, and those influential people went on to convert others. We all should imitate his heart! First, the story begins with a miraculous intervention in the ministry of Philip. Gaza is also mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the place where Samson was imprisoned and met his death. [14] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? In Biblical times Ethiopia encompassed the territory of what we now see as Ethiopia, as well as Sudan and Somalia. The Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip if he could understand what he was reading. In Pauls case, they got ready at once to leave for Macedonia. To go away suddenly doesnt imply that it was a miraculous event. At the outset of this narrative, he is returning to his homeland. Sign Up for Daily Lessons to Feed Your Spirit. There are a few major references to Ethiopia found in Isaiah, 18:1, 20:3-4, and 45:14. Was Philip miraculously transported to Azotus, a town that may have been 30 km away? Where did Philip meet the Ethiopian eunuch? Really think about it. He after that was told by an angel of the Lord to go to the road between Jerusalem as well as Gaza. In the times of the Patriarchs there were historically recurring invasions between Egypt and Ethiopia (Cush). Now thats a man of God that knows his Scriptures! He was most likely a black man. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 55 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[39 27]/Info 38 0 R/Length 84/Prev 72557/Root 40 0 R/Size 66/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream According to this tradition, the Queen of Sheba (called Makeda) visited Solomons court after hearing about his wisdom. Philip works his way north along the coastal road that runs through the coastal plain. It shows us that anyone no matter who they are or where they come from can come to know God. Acts 8:37 Context And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? The owner of this website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon properties including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. Eunuch is a term utilized to explain a male whose testicles have actually not established, been damaged or eliminated. The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between Jerusalem and Gaza is 6,069 km= 3,771 miles. New Living Translation When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. Got your notes down? 18:5). How long is the flight from Ethiopia to Israel? He afterwards was told by an angel of the Lord to go to the road between Jerusalem and Gaza. Will you tell this story to someone God puts in your pathway? To travel from Mero (the court of the Candace) on the lower reaches of the Nile to Jerusalem, he had to travel well over 200 After getting baptized, it says that the eunuch went on his way rejoicing (verse 39). The name Ethiopia (Hebrew Kush) is stated in the Bible many times (thirty-seven times in the King James variation), as well as is in numerous means considered a sanctuary. Philip, during the persecution of the church in Jerusalem had gone to the city of Samaria, and was engaged in Revival meetings that were accompanied with signs and wonders. Azotus is the old Philistine city of Ashdod, about 20 miles north of Gaza. Eunuchs would usually be servants or slaves who had been castrated to make them reliable servants of a royal court where physical access to the ruler could wield great influence. The miles based distance from Jerusalem to Bethlehem is 4171.7 miles. hbbd``b` $ rH0$fX 1 >k6 aH(&L@F10Cg The geography as well as distances included naturally allow the Jesus Route to be walked as a collection of day-hikes for a total amount of 4 days, with every days walk being in between 13 as well as 19 km (8 to 12 mi) in length. He is not told why, but he knew enough to obey when God so ordered. The Queen of Sheba appears as a prominent figure in the Kebra Nagast (Glory of King), the Ethiopian national epic and foundation story. Acts 8:29 As many as 600,000 men in North America are living as eunuchs for medical reasons. The eunuch, we are informed, is an Ethiopian authorities that has travelled to Jerusalem to prayer and is now going back to Ethiopia (vv. How did the Ethiopian eunuch get to Jerusalem? How long is the flight from Ethiopia to Israel? [14] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? We are told in the 27th verse that he had made the long journey for the purpose of coming to worship the God of Israel. The end of verse 27 says that the Ethiopian eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship and was now on his way home. It shows Philip the Evangelist baptising an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, traditionally marking the start of the Ethiopian Church (Acts 8:2639). 39 0 obj <> endobj Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. The Ethiopian eunuch could have brushed Philip off or even questioned why some random guy would have the audacity to ask him if he understood what he was readingbut that wasnt the eunuchs response. If not, feel free to check out our How to Read and Understand the Bible post to help you get started. Book of Numbers 12:1 states that Moses was criticized by his older siblings for having married a Cushite woman, Aethiopissa in the Latin Vulgate Bible version. None of these words mean a type of supernatural transportation. 15:51-53; 1 Th. The historian Josephus, quoting Herodotus, in his Antiquities Ch.10 tells us that Moses married Tharbis, the Daughter of the King of Ethiopia, and obtained a peaceful surrender. Having the Book of Isaiah back in those days meant that you had a handwritten scroll with the Scriptures on it. Azotus is the old Philistine city of Ashdod, about 20 miles north of Gaza. Churches in these areas maintained close ties to eastern Christendom and made many important contributions. Answer: It took him several months to make the journey. 65 0 obj <>stream And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This explanation is very reasonable. Your email address will not be published. 26 8). It was a sudden and miraculous departure that only the Spirit of the Lord can do! Ancient African Christianity was basically confined to Northern AfricaEgypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia. Well, Ethiopia is a predominantly Christian country, and Id like to think that the person who started it all was this Ethiopian eunuch. The eunuch responded to the Gospel message immediately and took action. One of the most devoted, humble men in the Bible is someone you rarely hear aboutthe Ethiopian eunuch. The eunuch had immediate action based off what he had learned from the true gospel message, and he didnt want to delay getting right with God. It shows Philip the Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. We love them, support them, know things about them, and would even stand up for them when someone else has something bad to say, but most of us wouldnt really sacrifice our time, money, or energy because we love them.