A Jerusalem Channel book review by Christine Darg
Christian Zionists and End-Time prophecy buffs will thoroughly enjoy an intriguing new novel, “The Derash Tetralogy,” the latest addition to the genre of End-Time Evangelical Fiction.
The book is authored by a ministry friend, John David Pitcher Jr, MD, and in my opinion is much deeper than the “Left Behind” series– due to Dr. Pitcher’s insights into Israeli current events as well as American evangelical involvement in the state of Israel.
The book is a semi-autobiographal and semi-fictional account of Dr. Pitcher’s true discovery and exegesis of the Oldest Midrash (Bible commentary) in the New Testament by the Apostle Paul. On 5 July 2017, the Jerusalem Channel broke a story of the greatest literary discovery of our times– an ancient Jewish Midrash or commentary on the Torah that was completed circa 67 AD, predating any midrashim by over 200 years. The Oldest Midrash contains an accurate account of the end of days when Messiah returns. Dr. Pitcher’s fictional account of his real discovery reveals the battle that percolates around the Derash (interpretation) of Paul’s “code.”
The Derash Tetralogy by J. David Pitcher, MD
Dr. Pitcher’s understanding of theology, eschatology and spiritual warfare all combine for riveting reading, and he gives us great insights into the current movement of bridge-building between Jews and Christians.
This energetic author–a physician, adventurer, humanitarian, marathon-runner and linguistics scholar– is truly the “Indiana Jones of eschatological biblical scholarship!”
The book would also make a great movie script.
The meaning of the title, I suppose, is that four related dramas (tetralogy) surround the discovery of his derash, meaning ‘interpretation” or “exegesis.”
The title is perhaps a little too scholarly for what is, in fact, an easy-to-read story, but hopefully the title will compel both philo-Semites and prophecy buffs to read the book.
I first met Dr. Pitcher through a Facebook group entitled, “After the Rapture, Passing the Baton,” which was a more down-to-earth title than the Facebook group’s current title, “The Oldest Midrash, the Identity of the Messiah.” However, that concept of the church passing the Gospel baton back to Israel is really what this book is all about. When the “Great Snatch” (translation of the saints) happens in the twinkle of an eye, the Jewish people will carry on preaching where we left off, and there will be a great harvest of souls–a multitude before the throne of God that cannot be numbered.
Dr. Pitcher believes that he was elected and privileged by God to make the discovery of the Oldest Midrash (commentary) about Messiah that was actually penned by the Apostle Paul. Could it be that Paul’s madrash has only now been discovered because we are living in the times of the unsealing of great mysteries?
As Daniel 12:9 reveals,
“And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Furthermore, Dr. Pitcher’s novel may spark an interest in reading his theological books also available on Amazon.
Thank you for such kind reviews. The Provision of the Messiah bringing a rescue and an inheritance is truly inspiring so much so that in our brokenness we are healed so that others want the Messiah’s promise in their lives too!
Dr Pitcher
Your work is interesting in that it is further confirmation that the Bible is in fact a formal system. I too have been analysing the Bible demonstrating that it satisfies the Craig’s Theorem.
You state:
“On the “surface” the meaning of Hebrews 8:1 is the Messiah is our High Priest who without sin offered Himself and has become higher than the heavens.
•The word “seated” is first used in Genesis 8:4 (LXX) when the Ark was “seated” on Ararat indicating by “suggestion” the meaning of Hebrews 8:1 in the using of this specific word is that the Messiah washed sins away like a mighty Flood. •Both occurred on Nissan 17 indicating the Resurrection was on an ‘appointed date’ established before the foundation of the world. When the Messiah asked that Mary Magdalene not detain Him, it can be seen through the “seek” level of Midrashic thought that the Messiah had a nearly 4,000 year-old appointment with the Father to be kept!”
I wish only to point out the reference Nissan 17 in your quote, I can only be vey brief, however I wish to point out that the number 17 is a divine number as is the number 26 using gematria.
26 = y – h – w – h = 10 + 5 + 6 + 5
17 = ‘ – h – w – h = 1 + 5 + 6 + 5
In my own work I have been concentrating on the formal system relation between Genesis and John. The relations between the two books are quite amazing.
Dr Pitcher
However, the LXX Genesis 8:4 reads:
8:4 The ship rested in the seventh month, on Ararat’s mountains.
Are you equating seated = rested?
Dr Pitcher
First mention of “rested” in the LXX would be Genesis 2:2, i.e. “ceased”.
I am not attempting to defeat your work, rather what I am interested in is the loss of information inherent in the translation of Hebrew into Greek. I agree that your interpretation is accurate; however, it loses precision from the Hebrew text. One could in theory formalise this loss in information. This would be an extremely interesting avenue of researh.
For example, I prefer the KJV, I find the rendering accurate and precise; for example Hebrews 8:1 is stated as:
Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
Note the word “sum”, from my research with respect to Genesis/John one should always take the verses in a formal system manner, therefore the word “sum” does mean exactly that, i.e. sums of numbers. Your reference to Nissan 17 means this…
Actually Dr Pitcher, the word “seated” is extremely interesting when using the KJV… in it, the word “seated” is mentioned ONLY once…
It is first and only mentioned in the entire Bible in this verse:
Deut 33:21
And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments with Israel.
A good rule of thumb is to always place Jesus Christ at the centre of a particular passage…Christ fits quite well, don’t you think?
Dr Pitcher
It is interesting to note that the incidence of first use words used by Paul from Genesis is: 719
17 = 7 + 1 + 9
Dr Pitcher
What is also interesting is that when (using the sum method used for Genesis) but summing the total number of first words used by Paul from the entire Bible one comes to the value: 199
Now, this is intriguiging, apply the summation method again:19 = 1 + 9 + 9
Then again apply the summation method: 10 = 1 + 9
Finally, again apply the summation method: 1 = 1 + 0
The result is intriguing:
26 = y – h – w – h = 10 + 5 + 6 + 5
17 = ‘ – h – w – h = 1 + 5 + 6 + 5
The minimum values of the summations are 10 and 1 respectively, i.e. the values of (y) and (‘).
Compelling review, ordering and sharing with others. Any end time resource endorsed by JerusalemChannel and Christine Darg is a must have for all believers. Sounds prophetically on time.