We also searched for his name as both M. Gibson with two spellings, and , and Mel Gibson and . In this article we will focus on the contexts where the letters of four different Mel Gibson ELSs with very large skips (50,900; 68,573; 78,749 and 105,442) appear. We chose these ELSs out of about 50 possible ones because one of the letters of each one were in a well-known prophetic passage about Christ. So no one should be too impressed that each of these ELSs touches down in one such passage. What struck us, however, was that each of these ELSs also touched down in several other apparently relevant texts. Because these four ELSs had very large skips, we would naturally expect the content of the passages where they appear to be fairly random—unless there are virtually no letter errors in the entire Hebrew text searched by Computronic’s Keys to the Bible program. Instead, we found a high level of relevance in these texts that are so far apart from one another. It should be noted that a Yahoo People Search of persons listed in U.S. phone directories turned up 67 Mel and Melvin Gibsons. The service will only report 200 finds per search, so we assume there are many more M. Gibsons when a search turns up only that many incidents of the first initial with the last name, and the same number with a search of just the last name. Gibson is a fairly common name in English-speaking nations. So obviously, we are assuming that our search results are related to the most prominent M. or Mel Gibson and his most notable activities. As we commenced our search we wondered: will we find any relationship between any ELSs of his name and the surface text of the passages? Will any of these passages reflect the journey he has taken while making the film? Will Mel Gibson’s name pass through any passages regarded as prophecies about Jesus? It turned out that all of our questions had positive answers.

Mel Gibson at Skip 50,900 This instance of Mel Gibson’s name passes through text with the following topics: —Cornerstone —A Vine out of Egypt —Wisdom and Understanding —Kinsman-Redeemer —The Anointed One The vav in Gibson appears in Zechariah 10:4 (read the entire passage here. All quotations given are from the New International Version of the Bible.) From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the cornerstone. Just after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus tells the parable of the tenants (Matt. 21:33-45) and refers to Himself as the cornerstone that the builders rejected (full passage). Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone (or cornerstone); the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" The next two letters pass through text that could be viewed as parallel to the personal journey Gibson has been on. After reaching the pinnacle of secular success, Gibson felt spiritually destitute, and so he began a journey of meditation on the gospels—a seeking of healing, wisdom and understanding. In an article written by Peggy Noonan, in the March 2004 Reader’s Digest, Gibson replies to the question, "What was going on with you 12 years ago…?" "I was spiritually bankrupt, and when that happens, it’s like a spiritual cancer afflicts you. It starts to eat its way through, and if you don’t do something, it’s going to take you." And in an interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC’s Primetime (Feb.17, 2004), Gibson said, "I think I just hit my knees…I just said, ‘Help.’ You know? And then, I began to meditate on it (Jesus’s suffering), and that’s in the Gospel." The samech in Gibson's last name is in Psalms 80:9, which in the Koren text (the Hebrew text used by Bible Codes 2000 and the Keys to the Bible software) is Psalm 80:8. In this text, Egypt is synonymous with the secular world, so “out of Egypt” could be an image of Gibson’s exodus from Hollywood’s ranks. (full passage) You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. Jesus referred to himself as “the true vine” (John 15:1). And He did come out of Egypt after Mary and Joseph fled there to avoid the infanticide ordered by Herod (Matthew 2:13-18). The bet shows up in Proverbs 19:8. (full passage). He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers. Could Gibson’s name running through these passages reflect his personal struggle with the emptiness of worldly success and the journey he has taken searching for wisdom and understanding through reading and meditating on the Bible? Then, perhaps most poetically, the gimel appears in Ruth 2:20 (full passage). In this verse Boaz, an ancestor of Jesus, and a type of Christ, is called a kinsman-redeemer, one who purchases our inheritance when we can't buy it for ourselves. "The Lord bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers." By dying on the cross, Jesus purchased an inheritance for everyone who believes. In Galatians 3:14, Paul writes that Jesus is the world’s redeemer: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us . . ." The lamed is in a prophecy in Daniel 9:25 about the Anointed One and the precise time of his coming, a prophecy fulfilled to the day by Jesus Christ (full passage). "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The Hebrew word for “cut off” means “to be killed.” In Luke 2:11, the shepherds were told that the "Anointed One" had been born. "But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'" In 2:11, Christ is "The Christ" (Greek) and "the Messiah" (Hebrew) where both mean "the Anointed One." M. Gibson at Skip 68,573 An M. Gibson ELS with a skip of -68,573 passes through Old Testament passages with the following topics: —Tearing down idols —Repentance and cleansing from sin —Taking a stand against evil —The worldwide reach of God’s salvation The nun is situated in Judges 6:27, the famous story of Gideon. Even though Gideon is frightened of his family's and his neighbors' reactions, he has been obedient to God and has torn down an altar to Baal (full passage). So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. After years of bowing to the altar of the Hollywood film industry, Gibson has torn down that altar in his own life and has turned to Scripture and meditation. Twelve years of dwelling on the gospels have brought him to the place where he felt compelled to make this film; a film which some in the press have called a career-ender. The vav of his name is in I Samuel 24:7. In this portion of text, we find David repenting of having cut off a corner of King Saul’s robe in the darkness of a cave (full passage). He said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord ." With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way. In parallel to David’s repentance, Gibson has repented from his secular lifestyle. In the Noonan article, he is quoted as saying that he "simply had to draw a line in the sand." The samech appears in I Kings 7:35 where the temple furnishings are described. Here the stands support, or lift up, the lavers, or shallow bowls, which were for cleansing (full passage). Each stand had four handles, one on each corner, projecting from the stand. At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit deep. The supports and panels were attached to the top of the stand. He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with wreaths all around. This is the way he made the ten stands. They were all cast in the same molds and were identical in size and shape. Perhaps the appearance of the ELS in this passage notes Gibson's lifting up of the story of Christ's suffering with the film. Viewing his film may bring many thousands to realize that they need cleansing. The bet is in II Kings 18:8, right in the sentence where Hezekiah defeated the Philistines, an aggressive people (full passage). Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory. There is a possible interesting parallel here between Hezekiah and Gibson, who has seemingly thrown caution to the wind and put his trust in the Lord with the making of "The Passion of the Christ". It remains to be seen whether he will have the same blessings that Hezekiah enjoyed as described in this passage. The yod is in Isaiah 52:10, which reads (full passage). Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord will lay bare His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. Could the yod passing through this text indicate that Gibson’s film may reach a worldwide audience, baring the Lord's holy arm in the sight of all the nations and bringing about the salvation of many in all the ends of the earth? Mel Gibson at Skip 78,749 The ELS at skip 78,749 passes through text with the following topics: —Proclaiming salvation —Obeying God, whether the results are favorable or unfavorable —When the earth trembles and quakes —The crucifixion imagery of words "nails" and "shepherd" Beginning with the lamed, we find a fascinating text for Gibson’s name to pass through, because his desire in making this film was to proclaim God’s salvation through Jesus to the world. The lamed passes through Isaiah 52:7 (full passage). How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" In a Focus on the Family Magazine article (February/March 2004), author Tom Neven describes Gibson’s desire for the film’s impact this way: "Gibson hopes the film leads everyone who sees it to a saving faith in Christ." Then, we find the gimel in Jeremiah 42:8 (full passage). The context of the passage surrounding verse 8 is about obeying God, whether the results are favorable or unfavorable. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God. Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. He said to them, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: 'If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I am grieved over the disaster I have inflicted on you. Gibson has said repeatedly in interviews that he no choice about making "The Passion", whether it would be received favorably or not. In the Focus on the Family Magazine article he said, "I had to make this movie . . . I couldn’t not make it." In the Noonan article, Gibson describes the opposition he has faced. "I expected some level of turbulence because whenever one delves into religion and politics—peoples' deeply held beliefs—you’re going to stir things up. But it was a surprise, to have shots being fired over the bow while I was still filming, and then to have various loud voices in the press—people who hadn’t seen the work—really slinging mud. I mean, they don’t really have a problem with me if they have a problem with this film; they have a problem with the gospel, because it adheres pretty well to the gospel." The samech of this ELS is in Psalm 18:8 (full passage). Note: Psalm 18:8 is equivalent to Psalm 18:7 in the English Bible. In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because He was angry. He made darkness His covering, His canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. In Matthew 27:50-54, we find "the earth shook and the rocks split" following Jesus’ crucifixion, echoing Psalm 18:7. And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely He was the Son of God!" The nun shows up in Ecclesiastes 12:11. Here the words "nails" and "shepherd" in Ecclesiastes 12:11 echo the death of Jesus, the shepherd, by crucifixion (full passage). The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails--given by one Shepherd. In Matthew 26, Jesus refers to Himself as a shepherd and His disciples as sheep. Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." Mel Gibson at Skip 105,442 Finally, this ELS passes through scriptures that address primarily the threatening of innocent life by evil men. —Saul trying to kill David (a type of Christ) —Salvation for all mankind —Trying to fix blame on an innocent man. The first letter, mem, is in I Samuel 19:2 where King Saul is trying to kill David, a "type" of Christ (full passage). Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David and warned him, "My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there." David and Jesus were both anointed by God and both were innocent. David went on to replace Saul as King. Jesus was killed, as "The Passion" shows so emphatically. But His death meant defeat for the current ruler of the earth, Satan, whom He will replace forevermore when He returns to claim His kingdom. The gimel that begins the word Gibson is situated in Isaiah 49:6 (full passage). And now the Lord says, He who formed me in the womb to be His servant to bring Jacob back to Him and gather Israel to Himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength; He says: "It is too small a thing for you to be My servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring My salvation to the ends of the earth." It appears in this passage that God is addressing Jesus as to what His mission on earth would be. The nun passes through Daniel 6:5, where the administrators of Babylon, a type of worldly government, lament that they cannot find anything to pin on Daniel, a type of Christ, who has lived a blameless life, devoted to God (full passage). They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." In parallel, when Jesus stood before Pilate in Matthew 27 as an innocent man, he was still sent to be crucified, in spite of the fact that even Pilate’s wife pleaded with him to not have anything to do "with that innocent man." "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify Him!" "Why? What crime has He committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify Him!" We cannot help but be impressed by the evident relevance of the contexts in which the letters of these four Mel Gibson ELSs appear, in spite of the very large skips that separate the successive letters of these ELSs.