Archive for October, 2011


What the HELL–The Hideous Doctrine

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October 31, 2011

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.  Matthew 5:22 ESV

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  Matthew 16:18 ESV

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;… 2 Peter 2:4 ESV

         It is simply not controversial, by any reasonable application of the term, that the origins of the hideous doctrine of “hell” are for the most part pagan and extra-biblical superstition. 

          Among the more insidious problems caused by intentional mis-translations, this doctrine is the leading instigator of more wrong thinking than just about any other, for reasons unrelated to its hideousness or perhaps we should say, in spite of it.  Almost all translations and paraphrases of the Bible uniformly translate three different Greek words (and for extra measure, one Hebrew word) as “hell”–the above three verses are somewhat well-known examples.  In the first verse above, the word used is actually “geenna“, pronounced “Gehenna”, a well-known place from Jewish antiquity which can with reasonable certainty be located upon a map of Jerusalem today.

          In the second verse above, the word used is actually “hades“, pronounced (correctly) “ha-DAHS”, originally equating with the Hebrew word “sheol“.  The third use of “hell” above is actually “tartaroo“, or more commonly “Tartarus”.  Tartarus originated with the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, or the “deepest part of Hell” (we’re not making this up–look at the etymological key in the preceding link).  In short summary, there is Jerusalem’s ancient city dump–Gehenna; the grave or similar place under the earth–Sheol/Hades; and a literal or figurative multi-level subterranean place of Greek mythology  (judging from the depth of current offshore oil and gas exploration, it must be very subterranean).

         We trust that the breadth of these different words is beginning to cast some doubt upon the commonly speculative place of the Devil in a red suit with a pitchfork, flames, never-ending punishment in burning torment, etc. etc.  It is time for the church to face the questions:  Is there a “Hell”,  and exactly WHAT and WHERE is it?  Is it in this realm (i.e., under the physical earth) or is it in another realm (i.e., a spiritual realm somewhere removed from heaven, the throne of God)?  If the supposed place does NOT exist, why is the church threatening so many people with it?  (In some parts of the church, it is believed to be the destination of the vast majority of all humans who have ever lived!)

          It is time for the under-shepherds of God’s flock to stop the psychological mind-control of God’s sheep that occurs when the sheep are actively or impliedly given the choice between heaven or hell, turn or burn, and utopia or eternal separation from God.  Perhaps the under-shepherds do not themselves know better, or perhaps their livelihoods depend upon keeping the sheep in line!  If you are an under shepherd and are not able to convince your parishioners that the life of the indwelling Jesus Christ is better by far than anything this world has to offer (and we mean ANYTHING), without the fear of eternal torment, perhaps you are in the wrong calling!

          In keeping with our practice of not dis-proving what is false, we will instead focus upon what is true and trust that He will guide us to Himself by the Holy  Spirit.  Let’s take “Gehenna” first.  The following is a well-known passage from the gospel of Mark:

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell (Gehenna), into  the unquenchable fire, WHERE THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.  If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off;  it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell (Gehenna), where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.  If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell (Gehenna), where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.  Mark 9:43-48 New American Standard Bible (NASB) (capitalization in original)

          You may, dear reader, be able to tell that the Lord Jesus was here speaking figuratively to make His point, if for no other reason than your recollection of the number of preachers you have seen with one hand, one foot or one eye resulting from obedience to these words.  (Thank God no one has taken Him literally here.)  Before we consider what He actually did mean, we would like to point out that this link (it is the 5th picture from the left) is to a photo of the Valley of Hinnom, which was later called “Gehenna”.  You will please note that the unquenchable fire has obviously gone out, and the worm has died!  We think it is fair to say that the Lord was not speaking literally or Gehenna’s fire would still be burning! 

           The Lord’s point, in the Mark passage and other places, is that the seriousness of life issues require constant vigilance for oneself and for others so as not to unnecessarily consign one’s own life or the life of another to the trash dump of life.  The same is true for the passage in Matthew–one risks throwing one’s own life or the life of another upon the trash dump by calling him a fool.  Please note that nothing in the Lord’s words here indicate that the fire (assuming that it is the fire of judgment) continues AFTER the end of life–it is simply not there.  One must read it into the passage.  Much more could be said about the restorative effects of God’s fire, but that will be for another post.

          What about Hades and its “gates” or what in the Old Testament is called “Sheol”?  Is it time to be literal yet?  Yes and no.  The grave is very real, as is the spirit of Death which empowers it.  And for now Death and the grave have some measure of victory, as we all know.  But our Lord has conquered Death AND the grave.  He has promised that all who are believing in Him will never die.  And even if a believer should for some reason die, He has promised to nevertheless raise that believer up on the last day.  Again we point out, there is nothing “everlasting” or “eternal” about Death and the grave, or “Hades”.

          This is precisely the point the apostle Paul made in the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians.  He began by saying “As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”  Understanding Paul’s point will help with what appears to be an inconsistency with the Lord’s words:  Paul is not saying there are some who never die; instead he is saying that in the same way that all WOULD die but for Christ, BECAUSE OF Christ all WILL be made alive.  Death is going to be ABOLISHED!  Graves are going to be abolished, just like Gehenna was!  The unquenchable fire (not to mention the worms) will no longer be necessary!  Read it for yourself.

For He (Jesus) must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.  The last enemy that will be abolished is death…When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all…But when this perishable (body) will have put on the imperishable (body), and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?’   1 Corinthians 15:25-26, 28, 54-55 NASB

          Finally we come to Tartarus.  We should perhaps be grateful that it is only mentioned one time in the entire Bible.  Clearly, it is some type of abode for “angels who sinned”.  But do you notice there is no mention of fire?  Instead, we are told of “gloomy darkness”.  In addition, it is clearly not an unending period without termination–Peter says “UNTIL the judgment.”  So, we have gloomy darkness…until the judgment.  Peter’s point is that Father knows how to correct bad behavior–He did it with the angels and he will do it with all others also:

(T)he Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,… 2 Peter 2:9 ESV   These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 2 Peter 2:17 ESV

          Notice, again, the “gloom of utter darkness’…”until the day of judgment.”  So whether we are referring to angels or ungodly men, described in some detail by Peter, the environment is the same, and there is a definite end-point–the day of judgment.  It seems self-evident if the vast majority of all mankind from every age were ultimately destined to this fiery, tortuous “end”, Father would have been a little clearer in warning against it.

          In point of fact, He did not warn against “Hell” (at least as it has been typically presented) because there is no such place.  Likewise, “Hell” is not the ultimate destination for most of mankind, as the apostle Paul faithfully reported in the verses above from 1 Corinthians.  Finally, Father’s punishment is not perpetual and un-ending, and it is a terrible and false accusation to ascribe the hideous doctrine to Him.  Frankly, it has never entered His mind to burn any of His children, so you’ll just have to blame that idea on the next one-handed, one-footed, and one-eyed preacher you happen to meet. 

Blessed are You, O Father of Love, who intends for all to be granted repentance in the fullness of time, because You do not want anyone to perish.  By Your great plan, with Your great power,  fulfill this great purpose in all mankind.  There is no one like You, O Lord.

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The Double Portion

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October 29, 2011

          Speaking very personally again, dear reader, we have longed for and desired with all of our heart, the “double portion”.  Its revelation began in the wilderness with Moses and the children of Israel, and its prophetic fulfillment is coming very soon (we hope and pray!).

 Then the LORD (YHWH) said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”  Exodus 16: 4-5 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 

          The “bread” referred to here is what we have all heard called manna, which is the Greek pronunciation, but which in Hebrew is simply called man, pronounced mahn.  Jesus made it clear that the “bread” had much more significance than simply filling one’s stomach.  He equated it with the very words from God’s mouth.  He also made it clear that these words had NOT stopped, that they were still proceeding from His mouth.  (For reasons that are unclear to us, the fact that Father is still speaking is offensive to some.  We apologize if pointing it out is offensive to you.  Hearing God’s voice is a part of mature sonship and one of the most blessed of experiences available to every believer everywhere.  See Hear, O Israel!)

          Each night, we ask Father for our portion of the daily “bread” for the coming day, just as the Lord Jesus instructed.  Everyone, nearly, knows this passage by heart, but how few understand it or pray it on a daily basis!  We are not asking for food for our pantry, or even for money to buy food–we are asking for the very words of God to fall into our heart, for these words are spirit and life to us.  But on the day before the sabbath, we ask for a double portion, so that we will not be required to gather on the sabbath.  Do you understand that the prohibition is not about “not working”?  It is instead about remembering that on God’s sabbath, He intends to pour out of His spirit a double portion of Himself!  It is instead to bear in mind that Father will fulfill that which He has promised for His sons.

          In the later stages of the wilderness journey, YHWH/Jesus made it clear that certain ones would not receive an inheritance of land; instead, they would receive an inheritance of Himself.  In other words, YHWH/Jesus would be their “portion”.  In particular the entire tribe of Levi, consisting of priests and Levites (their priestly assistants/relatives), would have no portion of the land–in their special case, YHWH would be all they needed throughout their generations.

Then the LORD (YHWH) said to Aaron, “ You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.  Numbers 18:20

Therefore, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, just as the LORD your God spoke to him.  Deuteronomy 10:9

           In later passages, it can be seen that the double portion was a part of the birthright given to “the firstborn son”.  This should begin to be a clear tip-off that Father’s firstborn Son would receive a double portion, and that all who are in Jesus will have a part in the double portion.  The passage is referring, in context, to the Law of the Unloved Wife, but clearly references the “right of the firstborn” to receive more the material possessions of the father than later children were to receive.

(B)ut he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.  Deuteronomy 21:17 English Standard Version (ESV Online)

         Nevertheless, commencing with the period of time that Stephen called the “church in the wilderness” which others have called the “Passover Age” of the Church, and continuing through the times of the kings of Israel and Judah, the connection between the portion promised by YHWH to the Levites and the double portion right of the firstborn was not made until Elisha was selected to follow in the steps of the prophet Elijah.

          Elisha succeeded Elijah as the prophet to Israel by the instructions God gave to Elijah.  As he was preparing to be taken up to God, Elijah asked Elisha what final gift or deed that might be given or done for Elisha.  His request:  a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.”  2 Kings 2:9-10 ESV

           In the remarkable story that follows, Elisha did indeed see Elijah taken up, and went on to perform 16 miracle/attestation-signs, compared to the 8 performed by Elijah.  The spirit of Elijah was promised to be sent again as the forerunner to Messiah, and Jesus himself confirmed that it had been fulfilled in the person of John the Baptist.  But what has become of the double-portion spirit, which we may refer to as the spirit of Elisha?  In order to understand the comparison of the spirit of Elijah to the spirit of Elisha, we must first see the comparison of the priesthood of Levi’s son, Aaron, to the priesthood of Melchizedek (Malki-Zadok) which has been equated to the new priesthood of Jesus.

          An in-depth comparison is beyond the scope of this post.  But in brief, Aaron’s priesthood was based upon geneological qualifications for priests that have terminating lives; but Melchizedek’s priesthood is “without father or mother”, and lasts forever.  The main difference is that Christ Jesus’ priesthood is based upon the power of an indestructible life–the divine-nature life, zoe,of which we wrote earlier.

          The main point is this:  the Melchizedek priesthood, which is the priesthood of Jesus Christ and the mature sons (offspring) of God, who are sometimes called “overcomers”, who rule with Christ for 1,000 years, operate by the spirit of Elisha, the double-portion spirit that fulfills the promise of Father:  I am your double-portion, promised to the firstborn of creation–Jesus.

          In the well-known and loved–even famous–passage of Isaiah 61, the prophet Isaiah prophesied of the messianic 1000 year reign of Jesus, quoted in part by the Lord Jesus Himself to the extent it was applicable at that time, and speaks of the fulfillment of the double portion in those who aspire to the Melchizedek priesthood with Jesus:

But you will be called the priests of the LORD; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God.  You will eat the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.  Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion.  Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs.  For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering;
And I will faithfully give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them.  Then their offspring will be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples.   All who see them will recognize them because they are the offspring whom the LORD has blessed.  Isaiah 61:6-9 NASB

Blessed are You, Lord of Hosts, the king of forever, for You have promised to give satisfaction to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and purity of heart for the sons of God.  Bless Your offspring by a double portion of Yourself as an everlasting covenant.  Satisfy all those who desire to enter in where our High Priest goes–first, make them one with Him, even as You and He are one, and second, let them shout for joy over their portion, whose name is Jesus!

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CHESED–The Prophetic Mercy of God

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October 17, 2011

“Writing”–n.  a group of letters or symbols written or marked on a surface as a means of communicating ideas by making each symbol stand for an idea, concept, or thing, by using each symbol to represent a set of sounds grouped into syllables…  World English Dictionary

          Notice how  the above definition includes the aspect of each letter or symbol representing a separate idea or concept, in addition to being grouped together as syllables for vocalization.  Think “acronym”, and you’re getting the idea.  In our English language, each letter has no separate meaning, no concept or idea particularly associated with it; normally, it is used solely to represent a sound.  But in Hebrew, this is NOT the case. 

          In Hebrew, each letter standing alone has one or more underlying meanings, as we shall discuss in this post.  And when these letters are combined to discuss the character and attributes of Father, their separate meanings as individual symbols of ideas or concepts, taken together, further illuminate and reveal important information about our heavenly Father.   We believe the Providentially-preserved words of the scriptures, especially in those words describing the character and attributes of God such as chesed, are not communicating static ideas, concepts and symbols, but instead are a part of the unrolling revelation of Jesus.  Certain aspects of the Old Testament Hebrew word chesed did not appear until revealed by the Lord Jesus himself about himself.

          One way words are defined is by the context in which they are customarily used.  Even using this approach, it is difficult to give a one-word equivalent of chesed in English.  Typical words used in different places in Scripture include mercy, lovingkindness, and love.  We assert that a reasonable one-word equivalent is “Christlikeness” and that it will eventually replace “mercy” and “lovingkindness” in the fullness of time.  By examining the frequency of occurrence, the gematria, and the constituent letters and their meanings, it can be seen that the divine intention was to preserve a temporal and prophetic meaning for chesed, which is pronounced “hess-SAID”.

          Let’s begin by looking at the three Hebrew letters that form the word chesed.  The first letter is chet, which literally means a fence, hedge or inner chamber, and indeed, looks like a fence.  Symbolically, it means a private, or separate place, such as the heart.  The second letter, samech, literally refers to a prop or support.  The symbolic meaning refers to turning or twisting an object.  The final letter, dalet, means a door, sybolizing a pathway to enter.  Aggregating the meanings of the letters, we have chet  +  samech  +  dalet, or

an inner chamber (the heart)  +  turning to a particular position  +  a pathway to enter = chesed.

          We believe the letter-symbols from which the word chesed is formed convey the concept that God will give new birth and a new beginning to all men by turning each man’s heart to create a pathway for Yeshua/Jesus to enter.  The ultimate result of such entry according to the plan, purpose and power of God is Christ-likeness.

          We can also discern a fuller revelation of chesed by looking at pattern usages of the word in the Old Testament.  Here is the first pattern use:  Chesed is paired with `emet (“truth”) a total of thirty-one times in the Hebrew Old Testament.  As Dr. Stephen Jones has pointed out, thirty-one is the number signifying “offspring”–in this case, the offspring of God–another hint that the essence of God’s purpose is “many sons like Christ.”   Although chesed is not “grace”, it is closely related to it.  Yeshua appeared full of grace and truth , and grace and truth are realized in Him.  We can see in retrospect that when mercy/chesed and truth/’emet “met together“, as stated in Psalm 85:10, it was prophetic, foretelling at least some of the most important aspects of His character.  Remember, Jesus identified Himself as “the Truth.”

          In other words, the Holy Spirit wants us to see that something about chesed is illuminated by `emet, and vice-versa, and together both foretell something very important about the Messiah.  `Emet (truth) is the element, when combined with chesed (mercy), that brings change, new life and a new beginning.  To be blunt, Father is currently slandered as an angry and vengeful God, just waiting to pull the trigger on all kinds of horrific judgment upon most of mankind (if you don’t believe such an accusation exists, rent a copy of the “Left Behind” series, and see for yourself).  Thus, when the truth is known about Father’s mercy that endures forever, men will be drawn to Christ.  The pattern use of chesed with `emet is of principal importance relating to Christ-likeness.

          Indeed, the phrase “mercy endureth forever” is the second pattern use.  The phrase appears 40 times in the Hebrew Old Testament.  Transliterated, it is in Hebrew, leolam chasdo.  The literal translation is:  for a long duration, antiquity and futurity, (is) His chesed.  This refers in every case to YHWH/Jesus.  The first time it appears is 1 Chonicles 16:34, where David is thanking YHWH in the Tabernacle Tent (the inner chamber) in Gibeon. 

         The second, and more important, occasion of the usage of the phrase vis-à-vis an inner chamber as a dwelling place for God was the dedication of the temple by Solomon in 2 Chronicles 5:13.  YHWH dwelled in the tent at Shiloh, Gibeon and then in the City of David.  Therefore, the significance of His dwelling in the temple built by Solomon is His manner of entry and the accompanying splendor in which no one could stand erect to minister or even enter.  No sooner than the phrase “leolam chasdo” is lifted up with one voice, emphatically the house is named as YHWH’s and His glory-cloud occupies it.  Thus the prophetic type, often attributed to Solomon, is set:  the spiritual (the temple) is not first, but the natural (the tent)—then the spiritual.  1 Corinthians 15:46. 

            The second pattern usage is often immediately preceded by “YHWH is good”, which is precisely the point.  God has chosen to place His name in the inner chamber of the spiritual man, not the natural man.  The purpose of His enduring chesed is Christ in you, the hope of glory—the indwelling Lord Yeshua—because God has caused a turning to make a pathway for Yeshua to enter.  Ultimately, 2 Chronicles 5:13 foreshadows His coming into the living temple of glorified believers, perfecting Christ-likeness. Isn’t God good to do that? 

               The final pattern use we want to point out is the story of David and Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth–who was king Saul’s grandson.   During David’s reign, God moved him to seek out the descendants of Jonathan, to fulfill the covenant he had made with Jonathan pertaining to when he, David, would become king.  (1 Samuel 18:3, 1 Samuel 23:18).  In this beautiful story, we see a foreshadowing and type of how the Son of David will treat the missing 100th sheep in the parable of Luke 15:1-7.  Beginning in 2 Samuel 9,

The king (David) said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness (chesed) of God?”  And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.”  So the king said to him, “Where is he?”  And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-Debar.”  Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-Debar.  2 Samuel 9:3-5, New American Standard Bible

             David, the shepherd/king sets the prophetic pattern of Christlikeness.  He seeks to show the kindness of God to the house of his enemy.  Although King David would be justified in bringing judgment upon the descendants of his enemy, that is NOT the kindness of God!  God treats His enemies in precisely the same way Yeshua taught us to treat our enemies in Matthew 5:44:  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven….  For this fulfills the entire law of God, in one statement:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

          In fact, it is the expectation that the king will exact retribution and judgment upon Saul’s house that caused all of Saul’s servants to flee in terror.  Mephibosheth, who was just five years old at the time, was dropped on his head in their haste to flee, resulting in paralysis in both feet.  All his life since then, he has lived in fear of the wrath of the king whom he has been told to fear.  Mephibosheth, as a missing “sheep”, is separated from the shepherd/king who desires to show him the chesed of God. 

          Already aware that Mephibosheth is crippled and unable (and unwilling) to come on his own volition, the shepherd/king takes the initiative to locate him and says, “Where is he?”  Mephibosheth is in Lo-Debar, which being translated means “no pasture” or “without pasture”.  Mephibosheth is not in the open pasture; instead, he is lost in “no pasture”, living out his days under the mistaken understanding, given to him by others, that the king desires only to condemn him to death.  Furthermore, Mephibosheth believes that his inheritance is gone forever.  The shepherd/king brings Mephibosheth into his presence, gives him food from the king’s own table, and restores his inheritance.  All of these actions spring from God’s chesed.  Now let’s turn to the fulfillment of the  prophetic type set by David, or the “son” of David, Jesus.         

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.  Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”  So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which was lost until he finds it?  When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!”  I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”  Luke 15:1-7 New American Standard Bible

            Yeshua/Jesus who is the Good Shepherd, is the man who leaves the ninety-nine sheep in open pasture and seeks out and brings back from “no pasture” the one-hundredth sheep of whom Mephibosheth is the prophetic type.  Do you notice, dear reader, that Jesus did not say “IF“, but instead said, “WHEN“, indicating the certainty of His successful mission.  The Lord completes the prophetic picture of chesed by indirectly commenting on the certainty of the success of His endeavors, and the joy in heaven about the turned (repentant) heart of the sinner.  His love never fails.  These aspects of chesed did not appear until revealed by the Lord Himself about Himself.  Finally, dear reader, please notice how little the will of man has to do with the chesed of God!

         God has desired chesed, not sacrifice, as Jesus plainly stated in Matthew 9:13.  If in fact judgment triumphed over mercy (see, James 2:13), God would have said, “I desire sacrifice, NOT mercy.” However, the entire point Paul makes in chapter 9 of Romans is that the overarching purpose of God is to show mercy and compassion to those who do not deserve it. 

          In the fullness of time, men will finally go and learn that God desires chesed and delights in it.  All men, from the greatest to the least, will personally experience the chesed of God.  (Romans 11:32).  It is precisely for this reason that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Yeshua is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11)  No less than the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.  (Isaiah 45:23)  At the future time of prophetic fulfillment, all men will know that Yeshua is the precise image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), who Himself personifies chesed.  Like Yeshua, all whom He indwells will personify it also.  For they will, as He did, say what they hear their Father saying, and they will do what they see their Father doing.

Blessed are You, O Lord our wonderful God, for from antiquity and into futurity is Your coming Christlikeness for all men.  Who is like You, O Lord, and who can pull this wonderful and marvelous thing off but You?  Blessed are you forever.

 


 
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One Day, You WILL Be Holy

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October 9, 2011

Now YHWH said to Moshe (Moses):  And you, speak to the Children of Israel, saying:  However, my Sabbaths you are to keep!  For it is a sign between me and you, throughout your generations, to know that I, YHWH, hallow (“make holy“) you.  You are to keep the Sabbath, for it is holiness for you, …  Exodus 31:13-14a  Schocken Bible

 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:27 English Standard Version Bible (ESV Online)

 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.  
Mark 3:1-5 ESV Online

          For all of our readers who are religious “outsiders”, and for all of our readers who despite all of their best efforts are painfully aware of their “un-holiness”, we have some more good news for you:  one day, you WILL be holy.  It is given as a promise directly from the mouth of Father God.  There is a day coming, a day when the Sabbath-sign will be fulfilled, when the holiness that God has stored up for you will be administered by Him to hallow you, or make you holy.  Remember this on a weekly basis, throughout all generations, Father says, for a “day” is coming that I will perform all that I have desired in my children and in my creation–all because of what Jesus has done!

          What is so remarkable and praise-worthy about this is that Father is going to pull this off whether you agree with it or disagree with it, whether you cooperate with it or resist it, whether you run toward it or run away from it.  We believe that when it is your time, you will agree, cooperate and run toward it!  However, for all of you who insist upon the supremacy of human will over God’s will, we say this:  we suggest you agree, cooperate and run toward it sooner than later–you’ll be glad you did!  For all the rest of us, here is all that Father God requires:  REMEMBER the Sabbath, and when I make you holy, KEEP it that way.  In other words, YOU are holy, not the day!  Therefore, rejoice in your holiness!

          Our “take” on the Sabbath and its meaning is not new–it is the reason the religious insiders of Jesus’ day were so angry with Him.  That is why Jesus said, “the Sabbath was made FOR man.”  Somehow the Israelites, and later the Judahites (Jews), confused the importance of what Father intended for man and instead placed the emphasis of holiness on the day.  Somehow, we humans always manage to put the emphasis on the wrong syl-LAB-le.  In the next verse in Mark 3, the reaction of the religious leaders to the man’s hand being restored is stated:

The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him (Jesus), how to destroy him.  Mark 3:6 ESV Online

          It is NOT the day of the week that is important.  That is why the apostle Paul said each man could decide what day of the week that man wanted to remember as the Sabbath.  Whatever day–even if it is every day–was selected, it was to be honoring to God.

 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord.   Romans 14:5-6 ESV Online

          Although it is not the day of our worship, we prefer to set aside the traditional Shabbat for our observation and remembrance of the coming fulfillment; that is, from Friday evening at sundown until Saturday evening at sundown.  For us, it is a special day to rejoice, to give thanks, to lift up and extol the name of our living God, to do good in the name of Jesus to others.  In short, to do what we see our Savior doing and say what we hear our Savior saying until the time when He is ready to make us holy. 

          Students of prophecy believe that the coming “day”, the Sabbath of God, is the great millenial (1,000 years) reign of Messiah and the overcomers upon the earth.  In God’s timekeeping, one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day.  See 2 Peter 3:8.  Biblical chronology lists the years that have passed as approximately 6,000, or on God’s clock, six days.  Thus, the next 1,000 years, will be the seventh “day”, or the Shabbat, the day of rest.  It is for this reason that Jesus (and Father) could be “working” and not be in violation of God’s law–it was not the Sabbath according to Father’s timekeeping.

          To prove that the seventh day of each week is NOT the fulfillment, but only the picture or foreshadow of the fulfillment, we can look as the word “sign” as used in the opening verse.  In Hebrew, the word is‘owth, and means a signal, an omen, a token; in other words, something that portends or illustrates a greater event or truth.  This is the word used to describe the rainbow, which God gave as a “token of the covenant” (in the King James Version) which He made with man and every living creature not to flood the earth again.  When the Judahites made the weekday holy, they ignored the ‘owth aspect of what God said.  This was directly attributable to their hardness of heart, as is clear from the passage in Mark 3.

          As a result, many of the rest of us have come to regard Father as angry and vengeful, ready to kill all of the “unbelievers” when Jesus comes back.  The sentiment is:  “Jesus is coming soon, and boy, is He mad!”  There is really no disagreement to speak of about Jesus’ return beginning the 1,000 year Sabbath reign; instead, the disagreement is over what He is going to do when He gets here.  But Jesus answered that question with His own question:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?  Later He answered the question:  So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.  Therefore, as a sign, or a signal or token, the Sabbath is not merely a prohibition against work, but an indicator of something good, something that creates life, that is coming from Father.

           Dear reader, do you see the obvious contradiction?  To the religious insiders, it was not lawful to do good and heal the man’s hand, but in their view it was lawful to plan to kill the Author of Life!  Typical with the religious insiders (hypocrisy aside), they had it exactly backwards.  It IS lawful to save lives and do good on the Sabbath.  Therefore when Jesus (and Father) were doing good and saving lives, they were not violating Father’s law against “work” on the Sabbath, even if it occurred on a Sabbath day according to man’s timekeeping.  What is NOT lawful is to do harm (or fail to do good when it is within your power to do so) on the Sabbath.  It is not lawful to murder at any time, whether on the Sabbath or not.

          What then shall we expect when the great Millennial Sabbath from Father arrives?  Will it be lawful for Father to do harm or kill the vast majority of the world’s population during the so-called “Great Tribulation” when Father commences to judge the sinful world?   (To be fair, some of those expecting the great tribulation to occur in the future do not count their version of the tribulation period as a part of the 1,000 years, but as the last part of the age preceding it.  However, they completely ignore the Sabbath aspect of the time period and the fall feasts of the Lord:  the feast of trumpets, the day of atonement and the feast of booths, and their corresponding Sabbaths, not to mention the actual commencement of the seventh 1,000-year period, since in their view, “no man knows the hour.”)

          Setting aside all the technical disputes surrounding the Great Tribulation theory, will Father disregard His own law and kill and/or do harm as He is widely expected to do, which the religious insiders refer to as “righteous judgment”?  We are happy to announce that Father keeps His own law, and even happier to announce Father is about to save lives and do good on a scale never before seen among mankind!  During this time, all mankind will see that to which Jesus was referring when He said, “For God so LOVED the world…”  We believe that when Father fulfills the sign of the Sabbath, He will release mercy in the entire world, fulfilling also the word of the psalmist:  His mercy endureth forever.

          In order to carry out the kind of judgments which the future-tribulationists claim, Father would have to violate His own law–something He never does!  (And why would He or should He?  He is both all-knowing and all-powerful.  ALL of His LAW is intended to demonstrate His LOVE.)  No, when that 1,000-year “day” begins, everyone everywhere in the world will begin to see and know Father as He truly is, and has always been.   We believe this is the wisdom of Father to draw all men to Himself, leading men to repentance.  It is the kindness of God that leads to repentance.  Romans 2:4 

          When this process is completed (which may, by the way, extend beyond the 1,000 years), everyone everywhere will have been made HOLY, just as He promised:  “I, YHWH, hallow you.”

Blessed are You, O Lord, our wonderful God, for You have given us the sign of Shabbat, as a promise of holiness in You, Father, through the sacrifice of Jesus, who paid our sin debt that He did not owe and that we could not pay.  May Your kingdom come.

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