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Sermons Series 3:64, 11 November 2006
Riches, Poverty and Inheritance
With a Concluding Prayer on Cain and Martha
Main Themes:
Minor Themes:
"Someone in the crowd said to [Yah'shua], 'Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.' Yah'shua replied, 'Man, who appointed Me a judge or an arbiter between you?' Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.' And He told them this parable: 'The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.'' But Elohim said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward Elohim" (Luke 12:13-21, NIV).
In this well-known parable Yah'shua reminds us of the curse of greed. The firstborn son of a family has inherited from his late father, as Torah stipulates, because the firstborn son also has the responsibility of taking care of the whole family. Not only must he ensure that the needs of the whole family are met but he must arbitrate disputes, redeem those who get into debt (as a kinsman redeemer) and who may, for example, have sold themselves into indentured service, and ensure that the family or clan are properly represented and financed for the mandatory three annual journey's to the festivals (Pesach, Shavu'ot and Sukkot).
In short, the firstborn son is precisely given the inheritance so that he can serve the whole family or clan as a father. His burden is not light but it is the reason Yahweh caused him to be born first. In this parable one of his brothers is not happy about the arrangement and demands something we are very familiar with in secular society - he insists on 'equality'. But by 'equality' he does not mean equality to be of service (even assuming that was right) - the reason he wants 'equality' is because he wants his father's wealth to consume upon his lusts. Moreover, you can tell he is not operating in the Ruach haQodesh because He asks Yah'shua to make an illegal judgement: "Man, who appointed Me a judge or an arbiter between you?" said Yah'shua to him.
There are two things to note here: Firstly, Yah'shua was ordained as an itinerant preacher, He did not have temporal authority to judge family disputes and He strictly kept within the boundaries of His ordination (if He hadn't, He would have been accused by His enemies and His temporal, outward authority to preach removed, which would have made His mission all the more difficult). Secondly, He was being asked to make a decision that would have contradicted His own Law - the Law given to Moses from Yahweh thought Him, and to overturn the whole firstborn principle. Worse than that, the demonic in this brother was trying to lead Him to overturn His whole mission by contradicting the firstborn principle! For as the Firstborn and Only Begotten of the Father, His mission was to inherit the headship of Israel and of the whole world and atone for their transgressions as substitute and representative - as Kinsman-Redeemer! If He had agreed with the greedy brother, He would have denied His own birth and calling. This is one of many examples of how the demonic tried to destroy Him.
Now we who are familiar with the world system know how it views wealth and responsibility. On the right there is irresponsible capitalism with everyone plunging in to the market to get what they can, trampling on others, even if it means destroying the wealth of individuals, families and even nations; and on the left you have the forced redistribution of wealth by what is in effect 'legalised theft'. Both systems depose the true heavenly order by either making the 'self' his (or her) own 'head' or by creating a fictitious entity called the 'state' or the 'church' which, though supposedly the voice of the people (lots of egos) is, in fact, the voice of a secret hierarchical cabal who run things behind the scenes. In both systems Yahweh is excluded or wholly misrepresented and His Name appropriated to serve selfish ambition.
The system of Yahweh's Torah is very different. Next week we shall be returning to the theme of the Jubilee Principle and Yahweh's system of wealth redistribution but today I want to look more closely at some other aspects. Bear in mind that what applies to the temporal also applies to the spiritual - since the temporal is a reflection of the spiritual, just as man is a reflection of the Elohim (Gen.1:6) - and it is chiefly the spiritual that I want to focus on today. There are many useful illustrations in the New Testament which I shall be drawing on.
But let us return to the parable we began with today. A brother, who is not the firstborn, wants the wealth created by his late father, not to bless the wider family, but to indulge himself. Worse, in many respects, even if his motivation had been philanthropic, he was challenging Yahweh's own appointment of his elder brother, which his late father would have endorsed in his parting blessing: he was challenging divinely instituted authority. He was challenging Torah and the means by which sin is identified as well as removed. You will recall how Miriam, the sister of Moses, was of such an opinion, and needed a supernatural demonstration of divine displeasure in the form of leprosy to show her that Yahweh is in charge of His appointments and that humans risk their lives in challenging Him. We talked about this subject recently in a sermon about authority. The fact is, when a person thinks he is being philanthropic, and seeks to overthrow Yahweh's system to be so, the truth is he isn't. He's being a rebel. That's how King Saul thought and lost his throne to David. If Yahweh had wanted that person to be in the rôle of an elder brother, he would have gifted him accordingly and caused him to be birthed into a family as the firstborn of that family.
Having said this, we have to remember that whilst every firstborn son is called, not every one is chosen (Mt.20:16; 22:14). Reuben, the firstborn son of Jacob, is an illustration. He forfeited His inheritance because of murder, treachery (at Shechem) and adultery (with one of his father's wives). Because he yielded to the demonic and rebelled against his father's headship, he lost the position given to him by Yahweh and the rights were transferred to Joseph. This is something that Yahweh can inspire the father to do - it is Yahweh's decision. And though doubtless resentful at first, he eventually came to terms with his father's decision and through some painful circumstances in Egypt during a seven-year famine finally came to his senses, repented, and was reconciled. He was forgiven but never had the firstborn rights restored to him.
Now the firstborn in the flesh might not necessarily have done anything wrong, as Reuben did, for you will remember that Jacob blessed Ephraim, not the elder Manasseh, with the firstborn rights. Why Yahweh did this I don't know. Perhaps that is something that will be revealed to us later. At any rate, the appointment was legal and in Yahweh's will, and that is what counts. Perhaps the elder son of Joseph had already made a decision in his heart that would disqualify him in the future, and Yahweh read his heart, or perhaps it was to serve some prophetic purpose. At any rate both boys were highly blessed even though historically, they were both to subsequently fall into wicked ways and forget Yahweh and His Torah.
It is a fact that the flesh, the carnal nature, does not want the kind of headship that Yahweh appoints. It wants sovereignty and rulership without accountability. And indeed the soul often gets a shock when it is confronted with the very real challenges of headship. One of our brethren in America, who is learning what being a family head is now, recently wrote:
"Being a man is not easy, but being a man, a husband, and a father is even harder. During this first year of marriage I understood nothing about being the head. Now, now I see how self-sacrificing, how time-consuming headship is. Headship can beat down on you physically, spiritually, financially, and emotionally. Yet, you can't falter nor waiver, if [you] do by chance you must pick yourself up and regroup. Because without your submissive headship everything can crumble. Your example is watched daily all day. Your wife is looking to see why she should obey and you don't. Your children are watching because they want to imitate you. In hard circumstances you either die to self and become lowly or your family suffers."
Add to this external enemies as, for example, when a young man stands up for the revelation that Yahweh has given in him and meets the wrath of his family, work mates, boss, members of his former church association, and perhaps even the government, then you begin to catch a little glimpse of what headship is all about. It is not fun most of the time - it is a cross to bear. Then take Yah'shua, who was a Cosmic Head in mortal human flesh, He who is Total Love, who was hated without a cause (Jn.15:25; Ps.35:19) because those who hated Him were so demonised that they were blind as to who He really was and to what His heart actually felt about them. They even accused the Son of man of being demon-possessed because He told them the truth. Notice also how outrageous the demonic gets:
"The Judeans answered him, 'Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?'" (John 8:48, NIV).
Now everyone knew He wasn't a Samaritan - His genealogy was impeccable, by Jewish standards - He was a legal claimant to the Throne of David, in fact. He was not a Samaritan, whom the Jews hated and despised and yet they accused Him of the absurd because their demons knew it would trigger prejudice and lead them to blind rage. They hated the way Yah'shua treated the Samaritans with kindness, a people of mixed blood, part Israelite and part Assyrian. The Judeans considered themselves religiously and racial superior.
So don't be surprised when people who are reacting negatively to the truth say absurd things about you. I couldn't begin to list the false and outrageous things that people have said about me over the years because the truth I have spoken has upset them. That, brethren and sisters, is one of the responsibilities of being a firstborn head.
Yah'shua had to endure all of this. The religious leaders were constantly trying to trap him - they weren't interested in the truth at all. Each time He outwitted them, the more enraged and murderous they became, and the more outrageous things they said. And when it seemed that His enemies had overpowered them - when He was arrested and sentenced to death, even his nearest and dearest deserted him out of fear of what might happen to them. Peter denied Him three times, having earlier tried to prevent Him from performing His mission, and earning a stinging rebuke for his trouble. Judas sold him out. The rest of the apostles scattered and went into hiding "for fear of the Judeans". They were afraid to talk openly about Him once they began to see how high the stakes of discipleship really were. People like Joseph of Arimathea met secretly with Him out of the same fear. And after His death, the disciples all hid away in a room behind a locked door (Jn.7:13; 19:38; 20:19). Everything looked lost, everyone was gloomy and depressed. They began to question what it had all been for. They started trickling back to where they had started - to their fishing jobs on Galilee and elsewhere. It looked as though the mission of Yah'shua had been a failure. Well, they were in for a surprise, weren't they? And people may think this ministry has received a 'fatal blow' after the relentless persecution we have this year, but they would be wrong. We can only get stronger.
Brethren - and it's the brethren I am speaking chiefly to here - if you want to be a head, then you must walk in the footsteps of Yah'shua. You have to be prepared to meet these kinds of problems particularly in a world where true Christians are in a minority. You have to learn to be courageous. It is a lonely walk being a firstborn head, very lonely indeed, and excruciatingly painful when you are falsely accused and people desert you or go into hiding for fear that they too will become the recipients of the same kind of treatment. A true head must become the punch bag of the world, hated by family and those who know better, and he must endure. That's what being a man is. It's the boys pretending to be men who run away, bite the hands that feed them, and turn to the unkosher pig-farmers for leadership.
And wives, please try to understand what your husbands must go through when the enemy assails them for being true to Yahweh. Be a support to them, not a burden. The same goes to members of a congregation - support your Pastor who, also as a head, sometimes has a very lonely walk, especially in this 'politically correct' world that is trying to gag preachers from telling the truth. The world is problematic enough - don't add to his woes by being a Fifth Column for the enemy. As the writer of Hebrews wrote:
"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honourably in every way" (Heb.13:17-19, NIV).
Like it or not, if you are a man, you are a de facto head the moment you get married. When you marry you assume that responsibility. That is what Yahweh has appointed you to. Far too many men cave in under pressure from the false secular philosophy of our day which hates both family and headship and want's to 'equalise' everything. It takes guts to fight against that tide. For the divinely-appointed father and husband are the most hated of all rôles in our apostate society, because nobody actually wants to take responsibility for anything anymore. Once the father-husband rôle is destroyed, then the mother-wife rôle collapses too. In their place the world has instituted the myth of 'collective responsibility' and unisexuality - it shifts the blame to everyone else with the result that no one takes responsibility, but instead blame-shifts. Blame-shifting is a spiritual epidemic in our world. It's a sign of immaturity and cowardice. Everything gets depersonalised and reduced to a mere caricature.
Our world is not unlike the monarchies we have today. They are symbolic heads without power. Their example is, by and large, rotten and they do nothing useful (there are obviously exceptions). Yet their appeal is to permanence because they represent a family structure. Prime Ministers and Presidents come and go - there is no permanence, they're not really 'family' - and the 'rules' or 'laws' the governments they head chop and change all the time. Morality has no compass except that of the secret cabals, who's chief interest is themselves - wealth and power. There is no true spiritual headship in the world any longer. People are living for themselves, cut off from reality and true love, wandering aimlessly as spiritual orphans.
We have read the parable of the brother who demanded his inheritance 'rights' as he claimed them to be. Yah'shua gives another well-known parable making the same illustration, only it is more graphic:
"There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything" (Luke 15:11-16, NIV).
Here is another example of a younger brother demanding what is not rightfully his but his father gives him what he wants anyway to teach him a lesson. He wanted what was his elder brother's who, as you recall, was faithful and stayed at home serving his father, just as we are called to serve our Heavenly Father. You all know the outcome of this story. The boy returns humbled, and willing to be a lowly servant because that was far better than what he had. His father restores him and celebrates, much to the anger of the elder firstborn brother who has been faithful. The parable is an illustration of the mercy of Yahweh but also paints a vivid picture of how rebellion against Yahweh's divine order leads to desperate poverty of soul. I preached an in-depth sermon on this many years ago but unfortunately we only have the Norwegian translation that has survived. So I want to summarise the revelation that is contained within this parable of the Prodigal Son.
Like the previous parable, it all starts will self-will, self-appointed headship, self-rule, self-management and self-counsel. The rule of the self, taking authority Yahweh has not given it, results in the sevenfold downward spiral into destitution. The seven steps to destitution are always the same and at each one, the Ruach departs more and more:
5. Spiritual destruction (v.14)
These seven downward steps correspond to the seven-levelled nature of the spirit of man. We are, as it were, a building with seven floors. The ground floor is our foundation, and the top or seventh floor is our 'peak' or 'summit' - the best that we have, the full glory of Yahweh revealed in us. Each of these seven levels has to be submitted to Yahweh. It can be a long journey, as you know from the illustration of the Exodus out of Egypt, but each stage is marked and illuminated by the revelation of each of the Seven Festivals and the power to overcome at each level is given by each of the 7 Ruachs.
Now what often happens is that when a soul comes to Yah'shua, he does not surrender all of himself immediately. He usually begins with his mind, which is, of course, at the top of his physical body and must then work his way 'downwards', through the heart (in the centre of his being, which corresponds to Shavu'ot where it must learn to submit to Torah) and down to the genital region, which represents his sexuality, and finally down to his feet which is where the whole of his being is taken in its life journey. A soul-divided against itself will change direction many times, first going here, and then there, in search of spiritual nourishment. It goes to one dirty fountain after another until, if it persists and repents, it either finds for the first time, or returns to, the pure fountain of life.
The descent of the prodigal son is not something haphazard - it follows a demonic script because it is the reverse of repentance. It is the journey of the self-willed fleshy-soul to starvation - and, if it does not finally repent, destruction. If a person is self-willed enough, then often they will have to sink to the very bottom before they will recognise the truth. As you read the rest of this parable, you discover the divine map back home:
"When he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men." So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his servants, "Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. "Your brother has come," he replied, "and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound." The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, "Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!" "My son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found'" (Luke 15:17-32, NIV).
This beautiful parable moves the heart because it reveals our Heavenly Father's own heart. As we will see next week, He is full of overwhelming love but also justice. If a soul chooses to follow Satan and self-will, then the Father can do nothing until he comes to his senses and chooses to return home. As the head he must wait patiently, longingly, his heart drawn out. Dearly he would have loved to rush out to where his son was living riotously and tried to persuade him to come home. Dearly he would have loved to have gone to the pig farm and pulled him out or the mire and carried him back. But he could not. Why? Because he would have been going against the boy's free agency. The father here is a picture of our Heavenly Father. He has already taught his son everything he needed to know, just as Yahweh has given His will and self-revelation in His Torah. There was nothing more he could do. And even if he hadn't taught him everything because, say, circumstances had prevented him, he still could not have gone and effected a rescue mission except that the right process was followed. And this is what this parable teaches us.
We have seen the seven steps to destruction - self-will, selfishness, separation, sensuality, spiritual destruction, self-abasement, and starvation - and now we see the sevenfold path back home. It begins with self-realisation: "he came to his senses". He confronted reality, the awfulness of his situation. Once he had opened his heart to the truth, having been humbled by his foolishness, the Ruach haRishon entered and 'turned the light on', as it were. Here he was, unprotected, unsafe, exposed, naked, destitute, lost, living with unkosher or impure animals. He was living spiritually-speaking in the darkness of his own unredeemed passions, thrown back and forth by the demonic, helpless. Having been shown reality, what was the next step? Resolution! He made a decision: "I will set out and go back..." He made a vow, entered a covenant, and received the ministry of the Ruach haShanee. That is a critical step. There has to be commitment. Our word must have substance - it can't just casually be thrown off the tongue. It can't be insincere. Only when we make the covenant, does the Ruach enter to back it up. Everything in the Gospel is by covenant. And Yahweh holds us to them. If we keep them, He fills us with blessings and grace. If we break them, he curses us. Miss this point and you'll never get far down the road to salvation and perfection.
The next step - like all the rest is equally important: repentance: "I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you". There has to be a broken heart and a contrite spirit. The result of genuine godly sorrow for sin is firstfruits - the Ruach haShleshi who brings strength. Repentance brings the need to complete the homeward journey. The soul that has come this far has come far indeed for many fight against being humble - the fight against being soft-hearted because the demonic wants to keep them hardhearted with brows like flint. Only when there has been adequate repentance, a forsaking of sin and a determination to do right, is one equipped for the fourth stage which is return: "So he got up and went to his father..." He put his feet into action. The head made a decision, the heart repented and got right with Yahweh, and the feet got up and walked. And it symbolically walked all the way to Mount Sinai, to the manifestation of authority, tol the rule of law - to his own father, to his head. He left behind the false head - the pig farmer producing forbidden 'food'. How true it is that when we rebel we go to all the wrong people for counsel and employment! But by then the options are usually pretty few - we have to take what we can as we desperately try to stave off spiritual starvation, only to discover that the spiritual food being served to us is poisonous or 'unkosher', so our condition gets worse.
Once home, grace can be poured upon us, and is. A true father is like our Heavenly Father - full of grace and mercy. Then begins the fifth step which is reconciliation and guess what? The father announces a feast! A party! A homecoming celebration! And what is the fifth Ruach? It is the Ruach haChamashee, the Feast of Trumpets! And what does that blowing of trumpets announce? Return! The return of Yah'shua to put the world into order. And so it announces here, appropriately, a son - this one a human son, a prodigal son - being restored. But before the festivities, one thing has to happen - and that we cannot miss - for it corresponds to Yom Kippur and the Ruach haSheshi - it is reclothing: "Bring the best robe and put it on him", the father tells his servant. Yom Kippur is a judgement of the old, which must be removed, and the reception of new garments. Sin is judged and dismissed in the blood of Messiah as it is renounced fully. Only then do we come to the seventh and last part of the prodigal son's journey, which is rejoicing - the festivities start. It is Sukkot for the returning soul, the blessings of the Shegal haShabbat - shalom. Everything is restored. All is well again.
Path to Ruination |
Path to Restoration |
The Ruach |
Festival |
1. Self-will |
7. Rejoicing |
Shegal haShabbat |
Sukkot |
2. Selfishness |
6. Reclothing |
Sheshi |
Sheshi |
3. Separation |
5. Reconciliation |
Chamashee |
Chamashee |
4. Sensuality |
4. Return |
Revee |
Shavu'ot |
5. Spiritual destruction |
3. Repentance |
Shleshi |
Yom haBikkurim |
6. Self-abasement |
2. Resolution |
Shanee |
Chag haMatzah |
7. Starvation |
1. Realisation |
Rishon |
Pesach |
You will also remember that in addition to clothing his son, the father puts a ring on his finger - the ring of reconciliation which bears eight fruits - the fruits of one who is truly reconciled to true authority. Paul describes it thus:
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with Elohim through our Master Yah'shua the Messiah, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of Elohim. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because Elohim has poured out his love into our hearts by the Ruach haQodesh, whom he has given us" (Rom.5:1-5, NIV).
The eight wonderful fruits of reconciliation are then - peace or shalom (v.1), access (v.2), joy in hope (v.2), joy in suffering (v.3), perseverance (v.4), character (v.4), hope (v.5) and love (v.5).
Now I know it all sounds so 'easy' when it is presented in this manner yet we all know that in real life, it is anything but easy. Someone who is a dedicated Christian can sometimes seemingly 'flip' and head off in the opposite direction, returning to the way he was in a few days days, overturning the work of months or years. And the reason this happens is because the soul is not fully converted - the roots can't go down because there is something hard and rocky in the way. Why do you suppose so many converts to Christianity fall away? As I have told you several times, a survey conducted after a Protestant crusade in the Ukraine about 15 years ago revealed that of the thousands of converts, only a handful actually continued in Messiah.
It is not enough to make your confession at the surface level - the light of truth must penetrate through all seven levels, down to the very foundations of the soul. People who have been Christians all their lives are often quite shocked to discover the unredeemed self that lies buried in the depths. When you make your pledge to Yah'shua in the waters of baptism, you are legally signing your rights to Him to take every part of you. You are covenanting with the Father to continue working our your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil.2:12). It's not all over in one simple oral confession as the 'once saved, always saved' crowd teaches - that's merely the first step, critically important though it is, as I have been teaching you all these months. You have to go on! And you can't stop until you have come to ground level and that has been given unreservedly to Yah'shua. The race isn't over until that has been done, and it won't be accomplished in a day.
I often hear the frustrations of people who tell me the wonderful experiences they have had with Yah'shua - the peace, joy, celebration, expanded understanding - all of the good things that are commonly associated with spiritual regeneration - only to have them come back later bitterly complaining they are in the dark again, feeling cut off from Him, and not knowing why. They often think they have 'apostatised' or done something terrible. Worse, it turns out to be about the same issues they thought they had resolved.
The reason this happens is not necessarily because you have forsaken the truth but because Yahweh is taking you to the next level in your being - where often the same issues exist but at a deeper level. We have a way of hiding our sins - burying them deep within us, rather like the levels of sedimentary rock we find under the ground that were formed after the Flood. Because we don't want to face issues, we bury them - deeper and deeper.
Alternatively, it may be that we suffered trauma when we were small and this was never taken care of. Instead we tried to live a 'new life' by building it 'on top' of the old one as we grew up. You find people move house, or town, or country in order to 'start a new life', perhaps because of a marriage bust-up, parental problems, and so on. We go into denial, bury everything, and start building on top. Well, because of the sevenfold structuring of the spirit, we can do that. The trouble is, if we are burying lies deep down, then we are burying demons with them. The demons remain dormant until that part comes to consciousness again, and then the trouble starts all over again. Yes, we may have dealt with the issues, lies and demons in the higher-up levels, and experienced the exhilaration of redemption on these, but as we probe deeper, then more skeletons-in-the-cupboard surface. That is why cheap pop-deliverance isn't good enough.
Last Sunday when I was setting up our new chat room online, I spotted a room called something like 'Casting out Demons'. A 'deliverance minister' just randomly cast out demons (as he supposed) based on 'impressions' he was getting. It was a sham. Deliverance and discipleship go hand-in-hand. They take a lot of time and commitment. And you need to know how the soul is set-up and how Yahweh works. That is why Yah'shua established the congregational structure that He did, with different ministries and different giftings to people. He pools together gifts and experience in His people to help new converts grow and deal with their issues.
Sadly, a lot of people who think they are rich and clothed discover, after time, that they are poor and naked. In fact, the situation is more often than not a lot worse, as Yah'shua told the believers in Laodicea:
"You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see" (Rev.3:17-18, NIV).
The key word is 'fire' - you can't enter the Kingdom without going through the fire of purification. It's impossible. Splashing around on the surface in the psyche does not accomplish it either. You have to dive deep. Now obviously if you have issues and demons in the unconscious levels, Satan has an interest keeping them hidden, so that he can steer you by impulses you can't understand which come from the depths, impulses you can't understand, which cause confusion, and lead you into double-mindedness. He does this by creating fear, numbing your heart down and offering you 'alternatives' to the Ruach. His range of counterfeits is large, enticing (because he offers them on cheap terms - actually, they enslave you) and require little thought. Satan offers to do the thinking for you. And even if he can't turn you to do something rash, impulsive and foolish, he can at least dampen you down so that in a state of not being able to feel, you become inactive. And the best way he can do that is by making you a spiritual orphan who 'must', in order to 'survive', resort to self-protection. That's what the Pharisees were doing when they accused Yah'shua of being 'demon-possessed' and a 'Samaritan'. They were protecting their own lies and unwillingness to repent.
It is not necessary to go to the bottom if the ground level is already delivered. Some people start as Christians, having grown up in Christian homes, and climb down the carnal ladder just a few steps or so. I knew one lady from Chicago who was raised a Baptist and then was lured by a promiscuous lifestyle. She went down a few steps - into sensuality - but didn't go any further. We challenged her to return to her Christian roots but she was hooked on her sexual lifestyle and wasn't prepared to give it up. At that point - since she didn't want to follow Yah'shua - she had a choice of listening to her demons and turning on us or simply breaking contact. She chose the latter. What her condition is now, I don't know. The demonic will, of course, once you're on that slippery slope, keep pulling you to go deeper and deeper into darkness. If Yah'shua is there in some deeper level, then it is possible to resist, but you're in a continual state of inner spiritual civil war until you choose which Master you will ultimately serve. Some come back, some abandon Yah'shua altogether.
We live in a world where things are not as they seem any longer because the Christian foundations are gone. Ministers face the additional difficulty of having to totally re-educate converts from gound-level up, so there is considerably more work to do, especially when in these deeper levels there has been involvement in the occult and other such things. The adult generation today, for instance, spent its childhood in the Hippie times and were formed by that, and you will often find deep levels of anarchy in their depths as issues are probed for. You absolutely have to get to the foundation. And that is why we have to spend considerably more years in discipling than before because there is so much damage and hurt in the depths in the current generation. People have been raised all in the wrong way and need re-fathering and re-mothering. And sadly, not too many want to do that. It also means that a lot more preparation has to be done in readying young people for marriage. Put two Christian people together who have not dealt with foundational issues and they are set for an explosive relationship. A lot of care is needed if such a marriage is to survive. That is why the divorce statistics are so high. Indeed, most people aren't even really bothering about cultivating character and relationships - they're out for their sensual kick because that's all they have ever known.
You fathers and husbands, please bear this in mind too: you will probably be fought all the way by the spirits of this age because assuming your rightful rôle topples the kingdom of Satan and brings in Yahweh's Kingdom of Peace. To acquire His shalom you must be a "Christian soldier, marching as to war, with the cross of Yah'shua, going on before". You'll be accused and vilified as you do, you'll be hated and rejected, except by those who have walked before you and know the peace and blessedness of the Truth. Our enemies wish us to be exterminated - they are not out to convert us because the hate in them runs too deep - worse from their point of view, it isn't even them, but the dark powers that rule them. That's why they don't even bother to reason with us. Your motives in everything will be misjudged until it comes to the point where they will simply no longer listen and there is nothing more you can tell them. They will remain in their darkness until brought to the point of spiritual starvation, and come to their senses. Every restoration work of Yahweh must be born in suffering, and few there are who are willing to walk in it.
This year has truly been our 'baptism of fire' - I won't even begin to try and recount it - but we shall continue no matter what. And why? Because of something precious that Yahweh has shown us - a vision of the future - promise that gives us hope. We look to Him, our perfecter, and why He endured. As the writer of Hebrews stated:
"Let us fix our eyes on Yahweh, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Heb.12:1-3, NIV).
We too must endure the shame that our detractors heap upon us through false accusations and lies. They will fail ultimately and the truth will be vindicated. We sorrow for them knowing the dark and painful way they must walk because of their own choices. They have gone to the pig-farmer and his swill and must partake of his diet for a while. We'll be waiting for them at the other end of the tunnel, ready to welcome them home again. And why are we willing to do this? For the joy set before us! Without it, we would never have continued. Our faith is grounded. We have grasped the pole of 'All Truth' which is planted in the centre of our hearts, and this has become our war-cry: All truth! The heathen may rage, and the people imagine a vain thing (Ps.2:1) but we will not be moved. With Paul we declare:
"Who shall separate us from the love of Messiah? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of Elohim that is in Messiah Yah'shua our Master" (Rom.8:35-39, NIV).
Author: Lev-Tsiyon
Concluding Prayer: Cain and Martha
Dear Heavenly Father, Yahweh-Elohim - You who see all hearts and know what is in them and why we do everything we do. I read Your word in Genesis this morning where it says: "Then Yahweh said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it'" (Gen 4:6-7, NIV).
Cain did not master it, he went rashly out and killed his brother because he allowed jelousy to consume him. He trusted himself above Yahweh, and saw his own predicament as totally unfair and allowed his anger to be satisfied by destroying the one who had received favour. He was the first to make the mistake that humans have been prone to make ever since. He thought his right to live and be accepted was based in his own self - that by virtue of being a human he could do as he pleased and still have the right to be accepted. You corrected him, Yahweh, and warned him that only when we do what is right can we humans ever be acceptable to you.
We have no rights, no claims to Your acceptance by virtue of being Your creation. All we can do is learn to function as You would have us be, or go our own way. Your mercy is great, patient, caring, and longsuffering, but we have no right to it except Your deciding to take care of us, and You do that faithfully. So when Cain had disregarded You completely, you still did not destroy him, but saved him from death. What could Cain boast of? Nothing, he was a failure who was allowed to keep breathing and continuing, but not with the same blessings as before. Why not? Because you know us humans, Father, in and out - what would Cain's heart do with any blessing bestowed upon it? It would stay proud, stay ungrateful and devour them upon his own lusts and share with no-one, and his desires would never be satisfied. Because his heart was not interested in anything but his own well-being, he would only be a curse in everything he might succeed in.
Your words still stand true to all even today who feel as Cain did: "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." All who feel like you are being unfair to them, who feel left out of all that is good, who feel they ought to have a better 'deal' - you want them all. You said to us: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost" (Isa 55:1, NIV).
What was the 'right' thing that you asked Cain to do? To rely on You, to accept Your living waters without cost. To not try to manage and ensure his own survival, but to instead be dependent. The whole point is that it is free and costs nothing. All it takes is asking and accepting Your answers. Martha too got distressed when trying to manage. She said to Your Son: "Master, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (Luke 10:40, NIV).
I noticed that she said 'Master' and yet she was telling Yah'shua what to do. And You said that calling you 'Master, Master' (Mt.7:21; Lk.6:46), won't be enough, it takes doing what is right. It takes that leaning on You, and neither doing anything You have not asked, nor refusing to do what You say. Simple yet hard, Father, but I know it is safe. Your reply to being bossed around was spoken by Yah'shua: "Martha, Martha," the Master answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42, NIV).
Was Mary His favourite? No. Martha would have the exact same protection if the rôles were reversed. It was not a matter of who was doing what, but a matter of what was going on. Mary already sat at His feet, and was hearing You, Father. Why wasn't Martha doing that? Because another master (Satan) was claiming her time. The one that said: 'oh you won't be a good person unless you make sure! You won't have life unless you pay for it! You need to take care of things or nothing will go well.' She believed she had to make it on her own. Cain believed he should make it on his own. And both believed You would support them in that.
Father, the rage of that master is scary. It is easy to try to appease Cains and Marthas, because the spirit that elevates them into headship position is a killer. And he wants no-one to rest in You, Father. But You comfort those who love you and hear You, and you promise that what is good won't be taken away from them. The best is given to all who come to You, and You protect them. You tend to their needs and you hear their blood (Rev.6:9-10) and you never dismiss anyone who turns to You.
Father, I will do what is right and pray that all who hear this will do the same, and just sit down and listen to You, follow Your instructions and be content. Then the storm can keep raging, but it can never enter into Your presence! I will cling to You, Father, and be Your child, and listen only to Your authority, ever... That is where life, shalom and everything good is found. "The Ruach and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Rev 22:17, NIV).
Those who hear and read this, Father, and think I have an 'holier than thou' attitude, please Father, open their eyes so they can see that I and them are the same in Your eyes - that You want them, and all they need is to want You too, and to obey that desire. Your ways are too simple for the proud, Father, too demeaning for a co-lord. Well, all I have done is to accept that I need You - not just in 'bigger matters' but in every detail. I am not your equal, Father, but I am Your daughter, and I obey the authorities You have given to take care of me. And I love it! My choice is simple ... everyone can make the same. And I know that pride won't like me. But then again, Satan doesn't like anyone, and he has no plan for those who obey him. Just like Martha was only distressed while doing that, so will all who follow him be thirsty, hungry, frustrated and angry whenever they see what they lack and notice that others have it.
The solution is NOT to destroy the recepient of what You give, but to do what is right and get it too. That is the way to master sin. You said it right from the start, Father, and we can decide to hear You like Mary did, or else we will let pride consume us like Cain did. The Bible lets us know what You will do if we decide to allow that: "Yahweh detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished" (Prov 16:5, NIV).
Please just come - it is safe, good and wonderful! Those who already have come will recognise Your words and understand me. In Yah'shua's Name I pray, Amen.
Author: Jannicke Larsen
Glossary of MLT Hebraic, Greek and English Terms For other terms and full details please see the Micropedia
A
Adon(ai) = Master, a pagan fertility god, Adonis; used by many Messianics but not MLT
(a)eon(ian) = 7 dispensation- or age-long time periods, not forever (see le-olam-va-ed)
Alef-Tav = Alpha-Omega, A-Z, first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet = Yah'shua
Amen = truly, let it be so, written Amein by some Messianics
Apocrypha = Hebraic Scriptures not a part of the Protestant canon (e.g. Baruch)
Anti-Messiah = Hebraic term for the end-time Antichrist or anyone opposed to the Messiah
antinomian = lawless Christian who disregards all or part of Torah/commandments
Ashkenazi Jew = East European Jew descended from the Turkic-Japhethite Khazars
Assembly = church, congregation, ekklesia, community, fellowship, koinonia, gathering
Azazel = the Yom Kippur scapegoat
B
Baal, Ba'al = any other master than Yahweh, usually demonic in MLT terminology
Bachor(im) = firstborn son(s)
Bar/Bat Mitzvah = Son/Daughter of Commandment, covenant to obey Torah at age 12
being = soul, the whole person (spirit and body), e.g. "my whole being"
Beit, bet, beth = house, e.g. Beit Yisrael (House of Israel), Beth Lechem (House of Bread)
Beit haMikdash = Yahweh's Temple in Yerushalayim
B'rit Chadashah = the New Covenant; B'rit Chadashah Scriptures = New Testament
B'rit Milah = circumcision - abolished in the B'rit Chadashah, replaced by Mikvah
C
canon = authoritative Scripture (Heb. qaneh, Gk. kanôn = measuring instrument)
Catechumen = a serious, covenanted investigator seeking Mikvah or Baptism in MLT
Chag haMatzah = Feast of Unleavened Bread, second of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Chavurat Bekorot = MLT's Priesthood Order, Holy Order and Assembly of the Firstborn
Cohen = priest; Cohen Gadol = High Priest (also spelled Kohen)
Council of Yah's elohim = the heavenly Assembly of the Firstborn or Chavurat Bekorot
D
demon = fallen malek or angel in rebellion against Yahweh (Heb. shad; see Êl-Shaddai)
derech = the Way, Path or Road - Yah'shua and the Gospel are the Way
Drash = moral or homiletic interpretation of Scripture - see PaRDeS
E
Echad = One, Union of two or more in one (as opposed to Yachid) - see Elohim
Echad Godhead Doctrine = Father Yahweh, Son Yah'shua and Sevenfold Ruach (Mother)
Êl, Eloah, Elah = God the Father, Yahweh
Êl-Elyon = Most High God, Yahweh
Êl-Shaddai = Master/Lord over all shads or demons
Elohim = God, the Godhead (Father, Son & Holy Spirit), lit. 'Mighty One(s)', 'Ruler(s)'
elohim = Israelite judges, rulers, angels or gods (false deities, idols, demons)
emunah = faith, actively trusting, clinging or adhering to (especially Yahweh or Yah'shua)
emet = truth, Yah'shua is the Emet
Ephraimite = descendant of the patriarch Ephraim and head of Messsianic Israel
F
Feasts of Yahweh = the 7 annual Moedim (Pesach, Chag haMatzah, Yom haBikkurim, Shavu'ot, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot)
G
Gan-Eden = Garden of Eden, Paradise and state of the purified heart in Messiah
goy(im) = nation(s), Israelites or gentiles not born in or converted to the Covenant
H
hallelu-Yah = praise Yah(weh)!
Heylel = proper name of Satan or haSatan = the Adversary, the devil
Sabbath = Yom Shabbat (Friday to Saturday sunset, add 1 day in IDL Zone)
Hochmah = Wisdom, title of the 7-fold Ruach haQodesh
I
IDL = International Date Line, false man-made time division in Pacific Ocean
IDL Zone = Area between the true Divine Date Line (Lake Van/Eden) and the false one
Israeli = citizen of the modern Edomite-Khazar Republic of Israel (not Biblical Israel)
Israelite = citizen of biblical state of Israel or a modern follower of the Messiah
J
Jew = post-biblical term describing descendants of Edomite and Khazar converts to Judaism
Johannine = pertaining to the Apostle Yochanan (e.g. Gospel of John)
Josephite = descendant of the patriarch Joseph, the head of Messianic Israel
Judahite = a person in direct descent from the patriarch Judah, forefather of the Messiah
Judaism = a Talmudic-based religion rejecting Yah'shua the Messiah
Judean = a citizen of the Kingdom or Province of Judah until the 2nd Century diaspora
K
Kadosh la Yahweh = set-apart or dedicated to Yahweh, 'Holiness to the Lord', MLT motto
Karaites = Jews (from 700 AD) who reject the Talmud and accept only the Tanakh
kashrut = keeping kosher, food laws of Yahweh and correspinding lifestyle
Ketuvim = Writings or Hagiographa of the Tanakh
Khazar = a Turkic convert to Judaism ~700 AD forming the Ashkenazi Jewish community
kosher = clean foods authorised by Yahweh for human consumption
L
Lashon Hara = evil-speaking, gossip or slander
legalism = false route to salvation through works (self-salvation)
le-olam-va-ed = dispensation- or age-long, aeonian, not eternal, forever or for eternity
Lev = heart, as in Lev-Tsiyon = heart of Zion
Lev-Tsiyon = Heart of the Fortress [of Yahweh], Hebrew name of MLT's founder
M
Master = Lord, Sir, Adon(ai) - (one in authority, a ruler - a king, husband, prophet, judge)
Malak(im) = Angel(s), heavenly supernatural messenger(s)
manna = wafers of honey, bread from heaven (lit. 'what is this?')
matzah = unleavened bread, see Chag haMatzah
Menorah = 7-armed candlearbra = the 7 annual Moedim and 7-fold Ruach haQodesh
Messiah = Christ; Anti-Messiah = Antichrist
Messianic Community = Body of Christ, sum total of all true believers; all true fellowships
Messianic Israel = all who worship Yahweh, trust in Yah'shua, obey Torah and overcome
Messianic Jew = Messianic convert from Judaism still clinging to Talmudic traditions
Midrash = aggadic interpretation of scripture viâ Drash, a scriptural discussion
Mikvah = baptism by immersion of convert into Yah'shua or of wife into husband
Mishpachah = family: nuclear, congregational, tribal or the whole of Messianic Israel
MLT = Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon = family of the heart of the fortress [of Yahweh]
Mishpat = right-ruling or judgement
mitzvah/mitzvot = commandment(s)
moed(im) = appointment(s) of Yahweh, 7 Annual Feasts, Sabbath and Rosh Chodesh
N
Nefilim, Nephilim = giant offspring of materialised demons and human women
Nevi'im = prophetic writings of the Old Testament or Tanakh
New Birth = spiritual conversion in the Ruach haRishon, being 'born again' with new heart
Nidah = a woman's menstruation period during which no intercourse is permitted
O
Olive Branch = collection of revelations, prophecies and visions published by MLT
P
Paraclete = Comforter, Advocate (NEB), Counsellor, Ruach haQodesh (Gk. paraklêtos)
PaRDeS = method of textual interpretation (homiletics) - see P'shat, Remez, Drash, Sod
Patriarch = a father who is head of his family, clan or tribe (lit. 'father-ruler')
Pentateuch = first five books of the Tanakh (Genesis-Deuteronomy), also called Torah
peribolaion = headcovering worn by daughters/wives in submission to fathers/husbands
Pesach = Passover, first of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Peshitta = an Aramaic version of the Bible
Prototrinitarianism = early, simplified MLT formulation of the Echad Godhead Doctrine
Prush(im) = Pharisee(s)
Pseudepigrapha = Non-canonical Hebrew writings additional to the Apocrypha
P'shat = literal, contextual, philological, exoteric, outer meaning of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Q
Qadosh Qadoshim = Holy of Holies, most sacred set-apart room of the Beit haMikdash
Qodesh, Kodesh = set-apart, holy (see Ruach haQodesh)
R
Rabbi = Teacher, term used by Messianic Jews and some Messianic Israelites = Pastor
Refuge, the 12 Cities of = divinely protected MLT fortresses during the 7-year Tribulation
Remez = hint or allegorical level of Hebraic understanding of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Rosh Chodesh = monthly New Moon appointment of Yahweh
ruach = spirit of a person (lit.'breath')
Ruach Elohim = Spirit of God (the Spirit of the collective Godhead or Elohim)
Ruach haChamashee = 5th Ruach presides over Yom Teruah and Yom Chamashee
Ruach haQodesh = the Sevenfold Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost (lit. 'Set-Apart Breath')
Ruach haRevee = 4th Ruach presides over Shavu'ot, Yom Revee and Bar Mitzvah
Ruach haRishon = 1st Ruach presides over Pesach, Yom Rishon and the New Birth
Ruach haShanee = 2nd Ruach presides over Chag haMatzah and Yom Shanee
Ruach haSheshi = 6th Ruach presides over Yom Kippur and Yom Sheshi
Ruach haShleshi = 3rd Ruach presides over Yom haBikkurim, Yom Shleshi and Mikvah
S
Sabbath = Yom Shabbat (Friday to Saturday sunset, add 1 day in IDL Zone)
Satan = rebel archangel Heylel, father of lies, devil, chief demon (lit.'Adversary')
Sephardic Jew = West European Jew of mixed blood containing many Judahites
Septuagint = Greek translation of the Tanakh, LXX
Shegal haShabbat = 7th Ruach (Sabbath Queen) presides over Sukkot and Yom Shabbat
Shekinah = Divine Presence and Glory of Yahweh-Elohim
Set-apart = holy, sanctified, consecrated, dedicated, separated (to and by Yahweh)
Shabbat-Shabbaton = High Sabbath (e.g. Yom Kippur)
Shalom = heavenly peace, standard Hebraic greeting invoking Yahweh's peace
Shamash(im) = servant(s), deacon(s), attendant(s)
Shavu'ot = Pentecost or Weeks, fourth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Sheol = grave or pit, euphamism for Hades or hell - also see Tartarus
shofar = ram's horn, blown during Yahweh's Moedim
simcha = joy, keynote of Sukkot
Sod = mystical, anagogic, inner or esoteric understanding of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Sukkot = Tabernacles or Booths, seventh of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Synagogue = Greek word used by Jews and Messianics (but not MLT) for a meeting house
T
talmid(a) = male/female disciple or student
Talmud = scriptures, teachings and commentaries belonging to non-Messianic Judaism
Tanakh = acronym for Old Testament Scriptures - Torah, Nevi'im & Ketuvim
Tartarus = place of imprisonment under the earth for rebellious angels and Nephilim
teshuvah = repentance, remorse and contrition leading back to Torah obedience
Torah = Yahweh's teachings or Law; New Covenant Torah includes Yah'shua's teachings
Tribulation, the Great = the final 7 years of the present aeon when Anti-Messiah rules
Trinity = Catholic Godhead formula - see Echad Godhead Doctrine and Prototrinitarianism
Tsiyon = Zion, a fortress, a name of Jerusalem and a prominent hill
Tzitzit/Tizitziyot = tassel(s) worn by men in remembrance of Torah
U
Universalism = salvation of all at the cosmic Yovel, with different rewards and punishments
Y
Yachid = one, single person or item, as opposed to Echad (many in one, unity)
Yah'shua the Messiah = Jesus Christ (the Son)
Yahudah = Judah - see Judahite
Yahweh, Yah, YHWH = the true Name of our Heavenly Father, also carried by Yah'shua
Yahweh-Elohim = LORD God (the Father, Yahweh as Head of the Godhead or Elohim)
Yahweh haQatan = the sent Yahweh = Yah(weh)'shua, Malak of Yahweh's Presence
Yam Suf = Sea of Reeds, the true Israelite Exodus water crossing, not the Red Sea
Yarden = Jordan River (lit. 'meanderer')
Yerushalayim = Jerusalem
Yisrael = Israel (lit. 'ruling with Êl') = true believers under the New Covenant
Yom Chamashee = 5th day of the week (Thursday, Friday in IDL Zone)
Yom Din, Yom haDin = (the) Day of Judgement
Yom haBikkurim = Feast of Firstfruits, third of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yom Revee = 4th day of the week (Wednesday, Thursday in IDL Zone)
Yom Rishon = 1st day of the week (Sunday, Monday in IDL Zone)
Yom Kippur = Day of Atonement, sixth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yom Shabbat = 7th day of the week and Sabbath Rest (Saturday, Sunday in IDL Zone)
Yom Shanee = 2nd day of the week (Monday, Tuesday in IDL Zone)
Yom Sheshi = 6th day of the week (Friday, Saturday in IDL Zone)
Yom Shleshi = 3rd day of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday in IDL Zone)
Yom Teruah = Day of Trumpets, fifth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yosef = Joseph - see Josephite
Yovel = Jubilee or Year of Jubilee
Z
Zaqen(im) = elder(s) of an assembly or congregation, or senior members of a community
Zoë Life = Greek term for spiritual life in the Messiah
Commonly Used MLT Abbreviations
For additional abbreviations and explanations, please see the Micropedia
A
Amp.V(er). = Amplified Version of the Bible
Aram. = Aramaic
AV = Authorised Version of the Bible - see KJV
B
BCAY = B'rit Chadashah Assembly of Yahweh - see NCCG
BoA = Books of Abraham (e.g. 1Abr., 2Abr., etc.)
C
cp, cf = compare with
CB(Q) = Chavurat Bekorot
CEV = Contemporary English Version of the Bible
ch. = chapter
CJB = Complete Jewish Bible
CLNT = Concordant Literal New Testament
CYe = Council of Yah's elohim
E
Eng. = English
F
ff. = and onwards/forwards
fn = footnote
G
Gk. = Greek
GNB = Good News Bible - see TEV
H
Heb. = Hebrew, Hebraic
HEM = Holy Echad Marriage, eternal marriage
HO = Holy Order - see Chavurat Bekorot
HOC = Holy Order Collection of revelations - see OB
HRV = Hebraic-Roots Version of the Bible
I
ibid. = ibidem (lit. 'in the same place'), referring to a book previously cited
ICJC = Independent Church of Jesus Christ, earlier name of NCCF
ISRV = Institute for Scripture Research Version of the Bible
J
JB = Jerusalem Bible
JBP/Phillips = J.B.Phillips translation of the New Testament
JNT = Jewish New Testament
K
KJV = King James Version of the Bible - see AV
L
LB = Living Bible
lit. = literally or literature
LXX = Septuagint, Greek translation of the OT
M
MLT = Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon
Moff. = Moffatt translation of the Bible
MRC = Messianic Renewed Covenant Version of the NT
MS(S) = Manuscript(s)
N
NASB, NASV = New American Standard Bible/Version
NC&C = New Covenants & Commandments - see OB
NCCF = New Covenant Christian Fellowship, earlier name of NCCG
NCCG = New Covenant Church of God, earlier name of MLT - see BCAY
NCP = New Covenant Press, publishing arm of MLT
NCW = New Covenant Witness, MLT magazine
NEB = New English Bible
NIV = New International Version of the Bible
NKJV = New King James Version of the Bible
Nor. = Norwegian
NT = New Testament, B'rit Chadashah
NWT = New World Translation of the Bible, unreliable Jehovah's Witness version
O
OB = Olive Branch - see NC&C
op.cit. = opere citato (lit. in the work cited)
OT = Old Testament, Tanakh
P
p(p). = page(s)
pl. = plural - see s.
PWNC = Prophetic Words of the New Covenant, revelation cataloging system - see OB
Q
QED = quod erat demonstrandum (lit. which was shown to be proved)
R
RCF = Restoration Christian Fellowship, earlier name of ICJC
RhQ = Ruach haQodesh, Holy Spirit
RSTNE = Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition of the Bible
RSV = Revised Standard Version of the Bible
RV = Revised Version of the Bible
S
s. = singular - see pl.
S&G = Smith & Goodspeed Version of the Bible
T
TEV = Today's English Version of the Bible - see GNB
V
Vulg. = Biblia Vulgata, Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible
W
WEB = World English Bible
Glossary Copyright ©2007 Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon (MLT) - All Rights Reserved
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This page was first created on 19 March 2007
Last updated on 19 March 2007
Copyright ©2006 Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon (MLT) - All Rights Reserved
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