Sermons Series 3:121, 13 October 2007
Eyes of the Eagle
Living the Life of Yahweh
Main Themes:
Minor Themes:
"Life is for Living!" is one of those vacuous slogans that the world uses that is about as meaningless as "Death is for Dying!" Obviously life is for living, but what kind of life? Biological life as we know begins at conception and terminates at death. Psychic life begins at conception and terminates at death. The physical and psychic parts of life are necessary vessels for the substance of real life - the kernel and generator of all true life which is the spiritual life - but they are very much 'add-ons' or 'plug-ins', if you like. They were given for a very short period of time - the length of your 'life' on earth - to serve a very particular function: to prepare you for eternity.
"[Yah'shua] spoke a parable to them, saying: 'The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.' 'But Elohim said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward Elohim'" (Luke 12:16-21, NKJV).
"Eat, drink and be merry" is another well-known slogan which Yah'shua quotes in this passage and is equivalent to "Life is for living". I am sure that the man in this parable "lived life to the full" as well, just as Solomon did. Yah'shua warned that such have wasted their lives because they have not lived them for what they are for. Solomon recognised as much which is why he wrote Ecclesiastes and concluded that such a life philosophy was ultimately vanity or futility (Eccl.1:2). So if someone comes up to you and says: "Life is for living", ask them what they mean by that. The chances are they have the physical or psychic life in mind (though they might call the psychic 'spiritual'). We too should live life but it can only be in THE life. And that life, as we know from the stories of thousands of believers - both those in the Bible as well as those who are not but who have dedicated their lives to Yahweh - the outer life may not appear to be particularly endued with 'life' as the carnal mind perceives it, and which would in turn condemn it as death or non-living.
Solomon had everything - he tried everything which was within the power of a wealthy monarch:
"I said in my heart, 'Come now, let me try you with rejoicing and find out what is good'. But see, that too was futile" (Eccl.2:1, ISRV).
Solomon tried everything in 'life'. As you read through the Book of Ecclesiastes you will find a complete prescription to carnal life and its result in his own. And what's ironic is he believed he was steered by Hochmah or 'Wisdom'. He made the fatal error of assuming that because Yahweh had made him intelligent he could safely experiment with anything without getting hurt. He was too clever by half:
"I searched in my heart how to stimulate my body with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, until I could see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their lives" (v.3, ISRV).
He thought he could live the 'experimental life' - to try out different things based on the wisdom of his own HEART. Do you recognise what he was doing? What was his life philosophy? It was Gnosticism. Solomon became conceited and thought that salvation could come through knowledge through a process of experimentation. In short, he decided to "live life" by EATING OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. And great was his fall, was it not?
The second chapter of Ecclesiastes lists what he did. He was very BUSY amassing wealth and women and became 'great' - that is - self-important.
"And all that my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure" (v.10, ISRV).
Isn't this the kind of life that your average man and woman dreams of? Few, mind you, ever have that sort of opportunity. To get that sort of wealth and power these days - the wealth and power to indulge every sense - comes only by selling your soul to the devil in at first small increments but then in larger and larger chunks. Solomon had started a new 'life' in what was essentially white witchcraft, prostituting his gift for selfish ends under the influence of the bad company of his foreign pagan wives. We all know his final conclusion but by then it was too late. The lust of his eyes also became the lust of his heart and finally the lust of his spirit, taking him into pagan religion and into spiritual death. He was deceived by his own intelligence. He concluded in a very morbid manner:
"And I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was evil on me, for all is futile and feeding on the wind" (v.17, ISRV).
Well, it doesn't have to be. That is only true if you choose to live the wrong kind of life, as he did. Solomon failed to appreciate what this life was for. He failed to learn the lesson of the disobedient prophet, the one Yahweh told not to stop along the road back home after he had completed his mission. Earth life is that road - we have to keep walking it until we are at the end of it. Yah'shua is the Way (Jn.14:6) and those who follow Him are said to be "of the Way" (Ac.9:2; 19:9,23; 24:14,22).
A few days ago we celebrated Shemini Atsereth which represents the end of the road - our goal. We're still headed that way. Some have left the road and decided to stop. Others have headed back to where they came from and are even now backsliding. It is dangerous to stop, and more dangerous losing your goal.
"Life is for living!" is the cry of the world which does not know where it is going and has as its only goal pleasure in the here-and-now, and those who pursue it will know the disappointment of Solomon. Our view and experience is radically different from the world's, for we declare along with Paul:
"I have been crucified with Messiah; it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of Elohim, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal.2:20, NKJV).
Vision of the Eagle
As one of Yahweh's watchmen it is my task to keep a keen prophetic eye on everything going on around me, and especially for my own family, biological as well as spiritual. Several days ago while I was having my hair cut, I had a most intense vision. I saw this enormous eagle standing above me, it's eyes keenly looking round about as though on watch. At first I thought this was a negative portent because eagles are symbolically both good and evil in scripture, like the lion, depending on the context. The soaring grace and power of eagle is used to describe the freedom of the Ruach for those who love and serve Yahweh. We have this amazing promise:
"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting Elohim, Yahweh, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on Yahweh shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isa.40:28-31, NKJV).
I can testify to that. Having been on the brink of total burnout many times, I have witnessed Yahweh lift me up and equip me to go on. This passage describes the power the eagle flight. In another, we read this:
"[Yahweh] found [Israel] in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so Yahweh alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him" (Deut.32:10-12, NKJV).
Now I ask you this question: Do you want LIFE? If you do - for real - the kind of life that is everlasting and will never perish - then this is how you will live it. And I can guarantee that to the carnal mind this is singularly unattractive! Sometimes I wonder if we believers give an honest description of the true life to those we are inviting into it. Here's a suggestion:
BE A MESSIANIC/CHRISTIAN!
Welcome to the desert land!
The wasteland!
The Howling Wilderness!
and
Receive Personal Instruction from Yahweh Himself!
Be preserved as the Apple of His Eye!
Be borne by His wings!
Be Led by Him and ride in the Heights!
But there's one condition - get rid of all foreign gods - religious, philosophical, humanist - anything that claims rulership over your life apart from Yahweh. This was the purpose of the wilderness journey which is a type of the spiritual journey of every follower of the true Elohim with its seven associated festivals.
This should be our advertisement. This is the reality of the road in mortality that leads to eternal life. It's tough but also blessed. We are, if you like, the 'spiritual marines'. And the marines of all nations, as you doubtless know, have a reputation for courage, toughness and daring, and a therefore special place of honour.
The Seraphim
In the Apocalypse of John we read about an eagle which I think has even more direct application here. John is shown four strange living creatures before the throne of Yahweh:
"Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: 'Holy, holy, holy, Yahweh-Elohim Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!' Whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 'You are worthy, O Yahweh, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created'" (Rev.4:6-11, NKJV). 1
There is considerable debate amongst Bible exegetes as to what these four creatures mean. Some think they represent the Four Gospels, the eagle being the sign of the Gospel of John. Jerome certainly thought so. Irenaeus thought the identities were the other way round. Others believe that the four creatures are the four brigade emblems of Israel, namely, Judah (the lion), Reuben (the man), Ephraim (the ox) and Dan (the eagle) though the sign of Dan as a tribe is the viper (that bite's horse's heels - Gen.49:17). Others think they represent the four elements of fire, air, earth and water.
Whatever they are, one thing is for certain: they are heavenly beings that reflect Yahweh's majesty, fullness of life and power. The fact that they are full of eyes suggests great visual power and we are reminded of the seven eyes of the seven Ruachs sent out into all the earth (Rev.5:6). They are, if you like, heavenly vigilantes or watchers.
What is it that distinguishes the eagle from all other creatures? It has speed, power and elevation of flight. No other bird flies so high, none ascends with so much power, and none is so majestic in its ascent towards the sun. Yahweh uses it as a symbol of His protective care over those who trust in Him. He hides us under the shadow of His wings (Ps.17:8). One thing is obvious about all four animals is that they are 'king beasts'. Ask a child what each animal means to them and he will tell you that the lion is the 'king of the beasts', the eagle is the 'king of all flying birds', the calf or young bull is the 'king of all domestic animals' and the man is the 'king of the material creation'. But why do they have six wings? Because these symbolise the angelic realm and in particular the seraphim (e.g. Is.6:1-2). Two wings shield their faces (covering their glory), two conceal their feet (covering where they go - their movement) and two are for flying. They are leaders in divine worship and have guardianship functions. Their position is so important that they were even privileged to exercise an atoning ministry while at the same time extolling the ethical and moral character of Yahweh-Elohim. It is also clear from the apocalyptic text that these four creatures or seraphs play a key rôle in executing Yahweh's 21 Judgements. They, along with the 24 Elders, identify Yah'shua the Messiah as the Worthy Lamb. Amen!
The ministry and those who are of it is both watched over in the heavenly realms as well as empowered by them. One of our callings is to 'bring everything together' into a single, unified Truth - Yahweh's Truth. Part of that has resulted in the construction of an enormous web-page, currently off-line, but due to be restored presently in an upgraded format that will make it, we hope, one of the most potent resources there is for end-time believers. But that is only one of our callings - we are now moving into new areas and activities.
Repentance and Patient Endurance
Yah'shua began His ministry with a simple call to mankind:
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt.4:17, NKJV).
Our whole journey through life is one of repentance - of changing our ways, of changing direction, of getting back onto the Way that leads to Eternal Life. Our witness is twofold: bringing people to Yah'shua as Master and Deliverer (Lord and Saviour) and admonishing them to keep the commandments - obey the Torah - IN Yah'shua. To do that we need to develop an invaluable quality which also comes from doing these things:
"Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of Elohim and the faith of Yah'shua" (Rev.14:12, NKJV).
Many people wander off the way because they are impatient. I have seen so many do that and get lost. People want this or that - certain spiritual gifts, certain activities, certain this, certain that. But man does not steer our destiny - Yahweh does. He decides what we do, when we do it, and where we do it. If He says: tarry for this gift, then we must tarry patiently (Lk.24:49, KJV). Abraham had to wait all his life for Isaac. Moses didn't even get to enter the Promised Land. The prophets saw the day of Messiah but could not witness it in the flesh. And here we are two millennia later. Patience is a hard thing to learn but it is a defining quality of the set-apart ones of El Elyon.
Like a spaceship having to make small adjustments as it is flung through space so as to not deviate from its course and so get lost, so we too must keep making adjustments in our lives to make sure we are on the right path. Those adjustments are called repentance. Some are pretty big adjustments, especially for new believers starting on their discipleship walk but most are small once you have got going in the divine pattern of the moedim. The challenge for the most part is maintaining the course. A better translation of the passage I just read to you would be this:
"Here is the endurance of the set-apart ones, here are those guarding the commands of Elohim and the belief of Yah'shua" (Ibid., ISRV).
The patience spoken of here is "endurance" or, better still, "patient-endurance". And specifically, this is applied to the end-time remnant (Rev.12:17). I personally think this is the toughest part of discipleship as well as being the most unpopular. More people apostatise or backslide over this today than anything else because the secular world has taught them a fast-food, off-the-shelf, discard-after-use mentality which is the worst possible mindframe to come with to the Gospel. Converts from the rich West are the most severely disadvantaged in this respect. We are not, as watered-down Protestantism, simply defined by 'faith in Jesus' but "the faith of Yah'shua" - it's a whole way of life that involves faith, a whole lifestyle. Faith or belief is easy - even demons have that (Jas.2:19). It's putting it into action that tells.
The Sevenfold Message of Revelation
We have been led much into the Book of Revelation today, and I am rather happy about that, because it does so clearly define what the end-time believers (us) are supposed to be doing:
"Although the Book of Revelation contains much of what is to come, certain fundamental teachings are found in it. One revelation that comes through very clearly is the definition of True Worship, which is given in 7 places - the number of perfection. The True Worship rests on two fundamental principles, and the True Worshipper has to comply with these two requirements: To guard the commands of Yahweh, and to believe in Yah'shua! We read this in Rev.12:17 and in Rev.14:12; and also in Rev.15:2-3 where the overcomers are described as those who sing the song of Moseh[Moses] (the Law[/Torah]) and the song of the Lamb (Yah'shua). Now for the other four witnesses: 'Word'. 'Command' and 'Teaching' are very often used as parallel words, or synonyms, or interchangeably. See this for yourselves in Teh.2. 119:142,151,160. Compare also Teh.119:105 with Mish.3 6:23, and read Mish.13:13 as well. So let us look at these four other witnesses in Rev.1:2, Rev.1:9, Rev.6:9 and Rev.20:4 - a total of seven perfect witnesses in the Book of Revelation!" 4
If I seem to belabour the point it is only because Christians are the most willfully blind here in their unwillingness to see the divine requirements of discipleship: if we are not Torah-obedient then we have failed in our discipleship for the Messiah we purportedly serve. This insistence by myself and other Messianics infuriates antinomians but it is the clear witness both of the Book of Revelation and the Bible as a whole. You must make a choice: Yahweh will not allow you to fence-sit indefinitely.
Yah'shua First and Then Torah?
One of the excuses made by semi-antinomian or hesitant Messianics to postpone Torah-observance is that we need to first of all come to life in Yah'shua before we obey Torah. This gives them the excuse to delay as long as possible so that they can prolong their antinomian lifestyle. There are several things that need to be said about this error:
Firstly, the Torah came before Yah'shua, not the other way round. This was ordained from the foundation of the world. Four thousand years were allowed to pass with this divine arrangement before the Messiah incarnated. Obviously Yahweh did not think this was such a bad idea. Secondly, as the Book of Revelation makes perfectly plain, the true remnant are first identified by their obedience to the commandments and singing the Song of Moses and then by their adherence to the faith of Yah'shua and singing the Song of the Lamb. This does not mean that Moses is more important than Yah'shua but to does imply a purposeful training program in which the one comes before the other.
There were two problems back in New Testament times - which remain today - concerning Gentile and Jewish converts. We'll start with the latter. You'd have thought they would have had the advantage of 4,000 years of commandment-observing, and yes, you'd be right in coming to that conclusion. But they also had a huge disadvantage and that was all the Talmudic baggage that had been added to it. That had to be weeded out. Additionally, there was a major changeover from Levitical back to the Melchizedek Priesthood which required a change in focus. Yahweh now had a plenipotentiary in the form of His Son to whom He had mandated all authority and power - there was to be a new heavenly Government.
When a monarch dies, millions of framed pictures have to be changed in offices and homes around the country and new stamps have to be issued bearing the new portrait. Letter boxes (at least in England) have to be repainted and stationary in government offices altered. Even the national anthem has to be changed (particularly if there's a change in gender from queen to king, for example). New oaths of allegiance have to be sworn by the military and in courts. Foreign dignitaries queue up to acknowledge and pay their respects to the new monarch. There's a lot of change.
Gentiles had, and have, a different adjustment. They're not used to Torah so it takes a bit of getting used to. The early Messianic Community recognised this and gave them some simple Torah rules to kick off their discipleship with like avoiding fornication and not eating meat with blood in it (a simple kashrut rule of Torah). But do you know what's ironic? I know are virtually NO Protestants, Catholics or Eastern Orthodox who are even observing this! They're not even obeying New Testament apostolic council for beginners!
When we preach "Yah'shua first, then Torah" we don't mean, "let's worship Yah'shua for a few years and then observe Torah later" - not at all! We mean the Gospel life is like a sandwich in which Yah'shua is the two slices of bread and the Torah is the filling. You take a slice of bread out first, butter it and put in your chicken or whatever, and then put another slice on top. At least that's how I was taught to make sandwiches. You don't put two slices together, eat half of that, and then insert your meat later. Yah'shua is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega, the Alef and Tav, the two slices of the sandwich, and the Torah is the filling. They come together but we start and end with Yah'shua.
If you think of this in terms of repentance, this is the only logical conclusion. When you accept Yah'shua, you don't worship him for a few years and stop fornicating and stealing later - the changes required in the external world are instant. The moment you make contact with the Divine there is change happening inside and outside. And if there isn't, then the one 'repenting' is being a hypocrite. The sort of silly arguments advanced by modern pseudo-Messianics are not much different from the ones advanced in James' day. He brought them to task saying:
"Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:17-18, NKJV).
The Demonstration of Our Repentence
The works of our Torah obedience demonstrate that we are repenting. Even if people are making their religion one of mere outward observance that does not mean they should stop that outward observance - what they need to do is align their hearts with it. This is what Yah'shua told the hypocritical Pharisees to do, not to quit Torah but their man-made traditions, and not to neglect Torah's weightier matters, like mercy. In fact, He told His disciples to exceed the righteousness of Pharisaic Torah-observance but not to imitate their hypocrisy. I am sure He had the words of the prophet Micah in mind when Yahweh gave this instruction:
"[Yahweh] has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does Yahweh require of you, but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your Elohim?" (Mic.6:8, Amp.V).
People have all sorts of ways of squirming out of repentance and one of them is to supposedly internalise religion where it can't easily be judged or measured. Than one can make all sorts of shows of piety and self-righteousness. Yet what do we read:
"Blessed are those who do His commandments (observe Torah), that they may have the right to the tree of life" (Rev.22:13-14, NKJV).
Reality check: if you're refusing to do the commandments, what does this mean is happening in your life? What right are you denied? It means you don't have access to the Tree of Life. Who is the Tree of Life? Yah'shua! Now that ought to be making a few knees wobble. Next question; if you have been denied access to the Tree of Life, what's the only one available to you? You've guessed, the Tree of Death, or the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And as I have taught you extensively so often, the 'good' fruits seem like those of the Tree of Life but they're really something completely different. So if people think I am making a big fuss and ado about the Torah, their problem is not with me but with Yahweh. When they refuse to obey what they know to be true they are denied access to the Tree of Life. Yahweh will not be mocked:
"Do not be deceived, Elohim is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Ruach will of the Ruach reap everlasting life" (Gal.6:7-8, NKJV).
Let this be our first reality check following the end of the Festival Season. If you know a commandment you should be obeying but aren't then you're being denied access to Yah'shua because of rebellion.
I want this matter settled, at least amongst us. We are part of the Messianic Community, the remnant, the "woman" with whom the dragon is constantly enraged and who seeks to devour her. And how is this remnant defined (please note the order)?
"(Those) who keep the commandments of Elohim (Torah) and have the testimony of Yah'shua the Messiah" (Rev.12:17, NKJV).
If you have Yah'shua in your heart as you claim but aren't obeying Torah, repent! If you're obeying Torah but don't have Yah'shua in your heart, repent! And when you're doing both, then you are blessed. But it is both pointless and destructive to have two factions claiming to be 'Yah'shua-first' or 'Torah-first'. Receive Yah'shua into your heart and start obeying immediately. The one who refuses to obey demonstrates that the Tree of Life has been denied. Then it's a matter of time before another 'Yah'shua' or 'Jesus' is embraced, usually without one even knowing, and this very often leads to atheism.
The Story of Nineveh
Repentance - how often we fool ourselves into doing it when we don't! We can say the words of repentance but not actually mean them.
I was reading the Book of Nahum the other day about the judgement of Nineveh. 150 years before, the city had repented under the preaching of Jonah, much to that prophet's chagrin. As I got to thinking about the backsliding of this city I started asking myself about the kind of repentance or teshuvah we make. We have seen that the mighty miracles shown the Camp of Israel in their exodus from Egypt didn't stop them backsliding into almost total apostasy and the worst kinds of paganism. Twice they became heathen in the wilderness for a season. We may find that incredible, given we never saw any of the Ten Plagues, the parting of the Sea of Reeds 5, manna being deposited from heaven while we slept, quail appearing in vast clouds, water coming out of rocks, apostates being swallowed into the ground, blasphemers burned up in fire, and so on. But then the truest form of repentance comes of our own free will without the 'compelling' evidence of mighty power. The kind of miracle that really changes a soul is Yahweh's penetration of our heart and into the essence of our being.
So I got to wondering about Nineveh. Why did they repent? I assumed that their hearts had been pricked by his powerful words appealing to their consciences. But no, all he did was threaten them, saying Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days if they didn't mend their ways (Jonah 3:4). What was it that persuaded them that this wasn't some Israelite nutcase? I have seen people walking the streets of London with placards saying 'Repent. The world is doomed' or similar things and people didn't bat an eyelid. Well, Jonah must have had some sort of authority or reputation for these heathen to believe him. What might that have been?
It is actually very simple. The Ninevites and their king had not only heard the startling report of the terrible experience which running away from obedience to Yahweh had cost him, but they must have been terrified at the evidence of the truth of his having been in the belly of the great fish or whale. His hair, eyebrows and beard would have become strangely discoloured and his skin an uncanny colour. 6 Have you ever seen the effect of digestive juice on food? He must have looked a strange sight, enough to scare anyone! Here he was, back from the dead - almost. So the whole city turned to Yahweh because of the evidence they saw. That was the nature of their repentance.
Scaring someone into repentance certainly works ... for a while ... but it's not the most effectual way. And even though Yahweh still does this, often to rescue His people, the most lasting form of repentance is when the heart is pricked by the Ruach haQodesh in response to a direct encounter with TRUTH. But if we won't respond to that, Yahweh has other methods. The kind of 'evidence' that we want - the kind of evidence that the apostle Thomas wanted before he would believe - is not the best. Yah'shua told him:
"Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29, NKJV).
Paul the Benjamite knew of the evidence but wouldn't believe, would he? Stubborn hearts require special measures. If they continue to refuse to repent, then prophets like Nahum have to be sent in to announce their doom. So 150 years after Jonah, it was too late for Nineveh. Jonah called the people to repent. Nahum told them that Nineveh was to be destroyed - utterly:
´
"Yahweh is good, a strength and stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows - recognises, has knowledge of and understands - those who take refuge and trust in Him (Ps.1:6; Jn.10:13,27; Hos.13:5). But with an overrunning flood He will make a full end of Nineveh's very site and pursue His enemies into darkness" (Nah.1:7-8, Amp.V).
Yahweh does not mince His words. Moreover His words are always strikingly accurate:
"Countless authorities confirm the literal accuracy of this reference. Diodorus Siculus refers to a legend that Nineveh could never be taken until the river became its enemy. Arbaces the Scythian had besieged the city in vain for two years, but in the third year the river Khosr during a flood season carried away a considerable section of the very great wall, and through this opening the besiegers gained entrance. Nahum 2:6 refers to the devastating flood, and 3:13,15 probably to the destruction of Nineveh by fire. The vivid descriptions of chapter 3 'are true to their records and their Sculptures". 7
The Choices That Lie Before Us Today
Shemini Atsereth and the year's cycle of festivals are over. Before us lies the cold winter until the next observance in the spring at Pesach. We have had a lot of things to think about. Indeed, life never stays still. Before us lie new choices - choices that will result in good or evil in our lives. There are people out there still going through great struggles. All kinds of choices have been made. Some have given up, some are struggling with all their might just to get back on track, and others have found the Way once more and have courageously started walking on it again, however hesitatingly.
The Parable of the Elastic Band
I admit, as I have admitted many times, I have wanted to throw in the towel more than once. You knock one enemy out and two more appear and you wonder whether you have the elasticity to meet the new challenges or not. But as I was telling our assembly yesterday evening, elastic bands that aren't stretched, dry out, snap and crumble. I don't know how many hundreds I have had to replace in our shelves of publications which have been sitting around unused. I also told you last night that our lives are like elastic bands which Yahweh periodically stretches much to our protests, and with a loving purpose, even though the stretching hurts. At such times, because we either lack the vision or the faith - or both - we cry out: "How could a loving Elohim do this?" Yet we know - because He Himself says so - that He never lays on us more than we can bear. He will not stretch us to snapping point even if sometimes it feels as though He is doing so. So why does He stretch us?
It is to make us stronger. It is to develop our faith. But there is one other reason He stretches that we tend to miss. Does anyone remember what that is? What happens when you stretch an elastic band? Yes, you remember! The energy or power required to stretch that elastic band passes from the one doing the stretching into the one being stretched! When you stretch an elastic band you are storing kinetic energy in it. You are, as it were, 'charging' it up like a battery. Then we have a choice to use that energy to love or to hate, to bless or to curse, to build or destroy! What appears to be a destructive process is actually an equipping one:
"'Master, Master,'" the disciples cried out in the boat, "'we are perishing!' Then [Yah'shua] arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, 'Where is your faith?' And they were afraid, and marveled..." (Luke 8:24-25, NKJV).
What were they afraid of? Him! They were afraid of the Master of Love because they realised - yet again - that He was also the Master of Power! Is this not one reason we fear Yahweh? Is not the fear of Yahweh the beginning of wisdom? Yet what is Satan's accusation?
"Does Job fear Elohim for nothing?" (Job 1:9, NKJV).
Things happened to Job which made no sense. Things happened to Job which were unbearable. There was, in Job's mind, no logic - no rhyme nor reason. He had lost everything and it must have seemed to Him that Elohim did not care. He must have been tempted to seek for 'another God'. Who wouldn't be tempted to think this way? As I have looked at all the losses I have sustained over the years, I have wondered too. But we have been tested, have we not, to see if we will stay the course, even in the times when our losses have appeared to have no meaning? Has He stretched us beyond the limits of our endurance? No. Has it seemed so? Yes, many times. Has there been a purpose? Always. Because our Elohim knows what Satan is planning to throw at us next and He means to equip us to withstand Him as we fight and resist Him. But that is our choice - to fight or to throw in the towel. And I guarantee that giving up never makes life easier. Ever! It may appear to for a short while but the realities soon creep up on us and hedge us in making us even less flexible, less manoeverable, less powerful, less secure, less hopeful and less strong than we ever were. Surrendering to the enemy of our soul never pays. Instead we are admonished by Yahweh's angel:
"Fear Elohim and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water" (Rev.14:7, NKJV).
And why does He do so? Because He knows only too well that when we fail to turn to Him that we turn to the only other alternative which is itself, along with all its adherents, doomed. Another angel followed and said:
"Babylon (the world system) is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication" (Rev.14:8, NKJV).
When we fall, we join the fallen, and receive the judgment of the fallen. Not worth it, because as the third angel declared:
"'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.' Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of Elohim and the faith of Yah'shua" (Rev.14:9-12, NKJV).
All right. Here we are, then, with important choices before us. We see what is required of us. We know what will happen to us if we choose not to follow Yahweh. What next? What follows in our text is the Grant Commission that demonstrates who we are actually following and what our god is or not. For we read:
"Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, 'Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe'" (Rev.14:14-16, NKJV).
Evangelism, brethren and sisters, evangelism is our calling. We follow our Master by winning lost souls and discipling them. What about ourselves and our own needs? Perhaps some of you remember some words I shared in a recent assembly. I asked you to honestly consider what you would most like for yourself - to let your heart speak abundantly. I invited you to share what you considered your greatest needs and wants to be. You shared your desires. And then I told you: "Now go and do for your brethren and sisters what you most want for yourselves." It is by this means that our own needs are met. When we are focussed on self - on ego - our needs (real or imagined) are endless and the pursuit of them, contrary to what the world teaches you, can never result in happiness for one main reason:
"He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour" (John 12:25-26, NKJV).
I made the choice long ago not to live for this life but to lose it for Yah'shua's sake. I discovered, to my horror, that I had been living for myself far more than I ever imagined, even though I believed I was doing otherwise. How easily our flesh tricks us! Over these last four months I have had to release more and more of things which I thought were sacrosanct until I started being left with nothing and nobody but Yahweh and me. We are more idolatrous than we ever imagined! Our hearts deceive us more than we could ever believe possible. We are not so great, not so advanced, not so Kingdom-bound as we sometimes believe. And so, like Job, we must all be brought to the painful realisation that our repentance is never complete. But each time we are brought to that disturbingl reality and choose to repent, something wonderful happens. We get peace.
Yesterday evening news was sent to me that crushed not only me but others of my household and I cried to Yahweh: "Will it never end?" So I went to Him and made a choice - I would continue to reach out to others. I would fulfill my commission even if everything were stripped away from me, and then this great peace suddenly descended upon me. Not only was the pain relieved but I was actually elevated like an eagle and given renewed hope. I saw what our choice must always be - to be where we're supposed to be, doing what we're supposed to be doing, true to our spouses and children, to our commission, and simply trusting and obeying. Satan offers us numerous 'lifeboats' which will supposedly get us out of trouble but in reality they just maroon us out at sea. We are not sunk. We are not beaten, not remotely. Wounded in the house of our friends, yes, but victorious in the One who loved us enough to die for us (Zech.13:6). He watches over us with total awareness of our needs and with every provision for us at hand. Yah'shua says:
"[Do not] have an anxious mind" (Luke 12:29, NKJV)
and adds:
"But seek the kingdom of Elohim" (Luke 12:31, NKJV).
And then, to those who are sincere in their discipleship - to those who really do love the truth and want to follow Him, He continues:
"Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32, NKJV).
That's right, He's going to give it to us - the "little flock", the remnant of Jacob. Isn't that what we want? Isn't it the thing we want above all else? It's what I want! It's what I live and breathe for. And He says He'll give it. I just happen to believe Him. Do you? I trust these words:
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to Elohim; and the peace of Elohim, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Messiah Yah'shua" (Phil.4:5-7, NKJV)
I don't know how many times I have had this experience in recent months. Each time I have been faced with a choice - to kill my own heart or to simply turn to Him. And it is true - this peace does surpass all understanding.
The other night we prayed that a gentle, healing peace would descend upon all of us, upon our absent loved ones, and upon our enemies. Last night when we assembled together something very special happened that touched every heart. I hope we will remember that. I hope we will remember that "all things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23, NKJV) and that "with men it is impossible, but not with Elohim; for with Elohim all things are possible" (Mark 10:27, NKJV). Yah'shua, in praying to Yahweh, said: "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You" (Mark 14:36, NKJV) but He also knew that He had to submit to His Father's will and not His own: "nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will" (Mark 14:36, NKJV). The possibilitiesare only realised when we choose to be obedient. Not before.
The key to happiness is the surrender of self-will to the Father of all. I would imagine we will be doing this for the rest of our lives but I am equally hoping that we will dare to trust more and more of it the more we see that He is trustworthy and that life's tribulations have a righteous purpose and are not, as Satan would accuse, because of Yahweh's capriciousness. Job had to trust that and so must we. Please, join with me in this continuing adventure into a life that has no end and a shalom that has no equal, is my prayer for all of you here and all of you who will read this, in Yah'shua's Name. Amen.
Endnotes
1
Also see Ezekiel 1:1-14; 10:1-22
2
Tehelim = Psalms
3
Mishle = Proverbs
4
Institute for Scripture Research Version (ISRV) of the Bible, Seven-fold Message of Revelation (North Riding, South Africa: 1988, p.1221)
5
Yam Suph in Hebrew, erroneously translated as 'Red Sea' in most non-Messianic English Bibles
6
Amplified Version of the Old Testament (Marshal, Morgan & Scott, London: 1962, p.1145, footnote (a))
7
Op.cit., p.1146, footnote (b)
Author: Lev-Tsiyon
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 13 October 2007
Last updated on 13 October 2007
Copyright ©2007 Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon (MLT) - All Rights Reserved