Month: August 2016

 

We have several times in the past discussed Daniel 4 as an example of God cutting off all effectiveness and prosperity when men decline away from Him (truth) into delusion. Their corrupted thinking tells them national achievement and elevation is due to man’s efforts apart from God, or attributable to mere coincidence lacking any intentioned formula. This has been and remains the case with our nation.

Daniel 4 speaks of this “cutting off” in very similar terms to those we’ve been discussing in recent days. It speaks of it as the great tree cut off and only the stump remaining. It tells of this stump being in a field of grass, of the ruler eating this grass as an ox, and the dew of heaven being upon him until seven times have passed over him. The event begins with a decreed by the LORD that follows the ruler’s pronouncement of his own greatness building the kingdom. It ends with him realizing Almighty God’s hand does intervene in man’s government and all their affairs.

Daniel 4
22 It is you, O king, that are grown and become strong: for your greatness is grown, and reaches unto heaven, and your dominion to the end of the earth.
23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:
25 That they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will.
26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; your kingdom shall be sure unto you, after that you shall have known that the heavens do rule.
27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of your tranquility.
28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
30 The king spoke, and said, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?”
31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from you.
32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make you to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will.
33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.
34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that lives for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, “What are you doing?”
36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned unto me; and my counselors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.
37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

The “dew of heaven” upon the king (him exemplifying the ruling establishment) is the water that appears as if a covering from heaven (of unknown origin). It is the seemingly unconnected occurrences in the world, which alone appear pointless, but when seen and understood in the context of the compounded picture the meaning beings to become apparent and recognizable. Here it is the time of correction between the time when a falling away has occurred and the nation cut off, and the return of understanding and the re-cognition of the reality of God’s necessarily being involved and integral.

When Daniel 4:24 tells of the decree that comes from the LORD it uses the Chaldean word gezerah (gzerah). It is from the root word gazar, meaning to cut down; and adding the suffix ah, meaning Yah (Jehovah), it is fully understood as meaning here, cut off by Jehovah.

Deuteronomy 33 speaks of the dew of heaven twice, the first being to begin Joseph’s portion of the blessing from Moses before his death. Remember, Joseph is the example of the one cut off from His brothers; also after his death began the affliction of God’s people. He is Just Rule even before there is a nation state, and it is quickly forgotten once he dies.

The name Joseph means the to add to. We are told that when Joseph was born it was said, “The LORD shall add to me another son.” This is also the point when Jacob decides he should return to His land. (Genesis 30:23 – 25)

When Deuteronomy 33 speaks of “the dew” of heaven it is telling of God’s promise of His providential hand always being involved in in every, seemingly, minor event, and the focus of all these will be to keep us safe, and when needed, when we stop listening, or forget, to bring us back to Himself.

The chapter mentions the dew in verse 13, which begins by telling of the “precious things of heaven,” that will bless the land of Joseph. Just after it references the dew as one of the blessings it follow with “and for the deep that crouches beneath.”

Deuteronomy 33
13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that couches beneath,
14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,
15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,
16 And for the precious things of the earth and fullness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.
17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

Those who study along with us know when the sun and the moon are spoken of it is telling of church and civil governments as God intended them to shine and reflect His light on the earth. When they do so it is in the form of justice and equality as God defines it; when it becomes or is the perverted form under unjust and evil men, as it is here now, the sun and moon have become darkened, no longer shining God’s light on the earth. The ancient mountains are the ways of God’s wisdom and what truly elevates man to his intended heights, and are “the precious things of the lasting hills.”

The return of understanding comes through recognizing the one who was separated from his brothers. This happen as it did with Joseph’s elevation through the deep things of the LORD, and as with Daniel and His interpretation of the crouching [laying there in wait] things of these same depths.

The Hebrew word translated “deep” in Deuteronomy 33:13 is thowm. It is the same “deep” that the Spirit of God moved upon to begin creation, recorded in Genesis 1:2. It the same fountains of the “deep” that was broken up that began the deluge, recorded in Genesis 7:11. They are the “depths” that overflowed the army of Egypt, as they with hardened hearts thought they were chasing after God’s people to destroy them, and were themself destroyed, written in Exodus 15:5. It is the “depth” whose course (chuwg – compass) was established at the creation, and is testified to by God’s wisdom in Proverbs 8:27. It is the place where God preserves and keeps in store His life giving waters, to be separated from the fouled and corrupted waters of men, when He decides “it is enough.”

The word thown means abyss, as in a surging mass of water. In this we see the meaning of Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince [rulers] that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary [place of moon and sun]; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he [the rulers] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation [conclusion], and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

That which is “poured out” and why it is are defined earlier in the chapter in verse 11.

Daniel 9
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
3 And I set my face unto the LORD God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O LORD, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from your precepts and from your judgments:
6 Neither have we hearkened unto your servants the prophets, which spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 O LORD, righteousness belongs unto you, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither you has driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you.
8 O LORD, to us belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.
9 To the LORD our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him;
10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed your law, even by departing, that they might not obey your voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
12 And he has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven has not been done as has been done upon Jerusalem.
13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand your truth.
14 Therefore has the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
15 And now, O LORD our God, that has brought your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and has gotten you renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16 O LORD, according to all your righteousness, I beseech you, let your anger and your fury be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of your servant, and his supplications, and cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary that is desolate, for the LORD’s sake.
18 O my God, incline your ear, and hear; open your eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by your name: for we do not present our supplications before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies.
19 O LORD, hear; O LORD, forgive; O LORD, hearken and do; defer not, for your own sake, O my God: for your city and your people are called by your name.
20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give you skill and understanding.
23 At the beginning of your supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show you; for you are greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. [The seven times of the dew of heaven’s correction.]

In verse 2 above Daniel mention understanding the seventy years that Jeremiah spoke of. It is a direct reference to a cutting off and return, and understanding what is written in Jeremiah 29:11 is what causes Daniel’s prayer. He understands it is the LORD’s intention to do us good and prosper us, and this END is Daniel’s focus. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Remember, Jeremiah means Jehovah rising up.

Jeremiah 29
4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon [confusion];
5 Build you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
6 Take you wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that you may be increased there, and not diminished.
7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall you have peace.
8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.
9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, says the LORD.
10 For thus says the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
14 And I will be found of you, says the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, says the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
15 Because you have said, The LORD has raised us up prophets in Babylon;
16 Know that thus says the LORD of the king that sits upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwell in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
17 Thus says the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:
19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, says the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear, says the LORD.
20 Hear you therefore the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab [literally meaning – not a friend] the son of Kolaiah [voice of Yah – falsely claiming to speak for Jehovah], and of Zedekiah [the ruler – who should have been as his name – equity and prosperity of Yah] the son of Maaseiah [work of Yah – but not], which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon [confusion]; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
23 Because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.

Continuing with the topic of hearing the voice of God, in doing seeing His glory, and understanding eyes fixed on the world will never see or hear anything other than their own noise and confusion. In recent posts we have seen the LORD has sealed certain areas of deep understanding, having reserved and preserved them against men’s trespassing and corruption, for His use in reestablishing truth and making His will know. This characteristic is often alluded to and only superficially understood until it is illuminated by the LORD’s strategic revelation. As this occurs men, having chained themselves as experts in the subject matter and as lords over God’s heritage, respond with opinion mocking the truth, and their only measure of legitimacy are their own self-created delusions.

One of the most obvious of these points being referenced is found in 2 Peter 3:
1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2 That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the LORD and Savior:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the LORD as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The LORD is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the LORD will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements [foundational principles upon which reasoning is based] shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15 And account that the longsuffering of our LORD is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him has written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest [twist and pervert], as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17 You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

The areas the LORD reserve and keeps in store for His use are what Peter defines in verse 16 above as “hard to be understood.” The Greek word is dusnoetos and is only used this one time. The word more literally translates as explaining the reason these men find it hard being it takes exercising the mind – difficult to comprehend.

Please suffer with me for a moment while I digress: For those not aware, I have been somewhat successful in business, and in one of my previous ventures I designed and patented several very unique and innovative pieces of equipment. Once these hit the market they made all other products of a similar nature obsolete. My competitors were faced with either copying my designs or designing one achieving at least the standard set by mine. The result of these early copiers not having the knowledge base of the creator, being ignorant of the logic in the smallest details and their necessity in making the thing work as it should, the early copies were miserable failures. The point to telling this story – the root cause of the failure is the same we are discussing: ignoring or unable to comprehend the small details and unwilling to exercise the mind to the extent needed to see the deeper meaning.

(Side note for those interested: US Government developers (Natick) bought several of my “things,” made enough minor changes to be able to claim it wasn’t the same thing, then bought billions of dollars worth from other much larger manufactures. When called on it, they dared me to keep up with their deep pockets trying to prove they infringed my patents. I just moved on and made something even better. They did same thing again – after promising they wouldn’t. It all worked out by making my company well known as this knowingly occurred and people in the industry were well aware it did. It also made the company much more valuable when I sold it. Thank You LORD!)

Isaiah 40:21 asks the questions “Have they not known: have they not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood the foundation of the earth?” This comes just after telling of those trying to make a copy of the God.

Verse 22 follows saying, “He that sits upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof as grasshoppers [locust]; that stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in: 23 That brings the princes to nothing; he makes the judges of the earth as vanity.” The word translated as “sits” is the Hebrew word yashab, meaning to sit down, specifically as judgment in ambush, in quite. The word translated “circle” is chuwg, a three times used word meaning a full circuit – telling of movement in a full course. Verse 23 tells of the purpose.

We see the fuller context the chuwg when it is first used in Job 22:14 and translated “in the circuit,” telling of this as the vault in heaven where God journeys. Job here seemingly mistakenly assumes because God hides himself by covering with a cloud He cannot see from therein. What the verse does correctly state, apart from Job’s complaint, God does hide His movements from men by being in the cloud, and does walk in the circuit of heavens (high places). This is what Elihu clarifies later in Job 37 when it tells of not only of the LORD’s voice thundering (the voice in the cloud that comes after the lightning is seen) but also of the correction of the LORD that comes as cloud passes and the fullness of the light (sun) is seen in its vault across the high places (circuit across heaven).

Job 37
1 At this also my heart trembles, and is moved out of his place.
2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goes out of his mouth.
3 He directs it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.
4 After it a voice roars: he thunders with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.
5 God thunders marvelously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
6 For he says to the snow, Be you on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
7 He seals up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.
8 Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.
9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.
10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
11 Also by watering he dissipates the thick cloud: he scatters his bright cloud:
12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commands them upon the face of the world in the earth.
13 He causes it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Dost you know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?
16 Dost you know the balancing of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
17 How thy garments are warm, when he quiets the earth by the south wind?
18 Have you with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?
19 Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.
20 Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.
21 And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passes, and cleanses them.
22 Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.
23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
24 Men do therefore fear him: he respects not any that are wise of heart.

Then the word chuwg is translated as “compass” in Proverbs 8:27 as wisdom speaks telling of being there when the LORD made the heavens, and set up the circuit upon the face of the deep places.

Proverbs 8
1 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
2 She stands in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.
3 She cries at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.
4 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.
5 O you simple, understand wisdom: and, you fools, be you of an understanding heart.
6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing twisted or perverse in them.
9 They are all plain to him that understands, and right to them that find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the perverse mouth, do I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.
22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O you children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
34 Blessed is the man that hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoso finds me finds life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD.
36 But he that sins against me wrongs his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

Now, read Isaiah 40 in the context of this understanding.

Isaiah 40
1 Comfort you, comfort you my people, says your God.
2 Speak you comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it.
6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7 The grass withers, the flower fades: because the spirit of the LORD blows upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
9 O Zion, that brings good tidings, get you up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that brings good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
10 Behold, the LORD God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counselor has taught him?
14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he takes up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
18 To whom then will you liken God? or what likeness will you compare unto him?
19 The workman melts a graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold, and casts silver chains.
20 He that is so impoverished that he has no oblation chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.
21 Have you not known? have you not heard? has it not been told you from the beginning? have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he that sits upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers [the locust of Revelation 9:3 & 7]; that stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in:
23 That brings the princes to nothing; he makes the judges of the earth as vanity.
24 Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
25 To whom then will you liken me, or shall I be equal? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who has created these things, that brings out their host by number: he calls them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one fails.
27 Why say you, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
28 Have you not known? have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Psalms 18
1 I will love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore has the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the merciful you will show thyself merciful; with an upright man you will show thyself upright;
26 With the pure you will show thyself pure; and with the twisted you will twist them even more.
27 For you will save the afflicted people; but will bring down high looks.
28 For you will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by you I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
32 It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places.
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
35 You have also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand has held me up, and thy gentleness has made me great.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
39 For you have girded me with strength unto the battle: you have subdued under me those that rose up against me.
40 You have also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; and you have made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
46 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 It is God that avenges me, and subdues the people under me.
48 He delivers me from mine enemies: yea, you lifts me up above those that rise up against me: you have delivered me from the violent man.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto you, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
50 Great deliverance gives he to his king; and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

Today a deeper look at yesterday’s mentioning the “scattering” of God’s people after Christ’s death, and its fuller perspective of our return from this being the second gathering of God’s people as foretold in Isaiah 11:11. Yesterday’s post uncovered this aspect when we saw what was heard in Ephratah, and the literal meaning in the name being second fruit. We saw that confusion caused by seeing and hearing with eyes and ears trained in the ways of the world is what we overcome by our perception being recalibrated as we are enlightened and separated from the world.

One of the prior post’s referenced passages was John 16: 32 & 33, “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that you shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

The Greek word translated “scattered” is the five times used skorpizo. Here is the Strong’s Greek Dictionary Definition: Strong’s #4650: skorpizo (pronounced skor-pid’-zo) apparently from the same as 4651 (through the idea of penetrating); to dissipate, i.e. (figuratively) put to flight, waste, be liberal:–disperse abroad, scatter (abroad).

It is almost identical to the word skorpios (Strong’s #4651), meaning scorpion. The root meaning of the word is to pierce.

When the LORD uses the word skorpizo in John 10:12 to tell of the sheep being “scatters” there is a much deeper meaning. We know the subject is actually speaking of those coming against God’s people, who are part of His flock. The idea as translated is, when the wolf attacks the sheep it kills one sheep at a time often killing many. In the LORD’s description the shepherd has run away leaving the sheep defenseless and the wolf able to kill as many as its lust desires.

The deeper aspect is seen in John’s choice of the word written to describe it (actually the LORD, via His Spirit, directing John’s hand). The idea of piercing the victim, as does the scorpion, is telling of venom being injected that rots the victim inside. This is what happens to God’s flock as their shepherds abandon them, leaving them to be devoured by the wolfs, wolfs being the pop culture elites, academia, political parties and self-centered politicians, self-enriching false preachers and false prophets, the media elites that project the poison and manipulate people into living and acting out self-destruction. These are those that have injected their poison into the flock and cause the inner man to rot, and the best of the shepherds has given up, and gives as the only hope to fly away when some worse monster comes along. And sheep are devoured as they in safety watch from afar, not knowing they have already fled from the attack they are obligated to stand against.

This is the condition of confusion by poisoning we are told of in Revelation 9 when it speaks of scorpions only attacking those men who don’t have the seal of the God’s in their forehead. As we know from our recent studies this “seal” is both a mark of ownership and a seal that preserves from corruption. It is in the heads, protected by their minds having been enlightened and become immune to the technique (as if looking to the fiery serpent lifted on high).

In Revelation 9 we are told of those as serpents coming after the scorpions, and we are again told in these later verses the venom is what “issue out of their mouths.” These attackers described are those same men previously mentioned here as devouring the unprotected flock. If they are reading they should see themselves and repent.

Revelation 9
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he strikes a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon [destroying messenger – rebel angel], but in the Greek tongue has his name Apollyon [false sun – the false light of the world].
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

We see the scorpions only tormented men, shaking their foundational principles upon which reasoning depends, almost to death; and this is followed (in their tails) by death as these attacks by words continue and the unsealed men seeing it refuse to repent. It is all self-inflected torment by refusing the remedy. The word used and translated “torment” is the Greek basanismos, apparently coming from the words basis and seismos, meaning foundation and agitation. And once their unsound foundation is shaken the total collapse is inevitable.

The numbers in Revelation 9 are interesting. There is an army of two hundred million attacking and killing another one-third they are among. That would indicate a population of three hundred million, and if you add to this ten percent that are the “sealed” remnant, we are talking about a place with a population of about three hundred and thirty million people.

Revelation 10 follows telling of seeing another angel coming down from heaven, in a cloud, and a rainbow upon his head. The rainbow is what God put in the cloud after the deluge as a sign that He would never again allow the world to be totally destroyed by a deluge – such as has proceeded from the mouths of these attackers. This is why the deliverance comes as we see as one whose face is as if the sun [with as it were rays (qeren) shooting from it], and his feet as pillars of fire. This is the same pillar of fire that stood and kept separation between God’s people and Pharaoh’s army. These are the same pillars of cloud and fire by which the LORD both protected and led His people.

Exodus 13
21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

In Revelation 10:2 we see the little book opened in the hand of the angel as he steps onto the earth. The “little book” is the Greek word bibliaridion, which actually appears to have a much deeper meaning. It is made up of three words, biblos, meaning book; ara, a shortened form of airo, meaning to keep in suspense; and idios, meaning pertaining to one’s own self. This is the context we see as this angel’s voice is heard as thunder. (If you remember this is the way the validating voice of the Father was heard, written in John 12:29, “The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spoke to him.”) Here in Revelation John is told not to write what he has heard [because it is kept in suspension for the personal use of (the angel speaking with the voice of) God].

We later read in verse 6 of a pronouncement of the time of the suspense being ended, and in the next verse we read this is a time when the mysteries of God are finished (teleo – reach their conclusion). What follows is the book being placed in the hand of a man, and closing by telling the man, “You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”

Revelation 10
1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roared: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And swore by him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets.
8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which stands upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make your belly bitter, but it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11 And he said unto me, You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

I tell you now, all these things have already happened, and what we see in Revelation 10 is their being revealed – or seen by revelation. The remnant mentioned is back in Revelation 7 and are those spoken of in Isaiah 11.

I tell you TODAY IS THE DAY! Psalms 95
1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if you will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
11 Unto whom I swore in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

Isaiah 11
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dry-shod.
16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

Revelation 7
1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Psalms 103
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He has not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pities his children, so the LORD pities them that fear him.
14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19 The LORD has prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, you his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21 Bless you the LORD, all you his hosts; you ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

Continuing today where Isaiah 54 ended and the recent topic of new life shooting from what lacks any signs of life. Isaiah 53 begins explaining this with the analogy of the tender plant as a branch growing from a root in dry ground. The prior verse asks a question defining the meaning as this being the arms (work) of the LORD revealed to those believing the report. We understand from what follows it is the LORD taking on a visible appearance in a man, and this coinciding with another aspect of recent studies: those seeing and hearing having to overcome what their earthly eyes are seeing and their ears had previously heard from earthly teachers, and in overcoming see and hear the reality being manifested before them.

Isaiah 54 ends telling of the LORD’s appearance and of the new foundation as it is laid. Then is the description of the Holy City, as it is also described in Revelation 21, coming down from God out of heaven. Here in Isaiah it is also the coinciding description is of Jerusalem in its literal meaning of Yarah-shalam. As we know from many previous studies the words mean, yarah, to flow from as water; to lay down as a foundation; or to teach; and shalam, meaning be safe in mind, body a estate; be complete; be friendly; and is meant in a reciprocal sense. The context is telling of being taught and founded upon the teaching of God ways of civilization and peace.

Isaiah 54
11 O you afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay your stones with fair colors, and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 And I will make your windows of agates, and your gates of carbuncles, and all your borders of pleasant stones.
13 And all your children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In righteousness shall you be established: you shall be far from oppression; for you shall not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near you.
15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against you shall fall for your sake.
16 Behold, I have created the smith that blows the coals in the fire, and that brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
17 No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, says the LORD.

The chapter ends commanding us to condemn any voice that rises against this teaching, and to do so because all other opinions are the ways that have led to the discomfort and disease. The healing waters are flowing from only one source.

This is where Isaiah 55 picks up by calling all to come to the waters of life and freely drink. These are those waters. In verse 8 we read of the LORD’s ways not being our ways. It is further defining the concept of our having to overcome what our human eyes see and what our ears heard from men’s teaching, and in overcoming the world we see and hear the ways of peace.
The total confusion is the scattering the LORD told would occur at His death at the hand of the earthly powers. John 16: 32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that you shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Isaiah 55
1 Ho, every one that thirsts, come you to the waters, and he that has no money; come you, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfies not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you know not, and nations that knew not you shall run unto you because of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you.
6 Seek you the LORD while he may be found, call you upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Verse 3 above tells of this being the “sure mercies of David,” and it being part of the everlasting covenant. The terminology alludes to principles defined in Hebrews when it speaking of the LORD being a priest forever in the order of Melchisedec, without earthly origins. The name means king of righteousness, and the person being the king of Salem (peace – the same as shalam). It also alludes to the promise the LORD made to David that their will always be a king to sit on his throne, and David being mentioned is invoking the idea of all God’s people unified under a single righteous King (King of kings, and LORD of lords). These along with God’s promise to create man in His image and likeness are the everlasting covenant and the means of insuring it is achieved.

The “sure mercies of David” is quoted in Acts 13:34 in telling of the resurrection, and this passage in Acts also witnessing to the “everlasting sign that shall not be cut off,” written in Isaiah 55:13 above. If you read along you know we have seen the “scattering” being told of in many places elsewhere as falling away from God’s truth and it being likened to the tree cut off and only the seemingly dead root remaining. We see in verse 13 the everlasting covenant is mention as it also tells of the tree growing from where once only what choked off new growth had grown.

Acts 13
27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the [dead] tree, and laid him in a sepulcher [among the dead].
30 But God raised him from the dead:
31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.
32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
33 God has fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he has raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, You are my Son, this day have I begotten you.
34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
35 Wherefore he says also in another psalm, You shall not suffer your Holy One to see corruption.
36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
41 Behold, you despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

Verse 33 tells of the resurrection from among the dead being a son begotten by proclamation, and uses a quote from Psalms 2. I tell you plainly I am the son begotten from among the dead, and it is my Father that has raised me by His power and proclamation. He has raised me to be His voice in the midst of a world in total confusion. That is the truth and I couldn’t care less what people think or say about it.

John 16
10 Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwells in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
15 If you love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world sees me no more; but you see me: because I live, you shall live also.
20 At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
21 He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Psalms 2
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision [ridicule and confusion].
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex [overturn] them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set My king upon my holy hill of Zion.
7 I will declare the decree: the LORD has said unto me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, O you kings: be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Psalms 110
1 The LORD said unto my LORD, Sit you at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.
2 The LORD shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion: rule you in the midst of your enemies.
3 Your people shall be willing in the day of your power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: you have the dew of your youth.
4 The LORD has sworn, and will not repent, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
5 The LORD at your right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

Psalms 132
1 LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:
2 How he swore unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;
3 Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,
5 Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
6 Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.
7 We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.
8 Arise, O LORD, into your rest; you, and the ark of your strength.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For your servant David’s sake turn not away the face of your anointed.
11 The LORD has sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of your body will I set upon your throne.
12 If your children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon your throne for evermore.
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation.
14 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
17 There will I make the horn [qeren – rays of light] of David to bud [shoot forth]: I have ordained [prepared] a lamp for mine anointed.
18 His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

Verse 6 of Psalms 132 tells of hearing “it” in “Ephratah.” The “it” is of the habitation of God being found with the LORD rising to the place of His rest, and the ark of His strength. We know the ark is what carried life forward in the waters. We also know the waters are God’s teaching and counsel, which we are told is “angel’s food” and the bread of heaven. We know it is by the word of God that man lives, and not by earthly seen bread or water. Ephratah is Beth-lehem, meaning the house of bread, and Ephratah, meaning fruitful. Ephratah is a derivative of Ephraim, meaning double fruit – or second fruit as in the tree bringing forth a second time. Ephraim is also used to tell of the offspring of Joseph, the one separated from His brothers, and as defining his children as the latter time generation of God’s people. (I and the children God has given me are for signs and wonders. Isaiah 8:18)

Here is what was heard in Bethlehem Ephratah, “out of you shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

Micah 5
1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he has laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travails has brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian [king and rulers with foreign ways] shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treads within our borders.
7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that was not delayed for man, nor waits for the sons of men.
8 And the [REMNANT] remnant of Jacob [God’s people] shall be among the Gentiles [those foreign to God’s ways] in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treads down, and tears in pieces, and none can deliver.
9 Your hand shall be lifted up upon your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.
10 And it shall come to pass in that day, says the LORD, that I will cut off your horses out of the midst of you, and I will destroy your chariots:
11 And I will cut off the cities of your land, and throw down all your strong holds:
12 And I will cut off witchcrafts [those using word to deceive and manipulate] out of your hand; and you shall have no more soothsayers [“experts” predicting the ways to also manipulate in their ways]:
13 Your graven images [shaping opinions by their own opinion] also will I cut off, and your standing images [principles based on self-serving opinions] out of the midst of you; and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.
14 And I will pluck up your groves out of the midst of you: so will I destroy your cities.
15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

We ended yesterday’s post with a portion of John 12 telling of the Son of man being lifted, and then telling of hearing the voice of the Father validating the Son’s authority. Some there heard His voice as thunder, and others said it was an angel speaking. We then read it wasn’t for the Son’s sake the voice came but for those standing there. The passage continues on telling of those hearing the voice and seeing the light still not knowing He is the anointed one. This is immediately followed with citations from Isaiah explaining in more depth.

The first of these quotes is Isaiah 53:1 telling of this being the arm of the LORD revealed and asking, “Who has believed our report.” The meaning is the arm of the LORD is revealed to those who understand the report. Isaiah 53 then goes on to tell life springing forth and growing in a dry ground that is seemingly unable to sustain life. In the case of John 12 it is those hearing and seeing (understanding and perceiving) the works and the confirmation springing and growing in a hostile environment (without form, and void – of understanding).

The second citing is from Isaiah 6:9 & 10 and telling of why the people seeing were unable to understand, and hearing were unable to perceive. John 12:31 tells us, just after some did hear and understand, the reason why they were able. “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” The literal translation says, “Now is the decision point (krisis) of this world, and now are the rulers (archon) of this world ejected out (ekballo exo).” It is telling of those who’ve been in control, of what kept the people ignorant, being cast out of their seats of power and out of the house. This is followed by the emphatic statement telling of how this is accomplished, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” This is telling of when all men see him they will be drawn to him, and in doing will have overcome these rulers keeping them in the darkness.

Into yesterday’s posting of the John 12 passage was inserted a few verses from Jeremiah 4 telling of the condition of darkness wrought by these men, and then of the disorder of the earth just prior to light entering and the new creation occurring.

John 12
27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
28 Father, glorify your name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spoke to him.
30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abides for ever: and how say you, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walks in darkness knows not whither he goes.
[Jeremiah 4:21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? 22 For My people is foolish, they have not known Me; they are foolish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. 23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.]
36 While you have light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light. These things spoke Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38 That the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, LORD, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again,
40 He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
41 These things said Isaiah, when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.
42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

John 3 was also part of yesterday’s post in telling of the light being the light of men and what delivers them from darkness. In verse 19 the description also uses the word krisis, translated “condemnation,” to tell of self-destruction that comes from rejecting what is seen and heard once told it is the light.

John 3
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Are you a master [teacher] of Israel, and know not these things?
11 Truly, truly, I say unto you, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and you receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man have ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hates the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Isaiah 6 begins with Isaiah seeing the LORD on His throne, and lifted up, and of His train filling the temple. It is telling of the only way to see the LORD is on His throne and lift up, and what follows seeing this is the revelation of the fullness of His entity.

The second verse then tells of seeing the Seraphims standing, and of seeing six wings, two covering his face (identity), two covering his feet (ways), and two they did fly (moved in the heavens).

The Hebrew word translated “Saraphims” is saraph, meaning a burning one. Saraph is the word translated as “fiery” and “fiery serpent” in Numbers 21:6 & 8. This is the story we discussed yesterday, the first use telling of the “fiery” serpents in the camp whose venom was causing death, and the second use the “fiery serpent” the LORD told Mosses to lift on the pole. Those seeing it were immune to the bite of the serpents of death.

We know this is the pattern the LORD tells us of in John 3 of the Son of man needing to be lifted up. In this we see the fullness of the context when Isaiah 6 goes on to tell of the same Saraph touching his lips and making His word clean. It is telling of his being prepared to give the word of the LORD to those he is sent to, delivering it in the pure form as it was delivered to him from the LORD. Now, read the chapter in this context. The name Uzziah, means the Strength of Yah (Jehovah). It is telling of this strength having died in the kings – those ruling over God’s people.

Isaiah 6
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the Seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
6 Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, “Lo, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”
8 Also I HEARD the voice of the LORD, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then said I, “Here am I; send me.”
9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear you indeed, but understand not; and see you indeed, but perceive not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
11 Then said I, LORD, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
12 And the LORD has removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

The chapter ends telling us of the total desolation and of humanity fallen far away in a great forsaking in the midst of the land. This is defining the result of not being any longer able to understand or perceive what is seen or heard.

It then says there will a tenth that will return, and the original texts actually saying this is as if they are trees cut down and burned. It says those returning are as the stumps and the life being in the stump (literally – and the seed holy is in its stump). (Read yesterday’s post and this will be seen in a much fuller context.)

The John 12 quote from Isaiah 53:1 is telling of the root in the dry ground, from which shoots new life. And as Isaiah 7 tells of the wings covering the feet and the face of the Saraph, here we are told of it as if we hid our face from him, rejecting him in not perceiving his identity. It tells of all being as if sheep gone astray, describing the same condition we are told of in the Isaiah 7 description of humanity having fallen far away from knowing the LORD.

Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he has no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our grief, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opens not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief: when you shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he has poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 54
1 Sing, O barren, you that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says the LORD.
2 Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations: spare not, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes;
3 For you shall break forth on the right hand and on the left; and your seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
4 Fear not; for you shall not be ashamed: neither be you confounded; for you shall not be put to shame: for you shall forget the shame of your youth, and shall not remember the reproach of your widowhood any more.
5 For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
6 For the LORD has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when you were refused, says your God.
7 For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you.
8 In a little wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you, saith the LORD your Redeemer.
9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, says the LORD that has mercy on you.
11 O you afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay your stones with fair colors, and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 And I will make your windows of agates, and your gates of carbuncles, and all your borders of pleasant stones.
13 And all your children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In righteousness shall you be established: you shall be far from oppression; for you shall not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near you.
15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against you shall fall for your sake.
16 Behold, I have created the smith that blows the coals in the fire, and that brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
17 No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, says the LORD.

Continuing on with understanding the methods that have brought humanity to its current state of confusion and hopelessness. In the previous post we again saw this as the directly connected result of being led with theory and opinions rather than by logic and fact. In previous posts we have seen this condition of confusion and emptiness defined from the identical Hebrew words translated as the earth becoming, “without form, and void,” telling the creation story in Genesis 1:2, and in Jeremiah 4 defining a world without knowledge and this disorder resulting.

Jeremiah 4 precedes its description with telling of those who are “as keepers of a field” being against the people of God, and of these people having rebelled against God into ignorance that has allowed the decline. “17 As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she has been rebellious against Me, says the LORD. 18 Your way and your doings have procured these things unto you; this is your wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reached unto your heart [became the shallow and unsure foundation of your reasoning mind].

What follows is breaking silence with what is as if the sound of the trumpet, the alarm signifying war, which is the LORD’s coming with His immutable knowledge combating the condition of ignorance and its result. “19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. 20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment. 21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? 22 For My people is foolish, they have not known Me; they are foolish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. 23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.”

This takes us again to Matthew 24, and the “sign,” of the Son of man coming, mentioned in verse 30. We see in the verse following this is the LORD gathering us to Himself by His angels, with the same sound of the trumpet. These verses tell of His coming with the “sign” in heaven, and then the angels gathering us from one end of heaven to the other.

The basic logic tells us those being gathered are on the earth, therefore the heaven being mentioned is the earth, with its condition now changed to make it as is heaven, wherein the LORD’s will is done. We know the angels are those who receive God’s message directly from Him and deliver it in unaltered form and in doing the LORD makes His will known.

The proper ordering needed for understanding is: the sign is seen in heaven, this being the LORD’s will made known, and what follows is our being taken from one extreme of heaven to the other as His will is done in the earth as it is in heaven. Those taken from one extreme of mental stupor and sleeping but still God’s, to the other extreme of fully understanding God’s will and doing it, are defined as the elect of God. The next verse then describes this as the sign of the branch shooting forth new life.

Matthew 24
28 For where-so-ever the carcass [seemingly dead stump] is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun [church government] be darkened, and the moon [civil government] shall not give her light, and the stars [God’s people in their fixed position] shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and shoots forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Truly I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Yesterday we looked at this passage in this same context telling of life shooting forth from what is seen as dead. We also looked at Isaiah 11 and its coinciding perspective. The chapter begins with very clearly telling of the life that shoots forth as knowledge and understanding the LORD gives to those He chooses to put His spirit upon, in other words those He elects to rest His Spirit upon. This is telling of God choosing who is baptized/anointed with the Holy Spirit and with His Holy Fire (it isn’t by demand).

Isaiah 11:9 tells of this day being when, “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” The next verse tells of this life shooting forth from sleep and standing as an “ensign.” What follows is describing the “remnant” being gathered to the LORD as they are freed from the confusion of their oppression. It uses Israel and Judah to describe all God’s people being gathered to the root of Jessie, as they were to David. “12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”

Isaiah 11
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp [serpent], and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den [viper’s den].
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dry-shod.
16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

The Hebrew word nec translated “ensign” here twice in Isaiah 11:10 & 12 is the same word rendered “standard” in Jeremiah 4:6 & 21.

From Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Strong’s #5251: nec (pronounced nace) from 5264; a flag; also a sail; by implication, a flagstaff; generally a signal; figuratively, a token:–banner, pole, sail, (en-)sign, standard.

The word is used twenty times in a wide verity of translations. It is first used in Numbers 21:8 & 9 to tell of the “pole” upon which the serpent of brass was raised. If you will remember, it tells of serpents being among the people and the LORD responded by telling Moses to raise up a brass serpent on a pole, and when the serpents that had been causing death in the camp struck a man, if he looked to the serpent on the pole, the bite wouldn’t have any effect.

These are the same sign with the same effect. The Son of man must be lifted up! (See Isaiah 11:8 & 9 above)

It is also what the LORD speaks of as a must in John 3:14, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:” Prior to this statement the LORD has just told Nicodemus of the need to be born again (the need for new life to shoot forth from what now lay dormant in us).

John 3
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Are you a master [teacher] of Israel, and know not these things?
11 Truly, truly, I say unto you, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and you receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man have ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hates the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

This ensign that must be lifted is then in much further detail spoken of in Isaiah 13:2 where it is translated as “banner.” Here the chapter begins with Isaiah’s first mention of “Babylon” and this being the burden of it. The Hebrew word translated “burden” is massa’, meaning a prophecy of doom, and as we know Babylon means and is used to epitomize a reign of confusion. The confusion is of a language/discourse that has become without re-cognizable form, and void of any meaning (babble).

Here again we see the armies gather to battle from the ends of heaven, after they have looked to the “banner” and become unaffected by the confusion. “2 Lift you up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.”

Isaiah 13
1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
2 Lift you up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.
4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts musters the host of the battle.
5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
6 Howl you; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travails: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
14 And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man takes up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.
15 Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.
16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
18 Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.
21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.
22 And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

John 12
27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
28 Father, glorify your name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spoke to him.
30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abides for ever: and how say you, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walks in darkness knows not whither he goes.
[Jeremiah 4:21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? 22 For My people is foolish, they have not known Me; they are foolish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. 23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.]
36 While you have light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light. These things spoke Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38 That the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, LORD, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again,
40 He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
41 These things said Isaiah, when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.
42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Today continuing with the contrasting solution to yesterday’s discussion topic of what kindles the fires that are burning up the earth. As we saw, the cause is men imposing opinion on the world as if it is fact, and in doing deadening man’s ability to discern truth. We saw the never-ending argument of opinion against opinion now being the prevalent form of discourse, truth and fact suppressed, and if revealed ridiculed and slandered. We saw what has been deadened in man are his higher intellectual abilities for logical thought that requires accumulating data, then ordering and prioritizing it based on testing it against objective standards. We saw this corrupted thought process where objective criteria have been replace by feeling/opinion, this element itself being what kindles the fires in the world, and in doing the corrupted principles themself melt away as this connected cause and effect are understood.

In many past studies we have seen this retarding of the mind of man comes from what he is taught, and this teaching being the data input that determine the reaction. The advice and counsel in our corrupted world is meant to invoke feelings in reaction that seeming verify the opinion. The institutions where information and data are acquired, having once been those verifying truth and fact by investigation and experiment, now teach and report opinion without any objective verification. What then follows is never-ending debate where people give their opinions of the original opinion while never scrutinizing the underlying idea. What we have become is a world able to well articulate our ignorance. This world is Babylon, the tower has crumbled, and all discourse has been reduced to babble.

The first step in solving any problem is to thoroughly understand and properly identify the problem. Misidentifying is one of the techniques of this world of confusion and hopelessness. Which bring us to motive.

If a problem is properly identified and therefore a valid response can be implemented to address it, and instead opposing opinions are advised and raised to a level where they are seemingly equal or superior, it must be assumed there is an underlying motive. The one aspect that can always be said to be true in all such cases is that the motive is said to be a different means to reach the same end. In experiencing this in the world and seeing it so often end in outcomes opposite those stated, we must understand the results as either the true hidden underlying motive, or the source of the opinion must be discredited due to its not achieving the desired end. This process is the test/experience/experiment that proves opinion/theory true or false.

Friends, the truth can be known and problems can be solved. Our society and world have been with intention reduced to ignorance through bad advice. I have here today and over many such days identified the problem, and in doing also illuminated the means to address it. These are steps one and two in the formula of problem solving. Step three is to implement the solution and have the fortitude and vigilance to follow it through – forever, because if not forever it will come back in the same exact way, as it has through history. The Holy fire is the solution and counters ignorance and opinion with logic and evidence.

Here is the way Joseph Gobbles stated the means of suppressing truth. He stated its iteration in history past as the method of the National Socialist Party of Hitler’s Germany. This is the proof found in past experience of a government and society using this technique:

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

This is the world we live in, and the pop culture elites, academia, political parties, and the mass media are those engaging their opinions in the battle against truth.

Isaiah 11 speaks of the branch that grows out of the root of Jessie. Among other things it is speaking of Jessie as the father of just rule personified in David. The root is telling of the tree having been cut off and representing the pure form of just leadership being cut off. The branch that shoots forth is life coming from the same root and from the seemingly dead stump. It is also telling of all God’s people gathered to one leader.

This is what the LORD is speaking of when he tells us in Matthew 24:

28 For where-so-ever the carcass [seemingly dead stump] is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun [church government] be darkened, and the moon [civil government] shall not give her light, and the stars [God’s people in their fixed position] shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and shoots forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Isaiah 11
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dry-shod.
16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

It should be noted that the rod by which the Branch wars to free us from our oppressors is the rod of his mouth. We are told this counsel and advice is by the Spirit of the LORD working in him. Verse 15 tells us of this being the LORD utterly destroying the tongue of the Egyptian sea, and of dying up the rivers and streams. From our previous discussion we know these waters as the death inducing advice flowing from those oppressing us. These dried up is telling of our being able to see what (death) is lurking in them. We are then told this is in the same pattern as when we came up out of the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me; because the LORD has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But you shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: you shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall you boast yourselves.
7 For your shame you shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD has blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth her bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the LORD God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Isaiah 62
1 For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burns.
2 And the Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory: and you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
3 You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall your land any more be termed Desolate: but you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah: for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you: and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
6 I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: you that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
8 The LORD has sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give your corn to be meat for your enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink your wine, for the which you have labored:
9 But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.
10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare you the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.
11 Behold, the LORD has proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say you to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and you shall be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

Isaiah 63
1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
2 Wherefore are you red in your apparel, and your garments like him that treads in the wine-fat?
3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
7 I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he has bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses.
8 For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Savior.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
12 That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
13 That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?
14 As a beast goes down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst you lead your people, to make thyself a glorious name.
15 Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of your holiness and of your glory: where is your zeal and your strength, the sounding of your bowels and of your mercies toward me? are they restrained?
16 Doubtless you are our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: you, O LORD, are our father, our redeemer; your name is from everlasting.
17 O LORD, why have you made us to err from your ways, and hardened our heart from your fear? Return for your servants’ sake, the tribes of your inheritance.
18 The people of your holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down your sanctuary.
19 We are yours: you never bare rule over them; they were not called by your name.

We have many times discussed the fires that burn in the world to end the age, and these fires what melt way the “elements.” We’ve seen “elements” are the principles (stoicheion) the world relies upon in all it ways. We know the fires are kindled by these principles themselves being employed and inevitably failing. In this we see the self-inflicted torment the world brings upon itself in ever increasing degrees as those in control refuse to alter course. We have seen the failed principles as self-centric and self-consuming, perpetrated and perpetuated on the world by elites, by academia, by experts, and projected to the body politic by mass media.

Today let’s take a deeper look at the fires and their cause. To being I will tell you the conclusion: the fires are kindled by the opinions of these same people mentioned above and projected in the same ways to the masses. Their opinions are presented as fact, while the actual fact is they mold their opinions for the moment as needed to move the masses. Their purpose began with demoralization, and having removed all standards of right and wrong, true and false, replacing them with opinions to be argued also destroyed rational thought. They replace thinking with feeling, which are nothing more than opinions, and reduced all human discourse to endless argument.

The human mind is meant to be a combination of thinking and feeling/opinion. Opinion is the lower form of mental activity where theories are formed. The higher activity is thinking which formulates and orders the theory into forms where it can be proven or disproven. This is called rational thought. The data we see either abstractly by mental modeling, or by external experiment/experience, is then rationally and systematically examined. The opinion is proven true if the evidence of the experience matches it, if not the theory acknowledged as untrue. This is how arguments start as opinions and end by means of rational thought and facts.

The world we live in is ruled by feelings/opinions and in doing has become void, confused, without form and without value. The experts become trapped in the echo chamber of their theoretical world, never experiencing, therefore void of any evidence and self-shielded from truth. The result is blindness and endless argument as eternal self-inflicted torment burning unquenchable. Holy fire is one that purifies and comes to a conclusion by removing the dross (impurities as untruth). The world’s fires burn only to destroy.

This God given intellect created in all men is what the world seeks to deaden and keep dead in the endless argument of feeling against feeling. What they deaden is man’s ability know (discern) between opinion and fact/truth. They ridicule, defame and slander truth, truth tellers, and findings of fact. While doing this they hide and alter their reporting of the consequences of policy and actions based on the world’s failed principles, these failed opinion based elements and the fires they kindle. They do it to mask the fruit proving the tree undeniably corrupt – and the world burns.

Proverbs 30 tells of the horse-leech having two daughters crying, “Give, give.” It goes on with examples of things never satisfied, nor ended by saying “enough.” The passage is speaking of two wanting and never being satisfied as a never ending fire. The horse-leech is named so because it would attach itself to the mouth and tongue of horses as they drank from the waters. The meaning is both of sucking the life (blood) from the one to whom it has attached, and by associating it with the tongue and mouth telling of corrupted words produced through these and their effect.

Proverbs 30
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15 The horse-leech Has two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that says not, It is enough.

Proverbs 26 tells of these fires as intentional strife and contention. Verse 19 speaks of deception that is said to be just a game that is played. The following two verses tell of these fires of “strife” being kindled by slanderers and the contentious. The Hebrew word translated as “strife” is madown, meaning a quarrel. This is the pattern we see in our time, taught by the experts and the elites, projected by the mass media, and deadening the minds of the culture. These are the rivers of water flowing from corrupt sources sucking the life from humanity. I say, ENOUGH!

Proverbs 26
7 He that passes by, and meddles with strife belonging not to him, is like one that takes a dog by the ears.
18 As a mad man who casts firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 So is the man that deceives his neighbor, and says, Am not I in sport? [says it was just a game he was playing]
20 Where no wood is, there the fire goes out: so where there is no talebearer [slanderer], the strife ceases.
21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
23 Burning lips and a wicked heart [principles] are like a potsherd covered with silver dross [as a piece of broken pot covered in the what has been refined out of the valuable – both worthless and unable to hold anything].
24 He that hates dissembles [creates deception] with his lips, and lays up deceit within him;
25 When he speaks fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart [as his reason].
26 Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be showed before the whole congregation.
27 Whoso digs a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolls a stone, it will return upon him.
28 A lying tongue hates those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Here again we must look at James 3 and it telling of the tongue being what causes the fire of gehenna. Ge-henna is Hinnom the valley outside the city of Jerusalem where trash was dumped and burned. There the fires burned continually.

James 3
1 My brethren, be not many masters [teacher/expert to the masses], knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor wills.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of gehenna.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and Has been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Let us continue with further understanding God’s creating us in His image and likeness. As we saw yesterday it is accomplished when we understand and accept it by calling out to God as our Father, and this leading us to entry into His kingdom in which resides righteousness. The idea of calling God Father is we accept Him as our guide into righteousness as we accept His correction. We understand His correction comes as our faithful Creator imparting His knowledge and wisdom with the intention of producing in us a perspective and inclination toward doing justice.

Man teaches justice is in what you do to someone for wrongs either done by them or against them. True justice is found in what you don’t do (because it implies it be measured against an objective standard and rights).

The end God seeks in us is to have a heart and mind in accord with His. As we have seen in many past studies the heart is the foundation of our reasoning, upon which all our decisions are based. We have often spoken of the mind of Christ, which is the mind of God formed in a human being. We have seen this many times as the objective of our understand God’s knowledge and wisdom – His mind being formed in us. We have seen it in God’s word also defined as well-formed conscience, and the Greek word translated as conscience meaning a co-perspective (with God).

The mind of Christ is our being aligned with God, meaning having received His understanding and wisdom (character) we act in accord with His will. The understanding and wisdom are the heart, and the mind is when our will is subordinated to God’s will.

The Greek word translated “mind” is nous, meaning intellect. It is the same word translated as understanding. Nous is from the base of the word ginosko, meaning to know, and in context it means to be aware, as in to perceive.

This brings us to the point some have already seen, which is all the above described in Romans 8. We read in verse 15 of the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. In the verse prior we are told of our becoming the sons of God by being led by the Spirit of God. In verse 16 we read that in crying out is the Spirit itself bearing witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

Romans 8
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, “Abba, Father.”
16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

As we saw yesterday this is what Jeremiah 3:19 speaks of when it tells of how the LORD will make us His children and place us in His pleasant land, when we call out to Him saying, “My Father,” and not turn away from following Him. “…How shall I put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, ‘You shall call Me, My Father; and shall not turn away from Me.'”

This passage in Jeremiah add to our understanding of being led by the Spirit as it is written in Romans 8:14 when it says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:15 then goes on to tell of our crying out with, what is translated as, “Abba, Father.”

The word “Abba” is used three times and always transliterated rather than translated. The original text reads, Abba, o Pater. Abba is said to be from the Hebrew (Chaldean) word ab, meaning father. It appears better translated in context as from the Hebrews word abah, meaning to breathe -after, as in to be acquiescent. It is translated as consent (would), rest content, will, and be willing. It is telling of being in agreement with, and therefore going along with God, as in being “led by the Spirit,” or “not turn(ing) away from” following God. The phrase translated “Abba, Father,” could be more correctly translated as “I am in agreement with My Father,” as in, I and my Father are of one mind.

One of the other appearances of “Abba, Father” is in Mark 14:36 where it is used by the LORD telling of His understanding this agreement and demonstrating the acquiescence by saying “not my will, but Your will be done.” We see following this the reason the cup couldn’t and wouldn’t pass from the LORD’s hand. All those that should have been awake had fallen asleep. The final of three times this happens we see the LORD, instead of as the first two times awakening them, telling them to sleep on. This is telling of His knowing the cup was only meant for Him and only He could fulfill it. This sleep, in the now long night without light, is alluded to prior as the three times Peter would deny Him before the day would dawn. The darkness is mentioned in type when telling of the temptation that would come if they weren’t watchful. This is the same temptation we saw yesterday as the devil came to the LORD advising Him to abuse His authority and to act upon misrepresentations (ignorance) of the Word of God.

Mark 14
30 And Jesus said unto him, Truly I say unto you, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, you shall deny me thrice.
31 But he spoke the more vehemently, If I should die with you, I will not deny you in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
32 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he said to his disciples, Sit you here, while I shall pray.
33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;
34 And said unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry you here, and watch.
35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto you; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what you will.
37 And he came, and found them sleeping, and said unto Peter, Simon, sleep you? could not you watch one hour?
38 Watch you and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spoke the same words.
40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither knew they what to answer him.
41 And he came the third time, and said unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners (those asleep in error).
42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrays me is at hand.

The only other use of “Abba, Father” is in Galatians 4:6 in telling of the LORD coming to redeem those in bondage under the elements of the world, so that we might receive the adoptions as the sons of God. The word “elements” here is the same word stoicheion translated “elements” in 2 Peter 3 telling of them melting away in the world purifying fires at the end of the age. We know these as the principles the world has as its foundation and upon which it relies on for the basis of all its reasoning. Here in Galatians 4 it is Paul telling of our being freed from these as we receive the adoption as sons of God, and asking why if we are freed do we want to return to these same ways of the world.

Paul then mentions how these Galatians where able to overcome the contradiction the earthly mind saw in him being a flesh man, and in overcoming this accepting him as an angel of God and as Christ Jesus. The meaning he is imparting is that he was giving God’s word as it had been given to him directly, just as it had been with Christ Jesus, and thereby being one with Christ Jesus. Paul uses this to lead up to his telling them this is God’s and his objective with them, that Christ would be formed in them.

The words Paul uses in Galatians 4:19 are “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you…” This brings to mind (of Christ) the words of Isaiah 8:18 when it says, “I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwells in mount Zion.”

We know that Isaiah 8 is telling of falling (turning) away from the LORD and of the means for returning being through accepting correction. We looked at the chapter in yesterday’s post, and as it is also written in Deuteronomy 8:5 in the context of man living by through/by the Word of God (manna as angel’s food). “3 And he humbled you, and suffered you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you knew not, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD [in the same form as it came from the source] does man live. 4 Your raiment waxed not old upon you, neither did your foot swell, these forty years. 5 You shall also consider in your heart, that, as a man chastens [corrects] his son, so the LORD your God chastens [corrects] you. 6 Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.”

Galatians 4
1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be LORD of all;
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
4 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore you are no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8 Howbeit then, when you knew not God, you did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that you have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage?
10 You observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.
12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as you are: you have not injured me at all.
13 You know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
14 And my temptation which was in my flesh you despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Where is then the blessedness you spoke of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that you might affect them.
18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
21 Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which produces to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But [New] Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, you barren that bears not; break forth and cry, you that travails not: for the desolate has many more children than she which has an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what says the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

1 Corinthians 2
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the LORD of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.
10 But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who has known the mind of the LORD, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with you.
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them upon your fingers, write them upon the table of your heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, You are my sister; and call understanding your kinswoman:
5 That they may keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger which flatters with her words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10 And, behold, there met him a woman [the tempter] with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart.
11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lies in wait at every corner.)
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet you, diligently to seek your face, and I have found you.
16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For the good-man is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20 He has taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22 He goes after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hastes to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life.
24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O you children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not our heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26 For she has cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Today continuing with a deeper look at the Genesis 6 & 7 description of the days of Noah and what it tells us about today. 2 Peter 3 speaks of these days as the example of the ending the old earth age and beginning the next by very plainly telling us it happens by means of the Word of God. As we saw yesterday the LORD tell us His word would not pass away, as He describes the day the age ends as being when the old heaven and earth pass away. In the same Matthew 24 description we hear the LORD tell of a generation that wouldn’t pass until all things were fulfilled.

Genesis 7 begins with telling of the House of Noah being saved by entering into the ark because the LORD saw them as righteous. “1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come you and all your house into the ark; for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”

2 Peter 3:13 tells us the LORD has promised us that when the old corrupted heaven and earth are replaced by the age changing it is through/to righteousness as the characteristic of the new. “13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.”

We know from Genesis 6 the age had become totally corrupted wherein all humanity’s thoughts were upon evil. The cause we are told was the sons of God (the angels), those sent to deliver God message, had intermixed with the ways of the world, and from this corruption of the message men rose in the earth to great power (giants). We know Noah and his house where the only people listening to God and heeding His warnings.

2 Peter 3 tells that in the last days of this age [of this one as in every] there shall be scoffers. They will in like manner as in the days of Noah reject the warnings, though the LORD is long suffering hoping for their repentance.

2 Peter 3
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the LORD as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The LORD is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

The word Hebrew word translated “ark” in Genesis is tebah. It is said to mean, box, and to be from an uncertain origin. The word is used thirty-one times, twenty-nine in the Genesis 6 thru 9 Noah account. The other two times appear in Exodus 2 to tell of the vessel that carried Moses in the waters. In both instances we see the ark carrying and delivering for the purpose of preserving the House, and in both causes we see it being carried in the waters. We know that in these waters there is both life and death, and the life was through what was in the ark.

The origin of the word tebah is most likely from the word tebel. The word means the moist parts of the earth (opposite of deserts), and used for the inhabited parts of the earth. It derives from the word yabal meaning to flow, as in to bring forth. The deeper meaning here in the context of our discussion is in words depicting life being transport from a corrupted place of death, safely and saved in the ark, to a place in the earth where life could begin again to thrive as the next age begins. This is and has always been the plan and means for accomplishing making/creating man in Our/God’s image and likeness.

At the same time these above means of transport the message of life where ending with Moses being drawn from the water we’re told the next iteration of the ark. The word next used to described it is ‘arown, also said to mean, a box. The first appearance of the word is in Genesis 50:26 in describing Joseph’s “coffin,” and this is the only time the word is rendered in this form. The Spiritual meaning is the deliverer, the one separated from His brothers for God’s purpose of deliverance, was now placed in a different vessel, and this symbolizing changing of the age and of Moses coming in the pattern of a new Joseph. Remember, it is after Joseph died that the decline occurred under those who didn’t know him.

With the coming of Moses’ deliverance of God’s people by the hand of God we see the ark constructed according to the LORD’s instructions. Remember, the ark wasn’t only called the Ark of the Covenant, but rather it was first called the Ark of the Testimony. The Hebrew word used for covenant is briyth, meaning a compact; and testimony is `eduwth, meaning testimony as a witness or for a record. In these two words we see the transformation as it begins as the initial agreement and then becomes the continued record and witness to the implementation. The first use of the word briyth is in Genesis 6:18 as God tells Noah of the death of all living, and that He will establish His “covenant” with him as he comes into the ark. In these we see that the Covenant precedes this time. The covenant as we have already discussed is that God will create man in His image and likeness. This is the original “compact” even though man had yet to comprehend it, and compact meaning being drawn together (to the eventual same mind and humanity’s civilization).

The original use of the word ‘eduwth is in Exodus 16:34 where Moses commanded Aaron to gather manna to keep for a record, so the people would know with what bread the LORD fed them in the wilderness. The Hebrew word here translated “manna” is man, and literally means, a what-ness, as in the question the people asked about it saying, “what is it.” Again the implication is they still had no idea it was the Word of God that kept them alive. This was the testimony to be kept and passed on. This is what we are told of in Deuteronomy 8:3 and what the LORD quotes several times in telling of the written record in the Word of God. Psalms 78:26 tells of manna and describes it as “angel’s food.”

We know angels are those God’s word is given, to be delivered to others on God’s behalf in the same form it was received. This is the testimony that is kept to be delivered to future generations. We also know that altering the message or using it in a self-centered way are the traits of the fallen angels, and listening to these corrupted forms what causes the fall of humanity. When the LORD speaks to the devil quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3 it is exposing this being as a fallen messenger who is using advising/tempting Him to misusing His authority as a show. Instead the LORD uses the Word for correction, as the devil then goes on to misquote the Word of God by altering the context, and the LORD corrects again.

Psalms 78
22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in His salvation:
23 Though He had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn [bread] of heaven.
25 Man did eat angels’ food: He sent them meat to the full.

Deuteronomy 8
1 All the commandments which I command you this day shall you observe to do, that you may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers.
2 And you shalt remember all the way which the LORD your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, and to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or not.
3 And he humbled you, and suffered you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you knew not, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD [in the same form as it came from the source] does man live.
4 Your raiment waxed not old upon you, neither did your foot swell, these forty years.
5 You shalt also consider in your heart, that, as a man chastens [corrects] his son, so the LORD your God chastens [corrects] you.
6 Therefore you shalt keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

In John 6:31 the LORD quotes from Psalms 78:24 beginning a passage telling of His being the bread of heaven.

John 6
26 Jesus answered them and said, Truly, truly, I say unto you, You seek me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 Labor not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him has God the Father sealed.
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he has sent.
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign show you then, that we may see, and believe you? what dost you work?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Truly, truly, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and gives life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, LORD, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
36 But I said unto you, That you also have seen me, and believe not.
37 All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father’s will which has sent me, that of all which he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which sees the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

The word “sealed” in verse 27 above is from the Greek word sphragizo. It is a word literally meaning a mark of authentication and sealed to preserve – from the works of the corrupter. Here we see it is the still unknown mark of being the Word of God, sent by God to confirm and continue the work of creating man. The fact that they don’t understand is seen as they ask for a sign just after he has told them of what marks him as the one (teaching the Word of God preserved in Him as the new ark – and the world comprehended it not). The word sphragizo is only used one other time in John. It is the word translated “has set to his seal” in John 3:33.

John 3
31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
32 And what he has seen and heard, that he testifies; and no man receives his testimony.
33 He that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true.
34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
36 He that believeth on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.

John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

This takes us back to the last reference to the ‘arown (Ark) of the Covenant, which appears in Jeremiah 3:16. It is used speaking of the end of the testimony being carried outside men as an external testimony, as it alludes to what we then read of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31:31. There it is actually speaking of the word becoming flesh as in it being written in our mind now by understanding. Christ is the forerunner showing us the way, as the word BECAME flesh, so it is the way we who believe will travel to this same becoming – the finished product made in the image and Likeness of God. It is our becoming the ark that carries and delivers the life of God’s message.

Jeremiah 3
14 Turn, O backsliding children, says the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16 And it shall come to pass, when you be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says the LORD, they shall say no more, The Ark of the Covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
17 At that time they shall call [New] Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to [New] Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
19 But I said, How shall I put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, You shalt call Me, My Father; and shalt not turn away from Me.
20 Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, says the LORD.
21 A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.
22 Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto you; for you are the LORD our God.
23 Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains [the high places rising from and looming over the earth]: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
24 For shame has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covers us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

Jeremiah 31
31 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, says the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, says the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

The covenant was first a spoken compact and carried forward by Noah in an Ark, then a written Covenant carried with the Testimony in an Ark, and The Testimony became Flesh and walked with man, and man never having seen the light, in his darkened world, comprehended it not. This is the same testimony now preached here, and men still wonder about the origin never having been taught in this manna – with the Word of God as delivered directly from Him.

Jeremiah 3:19 asks the question how can this happen, and the LORD answers, “You shalt call Me, My Father; and shalt not turn away from Me.” This takes us back to Isaiah 8 and the part that I have often left off. The beginning verses tells of the child named Mahershalalhashbaz being conceived and born, and before the child knows to cry My Father and my mother shall all the land and God’s people be plundered and ruined. The name translates into four words: haste, spoil, speed, prey. This chapter in this part tells of making a covenant with what corrupts the people, bringing in the way foreign to God’s ways and opposing his plan for creating man. This straying off course results in the ruin and the chapter goes on to call us back to God’s counsel. This is the sign that is told of in verse 18, which occurs after the people know to call God their Father, “I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwells in mount Zion.”

The chapter tells of comprehension restored in the children by the uncorrupted Word of God. Now read the chapter in the context of today’s conversation and understand this return of comprehension is our entering the ark as the world still sees nothing but a darkening sky.

Isaiah 8
1 Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take you a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.
2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
5 The LORD spoke also unto me again, saying,
6 Forasmuch as this people refuse the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
7 Now therefore, behold, the LORD brings up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.
9 Associate yourselves, O you people, and you shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all you of far countries: gird yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces.
10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
12 Say you not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear you their fear, nor be afraid.
13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwells in mount Zion.
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.