Word XP

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.

Having read yesterday’s post, and with understanding the great falling away that has occurred during man’s decay by additions to and subtractions from the truth delivered from the original source, let us continue on. In the previous post we saw our time of great trouble caused by minds now inescapably locked in self-created confusion, and the LORD’s intervening with correction reestablishing truth and order. We saw this intervention as the dividing of time, after the times of divine silence, which followed the time truth was delivered from the source. We saw the time of falling away being during the time of silence and the entering of LORD being as He silences these men destroying the earth by induced ignorance, as they being blind having led the blind into the proverbial ditch.

Having seen the logic and necessity for this correction to be establishing through one single source, and the means being by revealing truth strategically placed in God’s written word, and this revelation witnessed to by the LORD both validates the source and reestablishes order.

We have also seen there are and will be those who will continue to reject this truth and do so because they want to keep all the works they have amassed telling all they think and know about the way things should be. Those doing so are, as Esau, selling their birthright for morsels. They reject both the witness on earth and from heaven. They choose the darkness because their deeds are evil and they refuse to be corrected and thereby reject the offer to become sons of God by His cleansing power.

Matthew 24:36 tells us there is no man or angel that knows the day or the hour, only the Father in heaven. This is plainly telling of the Father being the one who reveals this final dividing of time, and it follows the LORD telling us heaven and earth will pass away but His words will not pass away. In the verses prior we told that those watching for the precursors of the rebirth would see and know it is near, even at the door/gate. The point isn’t that we won’t know, but it is rather very clearly telling us only the Father knows the details. This what these men of our time have done, adding all the detail and removing understanding, of the time being of God’s revealing these details. All of this is likened to days of Noah, and the final dividing point being as the flood coming that washes away the unbelieving. And as in the days of Noah these men in our time go about doing the same things they have always done thinking these posts aren’t the flood, and as in the days of Noah are being washed away, or more accurately we are being washed from the filthy corruption they have created and maintain, which blinds God’s people away from the truth.

This washing way is the first heaven and earth being removed and the New replacing it. The same Greek word is used three times in this description translated “pass” or “pass away.” The first is telling of the generation that sees these things and doesn’t “pass” until they are fulfilled. The next tells of heaven and earth, which “pass away.” The third speaks of the delivered word, which will not “pass away.”

Here is the Greek word from the Strong’s Greek Dictionary:

Strong’s #3928: parerchomai (pronounced par-er’-khom-ahee) from 3844 and 2064; to come near or aside, i.e. to approach (arrive), go by (or away), (figuratively) perish or neglect, (causative) avert:–come (forth), go, pass (away, by, over), past, transgress.

The word is used thirty-one times and all but five are in the Gospels or Acts. In looking at the five we see the full meaning.

It is translated “passed away” in 2 Corinthians 5:17 to tell of the new birth and of the old creation being replace by the new, as we come to life being reconciled to God by His Spirit in us.

2 Corinthians 5
14 For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be you reconciled to God.
21 For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

It is then translated “he shall pass away” in James 1:10 as it exhorts the poor to rejoice it that he is elevated and rich in being brought down, because “he shall pass away” as does the flower of the grass as soon as the sun rises (new day).

James 1
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the LORD.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower thereof falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the LORD has promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God.

1 Peter 1:24 uses the same analogy as it speaks to those who have reached the end of our faith and see the Glory of the LORD. The difference here is the rising of the sun, that cause the rich man to fade away in his ways, is interchanged with the Word of the LORD enduring forever.

1 Peter 1
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which has called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be you holy; for I am holy.
17 And if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18 Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away:
25 But the word of the LORD endures forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

The word is next used in 1 Peter 4:3 in speaking of our life/time “past” in which we did the will of the world. The chapter tells of our now sober mind and new life doing the will of God (His kingdom come, His will being done on earth, as it is in heaven). As it tells of this we are told that if any man speaks he should speak only what has been delivered to him, not after his own lust speaking. In this context the chapter end with telling of the LORD as the Creator – by His delivering and delivered word (as 2 Peter 3:5 tells us and then ends with verse 15 – 17 telling of and warning against following the example of those who wrestle with God’s word to their own destruction, and in doing “fall” [when the sun rises]).

1 Peter 4
1 Forasmuch then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin;
2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked wanting material things, lusting for them, drunken in this, rejoicing together in it, and consorting with those doing so, these being abominable idolatry:
4 Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
6 Therefore for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
7 But the end of all things is at hand: be you therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
10 As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you; for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

The next use of parerchomai is as “pass away” in 2 Peter 3:10 speaking of the heavens “passing away” as the LORD comes as a thief in the night. The verse also speaks of the “elements” melting way as the earth and the work thereof are burned up. Remember, the word “element” is stoicheion, meaning the foundational principles upon which the world relies in all its thinking and the resulting works that have led to its failed condition. These are what are replaced with the truth and the new birth of the new heaven and new earth, and New Jerusalem wherein dwells righteousness (truth, equity and security – New Jerusalem – Taught and Founded upon the ways of peace and security).

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 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, 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 final time parerchomai appears is Revelation 21:1 in bluntly telling us of seeing the New Heaven and New Earth and the reason is that the old had “passed away.” It goes on to tell of New Jerusalem with its foundation being of the most valuable stones, and the gates (the way into life) being through those who deliver the word as it was delivered to them.

Revelation 21
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the city lies foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the LORD God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Let’s continue Our defense (apologia) of the Gospel, and battle the darkness of ignorant and the superficial (the antilogia). These are both the intention and content of these posts. In their most recent era (aer) we have gone beyond the basic doctrines of the faith, which are the necessary building blocks upon which the defense must be founded, and have entered into the mysteries which Hebrews defines as the Holy of Holies. The writer uses this terminology to explain this is where we are able to meet face to face with God, and where he will at His discretion manifest His presence to those He chooses, and then reveal His will in His time.

This revelation isn’t of things that are known, nor can they be known, therefore neither are they contained in books written or words spoken by the will of men. God’s written word and His revelation are what alters time and changes man’s direction, creates kingdoms and pulls down the strong holds of others.

In time and times of great strife (antilogia – opposing discourse), usually caused by God’s people straying into confusion by men creating their own doctrines and placing them in the stead of God’s truth and intention, God uses the means of revelation to uncover mysteries, to establish and confirm the origin from whom His truth is being spoken. Logically and by necessity this must be a single voice/source, and the necessity and logic are if it weren’t from a single confirmed source it would be just another voice in the midst of mass confusion.

This is the entire point of the book of Hebrews. I have in the past called the book a Letter of Introduction of Timothy.

The book begins telling of God speaking in these last days by His son, “these last days” meaning the most resent era in which it had occurred. These “eras” are the time and times that are frequently spoken of in God’s written word, and the intervention we have been speaking of is the finality of what has been translated as the “half time.” This “half time” is actually written as the halving of time, as in dividing the time. It is telling of rightly discerning the final time of these times, and then rightly dividing the word and God speaking into existence His New Creation.

It is also a reference to the time of silence, lacking any Divine Clarification, between the First and the Second Advent. This time between is when the angels (messengers) are sent throughout the world as ministering spirits to bring the word as it was delivered to them. In this we see where and how the “falling away (apostasy)” from the delivers truth occurs, as we also see the idea of the fallen angels in those refusing to return from their rebellion, first against the truth and then in rejecting the correction opposing God Himself.

Hebrews uses many quotes from previous scriptures to bring understanding by way of establishing the continuity of God’s unchanging (while often misunderstood by neglect) plan for reestablish His will through the afore mentioned means, and bringing all things back onto His course of creating man in His image and likeness. One such quote is from Psalms 2 and it appearing as the foundation of Chapter 1.

Hebrews 1
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, You are my Son, this day have I begotten you? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
6 And again, when he brings in the first-begotten into the world, he says, And let all the angels of God worship him.
7 And of the angels he says, Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
8 But unto the Son he says, Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
10 And, You, LORD, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of you hands:
11 They shall perish; but you remain; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
12 And as a garment shall you fold them up, and they shall be changed: but you are the same, and your years shall not fail.
13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool?
14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

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.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex 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.

The entirety of the book of Hebrews is telling of this reoccurrence as it also often warns not to reject this very word when it is spoken to you. The warnings begin chapter 2 and end chapter 12, while what is between tells us what is occurring using the similarity in form and fashion of the priesthood and the temple. The reoccurring nature is told of using Melchisedec as the example of a never-ending life without earthly origins and a priest of reformation arising outside the existing order.

Hebrews 2
1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
2 For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the LORD, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
5 For unto the angels has he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that you are mindful of him? or the son of man that you visit him?
7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of your hands:
8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 Saying, I will declare your name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto you.
13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God has given me.
14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to assist and support them that are tempted.

The book ends telling of Timothy being set at liberty. The message is telling those reading to know Timothy has been set free. The word translated as “liberty” is apoluo, literally meaning away or off (apo) and loosed (luo). It is the word used many times to describe the LORD’s being release by the officials after He had been taken to trial. As we know He could have been released but wasn’t because of the popular opinion of the people stirred by the religious leaders. In the context of this trial the writer uses this word to describe Timothy.

For those who know of Timothy, his father was a Greek and his mother was a Jew. He became the Bishop or Ephesus, and with His mixed heritage I am sure his contemporaries, most likely all Hebrews, were questioning his qualifications for being elevated to the position of what could be considered very similar to a High Priest. This is most likely the reason for this Letter of Recommendation. The Spirit of God had a bigger plan by use of divine intellect. He wrote it as if pen in His own hand to us for this time.

Revelation and divine intellect are what is alluded to in Habakkuk 3:4 when it tells of God power being in His hand and as the rays of the sun (horn) coming from His hand. The chapter begins by telling of Habakkuk hearing the speech of the LORD, and understanding it was the LORD riving his work in the midst of the years, and making known in the midst of his years. “The midst of the years” is the same dividing of time we looked at above. The same word translated “midst” is used in Habakkuk 2:19 to tell of this time of silence having declined into idolatry and there being no “breath” in the “midst” of it. Breath is life and Spirit, and this is telling of there being neither left in this “midst.” It is into this era the LORD intervenes. (Era is aer (breath), as it is the “air” of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 where we meet with the LORD,)

These are the mysteries the LORD keep for use by whom ever He chooses and anoints.

Habakkuk 2
18 What profits the graven image that the maker thereof has graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusts therein, to make dumb idols?
19 Woe unto him that says to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20 But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

Habakkuk 3
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet concerning those in error.
2 O LORD, I have heard your speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns [as ray of the sun rise] coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.
5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.
6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
8 Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was your anger against the rivers? was your wrath against the sea, that you didst ride upon your horses and your chariots of salvation?
9 Your bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even your word. Selah. You didst cleave the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw you, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of your arrows they went, and at the shining of your glittering spear.
12 You didst march through the land in indignation, you didst thresh the heathen in anger.
13 You went forth for the salvation of your people, even for salvation with your anointed; you wounded the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
14 You didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
15 You didst walk through the sea with your horses, through the heap of great waters.
16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

The picture painted using of the words Teman and Paran and the surrounding context beginning the above chapter are of one facing the sun as it rises, and is seen in strength as if a mountain with the gleam of the sun’s rays shining around him. The rays of the sun are as if the fingers of a hand from heaven.

Psalms 19
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them has he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is your servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12 Who can understand his [own] errors? cleanse you me from secret faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Continuing our discussing today with a deeper investigation of God’s intervention into the affairs of humanity. We have looked at it in previous posts from the perspective of God’s doing so by a single mediator or ambassador He sends with His authority. The method is He sends His counsel with His confirmation by means only He is capable of.

Here is the way this is written in Hebrews 6:

13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself,
14 Saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”
15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entered into that within the veil;
20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.

The key verse above is verse 17. In understanding the original language we see it telling of the intervention of God when it is needed to insure what He has promised would be accomplished. The words translated “confirmed it with an oath” literally tells of limiting it by His intervention. Prior we are told of it being to establish and show the unchangeable nature of His counsel.

The Greek word translated as “confirmed” is the one time used word mesiteuo, meaning to intervene. It is the verb form of the 6 times used noun mesites, meaning the one annunciating the message he has been sent with. In context we see the message being the immutable (unchangeable) counsel (boule – advice and will) of God.

Here are the definitions from the Strong’s Greek Dictionary:

Strong’s #3315: mesiteuo (pronounced mes-it-yoo’-o) from 3316; to interpose (as arbiter), i.e (by implication) to ratify (as surety):–confirm.

Strong’s #3316: mesites (pronounced mes-ee’-tace) from 3319; a go-between, i.e. (simply) an internunciator, or (by implication) a reconciler (intercessor):–mediator.

The word translated “oath” is horkos, meaning a limit. It is telling of the intervention as the boundary.

Strong’s #3727: horkos (pronounced hor’-kos) from herkos (a fence; perhaps akin to 3725); a limit, i.e. (sacred) restraint (specially, an oath):–oath.

What is being alluded to when Abraham is spoken of in this context is first to tell of the promise believed to him, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” It then, by referencing the intervention and the limit, is telling of Abraham’s faith in the promise and of his knowing God’s character, that He will not lie, acted on this as he took Isaac up the mountain. He knew/believed God would provide a way, even to the point of knowing God would raise up the seed of His promise (Isaac) from the dead to fulfill his word, if needed. Of course we know that God provided by intervening and restrained Abraham.

The deeper meaning is then seen in the mention of Melchizedek, and Jesus (Jehovah our Salvation) having the promise, “You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec,” entered where neither Abraham nor Isaac had, in that he both died and is risen again. This is why the passage refers to His having entered the Holy of Holies as our forerunner, showing the way to life that conquers even death, as promised and now confirmed.

In these we see the everlasting ministry of confirming the promise by the intervention and limiting the day. This is what Hebrews 4 is speaking of when it tells us of believing what we hear, today. “7 Again, He limits [horizo – horizon] a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

Hebrews 4
1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
7 Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remains therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

This, again, is the context in which we are told in Hebrews 12:24 of our reaching our destination and of the “mediator” being there, and we are warned to listening to the instruction (counsel) we are hearing.

Hebrews 12
22 But you are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel.
25 See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Friends, it as difficult for me as it is for you to accept the full scope, responsibility and obligation of believing. Many years ago I accepted what I know to be true and I know because God promised and confirmed it. This is reality and it doesn’t really matter if others remain in disbelief. It is our obligation as believers to set ourselves for the defense of the Gospel, knowing the LORD has confirmed it by His intervention, and will confirm it in us and for us forever.

Philippians 1:7 tells of this, and then goes on into chapter 2 where it tells us with what mind we are to set ourselves. The word “confirmation,” from bebaiosis, meaning stabilize (what is shaking or panicking), is used in Hebrews 6:16 to tell of it being what ends strife [antilogia – opposing discourse], giving us the understanding of its only other use here in Philippians 1:7. It is explaining (the confirmation) we are stabilized as we see and understanding God has intervened, as if the stars fixed in their position in heaven with (in accord) the LORD. Actually the confirmation is preceded by the defense (apologia – counter discourse) and this being our presentation of the Gospel (the good news of the promise and the oath), the intervention is the confirmation of the unchanging truth, which brings the matter to a close.

Philippians 1
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of my grace.
8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 That you may approve things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.
11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
12 But I would you should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the halls of judgment, and in all other places;
14 And many of the brethren in the LORD, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.
18 What then? not withstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I know not.
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
27 Only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
30 Having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

Philippians 2
1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil you my joy, that you be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
18 For the same cause also do you joy, and rejoice with me.
19 But I trust in the LORD Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.
20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
22 But you know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he has served with me in the gospel.
23 Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
24 But I trust in the LORD that I also myself shall come shortly.
25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that you had heard that he had been sick.
27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
28 I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
29 Receive him therefore in the LORD with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:
30 Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

When verse 25 speaks of Epaphroditus and later of his recovering it is telling of his regaining his stability. Here are two paragraphs from June 28, 2016 and the post titled, “Fear God, and Give Glory to Him; for The Hour of His Judgment is Come.”

“The name Epaphroditus actually describes one who was a deceiver but now has recovered from his disease. The name is actually derived from epi, meaning distribution (in this case, of wisdom), and Aphrodite, which is another name for Venus the Roman goddess of beauty and love. The planets themself were symbols of deception (false gods), the name planet even coming from the Greek word planos, meaning rover. It is also the root word of planetes, meaning erratic teaching; and of plane, meaning fraudulent; also planao, meaning cause to stray from safety, truth or virtue.

The idea of planets being associated with deception is the fact that they appear in the night sky as if stars. The way you can tell the difference is they move all over the sky, as opposed to the stars that don’t go astray, nor do they lead astray those using them to keep their way as they journey. These false teachers lie in wait to deceive (see Ephesians 4:14), as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour (see 1 Peter 5:8).”

2 Peter 2
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceptions while they feast with you;
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

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 [a great agitation], and the elements [foundational principles] 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 [eagerly awaiting] the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire [puroo – refiners fire] shall be dissolved, and the elements [stoicheion – the foundational principles the world relies on] 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, 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.