Chapter 1

¹ Long ago, God spoke to our fathers through the Prophets in many places and in many ways. ² And in the last part of these days, He speaks to us through a Son who He has made the heir to everything… the one that He used to create the ages. ³ He shines with the same glory, is the exact image of His being, and is responsible for everything that’s said through His power. And after he cleansed us of our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places. ⁴ And now He has become so much greater than the [other] messengers [of God] and so different, that he has inherited a [special] name among them.

⁵ For example, to which of His [other] messengers did He ever say, ‘You’re my son. Today I’ve become your Father.’ Or, ‘I will become his Father and he will become My son.’ ⁶ And again, when He brings His firstborn into the earth He says, ‘Let all of God’s messengers bow low before him.’

⁷ When He spoke of his messengers, He said, ‘He makes His messengers spirits and His public servants as flames of fire.’ ⁸ But when He spoke of his Son, [He said], ‘God is your throne into the age of the age, and your king’s scepter is the scepter of righteousness. ⁹ You loved righteousness and hated wickedness. That’s why God (your God) anointed you with the oil of great joy among those who are your partners.’

¹⁰ And: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth, and made the heavens with your hands. ¹¹ But they’ll pass away while you still remain; for like clothes they will grow old. ¹² Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them. Yes, you’re the one and your years will never expire.’

¹³ And to which one of His messengers did He ever say, ‘Sit here at My right until I set your enemies as a stool at your feet?’ ¹⁴ Aren’t they all just spirits... public servants who are sent to serve the needs of those who will inherit salvation?

Chapter 2

¹ This is why it’s necessary for us to pay extraordinary attention to the things we’ve heard, so we don’t drift away. ² Because, if these words that were spoken through [God’s] messengers prove true, and [the end result of] all errors and disobedient acts is going to be strictly enforced… ³ and if we are unconcerned about the salvation that was spoken of by the mouth of the Lord and which was verified for us by those who heard him, then how can we escape something so terrible?

⁴ Why, even God Himself joined in this testimony by providing signs, omens, many powerful deeds, and by distributing His Holy Breath as He wished.

⁵ Now, He isn’t making the coming habitation [of man] (the one we’ve been talking about) obedient for the sake of His messengers. ⁶ And someone somewhere testified to this fact, when he asked, ‘Just what is man that You should remember him, or the son of man that You should watch over him? ⁷ Why, You made him a little lower than [Your] messengers; You crowned him with glory and honor; and You put him in charge of everything that You made with Your hands, ⁸ then You put everything under his feet.’

So when [God] puts everything under [his feet], He doesn’t leave anything that [men] aren’t in charge of. However, we don’t see everything obeying us yet.

⁹ Now, look at Jesus. He was made a little lower than [God’s] messengers. And it was because he suffered and died that he was crowned with glory and honor. So because God cares, [Jesus] tasted death for everyone.

¹⁰ It was fitting that [Jesus] – the one for whom and through whom everything exists; this primary leader [who is responsible for] their salvation – should bring many sons to glory and make them perfect through his sufferings. ¹¹ For, the one who makes [others] holy and those who are made holy all come from One. And that’s why he isn’t ashamed to call them brothers, ¹² saying, ‘I will report Your Name back to my brothers. I will sing praises to You in the midst of the congregation.’ ¹³ And again, ‘I will trust in Him.’ And again, ‘{Look!} The boys who Jehovah gave me, and I…’

¹⁴ So, since his boys share in his blood and flesh, he shares [with them] in the same way. Then through his death he can finish off the one who has the power [to bring] death, the Slanderer, ¹⁵ and to set all those free who have spent their lives as slaves, because they were afraid of death.

¹⁶ So [when he came], he really didn’t take on [the shape] of one of [God’s] messengers somewhere, but he took [the shape of] Abraham’s seed. ¹⁷ For he was obligated to become like his brothers in every way, so he could become a merciful and faithful High Priest before God and offer a sacrifice to cover peoples’ sins. ¹⁸ And it’s because he suffered and was tempted that he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Chapter 3

¹ Therefore, holy brothers who share in the heavenly calling; Let’s consider this Apostle and High Priest who we confess, Jesus. ² He was faithful to the One who made him, just as Moses was [when he served] in that One’s House. ³ However, [Jesus] was considered to be worthy of greater glory than Moses, because the one who builds the house receives more honor there. ⁴ Of course, every house is built by someone; but He who builds all things is God.

⁵ Now, Moses was truly a faithful attendant over His whole House as a witness to things that hadn’t been explained. ⁶ But the Anointed One is a Son [that is] over His House, and we are that House… as long as we continue in our [work of] speaking openly and boasting about our hope to the end.

⁷ It’s because of this that [God’s] Holy Breath says, ‘If you should hear His voice today, ⁸ don’t harden your hearts as happened in the bitter day of testing in the desert. ⁹ For that’s when your fathers tested Me to prove [My power]… yet they’d been watching what I was doing for forty years! ¹⁰ This is the reason why I became so disgusted with that generation and said, Their hearts are always wandering, and they’ve never understood My ways. ¹¹ So, in My anger I swore, They will never enter My rest.’

¹² Therefore, watch out brothers, that none of your hearts ever become wicked and unbelieving, and cause you to pull away from the Living God! ¹³ Encourage each other each day – including today – so that none of you will become hardened and be tempted to sin. ¹⁴ For we are sharers in the Anointed One as long as we hang onto this position that we started out with, until the end. ¹⁵ That’s why it was said, ‘If you should hear His Voice today, ⁸ don’t harden your hearts as happened in the bitter day of testing in the desert.’

¹⁶ Now, just who was it that heard and caused this bitterness? Wasn’t it all those who left Egypt under Moses? ¹⁷ And just who was it that He became disgusted with for forty years? Wasn’t it those who sinned and whose carcasses fell in the desert? ¹⁸ And who was it that He said wouldn’t enter His Rest… other than those who disobeyed? ¹⁹ So, we can see that they couldn’t enter [His Rest] because of their lack of faith.

Chapter 4

¹ Therefore, we should [all] be afraid that some of us might be left behind when it comes to the promise of entering His rest, ² because we’ve had the good news preached to us just as they did. But they didn’t benefit from hearing those words, because the faith of those who heard and believed didn’t rub off on them! ³ However, those of us who have believed will enter His Rest. And although He said, ‘So, in my anger I swore that they’ll never enter My Rest,’ His work [has been finished] since the founding of the world.

⁴ In one place He said this about the seventh day: ‘God rested from all His works on the seventh day.’ ⁵ And here [He said], ‘They will never enter My rest;’ ⁶ so we must conclude that some will enter it! However, those to whom this good news was first given didn’t enter it because of their disobedience. ⁷ Then He mentioned a particular day, ‘today,’ in David’s [psalm]. And later on, He said (as I mentioned before), ‘If you should hear His voice today, ⁸ don’t harden your hearts.’

⁸ Now, if Joshua had already led them to this place of rest, [God] wouldn’t have spoken of another day later on. ⁹ So, there’s still a Sabbath for the people of God to observe. ¹⁰ And those who enter His rest must also rest from the things they’re doing, just as God rested from [the things] He [was doing].

¹¹ Therefore, let’s do everything that we can to enter that rest, so no one will fail because of disobedience. ¹² For, the word of God is alive and at work, and it’s sharper than any two-edged sword. Why, it cuts so fine that it can even separate the breath from the breather, as well as his joints and marrow! So it becomes the judge of the thoughts and desires of [our] hearts. ¹³ Why, nothing in creation is invisible to His eyes. Everything is naked and open before He who sent us His word.

¹⁴ So, in view of the fact that we have such a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s keep talking about him. ¹⁵ We don’t have a High Priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in every way, just like us… but [he didn’t] sin. ¹⁶ So, let’s approach his throne of care and speak freely, so we can receive his mercy, caring, and aid when we need it.

Chapter 5

¹ Now, every High Priest is selected from among men, and then they are appointed over men and assigned to the things of God… to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² So, they feel a kinship with those who don’t understand and who make mistakes, since they’re surrounded by their own weaknesses. ³ And this is why they have to make offerings not only for the sins of the people, but also for themselves. ⁴ But no man can take this honor on himself; he can only be called to it by God, as Aaron was. ⁵ Likewise, the Anointed One didn’t glorify himself to the position of High Priest. That was done by the One who said to him, ‘You’re My Son... today I’ve fathered you.’ ⁶ And as He said in another place, ‘You’re a Priest through the age in the order of MelchiZedek.’

⁷ During the time that he was here in the flesh, [Jesus] begged and pleaded with the One who was able to save him from death, calling out with tears; and he was drawn close and listened to because of his faithfulness. ⁸ And although he was the Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. ⁹ Then after his [training] was finished, he became the one who brings salvation into this age to all who obey him. ¹⁰ Thus God made him a High Priest in the line of MelchiZedek.

¹¹ Now, we have much to say about him that will be hard to explain, since you’ve become so slow in your hearing. ¹² For, although you ought to be teachers in view of the time, you need someone to go back and teach you the basics of God’s Word again… you’ve become people who need milk, not solid food. ¹³ And those who live on milk are babies who are unfamiliar with righteous teachings. ¹⁴ But those who are grownups eat solid food and they’ve trained their senses to recognize the differences between right and wrong.

Chapter 6

¹ So, now that we’ve gone beyond the basics of the Anointed One, may we be carried on toward maturity. Let’s not go back and lay a new foundation on such matters as repenting over bad deeds, having faith in God, ² or learning about baptisms, [spiritual] appointments, and the resurrection of the dead, or the judgments on this age. ³ Yes, we can [go beyond the basics], if God allows it.

⁴ You see; it’s impossible for those who have once and for all been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in [God’s] Holy Breath, ⁵ and savored the Word of God, His power, and the age to come, ⁶ to be revived and make them repent once they’ve fallen away. This is because they would have to hang the Son of God back up on the pole again and make him a public spectacle.

⁷ Why, when the ground drinks in all the rain that falls on it, it gives birth to green plants, which are then cultivated by those who hope to receive their blessings from God. ⁸ However, if it just produces thorns and thistles, that ground will be rejected and almost cursed… and in the end, it’s burned off!

⁹ Now, although we’ve been saying all of this; when it comes to you, loved ones; we believe that there will be better things and salvation, ¹⁰ because God isn’t unrighteous; so He won’t forget the things you’ve done, the love you’ve shown for His Name, or how you’ve served the needs of the Holy Ones (and [how you] keep on doing so). ¹¹ But, what we want is for each of you to show a real zeal when it comes to carrying out our hope all the way to the end… ¹² we don’t want you to become lazy! Rather, we want you to imitate those who through faith and patience will inherit the promises.

¹³ For [example]; When God gave his promise to Abraham (and because He couldn’t swear by anyone greater, He swore by himself), ¹⁴ He said: ‘When it comes to blessings, I will bless you. And when it comes to growth, I’ll make you grow.’ ¹⁵ Then, by being patient, [Abraham] received what he was promised.

¹⁶ Now, men always swear by the greater one. And whenever there’s a disagreement, this is what ensures the thing that was promised. ¹⁷ So, when God wanted to show the heirs of the promise how unchangeable His words are, He agreed with an oath. ¹⁸ [And He did this] so that through two unchangeable things that God can’t lie about, we who are fleeing would have strong encouragement to grab onto the hope that He has laid before us. ¹⁹ This is the sure and stable anchor for our lives, for it goes behind the [Temple’s] inner curtain ²⁰ where Jesus entered earlier in our behalf (through the line of MelchiZedek), as the High Priest into the age.

Chapter 7

¹ For, this MelchiZedek (a king of Salem and a Priest of the Most High God) was the one who met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings. Then Abraham blest him ² and gave him a Tenth of everything [he had captured].

First, [MelchiZedek] translates as King of Righteousness. And then as the king of Salem, he’s also the King of Peace. ³ And because there are no genealogical records of him, he was [virtually] without a father or mother; so there was no beginning or end to his life.

So as the Son of God, [Jesus] remains a Priest until [everything is] finished.

⁴ Now, do you see how great this man was, to whom [our] family head Abraham gave a tenth of the best things from his prizes?

⁵ Yes it’s true that the sons of Levi who were [also] made Priests, and they were commanded by the Law to collect a tithe from the people (who were their brothers, because they all came from the loins of Abraham). ⁶ But this man whose genealogy we can’t trace took ten percent from Abraham himself! Then he blest the one who had been given the promise!

⁷ Now, you can’t argue the fact that the lesser one is always blest by the greater. ⁸ And in this first case, those who received the tithe were dying. But in the second case, it is someone who we agree is [still] living. ⁹ So we can say that Levi paid the tithe through Abraham, ¹⁰ because he was in the loins of his forefather when MelchiZedek met him!

¹¹ So, if perfection came through the Levite Priesthood (which was possible for people under the Law), why would we need another Priest to come in the line of MelchiZedek – someone who isn’t of the line of Aaron? ¹² This is because the Priesthood is being changed, and as the result, the Law has to be set aside. ¹³ For this man that we are talking about was a member of another tribe… one from which no one has ever served at the Altar! ¹⁴ Because we all recognize that our Lord came out of Judah, a tribe that Moses never spoke of as Priests! ¹⁵ And this makes it even more obvious that a new Priest has arisen who is like MelchiZedek, ¹⁶ because he didn’t become [a Priest] by the Law of human commandments, but by the power of a life that can’t be destroyed! ¹⁷ In witness to this fact it was said: ‘You’re a Priest into the age in the line of MelchiZedek.’

¹⁸ So, the earlier commandments have obviously been set aside, because they were weak and didn’t do any good, ¹⁹ since the Law didn’t make anything perfect. All it did was lead us to a better hope that’s [now] drawing us closer to God. ²⁰ [This Law] also came about without a sworn oath… ²¹ so there were those who became Priests without a sworn oath! And no one else has had an oath sworn about him by He who said, ‘Jehovah has sworn (and He won’t change His mind): You’re a Priest through the age.’ ²² So, Jesus has become the promise of a better Sacred Agreement.

²³ [Under the old Agreement] many became Priests, because death prevented them from continuing [in that position]. ²⁴ However, he remains through the age, so he unmistakably has the Priesthood; ²⁵ and he’s able to save those who approach God through him, because he will always be alive to plead on their behalf!

²⁶ He’s the best High Priest for us, because he is loyal, righteous, and pure. He was also removed from among the sinners and put higher than the sky. ²⁷ And unlike former High Priests who had to offer sacrifices daily (first for their own sins and then for those of the people), he did this just once when he offered himself!

²⁸ You see; the Law appointed men as High Priests who had weaknesses. But the promise that came with a sworn oath (and which supersedes the Law) appointed a Son who is perfect through the age.

Chapter 8

¹ So the point I’m making is this: We already have such a High Priest, and he’s sitting at the right hand of the throne of Majesty in the heavens. ² And there He’s handling Priestly duties at the Most Holy in the real Tent that was built by Jehovah, not by men.

³ Now, every High Priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices… so it was necessary for him to have something to offer also. ⁴ But he likely wouldn’t be a Priest if he was here on the earth, since there are already those who are appointed by the Law to offer the gifts. ⁵ However, when they handle their Priestly duties, what they are doing is following a pattern, which is but a shadow of how these sacred duties are being handled in the heavens!

It’s the same as when Moses was about to finish the [Sacred] Tent. For he was given a divine warning then, which said, ‘Be sure to assemble everything by the pattern you were shown on the mountain.’ ⁶ But now, [Jesus] has received a much better Priestly assignment, in that he’s also the mediator of a better Sacred Agreement, which was legally established on better promises.

⁷ Now, if there weren’t problems with the first [Agreement], there wouldn’t have been any reason to search for a second. ⁸ However, He did find a problem with the people, because He said, ‘{Look!} The time is coming, says Jehovah, when I will make a new Sacred Agreement with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah. ⁹ This won’t be like the Agreement that I made with their ancestors at the time that I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt (because they didn’t keep their side of the bargain). As the result, I stopped caring for them, says Jehovah. ¹⁰ This is the Agreement that I’m going to make with the House of Israel at that time, says Jehovah; I’ll put my laws in their minds and write them in their hearts. I will become their God and they will become My people. ¹¹ Then, citizens of the land won’t have to teach their brothers about Jehovah, because they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them. ¹² And I will be merciful whenever they do things that aren’t right, and I’ll forget their sins.’

¹³ So when He spoke of a New Sacred Agreement, He made the old one obsolete. And now, that which was made obsolete is growing old and it’s about to disappear.

Chapter 9

¹ That first [Agreement] used to have rules of worship and a worldly Most Holy. ² There was this first Tent where the [sacred] lampstand and the table for the showbread were kept that was called the Holy Place. ³ Then behind this curtain was a second Tent that was called the Most Holy. ⁴ This contained a golden incense holder and the Chest of the Sacred Agreement, which was completely overlaid with gold and it held the golden jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that grew buds, and the [Sacred] Tablets of the Agreement. ⁵ Then over it were the glorious cherubs that cast a shadow on the cover. So now it is time to discuss some of the details of these things.

⁶ Now, once this was built, the Priests would continuously enter the first Tent to perform their sacred duties, ⁷ but the second [compartment] was only entered once a year, and just by the High Priest. However, even he couldn’t enter it without blood, which he had to offer both for himself and for the sins of the peoples’ ignorance.

⁸ And the Holy Breath makes it clear that the entrance to the Most Holy couldn’t be seen while the first Tent was standing… ⁹ and this pictures the time that we’re now living in. So with this picture in mind, [recognize that] the gifts and sacrifices which are offered can’t make the conscience of the one who is serving perfect, ¹⁰ for that whole thing has to do with food, drink, and types of cleansing, which were fleshly, legal requirements [that would last] until the time came when all of this would be straightened out.

¹¹ Well, when the Anointed One came as a High Priest, good things happened through the greater and more perfect Tent that he didn’t create and which wasn’t made by [human] hands. ¹² Nor did he enter the Most Holy with the blood of goats and young bulls; [he entered] the Holy Place with his own blood, having found a single ageless ransom .

¹³ Now, if the blood of goats and bulls, or the ashes of a heifer that are sprinkled on those who’ve become unclean, can make their flesh holy and clean, ¹⁴ how much more so will [this be done by] the blood of the Anointed One! He offered himself to God as an ageless, unblemished spirit, to cleanse our consciences of the deeds of the dying, so we can worship the living God.

¹⁵ And he is the mediator of this New Sacred Agreement, for [his] death paid the ransom to release those under the first Agreement from their errors, so those who have been called could receive the promised inheritance of the age! ¹⁶ For, whenever there’s [any sort of an] agreement, death is part of the bargain for the one who agrees to it, ¹⁷ because an agreement that lasts until death is something that has been proven. However, it isn’t as strong while the one who made the agreement is still alive.

¹⁸ So, that first [Sacred Agreement] had to be made with blood. ¹⁹ And after Moses explained all the Commandments of the Law to the people, he took the blood of young bulls and goats, mixed it with water, and then [he] used scarlet wool and hyssop to sprinkle the scroll and all the people. ²⁰ And he said, ‘This is the blood of the Sacred Agreement that God made with you.’ ²¹ And thereafter he sprinkled blood on the Tent and over all the things that were used for worship. ²² Yes, according to the Law, almost everything is made clean by blood. And unless blood is spilled, there is no forgiving.

²³ That’s why it was necessary for the heavenly things that are symbolized by all of this to be cleansed that way. However, heavenly things require better sacrifices. ²⁴ So, the Anointed One didn’t enter a Most Holy that was made with hands (which is just a copy of the real thing), he actually entered heaven itself to stand in front of God for us!

²⁵ Nor does he have to offer himself often, as does the High Priest who enters the Most Holy each year with blood that isn’t his own. ²⁶ Otherwise, he would have suffered many times since the founding of the world. But now he has displayed himself at the end of the age and offered himself to do away with sin just once, through his sacrifice.

²⁷ And in the same way that men must die just once (which is followed by a judgment), ²⁸ the Anointed One was also offered just once, to carry the sins of many. So, the next time he’s seen by those who are so eagerly awaiting him, they will be free from sin and ready for salvation.

Chapter 10

¹ So, since the Law isn’t the reality, but just a shadow of good things to come, the sacrifices that are offered annually will never make the one who brings them perfect. ² Why, if that were true, they wouldn’t have to be offered anymore. And if those who are worshiping this way had been made clean once and for all time, they wouldn’t even think about sinning. ³ However, these sacrifices remind us of our sins year after year, ⁴ because the blood of bulls and goats can’t take away sins.

⁵ It was because of this, that when he came into the world he said, ‘You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings, but You prepared a body for me. ⁶ Nor did You approve of burnt offerings and sin offerings.’ ⁷ Then he said, ‘Look, I’ve come to do Your Will, O God, just as it was written about me in the front of the book!’

⁸ Now, after first saying, ‘You didn’t want or approve of sacrifices and offerings, or burnt offerings and sin offerings’ (which are being offered in observance of the Law), he then he says, ‘Look, I’ve come to do Your Will.’ So he removed the first to establish the second! ¹⁰ And it’s because of this Will that we’ve been made holy… it’s through that single offering of the body of Jesus the Anointed One!

¹¹ Now, all the Priests take their stations each day in Temple service. And there they offer the same sacrifices repeatedly; yet they can never take sins away completely. ¹² However, he offered one sacrifice for sins through the ages, and then he sat down at the right hand of God ¹³ where he’s awaiting [the time when] his enemies will be put as a stool for his feet. ¹⁴ So, he gave this single offering that made the Holy Ones perfect.

¹⁵ Why, the Holy Breath [of God] testifies to us about this, for first it said, ¹⁶ ‘This is the Sacred Agreement that I will make with them in those days, says Jehovah: I will put my laws in their hearts and I’ll write them in their minds.’ ¹⁷ [Then it says,] ‘I will be merciful whenever they do things that aren’t right, and I’ll forget their sins.’ ¹⁸ And when such things are forgotten, there isn’t any more need for sin offerings!

¹⁹ So brothers; We can obviously say that we have an access into the Most Holy through the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ for he has worked out a way through the curtain for us… a sacrificial but living way, through his flesh. ²¹ And since we now have such a great Priest over the House of God, ²² let’s approach with honest hearts and complete faith, having rinsed a wicked conscience from our hearts and having washed our bodies in clean water.

²³ So, let’s hang onto the confession of our hope and not give up, because the One who gave us the promise is faithful. ²⁴ And let’s keep reminding ourselves to help each other to grow in love and good deeds.

²⁵ And don’t stop meeting together (as some are doing), but [continue to] encourage each other… and [do this] even more so as you see the Day getting closer.

²⁶ [Remember that]; If we choose to follow a sinful course after coming to an accurate knowledge of the truth, there are no more sacrifices left for sins. ²⁷ All [that’s left] is the fear and anticipation of judgment, and the roaring of a fiery zeal that’s going to consume those who oppose us.

²⁸ Now, if anyone rejected the Law of Moses and two or three testified against him, he was to die without compassion. ²⁹ So, how much more worthy of punishment do you think someone will be who tramples on the Son of God; or who considers the blood of the Sacred Agreement that made him holy as something unclean; or who has outraged the caring of the Breath [of God] by treating it with contempt? ³⁰ For, we know the One who said, ‘Vengeance belongs to Me… I will repay!’ And again, ‘Jehovah will judge His people.’ ³¹ So it’s a fearsome thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.

³² I want you to think back to the days, just after you came to an understanding, when you went through so much suffering and had to put up such a hard fight. ³³ Why, sometimes it was just like being on a stage where you were insulted and persecuted, along with [many] others who shared your experience. ³⁴ Back then, you were so sympathetic toward those who were in prison. And when [all] the things you owned were taken away from you, you were joyful, because you knew that you had something better and longer lasting!

³⁵ So, don’t throw away your willingness to speak out, because you’ve paid too much to earn it! ³⁶ You need to endure, so that after you’ve done God’s will, you can walk off with [the prize] that you were promised!

³⁷ For, it’s ‘just a little while longer,’ and ‘the one who is coming will be here. He won’t be late.’ ³⁸ ‘But My righteous one will live because of his faith,’ and, ‘If he gives up, My life finds no pleasure in him.’

³⁹ Now, we aren’t the type that will give up to be destroyed; [we’re] the type that have faith that will save our lives!

Chapter 11

¹ [This is the definition of] faith: It’s when [you] expect the things that you’re hoping for, and [you’re] convinced of things you haven’t [really] seen. ² And we can testify [that such] faith [existed among the] men [of ancient times].

³ When it comes to faith, we’re reminded (and have come to believe) that the things God has promised through the ages couldn’t be seen. Yet we can see them now, because they’ve already happened!

⁴ It was because of his faith that Abel offered a greater sacrifice to God than Cain did. And due to this, the One who witnessed his righteousness and the One who saw the gifts that he offered, was God. As the result, although [Abel] is dead, he still speaks.

⁵ Because of his faith, Enoch was transported so he wouldn’t see death… he couldn’t be found, because God transported him. However, before he was transported, it was testified to that he had pleased God well.

⁶ You see, it’s impossible to please Him well without faith. Because, whoever wants to come to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who eagerly search for Him.

⁷ Because of his faith, Noah (after being given a divine warning of things he hadn’t seen yet) trusted in God and built a chest to save his family. And due to this righteous faith, he condemned the world and became its heir.

⁸ It was because of his faith that Abraham obeyed when he was called, and he traveled to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. Yet, as he was leaving, he didn’t even know where he was going! ⁹ Then he faithfully lived as an alien in a foreign land, which was the very land that he was promised. He lived there in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were [fellow] heirs of that same promise, ¹⁰ because he was laying the foundations of a city that would be created and watched over by God.

¹¹ It was because of [her] faith that Sarah received the power to conceive a seed when she was too old to do so, since she had high regard for and faith in the One who made the promise. ¹² So, from [this woman] who was sexually dead came a huge number… like the stars of the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore… innumerable!

¹³ All of these died faithful, and although they didn’t receive what was promised, they saw it and welcomed it from a distance, as they publicly admitted that they were strangers and aliens in the land. ¹⁴ Now, when people say things such as that, they prove that they’re looking for a home. ¹⁵ Why, if they ever longed for the place they left, they probably would have gone back. ¹⁶ But they were reaching out for something better… something that belongs to heaven. As the result, God isn’t ashamed of them, nor [is He ashamed] to be called their God. In fact, He has created a city for them.

¹⁷ Abraham’s faith was tested over Isaac, for he brought his only son as an offering. Yet, this was the one about whom the promise had been made… ¹⁸ the one of whom it was said, ‘Your seed will come through Isaac!’ ¹⁹ But [Abraham] figured that God was able to raise him from the dead. And in effect, that’s where he got him.

²⁰ It was also because of his faith that Isaac blest Jacob and Esau concerning future things. ²¹ And it was because of his faith that Jacob blest each of the sons of Joseph before he died, and worshiped as he leaned on his cane. ²² Then Joseph, when he was getting close to his end, showed his faith when he talked about the exodus of the sons of Israel, and when he gave instructions regarding his bones.

²³ The parents of Moses showed faith when they hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw the young child was beautiful, and they weren’t afraid of the king’s decree. ²⁴ Then after he became great, Moses showed his faith by refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter… ²⁵ he chose to be treated badly with the people of God, rather than spending his time enjoying sinful pleasures, ²⁶ because he considered the insults of being the anointed as far more valuable than the treasures of Egypt… he was looking to the future for his reward!

²⁷ So, his faith then moved him to leave Egypt… and he wasn’t afraid of the king’s anger. He stuck to the One who is invisible with all his might, as though he could actually see Him. ²⁸ Then in faith, he celebrated the Passover and splashed the blood, so the destroyer wouldn’t touch their firstborn.

²⁹ It took faith to pass through the Red Sea as though it were dry land; for when the Egyptians tried that, it swallowed them down. ³⁰ And it was because of faith that the walls of Jericho fell after they had been circled for seven days. ³¹ Then, it was because of her faith (when she peacefully welcomed the spies [into her home]) that RaHab the prostitute didn’t die along with those who disobeyed.

³² What more can I say? I don’t have enough time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, JephThah, David, or of SamuEl and the Prophets. ³³ Yet, by their faith they defeated kingdoms in war, did righteous things, received the promises, fenced off the mouths of lions, ³⁴ overcame the force of fire, and escaped the edge of the sword. Nor [can I tell] of the weak ones who were made powerful and became mighty in war, and then drove off foreign armies.

³⁵ Women received their dead by resurrection; others were beaten with rods; and in order to receive a better resurrection, they wouldn’t allow a ransom to be paid for them. ³⁶ Yes, others were mocked and tried with whips… and even more than that, [they were] put in shackles and prisons. ³⁷ They were tried, stoned, sawed in half, and they were slaughtered with swords… they dressed themselves in sheepskins and goatskins as they were in need, in a lot of trouble, and treated badly.

³⁸ The world didn’t deserve them, but they were forced to wander the deserts, mountains, caves, and peepholes of the earth. ³⁹ And although their faith testifies about all of them, they never received what they were promised. ⁴⁰ Yet, because God saw something better in us, they won’t be brought to perfection without us.

Chapter 12

¹ So, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses lying around us, we should each get rid of the things that are weighing us down and any sins that are standing in our way. Then, let’s run the difficult course that’s ahead of us with endurance, ² as we look forward in faith to our supreme leader, our goal, Jesus.

Why, in return for the joy he had before him, [Jesus] endured the shame of the impaling pole and thought nothing of it… then he sat down to the right of the Throne of God. ³ So, pay close attention to his example and how he was able to endure all of that at the hands of sinners (who just condemned themselves), so you don’t tire out and give up on your lives.

⁴ So far, none of you has had to struggle against sin to the point of bleeding. ⁵ And you’ve forgotten the encouragement that was given to you as [His] sons, that said, ‘My son; don’t treat the discipline of Jehovah lightly, and don’t try to avoid being corrected by Him. ⁶ For, Jehovah disciplines those He Loves and He whips those who He accepts as sons.’

⁷ Why, the only reason you’ve made it this far is because of discipline, and this proves that God is treating you as sons! After all, which son doesn’t his father discipline? ⁸ Why, if you’ve never been disciplined [by God], you aren’t one of us… you’re bastards, not sons!

⁹ We all had fleshly fathers who used to discipline us, and we respected them. So, shouldn’t we obey the Father who gave us His Breath even more… so we can live? ¹⁰ For a brief period [in our lives, our fathers] used to discipline us over things that seemed right to them. However, He is bringing us together so we can be partakers of His holiness.

¹¹ While it’s true that discipline doesn’t make us joyful when we receive it (it makes us sad), later on, those who learn from it harvest the fruit of peace and righteousness. ¹² So, straighten up your drooping arms, tighten those shaky knees, ¹³ and make sure that the tracks you’re making with your feet are straight… be healed rather than lame!

¹⁴ Try to make peace with everyone and to become holy, because without that, no one can see the Lord. ¹⁵ Make sure that none of you are falling short of God’s care, and that no bitter roots sprout up to create trouble and make many of you unclean. ¹⁶ [Of course, I’m talking about people] who are immoral or worldly, like Esau, who gave away his rights as firstborn for a single meal. ¹⁷ Remember that he changed his mind later on and wanted to inherit the blessing, but despite the fact that he tearfully tried to reclaim it, he was rejected.

¹⁸ [This mountain] that you’ve approached can’t be felt, nor is any fire burning there… or darkness, or fog, or storms. ¹⁹ There’s no sound of a trumpet blowing, or of a voice speaking [from the heavens]… a voice that the people begged not to have to listen to, ²⁰ which they couldn’t stand when they heard it say so clearly, ‘If even some wild animal touches this mountain, it must be stoned.’ ²¹ Why, it was such a frightening scene that even Moses admitted, ‘I’m terrified and shaking.’

²² But what you’ve approached is Mount Zion; the City of the Living God. It’s Heavenly Jerusalem, where there are millions of [God’s] messengers ²³ attending a convention… the gathering of the firstborn whose names have been written in the heavens… and God is the judge over them all. [You’ve approached] the unseen force of those who are righteous and who have been made perfect; ²⁴ and [you’ve approached] Jesus, the mediator of a New Sacred Agreement, whose sacrificial blood speaks out better than Abel’s.

²⁵ So, be sure that you aren’t also found begging not to have to listen to the One who is speaking. For, those who begged not to listen to the One who gave that divine warning here on the earth had to listen to it anyhow. So how much more should we refuse to turn away from the One who’s speaking to us from the heavens!

²⁶ Why, back then His voice just shook the earth! But now He has promised: ‘Next time I’ll not only shake the earth, [I’ll shake] the sky also.’ ²⁷ And when He spoke of next time, He implied that the only things that are going to be shaken are the things that were made… they will be done away with, but the things that aren’t shaken will remain.

²⁸ So, in view of the fact that we’re going to receive a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let’s show how much we care [for each other]. That’s how we can please God in our worship to Him, [doing so] in awe and deep respect, ²⁹ because our God is a consuming fire.

Chapter 13

¹ So, love your brothers; ² and don’t forget to care about people who you don’t know, for, it was because they did this that some unknowingly showed hospitality to [God’s] messengers. ³ Don’t forget those who are in prison… act as though you’re locked up with them! And [don’t forget] those who are being persecuted… [act as though it’s happening to] your own bodies!

⁴ May each of your marriages be kept honorable and your beds kept clean, because God will judge the sexually immoral and the adulterers.

⁵ Live your lives free from the love of money… be satisfied with the things you have, because He promised, ‘I won’t forget you and I’ll never let you down.’ ⁶ So, let’s be courageous and say, ‘I won’t be afraid, because Jehovah is my helper… so what can men do to me?’

⁷ Listen to those who are taking the lead among you and speaking to you about the Word of God. Then, as you see the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.

⁸ [Remember that] Jesus the Anointed One is the same yesterday, today, and through the ages, ⁹ so don’t allow yourselves to be carried away by strange teachings. It’s best for [your] hearts to be made strong through [God’s] care… not by the things you eat, which are of no benefit at all to those who are walking [in The Way].

¹⁰ We have an Altar that those who serve God at His Tent aren’t authorized to eat from. ¹¹ For, in the same way that the bodies of those animals whose blood is taken into the Most Holy by the High Priest as a sin offering are burned up outside the camp, ¹² Jesus also suffered outside the gate to make people holy with his blood. ¹³ So, let’s go to him outside the camp bearing all the bad things that were said about him, ¹⁴ because the city that’s here [today] isn’t going to survive!

We’re searching for the one who is coming, ¹⁵ so let’s always offer sacrifices of praise to God (the fruit of our lips) through him, as we keep talking about his name. ¹⁶ And don’t forget to do good things and to share whatever you have with others, because it’s these types of sacrifices that are pleasing to God.

¹⁷ Obey and submit to those who are taking the lead among you, because they are responsible to watch over your lives! But may they do this joyfully and not with groaning, since that would be hazardous to you.

¹⁸ Also, keep praying for us. We feel that our consciences are clear, since we’ve acted properly in everything. ¹⁹ I especially want to encourage you to do this, so I can be returned to you a bit sooner.

²⁰ Now, may the God of peace who raised the great Shepherd of the sheep from the dead with the blood of a Sacred Agreement that lasts through the age, our Lord Jesus, ²¹ use everything that’s good to make any adjustments that are necessary for you to do His Will.

To Him who acts in us (through Jesus the Anointed One) to do everything that He sees to be good, be the glory into the ages of ages. May it be.

²² Now, I urge you brothers, to live up to these words of encouragement, although I really haven’t written much.

²³ By the way, I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released, and if he gets here soon, I’ll come to see you.

²⁴ Give my greetings to all those who are taking the lead among you and to all the Holy Ones.

Those in Italy send you their greetings.

Notes

Soul or?

The Greek word psyche (as in psychology) has been translated many ways, including soul, life, etc. However, psyche actually means something that breathes. It is used in the Bible to describe both breathing animals and breathing humans. So by definition, a soul cannot leave the body, because a soul is what the living body (whether human or animal) is (see Genesis 2:7).

In ancient Greece, philosophers eventually added another meaning to psyche: The inner person (as opposed to the person that others see and come to know). And with time, the pagan religion of Greece started to teach that this inner person is its own entity and can never die (is immortal). Over the centuries, this pagan Greek doctrine crept into the Christian religions. Please see the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul for more history of the word.

However, such Greek philosophical thought never influenced Jesus and his Apostles. So, they consistently used psyche to indicate a living person or animal. The teaching that the soul is immortal stands in direct conflict with Jesus’ promise of a resurrection, because, if a person is immortal (can never die) he/she can never be resurrected (brought back to life).

In addition, the teaching of the immortality of the human soul is totally without support from the Bible. The word immortal(ity) (Gr: athanasia or undying) is only mentioned in the Bible in two places, and it isn’t used with or applied to the word soul in either case. Both of these scriptures show that immortality is only given by God as a reward for righteousness. And as Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘The person (gr. psyche or ‘soul’) that is sinning will die (gr. apothaneitai).’

Of course, there are places in the Bible where the word soul means more than just a living, fleshly body. For example, God is recorded to have spoken of ‘My Soul’ in several places. Obviously, God is much more than just a ‘soul’ as most people think of that term, and He surely wasn’t talking about His having a human body. So we must conclude that what He was referring to is His life.

Then there are Jesus’ words found at Matthew 10:28, which read, ‘Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the person (psyche). Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both the person and the body in the garbage dump.’ Here, Jesus is using the word psyche (soul) to refer to the value of life that remains with God until the resurrection. And he obviously isn’t referring the soul as immortal here, because he says God will destroy (gr. apolesai) the [unrighteous] soul or person.

Unfortunately, no single word can be used to translate psyche in every possible Bible application, so various terms are used herein, depending on the circumstances, but always in an attempt to harmonize with the meaning.

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Forever, Long Ago, or The Age?

Two words imply infinite states in the Bible; one is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus as having received it. The other Greek word is aidios, which is used at Romans 1:20 to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal, and at Jude 6 when speaking of the perpetual state of gloomy darkness that rebellious angels have been confined to.

However, the Greek word aionos (pronounced ai-on-oss), which is used throughout the Bible and is often translated as forever and everlasting, is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period, and there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era(s). Where the plural form of the word (ages) is used, it refers to a long time… at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (age or era), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the term ages of ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to God, we would assume that this truly means forever.

It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel. So this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.

Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3, ‘What will be the signs when you are near and this age will come to its conclusion?’ You can see that the word aionos obviously doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age or, the time before the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when God’s Temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed, because that’s what Jesus had just told them.

The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos, not aionos, for world or system of things.

The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but you will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, you are the one, and your years will never expire.’

The problem with most Bible translations is that when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular forms (aioni, aiona, aionos, aionion, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.

Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; the one who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me will have life in this age. He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’

Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aionos (life age – singular), not zoe aionion (life ages – plural).

Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’

So what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would have everlasting life, but that they in their current life would be considered among the living, not among the dead (see Revelation 20:12).

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t live forever… it’s just that Jesus wasn’t really saying that. What we find (from consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life) is that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that righteous people will receive ‘life in the age,’ or be considered worthy of (possibly everlasting) life by God during their current lifetimes… that their names would be written in ‘the scroll of life,’ and that they would not have to be judged, but will have already ‘crossed over from death to life,’ as Jesus said at John 5:24.

Yes, we know that this is a difficult concept to understand, but it’s what Jesus actually said.

For more information, select the linked documents, The Hereafter and Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

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The Meaning of the Footstool

Paul wrote (at Hebrews 1:13), ‘And to which one of his messengers did He ever say, Sit here on my right until I put your enemies on a stool at your feet?’

Throughout the entire First Chapter of Hebrews, Paul was quoting scriptures that referred to Jesus, which told of his earlier position as a messenger of God in the heavens. There he was emphasizing Jesus’ superiority to the other messengers, because (as Hebrews 1:6 points out), Jesus was God’s ‘firstborn son.’ In this list of quotations concerning him, Paul cited David’s words from Psalm 110:1 (Psalm 109:1 LXX), where Jehovah said to Jesus (David’s Lord), ‘Sit on my right until I set your enemies as a stool at your feet.’

Just what was God saying here, and when would this prophecy be fulfilled?

The explanation and fulfillment of this prophecy is vividly described in Revelation the Twelfth Chapter. The Revelation was (as Revelation 1:10 says) a description of things that would happen in ‘the Lord’s Day.’ So all of the things written there describe that ‘Day,’ which was still a future event at the time of John’s writing.

That ‘Day’ is apparently the same period that was described by Jesus (in Matthew 24 and 25), in Jesus’ reply to the question his disciples asked, ‘Tell us; what will be the signs of when you are near ...?’ We say this, because there are several similar events mentioned in both prophecies.

Revelation 12:7-9 says, ‘Next, war broke out in heaven. Michael and his messengers went to war against the dragon. The dragon and his messengers fought back, but they lost and could no longer stay in heaven. So the huge dragon was thrown out. He is the first snake; the one who is called the Slanderer and Opposer, who is misleading the whole earth. He was thrown down to the earth along with his messengers.’

Since this war in heaven was to happen in ‘the Lord’s Day, we must assume that the Slanderer and many of his heavenly followers still have access to heaven (they’re not in any ‘hell’) until the beginning of the Lord’s Day, when they lose the battle there and are thrown down to the earth. Then, to give us some reference to the time that this happened, the account goes on to say (at Revelation 12:12), ‘This is why the heavens and those who live there should be joyful. But, woe for the earth and the sea, because the Slanderer has come down to you; he is really angry, because he knows that he only has a short time left.’

So, according to the prophecy, the period after the heavenly war would be marked by a special time of ‘woe’ for the earth – likely a time of world wars, famines, plagues, and natural disasters, as foretold by Jesus at Matthew 24. And since this is a heavenly war (which resulted in Jesus’ enemies being thrown down to the earth), it is obviously what the scriptures at Psalm 110:1 and Hebrews 1:13 have reference to. And Isaiah 66:1 quotes God as saying, ‘The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool.’

From the above, we must assume that after Jesus’ resurrection, he went to a position of favor at the right of God’s throne, from which position he has acted as the head of the Christian Congregation since his ascension to heaven. However, when the events of Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24 start to be fulfilled, his enemies are thrown down from heaven and ‘put at his footstool’ (the earth).

And notice what the account at Revelation 12:19 says happens in heaven at that time: ‘Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, This is the moment when the salvation, the Power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of his Anointed One began.’

So, it appears as though that’s when Jesus starts ruling as king in his Kingdom.

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The Ransom

Throughout the Bible, we read of ‘the ransom’ (gr. lytron) that Jesus paid. Exactly what does this term refer to?

At Matthew 20:28, Jesus said, ‘This is how the Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve and to give his living body as a ransom for many.’

Romans 5:12, 14 says, ‘Sin entered this world through one man and this sin resulted in death. So, death spread to all men because everyone has sinned. However, death reigned from [the time of] Adam down to Moses, even over those who didn’t sin in the same way that Adam did. And [Adam] was a prototype of the one who would come.

1 Corinthians 15:21, 22 says, ‘Since death came through a man, resurrection from the dead also comes through a man. And as all are dying because of Adam, all will be made alive in the Anointed One.’

So, from the above, we must conclude that Adam lost the hope of ‘life’ for himself and all his descendents, because of his sin in Eden. However, Jesus came and paid the ‘ransom price’ to God, to redeem us from the sin of Adam, so that we could once again have the hope of ‘life in the age’ and a resurrection of the living.

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Men or Boys?

The Greek word for men is anthropois, and the Greek word for boys is paidia. The word used at Hebrews 2:13, 14 was paidia.

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Fornication or Sexual Immorality?

The Greek word porneia means much more than copulation between individuals who aren’t married to each other. The term literally means that which is sold (by prostitutes). So it includes all the types of services that might be sold by a prostitute, not just copulation.

It also just refers to acts between unmarried persons (which is what happens in prostitution). This includes such actions between unmarried ‘consenting adults,’ although there may be no exchange of money, because, where porneia is found in the Greek Septuagint, the Hebrew Law shows that it involves intimate relations between unmarried persons.

Because the English word fornication carries the nuance of just copulation between unmarried persons, we have used the broader term sexual immorality here to indicate the full range of the term.

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Bless or Praise?

This is a tough one and we won’t say that our position on the translation of this word can’t be changed. The Greek word that we are struggling with is eulogetos. The first part of the word eu, is Greek for good. The last part of the word, logetos, means words (or expressions). So, a literal translation of eulogetos is good words. And our question is: Is this all that a blessing amounts to?

Yes, we know that this word has been translated as bless, blest, and blessing in other Bibles. So why rock the boat? Because these translators have simply found too many errors in many commonly accepted renderings. And here, for example, if eulogetos is properly translated as blessing each time (which carries the English nuance, ‘causing good things to happen’), then, how can humans ‘bless God?’ We do know that we can praise God, however.

Eulogetos is the word that we derive the English word eulogy from… that is, the kind words that are said of the deceased at a funeral. Such words are never said as a blessing (it’s a bit late for that); they are said in praise of the deceased individual. However, there are definitely places where eulogetos can’t be translated as praise or praising.

Perhaps the real meaning is (or is at least is similar to) praise. And when praises come from God, this means blessings to humans.

This isn’t the same word that we have rendered as blest in other portions of this translation (for an example, see Matthew 5:5). The word in question there is makarios, which is rendered as happy in certain other Bibles. However, we believe that blest is the proper way to translate that Greek word.

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Ark or Chest?

What is an ark? Why, everyone knows of Noah’s ark, and of the Ark of the Covenant… don’t they? Yes, most people do. But, just what is an ark? That is an ancient English word, the meaning of which has been long lost in history. It is translated from the Greek word kiboton (kee/boat/on). So, most people simply don’t grasp what it’s talking about today, and any concept that they might have of what it looked like may come from pictures in children’s storybooks that show a big boat with all sorts of animals looking out the windows.

An ark is simply a box or chest. If you carefully examine the description of the measurements that God gave Noah, you will see that He told Noah to build a three-story wooden box that was about ‘five-hundred feet long, eighty feet wide, and fifty feet tall.’ It was rectangular; it had a roof, at least one window, and a door. It wasn’t to be a ‘boat’ that could navigate, because, all it had to do was float. Nor did the animals look out the window(s); they were kept in stalls.

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Amen

Amen is a Hebrew word that was never really translated into English; it was just Anglicized. In Greek it is pronounced, ah-main. The reason why it was never translated is that ancient scholars were afraid to change this supposed ‘magical’ word that ensures God will listen to the prayer. There is no record in the Bible of anyone ending prayers with amen, although it was likely said. And the fact that others who were present said amen at the end of prayers to show that they agree, is indicated by Paul’s words at 1 Corinthians 14:6.

In addition, amen isn’t said in the Bible just at the end of a Prayer. Paul used the word frequently in his writings to affirm that what he was writing was, or would be, true. And that’s the literal meaning of amen as it is rendered here, ‘may it be.’

So, should Christians end their prayers with the word amen, or with the phrase, may it be? It really makes no difference. In fact, neither really has to be said for God to hear the prayer, or for Him to understand that it is concluded.

The problem with saying amen is that most people really don’t know what it means today. They think of it as just a word that you end prayers with. However, saying amen (or may it be) at the conclusion of a prayer indicates that the one praying assumes the things that were asked are as good as done – and he or she should also believe that.

In several places we have left the word amen unchanged, for example, at Revelation 3:14, where Jesus was referred to symbolically as ‘the Amen,’ or, he who ‘causes things to be’ (under the direction of God).

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Undeserved Kindness or Caring?

The Greek word caris is where we derive the English word care or caring. However, the Greek word carries a slightly different meaning. Old English Bible translations have rendered caris as grace. However, the nuance that grace implies (smooth and flowing) totally distorts the meaning of this term in contemporary American English.

Most Bible dictionaries prefer to see caris translated as undeserved kindness. However, this phrase, which may or may not make some minor technical difference in the meaning, adds wordiness, and that distracts from the ease of reading. So you will find it translated as care, caring, or kindness herein, depending on the setting.

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Cosmos or World?

In Jesus’ discussion about the sheep and goats found at Matthew 25:34, he said, ‘Then the king will tell those on his right, Come, you who have been praised by my Father, inherit the Kingdom that has been prepared for you from the founding of the world.’

In Greek, the words we have translated as founding of the world are katabole cosmou, or down-throw arrangement. You may recognize that the English word cosmos is a derivative of cosmou. And cosmos (which we pronounce as cas-mose, but the Greeks pronounces as cas-mas) is the word that modern peoples usually use when referring to the universe today (thank you Mr. Sagan). So, why have we translated it as world, and what is meant by the term, founding of the world?

Actually, cosmos is used many times in the Bible and in many different ways. For example, when Paul urged Christian women to dress modestly, he used the word cosmos to describe well-arranged clothing, and arrangement is probably the closest English meaning of the word. So, it isn’t always translated as world.

And although it has been said that the word world doesn’t appear at all in the Hebrew texts of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (Old Testament), it really does appear there several times in the Greek Septuagint. And the reason why they say that world doesn’t appear there is because the equivalent Hebrew word is translated (in different Bibles and in different places) as arrangement, ornamentation, honor, delight, universe, earth, army, etc.

Yet, in the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), where cosmos appears several times, it is usually translated as world… such as the world of Noah, the light of the world, the field is the world, etc. So, the term doesn’t seem to apply to the earth, but rather to the arrangement of human society on the earth.

Actually, two different Greek words are often translated as world in the Septuagint, cosmos and oichonomeo; and oichonomeo does appear to refer to the earth, because it means the habitation, or, the place where [man] dwells. So the Septuagint (OT) clearly delineates these two words (that are both commonly translated as world).

But notice how the word cosmos was used by Paul at Romans 5:12, ‘Sin entered the world (cosmos) through one man, and this sin resulted in death. So, death spread to all men and everyone has sinned.’

So, it seems likely that the arrangement we call ‘the world’ started around the time of Adam’s sin in Paradise, when man created for himself and all life on earth a new arrangement or set of circumstances (which was something other than what God had planned). We have come to this conclusion based on the many scriptures that refer to the world in a negative context, and the fact that it (the current set of negative circumstances) will soon be done away with.

Yet, the Scriptures also indicate that the present world (arrangement) began after the Downpour of Noah’s day, and Noah inherited the world prior to that time. For, notice what we are told at Hebrews 11:7 ‘Because of his faith, Noah (after being given a divine warning of things he hadn’t seen yet) trusted in God and built a large chest to save his family. And due to this righteous faith, he condemned the world and became its heir.’

Also notice what was said at 2 Peter 2:4, 5, ‘Why, God didn’t spare the messengers who sinned, but by threw them into the dark pits of Tartarus, where they are awaiting His justice. And He didn’t spare the first world. Yet, He guarded Noah (who was a preacher of righteousness) along with seven others, when He brought a downpour on a world of godless people.’

So, apparently there have been two different worlds or arrangements; the one that Noah inherited that started before the Downpour, and the second one that we are now living in, and which the righteous will inherit at its destruction. For we read at 1 John 2:17, ‘And the world with all its desires is passing away, but the one who does what God wants remains through the age.’ And Romans 4:13 says, ‘Abraham and his seed weren’t given the promise of inheriting the world because of the Law; it was because of his righteousness, which came from his faith.’

Thus from the above, we have concluded that what Jesus said about the Kingdom having been prepared for the sheep since the founding of the world must mean that the Kingdom was God’s plan for the righteous since at least the time of the Downpour, and possibly since the time of Adam’s sin in Paradise.

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Jehovah

Although there are no existing ancient Christian Era Scripture (New Testament) manuscripts that contain the full name Jehovah, there are four reasons why we (and other Bible scholars and translators) believe that it existed in the original text. They are:

1. The Name is found in many of the Hebrew Scripture texts that are quoted by Jesus and his disciples

2. Jesus mentioned God’s having a Name in ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ and at John 5:43, 10:25, 12:13, 17:26, and in numerous other places

3. The Name still appears in a combined form in Revelation where the word hallelujah is used (Hallel means praise, u implies second person, and Jah is a shortened form of Jehovah.)

4. The fact that Christians who lived in Jerusalem were still worshiping at the Temple of Jehovah late in Paul’s ministry proves that they still viewed Jehovah as their God (see Acts 21:20-26).

So, this Bible is one of two that we are aware of that uses God’s Name in the Christian Era Scriptures, which makes it quite unique. However, you will see that we have avoided using it in places where the Greek words ho Kyrios could have been speaking of Jesus, using the Name Jehovah mostly in quotations from Hebrew texts which were clearly speaking of The God.

That the Name Jehovah (which means, He who Causes to Be, or, The Creator) was originally in the Bible, is documented in all ancient Hebrew texts. And it is most likely that the Septuagint translation which Jesus and his Apostles used (most quotations they gave seem to have come from an ancient Septuagint) carried that Name, but probably in the four Hebrew characters that represent the English consonants YHWH.

Notice this comment by Robert Hanhart, who contributed the Introduction to ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture.’ He stated therein that, ‘All Greek biblical texts of Jewish origin found to date, whether from pre-Christian or Christian times, transmit the name יהוה Jehovah not in the form κύριος [Lord] encountered in all the LXX [Septuagint] manuscripts of Christian origin, but in some form of the Tetragrammaton.’ (See: ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture,’ 2002, book, p.7, by Martin Hengel. Introduction by Robert Hanhart, published by Baker Academic. ISBN 0-8010-2790-X).

You will see how in the book of Isaiah, for example, God is often referred to in Greek as Kyrios ho Kyrios, or, Lord the Lord (see Isaiah 48:16 LXX). And these are obvious examples of texts where God’s Name was omitted, for such sentences should clearly read Jehovah the Lord, or Lord Jehovah.

Since the words God and Lord both seem to have been substituted in the text wherever God’s Name originally appeared, it is difficult to know where to reinsert the Name in place of the titles. We could refer to the Hebrew texts and insert it wherever the Name appears there, but that would be out of harmony with the purpose of presenting this translation of the Septuagint on its own merit. So, wherever the term the Lord appears in obvious reference to God, we have decided to insert the Name Jehovah.

The rule that other translators have adopted for inserting God’s Name is to simply use it wherever the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) appears in the oldest existing Hebrew texts (which aren’t that old). However, it can be proven that these texts and such insertions are unreliable. For example, there is the instance when Abraham was talking to three ‘men,’ one of whom he referred to as the Lord (יהוה). In this case, Abraham was obviously speaking to a messenger from God (likely His representative, Michael), because, as God told Moses, ‘No man can see God and live.’ So in such instances we have left the term ‘Lord’ unchanged, because that is likely the actual word Abraham used.

Also, in the writings of many of the Prophets, you will notice that they were often spoken to by God’s messengers, who the Prophets referred to as the Lord. And these messengers (angels) thereafter went on to give them messages from Jehovah. For example, notice the wording of Jeremiah 2:1: ‘Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, Go and yell in the ears of Jerusalem! Tell them that thus says Jehovah …’ So in this Bible you’ll see an interspersing of the term the Lord, when it appears to be referring to the angel messenger, and as Jehovah, when it appears to be referring to God.

Notice again the wording of Amos 4:13, where the one who gave the message to that Prophet (the Lord) definitely put Jehovah in the third person (though he is apparently saying that he did much of the work of creating) for there he said: ‘{Look!} I brought the thunder and I made the wind; and I report to men of His caring. For He produces the dawn and the fog, and is mounted on the heights of the earth… His Name is Jehovah God the Almighty!’

Then look at the words of Zephaniah 1:9, where the Prophet wrote: ‘And I asked, What are these, O Lord? And [God’s] messenger replied (he who was speaking to me), I will show you what all these things mean.’

So, it appears as though the Greek word kyrios should be translated as Lord or the Lord when it is referring to the angel who was speaking, and as Jehovah in many cases when it is speaking of God… regardless of how modern Hebrew texts may read, for from the context you can clearly see that these verses are quoting someone other than God.

However, the Lord (kyrios) would also have been used by Hebrew writers when speaking of God in poetry, where the previous or following verse uses the Name Jehovah; for the rule for a following verses is to use a simile.

Another important place where it appears as though the term the Lord should be used instead of the name Jehovah, is where people do something in His Name, as in James 5:10, which speaks of ‘Prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.’ For, since Jehovah is God’s Name (in English), they would not be speaking in the Name of Jehovah (which is His Name), but in the Name of the Lord (Jehovah). Yes, this could be an arguable point, but where there is some question and the understanding isn't changed, we believe it is better to take a cautious approach.

Probably the most striking and confusing reference to the Lord is found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth, and you made the heavens with your hands. But they’ll pass away while you still remain. For like clothes they will grow old. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them. Yes, you’re the one and your years will never expire.’

As you can see, the reference to the Lord here appears to be speaking of God (Jehovah). And if you go back to the scripture Paul was quoting (Psalm 102:25-27), you’ll see (from the context of the surrounding verses) that it appears to be speaking of Jehovah there also, and this is the conclusion of many, because the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) appears there in both the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts. Yet, the entire First Chapter of Hebrews is discussing Jesus and his special position before God. And Paul is clearly quoting Psalm 102:25-27 to make the point that Jesus made the heavens and the earth, that he will remain through the ages, and that he will eventually rebuild (repair) them after they grow old.

So, either Paul misapplied this scripture, which seems unlikely, or both Hebrew and Greek versions of Psalm 102 have been badly corrupted through the years, which our research proves is possible. As the result (because the answers are unclear), we have deviated from our rule of capitalizing the first letter of the words You and Your in many places in Psalm 102 and Hebrews 1, and from inserting the Name Jehovah where its use may be in doubt. However, this opens another can of worms, for it brings into question the accuracy of major portions of the Hebrew text and the use of the Tetragrammaton rule altogether.

It has also been suggested that since Jesus ‘shines with the same glory, is the exact image of His (God’s) being, and is responsible for everything that’s said through His power,’ as we were told at Hebrews 1:3, anything that is said about God also applies to Jesus… perhaps.

Of course, the easy answer to why Paul used Psalm 102 in reference to Jesus, is because Jesus is actually Jehovah, as many theologians claim. But this is proven untrue by the other words in the same First Chapter of Hebrews. For notice the following verses:

• Hebrews 1:3 ‘He sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places.’
• Hebrews 1:4 ‘He has become so much greater than the [other] messengers [of God] and so different, that he has inherited a [special] name among them.’
• Hebrews 1:5 ‘For example, to which of His [other] messengers did He ever say, You’re my son. Today I’ve become your Father. Or, I will become his Father and he will become My son.’
• Hebrews 1:9 ‘You loved righteousness and hated wickedness. That’s why God (your God) anointed you with the oil of great joy among those who are your partners.’
• Hebrews 1:13 ‘And to which one of His messengers did He ever say, Sit here on My right until I set your enemies as a stool for your feet?’

(For more information on this subject, please see the linked document Who Was Jesus?)

The word that is translated lord (gr. kyrios) is found throughout the Bible in Greek texts and is usually used as a term of respect for men, such as a king, governor, or homeowner… and it is also frequently translated as master. So, whenever you see the term master used in the Bible, recognize that it is translated from the same Greek word as lord. And as translators, it’s easy to see how inappropriate it is to always refer to God as ‘the Lord.’ This was something that was started by later Jewish copyists, and the custom was adopted in English Bibles in the Fifteenth Century. Yet, even then the translators showed where God’s name once appeared in the Hebrew text by capitalizing all the letters, as in LORD (see Exodus 6:1). And in the King James Bible, the name Jehovah still does appear in four texts (see Exodus 6:3).

Some have objected to putting the name Jehovah in the Greek text, for they say that that use of the Name would have been offensive – and might have resulted in stoning – if Jesus and his disciples had actually spoken it. Yet, the Name had to be used when preaching to the Gentiles, or they simply wouldn’t have known which Lord the disciples were talking about (remember, they were polytheistic). And to call God the Lord when most gods (and many men) were also called lord, would have been very confusing to everyone that Jesus’ disciples preached to, both Jews and Gentiles. So we question whether the use of God’s Name was considered as offensive prior to Jerusalem’s destruction by the Roman armies (70-C.E.).

The reason why the Name was removed from later copies of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel was because Jewish Scribes had become so awed with God’s Name that they refused to write it or say it, so, they started substituting the term ‘the Lord’ (the Master) wherever His Name was found. And since all existing versions of the Septuagint come from the Second Century or later, it isn’t surprising that God’s Name has been omitted from such modern texts. The fact that the name Jehovah was once there is well substantiated from ancient Bible manuscripts, both Hebrew and Greek. In fact, a verse in the Jewish Talmud claims that Jesus received his miraculous powers because he had sewn the Holy Name (Jehovah) into his skin, which indicates both their (his enemy’s) recognition of Jesus’ miraculous powers and the common view of God’s Name.

Forgetting God’s Name is a practice that has had a long history with the Jews, for apparently they were trying to do this during the time of the Prophet Jeremiah (sometime in the early Seventh Century B.C.E.), for we read at Jeremiah 23:27: ‘They’ve devised ways to forget My Name, then they use their dreams to describe to their neighbors, how their fathers were the ones who’ve forgotten My Name, and turned to the service of Baal.’

What about the Christian Era Scriptures? Recognize that most early Christian Congregations (and especially those in Judea) were predominantly made up of Jews, and their traditions seemed to have had a strong negative effect on Christian conduct and doctrine throughout the world. For example; almost all of Paul’s letters (Romans through Hebrews) contain strong references to Judaizers in the congregations, and this influence likely led to substituting Lord for God’s Name in Christian writings after the deaths of the Apostles.

Perhaps Christians would more deeply appreciate the need to use the name Jehovah, rather than the title ‘Lord,’ when referring to God, if they understood that the term ‘the Lord’ in the language of the Canaanites was ‘Baal’ or ‘Beel.’ And the same term in modern-day Arabic is ‘Allah.’

Then, what of those who prefer a more exact Hebrew pronunciation of the Name, which can be Yahweh (yah-h’-Wĕh), Yahwah (yah-h’-Wah), or Yehwah (yĕh-h’-Wah)? That is commendable if their reasons are consistent. For, if their concern is to properly pronounce Bible names (not a hatred for God’s name as it is pronounced in English), they will also be found promoting the proper Hebrew pronunciation of His son’s name, Ieshuah (Ye-Shuah), or Iehoshuah (Yĕ-h’-shuah)… or at least the proper pronunciation of his name in Greek, Iesous (Yay-sous).

But then they would also have to start changing hundreds of other Bible name containing a J (such as John, Jeremiah, Jonah, Jerusalem, etc.), and they would find that almost every other Bible name is currently mispronounced in the English language.

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Spirit or Breath

The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost – as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.

The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath are supposed to be ‘one’) is found at Matthew 28:19, which simply says that baptism should be done ‘in the name of’ (or, in recognition of) these three. All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is spurious (something that was added to the Bible). In fact, the reference to the Holy Breath at Matthew 28:19 may also be spurious, and if so, then there are no actual Bible references that mention God’s Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.

So to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is frequently translated as breath herein. However, there are exceptions, as in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits.’ Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, when the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit). And, since the nuance implied by the word Spirit in the English language (an unseen power) is correct, we recently changed back to translating pneuma as Spirit in several places, when referring to God’s Holy Spirit. However, recognize that pneuma is often best defined by calling it [God’s] Holy Breath. For an example, see the Note Worshiping God In Spirit and Truth.

Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life.’ This phrase means more than just breathing; it refers to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life for all creatures… it’s what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.

Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God’s Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ‘Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God’s Breath in this case, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and caused him to breathe… the Breath of Life.

It is interesting that at Genesis 6:3 God says, ‘I won’t allow My Breath to stay with these men through the the age, for they are fleshly.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka,’ or, ‘Not not should stay the Breath Mine with these men the age through, their being flesh.’

While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that he gave Adam. So it appears as though what He was saying here is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as ‘My Breath,’ there may be a link implied between God’s Holy Breath and the breath of life. For more information, see the attached link ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’

However, when Jesus died (as the words recorded at John 19:30 say), ‘he hung his head and quit breathing’ (gr. kai klinas ten kephalen paredoken to pneuma, or, and inclined his head giving/up the breath).

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When Men are In Charge of the Earth

At Genesis 1:28, God gave men the following commission, ‘Reproduce, multiply, fill the earth and control it. Rule over the fish of the seas, the winged creatures of the skies, all the herding animals of the ground, all the slithering animals that crawl on the ground, and the whole earth.’

The implications of this scripture are staggering, if you just think about it. However, the first humans (Adam and Eve) apparently relinquished this privilege when they sinned and submitted to the Slanderer, effectively handing this commission over to him. For, notice what the Slanderer later said to Jesus (as recorded at Luke 4:6), ‘I will give you power over all of these [worldly governments] and the glory of them, because they have been given to me and I can give them to whoever I wish.’

So, for about six thousand years, men lost their commission to rule over the earth and its creatures. However, after the Slanderer and his messengers lose the war in heaven, and Jesus and his ‘chosen ones’ become kings over the earth, the power that the Slanderer has over this earth is no longer his, but falls back into the hands of men... Jesus and his chosen ones. This is why Paul wrote (at Hebrews 2:8), ‘So, when [God] puts everything under [his feet], He doesn’t leave anything that [men] aren’t in charge of. However, we don’t see everything obeying us yet.’

Now, as Paul wrote, ‘We don’t see everything obeying us yet.’ Nor do we see this world in general responding to Jesus’ righteous rule. In fact, conditions in the world are deteriorating as they reflect the power of the Slanderer and his messengers in the last throws of evil acts before their destruction.

So, we may now be living in that period, as described by Jesus in what many people call ‘the Lord’s Prayer’ (Matthew 6:9, 10), where he taught us to pray, ‘May everything that delights you happen on the earth as in heaven.’

What delights God may have already happened in heaven with the ouster of the Slanderer and his messengers, as the earth awaits the final battle of Armageddon.

Thereafter, we can scarcely imagine what powers will be returned to man, when the full commission that God gave to us over this earth and its creatures is restored. With no opposition, and with each man (and woman) endowed with a full measure of the power of God’s Breath, the blessings to this earth and its creatures are virtually limitless.

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Eating Jesus’ Flesh

At Jesus’ ‘Last Supper,’ which fell on the first day of the Jewish celebration of the Passover, Jesus instituted a ritual that he told his Apostles to continue to do in memory of him and his death. At Luke 22:19, 20 we read, ‘Then he took a loaf [of bread], gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them saying, This is my body, which is being handed over for you. Keep doing this in memory of me. And he did the same thing with the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new Sacred Agreement of my blood, which is being poured out for you.’

Notice that he didn’t say this means; he said this is (gr. es). However, contrary to the beliefs of some (that these emblems actually become flesh and blood), they were obviously just symbols. Partaking of Jesus’ ‘flesh and blood’ symbolizes that those who do so are expressing their desire to become a party to the ‘New Sacred Agreement.’

Speaking ahead of time of this ritual, Jesus said (at John 6:53-56), ‘I tell you the truth, if you don’t eat the flesh of the Son of Man or drink his blood, you won’t live. For, if you chew my flesh and drink my blood you’ll have life within yourself, and then I’ll resurrect you on the Last Day, because my flesh is truly food and my blood is truly a drink. Those who chew on my flesh and drink my blood will stay in me and I [will stay] in them.’

This was revolting talk to most Jews, whose dietary regulations (from the Law) forbade drinking any blood or eating human flesh. As the result, many of Jesus’ disciples stopped following him at that time. Surely, this was done as a test to cull out those who believed in his miracles, but wouldn’t understand his death and resurrection. However, Jesus’ Apostles stayed, because, as Peter said, ‘Lord, who should we go off to? You say the things [that lead to] life for the ages.’

When should this Memorial of Jesus’ Death be observed? The fact that it was instituted on the Passover, gives us a clue. This Jewish Observance was held annually on the night of the new moon closest to the Spring Equinox in Jerusalem. And what the Jews were celebrating was symbolic of Jesus’ death, namely, the saving of the Israelite ‘firstborn’ when God’s messenger brought the last plague on Egypt (which resulted in God’s people being set free). For more information, see the linked document, The Passover and the Lord’s Evening Meal.

Who should partake of the symbolic bread and wine at that time? The Scriptures say, those who want ‘life in the age’ and who wish to be resurrected ‘on the Last Day.’

For more information, see the linked document, ‘The New Covenant.’

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The Day of the Lord

Throughout the Bible, we find references to ‘the Day of Jehovah,’ and ‘the Day of the Lord.’ Are both of these references to the same time, and if so, how do we know?

There is no conflict between the two Days; in fact, they appear to be the same. Notice what we are told in the Revelation, when it is speaking of the beginning of that Day (at Revelation 12:10), ‘This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of his Anointed One began.’

As you can see, the purposes of that Day are tied together. For, the establishment of God’s Kingdom (with the battle in heaven and the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers) and the authorization for Jesus (the Lord) to rule appear to begin at the same time.

So, does the Lord’s Day begin when the things spoken of in the Revelation start to happen? It appears to be so, because it starts out with John’s words (at Revelation 1:10), ‘Through the Breath [of God] I found myself in the Lord’s Day.’

What are some of the features of that Day? Well, they appear to start with the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers from heaven (See Revelation 12), which is followed by the destruction of ‘Babylon the Great’ (See Revelation 17, 18). Then in rapid succession there comes the ‘marriage of the Lamb’ (acceptance of the rest of the Anointed ones to heaven?), the Battle of Armageddon, the abyssing of the Opposer and his messengers, and the resurrection (see Revelation 19, 20). And finally, the Opposer is released for a short time, which precipitates the battle against Gog of Magog, and which is thereafter followed by the descent of ‘New Jerusalem’ to the earth, and the making of the ‘new earth and sky’ (see Revelation 21).

Also, in the prophecy found at Joel 2:1-12, ‘the Day of the Lord’ appears to start with the destruction of Jerusalem by worldly armies (the destruction of Babylon the Great?), and this is followed by the destruction of the worldly armies, in Joel Chapter Three (Armageddon?). And in between these two events, we read of the marvelous outpouring of God’s Breath upon His faithful servants (Joel 2:28-32).

Peter wrote in length about this period, and at 2 Peter 3:7 he wrote: ‘It was also promised that; What’s [now] in store for the earth and sky is fire, which [will come] during the Judgment Day, when godless men will be destroyed.’ And although many misinterpret these words as describing just the destruction of the wicked at Armageddon, the context shows that he was looking at a much longer period of time, the total ‘Lord’s Day’ or ‘Judgment Day’… the ‘thousand-year’ period spoken of at Revelation Chapter Twenty. For what he said about the burning of the earth and sky and of the ‘new earth and sky’ corresponds exactly with the end of the thousand years and the promises found at Revelation 21:1.

So, from the periods described in the Revelation, near the end of Jesus’ thousand-year reign there will be a judgment of the wicked (those who join with Gog of Magog) and they will be destroyed. Then there will be a ‘new earth and sky.’ What does that really mean? Perhaps we’ll all have to live to see it to be sure.

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Kingdom

The word Kingdom is translated from the Greek word basileia, which refers to the realm of a king (basil).

A common misconception about this Kingdom is that it isn’t real… that it’s just a state of mind. This conclusion is based on Jesus’ words found at Luke 17:21 which say (in Greek), he basileia tou Theou entos hymon estin (the Kingdom of the God in you is). These words are then translated as, ‘for God’s Kingdom is within you.’ However, this couldn’t be the correct meaning, because, notice that (at Luke 17:20) Jesus said these words in reply to a question that was raised by the Pharisees, and he certainly didn’t believe that the Kingdom was in their hearts.

So, what did Jesus mean? He was saying that he, the king of that Kingdom, was there in their midst, and that the hope of becoming kings in that Kingdom was being offered to them. And while it’s true that real Christians ever since that time have in fact been members of that Kingdom in their hearts, the word Kingdom (an area of rule) implies that there will be an actual time of rule and a realm for Jesus and his faithful servants. And, since it appears as though some of these kings will rule from heaven, the place where they rule from is called ‘the Kingdom of Heaven.’

However, Kingdom of Heaven appears to refer to the rule from heaven and not to the place where those who are ruled will live. We draw this conclusion from Jesus’ words as found at Matthew 8:11, which reads: ‘Many from the sunrise and sunset will come and recline [at the table] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven.’

That such faithful individuals as Abraham weren’t really in heaven at the time Jesus spoke these words (but they were alive in God’s memory), is confirmed by what Jesus said at John 3:13, ‘Nobody has gone to heaven other than he who came from heaven, the Son of Man.’

So, Matthew 8:10-12 must be referring to Abraham and his descendants living under the rule of a heavenly Kingdom government. These faithful ones don’t appear to qualify to be rulers in heaven themselves, because they weren’t ‘born again’ to receive the value of a spiritual life, nor were they part of the ‘Sacred Agreement for a Kingdom’ (Luke 22:29) that Jesus made with his Apostles just prior to his arrest and execution.

Notice how Jesus showed that the Kingdom of God hadn’t already arrived at the time he was speaking, for we are told at Luke 19:11, ‘While they were listening to these things, he told them another illustration, because he was getting close to Jerusalem, and they all thought that the Kingdom of God was about to happen instantly.’ Then Jesus told about a man who made a long trip to a distant land to receive kingship. So, a long period of time was obviously involved between when Jesus would leave on his journey (to receive kingship in heaven), and the time when he would return to reward his faithful slaves.

There is a definite time for this Kingdom to start its rule, which is made clear by the words of Revelation 12:10. For there we read, ‘Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of His Anointed began. Because the one who has been accusing our brothers has been thrown down… the one who has been complaining about them day and night in front of our God!’

So, when the Opposer and his messengers are/were expelled from heaven, God’s Kingdom begins there. However, it must await the end of the ‘short period of time’ before God’s opposers are destroyed at ‘Armageddon’ and any of its effects will be seen on earth.

Then, what IS the Kingdom? The term appears to refer to a coming rulership of the earth by God, Jesus, and a spiritual Israel that originates in the heavens but extends to those in charge on the earth, for John wrote at Revelation 1:6, ‘[Jesus] made us to be a Kingdom of Priests to his God and Father.’ And he wrote that a heavenly group sang this song to him about Jesus (at Revelation 5:9, 10):

‘You bought people for God with your blood,
From every tribe, language, ethnicity, and country.
Then you made them rulers and Priests to our God,
And they’ll rule as kings on the earth.’

Then at Revelation 2:26 it’s recorded that Jesus promised: ‘I’ll give he who conquers and obeys whatever I tell him to do down to the end, power over the nations.’

And again at Revelation 3:21, Jesus promised: ‘Then I’ll allow the one who conquers to sit down with me on my throne, just as my Father has allowed me to sit on His throne, because I have conquered.’

For more information, see the linked document, The ‘Seed’ – God’s Kingdom.

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The Milk of God’s Word

At Hebrew 5:12, 13, Paul was scolding the Christians in Jerusalem and Judea for their flagging interest in God’s word. He said, ‘And although you ought to be teachers in view of the time, you need someone to go back and teach you the basics of God’s Word again. You’ve become people who need milk, not solid food. For those who live on milk are babies and they are unfamiliar with teachings that are righteousness.’

What is this ‘milk’ that Paul warned the Hebrew Christians about? He tells us at Hebrews 6:1, 2: ‘So, now that we’ve gone beyond the basics of the Chosen One, may we be carried on toward maturity. Let’s not go back and lay a new foundation on such matters as:

· Repenting over bad deeds

· Having faith in God,

Or learning about:

· Baptisms

· [Spiritual] appointments

· The resurrection of the dead

· The judgments on this age.’

Yet, these are the very same things that almost all religions spend their time discussing, preaching, writing about, and arguing with each other today.

How many sermons have you heard or articles and books have you read recently where Christians are being ‘reminded’ not to get involved in ‘bad deeds,’ and they must have ‘faith in God’ and His greatness? Too many, we are sure.

But, if we go beyond that to Paul’s next considerations (baptisms, spiritual appointments, the resurrection of the dead, and the judgments on this age), we enter the area that most Christians today consider advanced spiritual food and refer to as a ‘great spiritual banquet.’ Yet, Paul called it milk, and he considered such things the wet-nursing of those who are spiritual babies.

Paul’s words are a major condemnation of those religious leaders and organizations that consider such topics important, because it reflects their own lack of spiritual growth and their inability to feed the flocks trusted to their care.

So, is it wrong for Christians to become disgusted with spiritual pabulum… shouldn’t we appreciate any spiritual food that we receive? As Paul said (at Hebrews 5:14), ‘But those who are grownups eat solid food and they’ve trained their senses to recognize the differences between right and wrong.’

What did he consider the ‘meat’ of God’s word? Well, read the rest of the book of Hebrews and see if you can follow it. Also, see the linked document What Is Truth?

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The Anointed

Notice that in this Bible translation, 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22 (for example) says, ‘The One who guarantees that we all belong to the Anointed One, and He who anointed us, is God.’

So, why didn’t these translators just go ahead and render the word (Anointed) as Christ – as countless other translators have done? For two reasons:

1. Because Christ has almost totally lost its meaning to most Bible readers today, and most have come to believe that ‘Christ’ was part of Jesus’ name. It wasn’t.

2. Because Christ is word that was made up by early Bible translators and is only used in that form when they think that the Bible was speaking of Jesus. In other places it is correctly translated as anointed.

If you look at the above verse in Greek, you’ll see that it reads, ‘Ho de bebaion hemas syn hymin eis Christon kai chrisas hemas Theos,’ or, ‘The of stabilizing us with you into Anointed and anointing us God.’

You will notice here that Christon (Christ or Anointed) and chrisas (anointed) are both derived from the same root word, which by the way, is Greek for olive oil. Why olive oil? Because, that substance was traditionally poured over the heads of those who God chose to be kings over Israel. For example, David and Solomon were both anointed (oil was poured over their heads) in proof of the fact that they had been chosen by God to be kings over Israel.

So, the word means anointed. But if you prefer the word Christ, then David and Solomon were Christs, for you can’t have it both ways.

Such a physical anointing with oil appeared to picture receiving God’s Holy Breath, which happened to Jesus at his baptism, to 120 of Jesus’ disciples at Pentecost of 33-C.E., and to other First-century Christians. So Jesus didn’t really become the Christon (Christ, Anointed, or Chosen One) until he was anointed with Holy Breath at his baptism (when the ‘dove’ came down on him).

If you understand this nuance, you get the true meaning of the word Christ (Anointed) as it applies to Jesus; it means that he was the one who God chose to be king over His people. Also, Paul was telling the Christians in Corinth that they too would be anointed… become ‘christs.’ For when they were ‘anointed’ and sealed in their hearts by God’s Holy Breath, they were selected to be ‘kings over the earth’ (Revelation 5:10).

Also, notice what can be learned from a proper understanding of the Greek words by looking at Matthew 24:24. For what he actually said was, ‘Because false Anointed ones and false prophets (gr. pseudo christon kai pseudo prophetai) will arise and they will perform great signs and omens to mislead (if possible) even the elected.’

So, Jesus wasn't necessarily saying that people would come claiming to be him, but people would come falsely claiming to be the anointed and prophets.

At Exodus 29:29 we find that Aaron and his sons were to be ‘anointed’ as Priests to Jehovah, and that this action would make them ‘holy,’ or clean. It also signified that had been ‘chosen’ to this office by God. And in Leviticus, when we read of the ‘anointed’ Priest, the reference seems to be to the one who had been chosen for the special office of what later became known as the High Priest, which gives credence to our translating Christos as Anointed One, rather than Christ, in the Christian Era Scripture (NT) portion of this Bible. However, at least in the case of Aaron and his sons, fragrant herbs were added to the oil to give it a pleasing odor. This is implied at Exodus 25:7 where the Israelites were asked to donate ‘fragrances for anointing oil.’ And we find the exact formula for the anointing oil at Exodus 30:34, where we read that it was to be made of ‘sixteen pounds of choice myrrh flowers, eight pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, eight pounds of sweet-smelling calamus, sixteen pounds of cassia (for the Holy Place), and a gallon of olive oil.’

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Messengers

Most Bible translations render the Greek word aggelos (pronounced ahn-gel-ose – with a hard g) as angel wherever it is found. However, aggelos is just the Greek word for messenger. True, in most cases where the Bible speaks of angels, it is referring to spirit messengers from God. However, this may not be the meaning in every instance, and always translating it as angel may distort what was said in certain instances.

For example, consider the words at Acts 12:15, where Peter had just been released from prison and had appeared at the door of some faithful Christians. In Greek, the latter part of this verse reads, ‘oi de elegon Ho aggelos estin autou,’ and is often translated as, ‘They began to say, It is his angel.’

This rendering doesn’t sound reasonable, for it would have been bizarre for Christians to assume that an angel from God (who looked like Peter) was standing and knocking at their door. Rather, the rendering we have used herein makes more sense, ‘So they said, It’s his messenger.’

Another good example of why aggelos shouldn’t always be translated as angel can be found at Genesis 32:3, which reads in Greek, ‘Apasteile de Iakob aggelous emprosthen autou pros Hesau ton adelphon autou,’ or, ‘Sent of Jacob angels ahead of him toward Esau the brother of him.’ Here Jacob was obviously sending human messengers to his brother, not heavenly ones.

And consider the words at Numbers 20:14, where we read that Moses sent messengers (gr. aggelous – messengers, plural) from Cades to the king of Edom.’ Then in verse 16, it says that ‘Jehovah … heard our voice and sent His messenger (gr. aggelon – messenger, singular) who brought us out of Egypt.’

Also, consider the words of Haggai 1:13, where we read: ‘Then the Messenger (or angel) of Jehovah, Haggai, one of the [many] messengers (or angels) of Jehovah, said to the people, Jehovah says I am with you!’

Yet, Haggai was just a man not a spirit.

Obviously, although the same word (with only conjugated variations) is used to speak of two different types of messengers here… those who are human and those who were sent from heaven by God. As the result, most Bibles translate the first instance as messengers, but the second as angel. We have not chosen to make this distinction, and we have rendered the word as messenger or messengers in each instance, because this proper translation of the word provides readers a better look at what position these heavenly sons of God held. For angel isn’t a heavenly rank it’s a duty.

Also, translating aggelos as messenger (when it truly means an ‘angel’) helps to provide readers a better, deeper understanding of the actual role that such spiritual sons of God play in His dealings with mankind. And it helps us to understand why the Bible never speaks of female or baby angels.

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