Haggai

From the Greek Septuagint text as was used by First Century Christians

Chapter 1

1 In the second year [of the reign] of King Darius, in the sixth month, and on the first day of the month, the word of Jehovah came by the hand of HagGai the Prophet, saying, ÔSpeak to ZerubBabel the son of ShealtiEl, from the [great] tribe of Judah, and to JoShua (son of JoZadek) the High Priest, and tell them 2 that Jehovah the Almighty says this: These people say that the time isnÕt right, to rebuild the House of Jehovah

3 Then this word came by the hand of HagGai the Prophet, saying, 4 ÔIs it indeed the right time, for you men to live in nice houses, while this [Temple] lies ruined? 5 And now, says Jehovah the Almighty; set your hearts on your ways! 6 YouÕre planting much but carry back little; you eat, but not Ôtil youÕre full; you drink but not to intoxication; you wear clothes that donÕt warm you; and those to whom you paid wages, keep them in bags full of holes.

7 ÔThus says Jehovah the Almighty: Now set your hearts on your ways! 8 You must climb the mountains to cut the wood, with which you must build [My Temple]. For of this I will think well, and it will bring glory to Me, said Jehovah.

9 ÔYou look for much [but find] little; and then you carry it home, but I just blow it away. This happens, says Jehovah the Almighty, because My House is deserted, while you each pursue your own homesÉ 10 itÕs because of this that the sky withholds dew, and the ground holds back its blessings.

11 ÔSo, to your land IÕll bring the broadsword, and upon all of your mountainsÉ upon the grain and olive oil; upon the ground that brings wine to men, and upon all of the cattle, as well as the works of your hands.Õ

12 Well, ZerubBabel (the son of ShealtiEl) from the tribe of Judah, and JoShua (the son of JoZadek) the High Priest, and all the rest of the people listened to the voice of Jehovah their God and to the words of HagGai the Prophet, and to all [the words] that Jehovah their God had sent to them. And the people became fearful before Jehovah.

13 Then HagGai, one of the messengers of Jehovah, said to the people: ÔJehovah says, I am with you!Õ

14 Thereafter, Jehovah awakened the spirit of ZerubBabel (the son of ShealtiEl) from the tribe of Judah, the spirit of JoShua (the son of JoZadek) the High Priest, and the spirit of the rest of the people, and they went to work on the [Temple] of their God, Jehovah the Almighty. 15 ([This happened] on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year [of the reign] of Darius the king.)

Chapter 2

1 It was in the seventh month and on the twenty-first day of the month that the word of Jehovah came by the hand of HagGai the Prophet. He said, 2 ÔSpeak to ZerubBabel (the son of ShealtiEl) of the tribe of Judah, and JoShua the High Priest (the son of JoZadek), and say to all the people that are left: 3 Who among you saw this [Temple], in [the days of] its glory? Do you see how it has become now? It doesnÕt exist before you!

4 ÔSo, now be strong, O ZerubBabel, says Jehovah; and High Priest Joshua, you be strong tooÉ be strong all you people of the land, because now you must take some action,Õ says Jehovah! ÔFor I am with you, says the Almighty Jehovah.

5 ÔThis is the same thing I told you, when you were fleeing from EgyptÉ when I sent My Breath in your midst. Once more you must be courageous! 6 For, thus says Jehovah the Almighty: Once more I will shake the earth and the sky, as well as the sea and dry landÉ 7 and I will shake all the nations. Then My chosen ones will return from all nations, and IÕll fill this [Temple] with glory, says Jehovah the Almighty.

8 ÔAll the silver is Mine, and all the gold is Mine too, says Jehovah the Almighty. 9 And great will be this [TempleÕs] glory, for the last will be greater than the first, says Jehovah the Almighty. And to this place IÕll bring peaceÉ says Jehovah the Almighty; peace for the procurement of life, to all whoÕll arise to rebuild this Temple.Õ

10 Then on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the second year of Darius, these words came from Jehovah to HagGai the Prophet. He told them that 11 Jehovah the Almighty said: ÔIndeed, ask the Priests concerning the Law, 12 If a man should touch holy meat, with the edge of his clothes, and the edge of his clothes should then touch, bread, stew, wine, or olive oil, or any other such food, would they thereafter be holy?Õ

And all the Priests replied, ÔNo!Õ

13 Then HagGai asked, ÔBut, if it should touch a dead person, would any of these be unclean?Õ

And the Priests replied, Ô[Yes theyÕd] be defiled!Õ

14 Then HagGai answered and said, ÔSo it will be of this people, and so it will be of this nation before Me, says Jehovah. It will be so of the works of their handsÉ whoever should go there will be defiled, if they show more concern for their chores. For their wicked ways they will grieve, because theyÕve hated all those, who at their gates have reproved them.

15 ÔSo now; take [this message] to your hearts from this day, before laying stone upon stone, within this Temple of Jehovah: 16 Remember when you went to your stores, to get twenty measures of barley, and found there were just ten measures; or, when you went to the wine vat, to draw fifty measures [of wine], and found only twenty measures there. 17 Well, it was I who had struck you, with a lack of production, and the works of your hands with strong winds and hail, for to Me you didnÕt return, says Jehovah.Õ

18 ÔSo, keep this in your hearts from this dayÉ from the twenty-fourth day and ninth monthÉ from the day the TempleÕs foundation was laidÉ keep it inside of your hearts! 19 Will the threshing-floor still [be barren]? No! Will it happen to the grapevine and fig tree, or to the pomegranates or olivesÉ will they no longer bear fruit? No! Because, from this day, I will bless them!Õ

20 Then the word of the Lord came to HagGai the Prophet a second time (on the twenty-fourth day of the month), saying, 21 ÔSpeak to ZerubBabel the son of ShealtiEl, of the tribe of Judah, and say, I will shake the earth and the sky, as well as the sea and dry land. 22 The thrones of kings IÕll wipe away; IÕll destroy the power of the nationsÕ kings; IÕll eradicate all of their chariots and horsemenÉ their horses and horsemen will all fall, as each one attacks his brother with the sword.

23 ÔIn that day, says Jehovah the Almighty, IÕll take you O ZerubBabel, (son of ShealtiEl) My servant, says Jehovah, and IÕll set you up as a seal. For IÕve chosen you, says Jehovah the Almighty.Õ

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 thereafter crept into the Christian religions. Please see the link 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. Therefore, the later teaching that the soul is immortal stands in direct conflict with JesusÕ 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. For the word immortal(ity) (Gr: athanasia or undying) is only mentioned in the Bible in two places, and it isnÕt 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, ÔThe person (gr. psyche or ÔsoulÕ) that is sinning will die (gr. apothaneitai).Õ

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 ÔMy SoulÕ in several places. Obviously, God is much more than just a ÔsoulÕ as most people think of that term, and He surely wasnÕt talking about His having a human body. So we must conclude that what He was referring to is His life.

Then there are JesusÕ words found at Matthew 10:28, which read, ÔDonÕt be afraid of those who kill the body but canÕt kill the person (psyche or soul). Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both the person (soul) and the body in the garbage dump.Õ 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 isnÕt referring the soul as immortal in this instance, 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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The Heavens or Sky, the Earth or the Land?

In both the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT) and the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), we find all the realm of creation divided into three entities; the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English, we understand that there is a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, canÕt be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ÔIn the beginning, God created the sky and the ground

This is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above him, and the waters or seas over there. There was no technical understanding of the earth as a planet, because men didnÕt view the earth as we do today, as a ball in spaceÉ it just wasnÕt necessary at the time! However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, translators must choose the proper words to provide the right nuances in English, in order for readers to grasp the proper meaning of each text.

This is why youÕll find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. YouÕll also find the Greek words ge and ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at 2 Peter 3:5, 6, for example, are translated herein as, ÔThe thing that they donÕt want to understand is this: That the ancient earth and sky were out of the water, but (in obedience to GodÕs instructions) they stood together between the waters.Õ (For an example of the problems created by the wrong use of the words ge and ges, see the linked document Isaiah 24 - Is It Speaking of Armageddon?).

Notice that the Ôearth and skyÕ were located Ôbetween the water.Õ So, although other Bibles translated this verse as speaking of the Ôheavens and earth,Õ the reference is to the portion of the heavens that are close to the earthÉ to the sky. Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ÔmeekÕ as inheriting Ôthe earth; since he was talking about people receiving an ÔallotmentÕ on the earth,Õ we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not land or ground. However, the words land and ground are equally correct.

And finally, when it comes to the seas (gr. thalassa), there are already distinctions as to different types of waters in the Greek text. For instance, seas are called thalassa and rivers are called potamos (or ÔflowingÕ). However, notice (in Revelation 20: 13) how the resurrection of the dead is divided between those who died on land and those who were lost in the water, ÔThe sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they did.Õ

We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ÔThen I saw a new earth and sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea

Also, in the case of where EliJah was taken in a celestial chariot, most people think he was taken to (as their Bibles put it) Ôheaven,Õ where he went to live with God. This isnÕt true, because King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12). So, God had apparently used the celestial chariot to take him into the sky (the proper translation here), where he was then taken to another place here on the earth. For more information on this, see the linked document, The Hereafter.

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Age, Eternal, Perpetual, Everlasting, Immortal, or Forever?

Two words imply infinite states in the Bible; one is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians 15:53, 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 GodÕs 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 (aionion) is used, it refers to a long timeÉ at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (aionos), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the term ages of the ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to The 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 canÕt 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 JesusÕ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3: ÔTell us; When will these things happenÉ what will be the signs when you are to arrive and this age will come to its conclusion?Õ You can see that the word aionos obviously doesnÕt 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 GodÕs Temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed, because thatÕs 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 (world or system of things), not aionos.

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: ÔLong 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.Õ

So, notice; The Bible shows that even our universe will eventually end and need to be Ôwrapped up and repaired,Õ which agrees with the conclusions of modern science.

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, ÔI tell you the truth; He who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me, will have life in this ageÉ he wonÕt have to be judged, for he has crossed over from death to life!Õ

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, ÔHe wonÕt have to be judged, for has crossed over from death to life

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

This doesnÕt necessarily mean that they wonÕt live foreverÉ itÕs just that Jesus wasnÕt really saying that. What we find (from consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of JesusÕ words about life) is that he never taught the hope of Ôlife eternal,Õ Ôeverlasting life,Õ or Ôimmortality,Õ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that righteous people will receive Ôlife in the age,Õ or be considered worthy of (possibly everlasting) life by God during their current lifetimesÉ that their names would be written in Ôthe scroll of life,Õ and that they would not have to be judged, but will have already Ôcrossed over from death to life,Õ as Jesus said at John 5:24.

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

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

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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 [GodÕs] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ÔTrinity.Õ This canÕt be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy BreathÕ are spoken of together) is found at Matthew 28:19, which appears to be spurious (See the Note in Matthew). 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 also spurious (something that was added to the Bible). So, there are no actual Bible references that mention GodÕs Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.

Therefore, 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 Ôspirits.Õ 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 GodÕs Holy Spirit. However, recognize that pneuma is often best defined by calling it [GodÕs] 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, ÔBreath of Life.Õ This phrase appears to mean more than just breathing, for it seems to refer to the entire mechanics of life itself. ItÕs the unseen force of life for all creaturesÉ itÕs what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ÔpneumaÕ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) Ôreturn to GodÕ at death,Õ 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 GodÕs Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ÔDoes the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?Õ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to GodÕs Breath, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and which caused him (Job) to breatheÉ the Breath of Life.

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

While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to GodÕs Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that He gave to Adam. So it appears as though; what God 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 ÔMy Breath,Õ there may be a link implied between GodÕs Holy Breath and the breath of life.
For more information, see the linked document, ÔThe Powers of GodÕs Holy Spirit

However, when Jesus died (as the words recorded at John 19:30 say), Ôhe hung his head and gave up the breathÕ (gr. kai klinas ten kephalen paredoken to pneuma, or, and inclined his head giving/up the breath). In this case, the obvious reference is to Ôthe breath of life,Õ or that force which gave him life as a human.

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Capitals in Bible Names

You have likely noticed that we are putting some of the letters in Bible names in capital letters. For example, weÕve started spelling such names as Jonathan as JoNathan, Isaiah as IsaiJah, and Eliezer as EliEzer. Why? Well, partly to help with the correct pronunciations of the names, and partly to show some translating consistency.

We all know that the common English pronunciation of Jonathan (for example) is Jon-uh-thun. But did you know that the first part of the name (Io in Greek, Ieho in Hebrew) refers to the name Jehovah, and the second part of the Name (Nathan) means Gift? So, the name was originally pronounced closer to Ye-hoh-nuh-thahn.

In the case of names that end with an iah, as in Isaiah, the last part of the name often includes the name of God. Isaiah, for example, means Salvation [of] Jehovah, and it was originally pronounced Ee-sai-Yah. So, why have we substituted a capital ÔJÕ for the letters ÔieÕ in both of the above cases? Well, we recognize that there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter ÔJÕ in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, we have the choice of changing all names that start with ÔJÕ (such as Jesus, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jeremiah, etc.) to start with the letters ÔIeÕ, or for consistency, we can change all the ÔIesÕ into ÔJsÕ, which is what we have done. Realize that several other Hebrew consonants are commonly mispronounced in English, which no one objects to, so this minor deviation should not be objectionable to the thinking.

Does this mean then that we are setting out a new rule for name spelling? Absolutely not, for centuries ago, a Bible translator first established this rule when he spelled the name Eliou (Greek spelling, pronounced ay-lee-ou) and wrote it as EliJah, because this name is regarded as meaning ÔMy God is Jehovah.Õ

Also notice that where a name ends with an iah, as in Jeremiah (Jehovah exalts), we have often spelled it as iJah, because the I would typically be pronounced as a long E, followed by a Y in Hebrew, and writing it without the I (as in JeremJah) misses this nuance. So, we have rendered it as JeremiJah, which is similar to the way it is often pronounced by modern-day Hebrew-speaking Jews, YeremiYah.

Another important word in names that we usually capitalize is ÔElÕ (from the Hebrew Elohe, or God). So EliEzer (which people commonly pronounce Eelai-eezer and means God [has] Helped) should actually be pronounced El-ee-eh-zer. The same is true for the letters Ai, especially in the names of cities, because Ai in Hebrew refers to the word city. So, AiLam (for example) probably meant the City of Lam.

Similar words, such as Bel (as in BelShazzar), Baal, and Beel, refer to Ôthe LordÕ or Ôthe God.Õ Also, the prefixes ÔBenÕ and ÔBarÕ mean Ôthe son of.Õ ÔBethÕ means Ôthe house of,Õ ÔBeerÕ refers to a Ôwell,Õ ÔIsÕ or ÔIshÕ means ÔMan,Õ etc.

Does this mean that we have put all the capitals in the right places? No, for we make no claim to Hebrew scholarship (all our translating here has been from Greek). So, what we are trying to do is provide a better understanding to how these names were pronounced by First-Century Christians.

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Messengers of God

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, Ôoi de elegon Ho aggelos estin autouÕ and is often translated as, ÔThey began to say, It is his angel

This rendering doesnÕt sound reasonable, for it would have been unusual 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, ÔSo they said, ItÕs his messenger

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

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.Õ Then in verse 16, it says that ÔJehovah É heard our voice and sent His messenger (gr. aggelon – messenger, singular) who brought us out of Egypt.Õ

Obviously, although the same word (with only conjugated variations) is used to speak of two different types of messengers hereÉ 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 isnÕt a heavenly rank, itÕs a duty.

Also, consider the words of Haggai 1:13, where we read: ÔThen the Messenger (or angel) of Jehovah, Haggai, one of the messengers (or angels) of Jehovah, said to the people: Jehovah says, I am with you!Õ

Yet, Haggai was just a man, not a spirit.

Translating aggelos as messenger (when it truly means an ÔangelÕ) 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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