Chapter 1
1 James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus the Anointed One, to the twelve tribes that are scattered about; Rejoice!
2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you have to endure various types of trials, 3 because you know that this proving of your faith helps you to endure. 4 May your endurance reach its goal so you can become perfect and complete in every way, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you are short of wisdom, continue to ask God and it will be given to you, because He provides it easily and without scolding anyone. 6 However, you must believe [that you’ll receive it] and not have any doubts, because those who doubt are like waves of the sea that are driven and blown about by the wind. 7 Such a person shouldn’t expect to receive anything at all from the Lord, 8 because he’s unsure and he doesn’t trust in anything.
9 Let the lowly brother brag about his high standing, 10 and the one who is rich about his lowliness, because he too will pass away like a flower in a field. 11 For, when the sun comes up and puts out all its heat, the plant withers, the flower drops off, and its beauty fades. That’s how the rich man will fade away in his journey through life. 12 But the man who endures his trials is blest, because when he’s approved he’ll receive the crown of life that the Lord promised to all those who love him.
13 May no one who is being tried ever say, ‘I’m being tried by God,’ because God doesn’t bring bad things to try us. In fact, He doesn’t try anyone. 14 Rather, we are each tried by our own desires, which bait us and lead us on. 15 Then, when a desire becomes pregnant it gives birth to sin. And once the sin is committed, it ends in death.
16 Don’t allow anyone to mislead you, my loved brothers. 17 Every good deed and every perfect gift comes to us from above. It comes down from the Father of the Lights, who doesn’t change any more than a shadow when it turns. 18 And because it was His will, He gave birth to us through the message of truth, so we could be some of the first fruitage of His creation.
19 Recognize this, my loved brothers: Every man must be eager to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 because a man’s anger doesn’t make him righteous with God. 21 So, once you’ve gotten rid of all the filth and badness, humbly allow the Word to grow inside you, because it can save your lives.
22 Become a person who does whatever the Word tells him. Don’t be someone who just listens then draws his own conclusions. 23 Because, if anyone just listens to the Word and doesn’t act on it, he’s like a man who is gazing into a mirror at the face he was born with. 24 He carefully examines himself, and then he leaves and immediately forgets what sort of man he is. 25 However, the man who gazes into the perfect law that belongs to a free people – and then keeps on looking into it – isn’t someone who listens and forgets, he’s someone who takes action. This man will be blest in whatever he does.
26 Now, if anyone thinks of himself as a worshiper, but misleads his heart by not putting a bridle on his tongue, his worship is worthless. 27 What our God and Father views as clean, pure worship is this: Watching over orphans and widows when they’re in need and keeping ourselves free from the stains of this world.
Chapter 2
1 My brothers, are you showing prejudice when it comes to the glorious faith of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One? 2 For example, if a man who is wearing gold rings on his fingers and expensive clothes comes into your synagogue, then someone who is poor and whose clothes aren’t clean also enters, 3 would you favor the one that’s wearing expensive clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good place to sit,’ then say to the poor one, ‘Why don’t you stand,’ or, ‘Sit here beside my footstool?’ 4 If so, aren’t you condemned as prejudiced and wicked judges?
5 Listen, my loved brothers! Didn’t God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom that He promised to those who love Him? 6 However, you dishonor the poor.
Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into courts? 7 Don’t they blaspheme the good name of the very one that you are called by? 8 Now, if you’re obeying the kingly law of the Scriptures that says, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. 9 But if you’re showing prejudice, you’re sinning, and the Law exposes you as being in violation.
10 Now, if anyone who is trying to obey the Law fails in one part of it, he has broken the whole thing. 11 For He who said, ‘You must not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘You must not murder.’ So, if you don’t commit adultery but you murder someone, you’ve broken the whole Law.
12 So, speak and behave as though you’re about to be judged by the law of a free people. 13 Because, those who aren’t merciful will be judged without mercy, since mercy is an important part of justice.
14 What good does it do, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but isn’t moved to do anything about it? Can such faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister doesn’t have clothing or enough food for each day, 16 yet one of you were to tell him, ‘Go in peace, be warm and well fed,’ and you don’t give him what he needs to survive, what good is it? 17 So, faith that doesn’t do anything, is dead.
18 Now, someone can say, ‘You have faith and I have deeds.’ But you show me your faith without deeds and I’ll show you my faith by the things that I do.
19 So, you have faith that there’s just one God, do you? That’s good. So, do the demons! They believe and it frightens them!
20 Do you care to know, O empty man, that faith that doesn’t do anything is useless? 21 Wasn’t our father Abraham called righteous because of the things he did, such as when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
22 As you can see, [Abraham’s] faith and actions worked together, and [his] actions are what made his faith perfect. 23 Then the scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham put faith in God, which was considered to be righteousness,’ and he was called ‘God’s friend.’ 24 So you see, a man is called righteous by the things he does, not just by his faith.
25 The same thing was true of Rahab the prostitute. Wasn’t she called righteous because of what she did when she took the messengers in and then sent them out by another way? 26 So, just as a body that isn’t breathing is dead, faith without action is dead.
Chapter 3
1 Brothers, not many of you should become teachers, because you know that we will be held more responsible, 2 and we all make a lot of mistakes. Why, if someone doesn’t say anything that’s wrong, he’s a perfect man who can lead his whole body with a bridle.
3 Now, if we put a bridle in the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, we also control its whole body. 4 {Look!} Why, even large boats that are driven by strong winds are steered wherever the pilot wishes by very small rudders.
5 That’s how the tongue is. It’s just a little body part, yet it can brag about big things. Look at how little a flame it takes to set a whole forest on fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, for the tongue can bring a world of unrighteousness into our bodies. It stains the whole body and sets the natural cycles of life on fire… and that leads to the flames of the garbage dump.
7 Why, every sort of wild animal, flying creature, slithering thing, and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by men, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It won’t stop doing bad things and it’s full of deadly poison. 9 We can use it to bless our Lord and Father, or curse men who came into existence in God’s image. 10 So, out of the same mouth comes both blessings and curses.
There’s no need for things like this to keep happening, my brothers. 11 Are there any fountains that bubble up both sweet and bitter [water]? 12 Fig trees can’t produce olives, grapevines can’t produce figs, nor can salt water produce sweet water; can it my brothers.
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show that he has the inner strength that comes from wisdom by the way he acts and the things he does. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous, and in your hearts you just want to argue, don’t be too proud of this, and don’t lie about the facts. 15 This isn’t wisdom that comes from above, it’s earthly, animalistic, and demonic. 16 For, where you find jealousy and arguing, you’ll also find turmoil and everything that’s foul.
17 Now, the wisdom that comes from above is first, pure. Then it’s peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, and full of mercy and good fruitage. It isn’t hypocritical, nor is it prejudiced. 18 The seeds of the fruit of righteousness are planted in peace by those who are making peace.
Chapter 4
1 So, where are all these fights and wars among you coming from? Aren’t they the result of battles that are being fought in your body parts over [sensual] pleasures? 2 You want, but you can’t have. You’re jealous and murderous, but that doesn’t get you anything. You’re fighting and waging war, but you haven’t received because you haven’t asked. 3 And when you do ask, you don’t receive because you’re asking for the wrong reasons. All you’re interested in is pleasure.
4 Adulteresses, don’t you know that if you’re a friend of the world you’re an enemy of God? So, whoever wants to be a friend of the world is putting himself down as God’s enemy. 5 Or did you think that the scripture doesn’t apply that says, ‘[God’s] Breath, which lives in us tends to be jealous.’ 6 Yet, the care that He offers is even greater. So, it says, ‘God opposes those who are proud, but He’s kind to those who are humble.’ 7 Therefore, obey God! Resist the Opposer and he’ll run from you, 8 but come close to God and He’ll come close to you!
Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you who can’t decide – 9 or [you can] cry, moan, be miserable, and allow your laughter to be turned into moaning and your joy into sadness! 10 But if you humble yourselves in the eyes of the Lord, he will lift you up.
11 Brothers, stop complaining about each other, because the one who speaks against or judges a brother speaks against and judges law. And if you judge law, you aren’t someone who’s under it, you’re its judge. 12 However, there’s just one lawgiver and judge, and He can either save or destroy. So, who are you to be judging your neighbor?
13 And those of you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we’re going to travel to this city or that, and we’ll spend a year there doing business and making profits.’ 14 Why, you don’t know what’s going to happen in your life tomorrow. You’re just a mist that appears for a little while then disappears. 15 So, what you should be saying is, ‘If it’s the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ 16 But now you’re taking pride in things that you just assume to be true. And having pride in such things is wickedness. 17 Why, if someone knows what’s right and doesn’t do it, that’s a sin for him.
Chapter 5
1 Go on, you who are rich, cry and bawl over the miseries that you’ll have to endure. 2 Your wealth has rotted away and your clothes have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded and whatever remains will testify against you and eat your flesh, like the fire that is stored up for you in the last days.
4 Look! The wages that you refused to pay the workers who harvested your fields are calling out. And the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of Jehovah of armies. 5 You’ve lived on the earth in luxury and for immoral pleasure. You’ve provided your hearts everything they could desire on the day of slaughter. 6 And you’ve condemned and murdered the Righteous One! So, won’t He stand against you?
7 Be patient brothers, until the Lord arrives. {Look!} As the farmer harvests the precious fruitage of the earth after patiently waiting for both the early and late rains, 8 you be patient also – with determined hearts – because the arrival of the Lord is near.
9 Brothers, don’t be moaning about each other, so you won’t be judged. For look, the Judge is standing at the doors!
10 Brothers, learn an example of how to suffer bad things and how to be patient from the Prophets who spoke in the Name of Jehovah. 11 {Look!} We call those who endured blest! Why, you’ve heard of the endurance of Job, and you saw the way Jehovah ended it. [This proves] that Jehovah is very kind and merciful.
12 And above all, my brothers, stop swearing oaths – not by heaven, or earth, or by anything else. Just let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no, so you don’t fail when you’re being judged.
13 Is anyone among you being persecuted? Let him keep praying. Is there anyone who is cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is there anyone among you who is sick? Let him call the elders and have them pray over him, as they grease him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Then this prayer of faith will rescue the weak one and the Lord will make him well. Also, if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 So, admit your sins to each other and pray that each one of you will be healed, because prayer has a lot of power when it’s working through a righteous man.
17 EliJah was a man with passions like ours, and yet when he [went to God] in prayer and prayed for it not to rain, it didn’t rain in the land for three and a half years. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heavens poured rain, causing the ground to produce its fruitage.
19 My brothers, if someone is led from the truth and then someone else turns him around, 20 recognize that the one who turns the sinner back from the error of his ways will save his life from death, and it will cover many, many sins as well.
Notes
Hypocrite
Hypocrite is a Greek word that is just spelled a little differently than it is in English (hypocritai). However, we give the English word a nuance that isn’t implied in Greek. The first part of the Greek word, hypo, means under, and the second part, critai, means judge (it’s what we get critical and criticize from). So, in the Bible a hypocrite is a ‘lesser judge,’ or one who is very judgmental of the actions or conduct and others. This differs from the meaning in English, which is, someone who doesn’t follow his own advice.
The Scribes and Pharisees were referred to as Hypocrites in the Bible, because they condemned the actions of others. And like anyone who tends to be critical of others, they likely failed in the same ways that they condemned others, which would make them also fit the English definition. However, the Bible meaning is ‘judgmental.’
Being too judgmental is a very serious flaw, which is common to those who think they are very righteous. It is reported that the Pharisees especially thought of themselves as more righteous than others, and it was their opinion that they would be the only ones to be found righteous and worthy of a resurrection by God. Notice what Jesus said would happen to those who are judgmental (Matthew 7:1): ‘Don’t judge [others], so you won’t be judged. For, the [rules] that you use to judge others, are the rules that will be used to judge you, and the standards you are setting for them, are the standards that they’ll set for you.’
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Demons
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 angels 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.
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 ‘Baby angels.’
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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 [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).
So to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is usually translated as breath here. The only exceptions would be 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, where the word implies a person’s tendency (or spirit).
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.
For more information, see the attached link ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’
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Garbage Dump or Hell Fire?
The Greek word GeHenna is often translated Hell
Fire. Yet, the word simply means the Valley (heb. ga)
of Hinnom. The
As a garbage dump, it was customary to keep the garbage burning to reduce the stench and to limit vermin, so sulfur was frequently poured into the dump to keep the fires burning hot. This is why Jesus, when using the term, spoke of the fire as not being put out. Also, because worms (maggots) bred along the edges of the dump, he could say that the worms don’t die. But there is no indication that he was talking about humans here.
The only cases where humans were actually thrown into GeHenna provides an insight into what Jesus was talking about when he referred to people going there: The dead bodies of particularly vile condemned criminals were thrown into Gehenna’s fires whenever the population felt that they didn’t deserve a decent burial.
As you read the Scriptures, you’ll notice the importance that Hebrews placed on being ‘laid to rest with their ancestors.’ So, when Jesus spoke of people being thrown into GeHenna, he was obviously referring to unrepentant sinners being thrown into the ‘garbage dump.’ In other words, in the eyes of God they were unworthy of a resurrection.
This same condition is also referred to in other places in Matthew’s account as the fire of the age. Why was that term used? Because fire destroys, and this destruction is for the ages.
For more information, see the linked document ‘Is there a Burning Hell?’
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Judging Your Brothers
At Romans 14:10-13 Paul wrote, ‘So, why do you judge your brother or why do you look down on him? Why, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God, 1for it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bend before me and every tongue will confess before God.’ So, each of us must answer for ourselves before God. Therefore, let’s stop judging each other. Rather, let’s make the decision not to set anything before a brother that will cause him to stumble or fall.’
Being too judgmental is a very serious flaw, which is common to those who think they are more righteous than others are. It is reported that the Pharisees especially thought of themselves in this way, and it was their opinion that they would be the only ones to be found righteous by God. Notice what Jesus said would happen to those who are judgmental (Matthew 7:1), ‘Don’t judge [others] so that you won’t be judged. Because, the things you are judging others over will be the things that you are judged by. And the standards you setting for them are the standards that will be set for you.’
We find the same type of warning at James 2:13, which says, ‘Those who aren’t merciful will be judged without mercy, since justice takes a lot of pride in mercy.’
However, the Bible also shows that it is necessary for Christians to judge their brothers when they are guilty of flagrant, open sins, as was the case of a brother in Corinth, Greece. At 1 Corinthians 5:1, Paul wrote, ‘I’ve actually heard that there is sexual immorality among you. And it’s a type of immorality that isn’t even [heard of] among the nations – that someone has taken the wife of his father.’
Now, we don’t know exactly what this sin entailed, but it appears to have been a violation of God’s Laws on proper family relationships and ‘uncovering the nakedness of a father’ (see Leviticus 18:7, 8). We also know that it was something scandalous in the community. So, Paul’s conclusions were that the elders in the congregation should judge the man’s actions. Notice his reasoning as found at 1 Corinthians 5: 12, ‘Why should I judge those on the outside? Don’t you judge those on the inside, while God judges those on the outside? Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.’
So, the conclusion we reach from the Scriptures is that judging the openly-wrong actions of others is the responsibility of Christians, to protect the good name of the Congregation. However, it is wrong to judge the motives of others, because we can’t look into hearts.
So, if we look down on our brothers and consider ourselves to be better Christians than they are, then the high standards that we set for them will be the minimum standards that will be set for us in our own judgment before God. And if we aren’t merciful in our judgments of others, God won’t be merciful in His judgment of us.
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Having Faith
The account at Acts 16:30-32 tells the story of a jailer who had just witnessed a miracle. And he asked Paul and Silas, ‘Lords, what do I have to do to get saved?’
They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.’ And the account continues, ‘Then they spoke to him and all those in his house about the Word of God.’
After reading this account, many have concluded that faith in Jesus is all that a person requires to be ‘saved.’ But those who do so overlook the reasoning and the rest of the Bible’s instructions. For example, an accurate understanding of God’s ways and laws are also required, otherwise, Paul and Silas wouldn’t have bothered to go on and teach this man and his household ‘about the Word of God.’
Jesus’ half brother James wrote and felt strongly about this
matter. For example, consider what he said at James 2:14, ‘What good does it
do, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but isn’t moved to do anything
about it? Can such faith save him?’ He answers this question at James
What type of faithful action was James saying was necessary
to make our faith alive? He spoke of the need to be willing to help our
brothers and others when they lack the necessities of life, to be just and forgiving of
our brothers, and to live clean, honest lives. Then he concluded (at James
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Friends of the World
Of all the vices that religious people have, one of the most deadly is what James described as being ‘friends of the world.’ For, notice what he wrote at James 4:4, 5, ‘Adulteresses, don’t you know that if you’re a friend of the world, you’re an enemy of God? So, whoever wants to be a friend of the world is putting himself down as God’s enemy. Or, did you think that the scripture doesn’t apply that says, [God’s] Breath, which lives in us, tends to be jealous.’
Why did James write this? Well, notice his description of those Christians who are friends of the world. He called then ‘adulteresses.’ Why did he use that term? Well, Paul wrote of Christians at 2 Corinthians 11:2, 3, ‘I personally promised you in marriage to a husband as a chaste virgin, to stand beside the Chosen One. However, I’m afraid that somehow, in the same way that the snake cunningly seduced Eve, your minds might be corrupted away from the sincerity and the chastity that are owed to the Chosen One.’
In what way are Christians to be ‘chaste virgins?’ As James was pointing out, they do this by staying free of this dying and condemned old world and its wicked ways. Notice how those who are found worthy to be kings in heaven were described at Revelation 14:4, 5, ‘These are the ones who didn’t make themselves unclean with women. In fact, they are virgins. They’re the ones who keep following the Lamb no matter where he goes. They were bought from among mankind as first fruit to God and to the Lamb. No lies are found in their mouths and they don’t have any defects.’
So, spiritual ‘virginity’ is required to receive an inheritance in the heavens. How is this virginity obtained? Well, notice what was also said of these ‘spiritual virgins,’ at Revelation 20:4, ‘Next, I saw thrones. Those who were executed with axes for testifying about Jesus and telling about God, and those who hadn’t worshiped the wild animal or its image, and who hadn’t received the mark on their forehead and on their hand, sat down on them, and they were appointed judges. They came to life and ruled as kings with the Chosen One for a thousand years.’
What must a person do to avoid worshiping ‘the wild animal and its image’ and having its ‘mark?’ If you look up those scriptures and open the Notes there, you’ll find that these are the people who refuse to support the political goals of nations and men. Otherwise, those who claim to be virgins and to be promised in marriage to ‘the Lamb’ (Jesus) as members of God’s Kingdom, but who support worldly governments that are under the control of the Opposer and his demons, are in reality ‘adulteresses.’
Why, according to Revelation 16:14, these very governments (kings) will soon go to war against God. Notice what we are told there, ‘They were the inspirations of demons and they serve as signs. These [inspirations] went to all the kings of the earth to bring them together for the war of the Great Day of the Almighty God.’
Remember what the Opposer said to Jesus about the control that he had over ‘all the kingdoms of the world,’ at Luke 4:6, 7, ‘I’ll give you power over all of these and the glory of them, because they’ve been given to me and I can give them to whoever I wish. They will all be yours, if you will just bow before me.’
So, how can Christians who are promised in marriage to Jesus get involved in this world, its politics, or its wars, and still remain ‘chaste virgins’ who are worthy of becoming ‘one’ with him? As James concluded, ‘Whoever wants to be a friend of the world is putting himself down as God’s enemy.’
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Prayer
James wrote at James 5:16, ‘So, admit your sins to each other and pray that each one of you will be healed, because prayer has a lot of power when it’s working through a righteous man.’
From the above, we learn never to underestimate the powers of righteousness and prayer. If you continue reading that account (verses 17, 18), you’ll find the wonderful example that James used to prove his point… for this is where he spoke of what the Prophet Elijah was able to accomplish through the power of prayer.
Why doesn’t prayer always work? As James pointed out, the more righteous the person really is (not just what he thinks himself to be), the more likely it is that his prayers will be answered. Also, as Jesus taught us in ‘the Lord’s Prayer,’ God’s Will is involved. In other words, what a person is asking for can’t be out of harmony with God’s purposes and direction. And a person can’t ask God for something and then work against it.
A good example of how people can ask God for something that isn’t His will, is when they pray for world peace. Because, God warned that in the last days, nation would rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and then He would bring His Kingdom by Jesus. So, we are to expect wars and turmoil… and all prayers for peace will not be answered until His Kingdom comes.
And in this vein, when religious leaders tell everyone to pray for world peace, but then they refuse to tell their own followers not to go to war, they are working against the very thing that they’re asking everyone to pray for… yes, peace should start with true Christianity!
In Matthew the Sixth Chapter, Jesus set out some important guidelines regarding prayer. Noteworthy are his words found at Matthew 6:6, ‘When you pray, go into your private room and after shutting the door, pray to your Father in secret. Then your Father who watches secretly will repay you.’
This instruction specifically covers personal prayers in public places (whether silent or said aloud) where others will notice that a prayer is being spoken, because this draws attention to the piety of the one praying. And if that happens, such conspicuousness is the person’s total reward before God. In other words, his/her prayer won’t be answered.
Another important warning against improper prayers are Jesus’ words that are found at Matthew 6:7, ‘When praying, don’t babble the same expressions over and over as people of the nations do, because they think that by [repeating] them they will be heard.’
Memorized words that are repeated repeatedly have been the staple of pagan religions throughout the millennia. However, Jesus is indicating that expressions that come from the heart are what God approves of.
In view of what he had just said, what is called ‘the Lord’s Prayer’ (at Matthew 6:9, 10) wasn’t suggested by Jesus as something to be memorized and then spoken to God. Rather, he was simply listing important subjects to pray about. These included:
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Clearing God’s Name of any reproach that was created by the Slanderer
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The coming of the Kingdom
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The fulfillment of God’s purposes regarding heaven and earth
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Requesting our daily needs
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Asking Him to forgive our sins (with the reminder that we also need to forgive others)
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Asking for His protection against the snares of Wicked One.
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The Last Days
Throughout the Christian Era Scriptures (New Testament), we read of a time that is referred to as ‘the last days’ (gr. tas hemera eschata). These words seem to be speaking of the same period or periods, however many religious groups prefer to identify them as separate and distinct eras. Take for example, the prophecy of Joel that Peter quoted on the day of Pentecost, 33-C.E. There we read (at Acts 2:17-21):
‘In the last days, I will pour out some of my Breath on all flesh, and your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will have visions and your old men will dream dreams. In fact, I will pour out some of my Breath in those days, and my male and female slaves will prophesy. And I will send omens from the heavens above and signs to earth below, blood, fire, and a smoky mist. Before the great and shining day of Jehovah arrives, the sun will be changed into darkness and the moon into blood. And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.’
Peter clearly applied this prophecy to the things that happened to himself and others during and after Pentecost 33-C.E. So, many religions teach that Joel’s prophecy concerning the last days had its application just in the last days of ancient Jerusalem, before its destruction by Roman armies in 70-C.E. On the other hand, where these same words (last days) are found in other Bible verses, these same religions teach that the fulfillment comes just during ‘the Lord’s Day.’ For example, notice the words found at 2 Timothy 3:1-5:
‘Recognize that the last days will bring fierce times. People will love themselves and money. They will be braggers, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to their parents, unthankful and disloyal. They won’t love their families or be willing to agree on anything. They will be slanderers who don’t have any self-control. They will be wild and won’t love anything that is good. They will be betrayers who are headstrong and proud. They will prefer pleasures to caring about God. They will have some form of religion, but they won’t follow it.’
Obviously, at least in the prophecy of Joel, the last days do refer to the time between Pentecost of 33-C.E. and 70-C.E. However, notice that this prophecy also mentions its fulfillment as happening during ‘the great and shining day of Jehovah,’ so it seems to also indicate another fulfillment as coming in these last days.
That there would be a future period of last days to come after Jerusalem’s destruction appears to be indicated by Jesus’ words as found throughout the book of John. For example, John wrote (some 29 years after Jerusalem’s destruction) that Jesus said (at John 6:39. 40), ‘This is what the Will of the One who sent me is: That I shouldn’t destroy anything He has given me, but that I should resurrect it on the Last Day. This is what my Father’s will is: That everyone who pays close attention to the Son and believes in him should have life in this age, and I will resurrect him on the Last Day.’
It is noteworthy that John didn’t then go on to explain that the resurrection had already started with the destruction of Jerusalem. So, apparently it hadn’t and the resurrection was still to come during some future last day. In fact, John’s writing of the Revelation indicates that the resurrection wouldn’t come until after what is referred to as ‘the battle of Armageddon’ (Revelation 16-20). Such conclusions lead us to believe that there are actually two periods referred to in the Bible as the last days:
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The last days of Jerusalem
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The Lord’s Day in which we now appear to be living.
That both last days would see similar fulfillments is indicated by Jesus’ words as found in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. If you read these chapters and reference the linked Notes, it seems clear that both last days would see the fulfillment of many (but not all the same) prophecies. So, is there to be some fulfillment of the outpouring of God’s Breath and its gifts as seen at Pentecost in these last days? Although every religion has reached strong but differing opinions and doctrines on this, the answer isn’t totally clear.
That there will be (or has been) some special outpouring of God’s Breath in these last days appears to be indicated by Joel’s prophecy. However, while many religions that claim to experience these gifts usually express it through healing, snake handling, and speaking in tongues, notice that Joel’s prophecy speaks specifically of miraculous prophesying. And Paul, when speaking of such gifts at 1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14, actually discouraged speaking in tongues, putting prophesying and developing Christian love as foremost. And although the early Christians actually did so, divine healing isn’t mentioned in Joel’s prophecy. So, if there is to be some modern fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, it seems to center on prophesying (more so than giving interpretations of Bible doctrines) and on an unusual expression of love. See also the linked documents, The Last Days, and The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.
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Wicked Zeal
At Psalm 37:8 we read, ‘Stop being angry and abandon your rage. Don’t allow zeal to make you act wicked’ (yes we know, the word should be wickedly, but this is poetic license). However, those words could also be translated as, ‘Do not allow jealously to cause you to act wickedly,’ because the Greek word zelos can be translated zealous or jealous, depending on the circumstances, for both words mean the same thing. Yet, the two words imply different things in English.
Zeal is usually thought of as something good… something all Christians should have, as in zeal for God and righteousness. And jealously is thought of as something bad… as wanting something another has. Yet, God is spoken of as being jealous over His Name and His position as God, so jealously isn’t always a bad thing. We can have a zeal (a burning desire to own) for things that are ours and we are proud of, and we can have zeal for things that belong to others. One may be translated as zeal, and the other as jealously, depending on the setting. (Actually, as we have done at 1 Corinthians 13:4, the better translation for zelos when referring to its wicked use may be envy).
As you can see, the words of Psalm 37:8 could be speaking of jealously as something that causes us to act badly. Yet, recognize that any sort of misplaced zeal can cause us to do the same. Take for example, the Spanish Inquisition: In the late 1400s and early 1500s, religious people in their zeal for their religion, tortured and murdered thousands horribly. This is an example of zeal causing Christians to act wickedly, and any of us can do the same when we treat someone badly or speak badly to others who may disagree with things we hold sacred. We find this to be a common failing in conversations on the Internet and among religious leaders when teaching their flocks!
Remember that Jesus said that only the ‘meek will inherit the earth.’ And notice what other good advice we are given from the Scriptures:
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1 Peter 3:15 ‘Make the Chosen One the Holy Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to defend [the faith] to anyone who demands to know why you have this hope. However, do this calmly and with [Godly] fear.’
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John 3:10, 11 ‘Now, it’s easy to tell the children of God from the children of the Slanderer, because all those who aren’t righteous and those who don’t love their brothers haven’t been fathered by God. Why, from the earliest [days] you’ve heard the message that we should love each other.’
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1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ‘Love is patient and kind. Love isn’t envious, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t conceited, it doesn’t scheme, it doesn’t just watch out for itself, it doesn’t stir things up, it doesn’t hold a grudge, it doesn’t rejoice over unrighteous things. Rather, it rejoices over things that are true. It covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, and endures everything. Love never fails.’
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Luke 12:45, 46 ‘But if that slave should ever say in his heart, My master is taking his time in coming, and starts beating the male and female servants, then feasts, drinks, and gets drunk, that slave’s master will come on a day and hour that he isn’t expected, and he will whip him and assign him with the unfaithful.’
Then, is it proper for a man to be jealous of his wife or a wife to be jealous of her husband? No, we should never be jealous of (or envy) each other, but for each other. We shouldn’t want what the other has, but we should have a burning zeal for each other.
Yet, we often hear of the bad acts or a jealous husband or wife, which may or may not be zeal or jealously. If one has good reason to worry about losing the love of the other, that is zeal. However, if such concern is baseless, that is wicked suspicion, not jealously.
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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
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
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).
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 they 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 Jehovah says …’ So, in this Bible you’ll see an interspersing of the term the Lord, when referring to the angel messenger, and Jehovah, when referring to God.
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 that it appears to be speaking of Jehovah there also from the context of the surrounding verses, and 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 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.
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:
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Hebrews 1:3 ‘He sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places.’
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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.’
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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.’
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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.’
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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?).
Also, in some Bibles (such as the NW), Romans 10:13 is translated as saying: ‘Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.’ However, is that the correct translation of this verse?
Those who say yes tell us that this is a direct quotation from the Ancient Scriptures of Israel, where it was speaking about Jehovah. Yet, notice the context of what Paul was writing, which indicates that he was applying those words to Jesus (the Lord). Verses 9-15 read: ‘So, if you confess and say the words in your mouths that Jesus is [our] Lord, and if you have faith in your hearts that God raised him from the dead, you’ll be saved. For it’s this belief in your hearts that makes you righteous, and it’s your mouths (when they confesses this) that bring salvation. The Scripture says: No one who believes in him will ever be shamed. So, there’s really no difference between Jews and Greeks, because they all have the same Lord… and He provides abundantly for those who call on him. Because, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. However, how will they call on someone they don’t believe in? How will they believe in someone they’ve never heard of? How will they hear without someone to preach? And, how will they preach if they aren’t sent? This is why it was written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news about good things!’
So as you can see, the ancient reference to the Lord was used to prove that all should confess that Jesus is is the Lord.
The Greek word that is translated lord (kyrios) is found throughout the Bible, and is often 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
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.
What about the Christian Era Scriptures? Recognize the fact
that most early Christian Congregations (especially the one in
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 is Yahweh, Yahwah, or Yehwah)? 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), then they will also be found promoting the proper Hebrew pronunciation of His son’s name, Ieshuah, or Iehoshuah… or at least the proper pronunciation of his name in Greek, Iesous.
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Elders
Elders were always males, and their job was to shepherd and teach the congregation. And as James implies, they must be truly righteous men whose prayers carry a lot of weight with God.
The early Christian congregations were governed by bodies of
‘elders’ (older men) who were appointed by the Apostles and their
representatives. This arrangement was similar to the way in which the cities of
The Scriptures show that such men were to meet high standards of conduct and reputation. And although Paul doesn’t mention it specifically, such individuals were expected to be able to make wise decisions and to show signs of having God’s Breath. Notice that these were the qualifications for all Servants in the Christian Congregation, for Acts 6:3 says; ‘So, brothers, find seven qualified men among you who are filled with wisdom and the Breath [of God].’
For more information, see the linked document Arrangement of the First Christian Churches
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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:
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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.
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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
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
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.
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Kingdom
The word Kingdom is translated from the Greek word basileia, which refers to the realm of a king (basil - pronounced bah-seel).
A common misconception about this Kingdom is the idea that
it isn’t real – that it’s just a state of mind. This conclusion is based on
Jesus’ words found at Luke
So, what did Jesus mean? He was likely 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 ‘chosen ones.’ And, because
these kings will apparently rule from heaven, the place they will likely rule from is called
‘the
However,
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, the arrival of that Kingdom must apparently await the end of the ‘short period of time’ before God’s opposers are destroyed at ‘Armageddon’ for any of its effects to be seen on earth. For more information, see the linked document, The ‘Seed’ – God’s Kingdom.
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