Chapter 1
1 This is the matter of the word of Jehovah
concerning
2 ‘I have loved you,’ says Jehovah. ‘Yet you asked, How have You loved us? Wasn’t Esau the brother of Jacob? Yet,’ said Jehovah, ‘I loved Jacob 3 and Esau [his brother] I detested. So, I ordered an end to his borders, and gave him homes in the desert.
4 ‘Because Edom will say, Though we’ve been cut down, we should return and rebuild all our desolate places,’ thus says Jehovah the Almighty: ‘Though they may rebuild, I’ll knock it down; so they will call them The Lawless Borders, and a People Jehovah Opposed through the Age.
5 ‘Your eyes will see it and then you will say, Jehovah was glorified at Israel’s borders.
6 ‘A son glorifies a father, as does a servant his master. But, if I’m a father then where is My glory? And if I’m the Lord then where is [your] fear,’ asks Jehovah the Almighty?
‘You Priests are those who are treating My Name as having no value. Yet you ask, How have we treated as worthless Your Name? 7 By bringing to My Altar [unholy] bread.
‘And then you ask, How have we made it unholy? When you say Jehovah’s table isn’t holy, and the things you place on it are treated with contempt. 8 For, if you bring a blind animal to offer, is this not a thing that is evil? And if you should bring the lame or the ill, is it not [also something that’s] evil? Why, bring it to him; [your king] who [rules over] you… will he show you favor when he gets it? Will he [bestow honor] on your person,’ asks Jehovah the Almighty? ‘No!’
9 ‘Now, atone before the face of your God, and then [come] before Him and beg! For, these things have taken place at your hand. So, will I receive such things from your person,’ asks Jehovah the Almighty? ‘No!’
10 ‘So, even among you the doors will be closed, and you won’t find My favor to light up My Altar. There is nothing of Me that’s lacking among you,’ says Jehovah the Almighty. ‘So, no sacrifice will I accept from your hands.
11 ‘From the rising of the sun to [the place] where it sets, My Name was glorified among all the nations; and incense is offered in My Name everywhere… including sacrifices that are pure! For, My Name is great among the nations,’ says Jehovah the Almighty. 12 ‘Yet, you profane it whenever you say, The table of Jehovah isn’t [holy], and treat the food before Him with contempt.
13 ‘For you say, Look, it’s just too much trouble, and then you just blow them away,’ says Jehovah the Almighty; ‘so you carry in game and the lame and the ill. Yes, these you’ve brought in to sacrifice before Me. Will I favorably receive them from your hands,’ asks Jehovah the Almighty? ‘No!’
14 ‘Cursed is the powerful man, who has a male among all his flock, and whose vow [that was promised] comes due, and then offers a corrupt sacrifice to the Lord! For, I am great,’ says Jehovah the Almighty, ‘and My Name is well-known in the nations.’
Chapter 2
1 ‘Now, these instructions are for you, O Priests: 2 If you will not listen and take it to heart, to give glory to My Name,’ says Jehovah the Almighty, ‘then I’ll send upon you a curse; I will curse all your blessings… I’ll curse it and it won’t happen among you, if you don’t take this to heart.
3 ‘{Look!} I’ve set aside for you the [lamb’s] shoulder, but I’ll throw its intestinal dung in your faces… [I’ll give you] manure for your holiday feasts, and at the same time I’ll take you away! 4 And then you will know it was I, who sent these instructions to you… it’s My agreement with Levi,’ says Jehovah the Almighty. 5 Yes, my agreement was with him; and it’s one that brings both life and peace. I gave him the fear to fear Me, and I prepared him from the presence of My Name. 6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteous words were not on his lips. Straight forward in peace he went with Me, and many he turned from injustice. 7 So, from his lips the Priests will guard knowledge, and they’ll seek the Law from his mouth, for he is a messenger of Jehovah Almighty.
8 ‘But you’ve turned aside from the way, and many you’ve weakened from following the Law… you’ve corrupted My sacred agreemenwith Levi,’ says Jehovah the Almighty. 9 ‘So, I’ve given you over as those you treat with contempt, and as those disregarded among all the nations. For, you haven’t guarded My ways, and you’ve led My people away from the Law.
10 ‘Why, don’t you each have one father? Weren’t you formed by one God? So, why have you each abandoned your brothers, to profane the Sacred Agreement of your fathers?
11 ‘Judah [has now been] abandoned, and in Jerusalem and Israel, disgusting things have taken place, because Judah profaned Jehovah’s holy things… things that He [dearly] loved… then they [turned] to alien gods. 12 So, Jehovah will destroy every man who does this, and those from the tents of Jacob will be humbled… those who bring the sacrifices to Jehovah.
13 ‘Yet, you did all these things I detested, and the Altar of Jehovah you’ve covered with tears… weeping and moaning because of the troubles. And you thought [I’d] consider your sacrifices worthy, and take them as something acceptable from your hands.
14 ‘Then you [dared to] ask, For what reason? Because, Jehovah was a witness between you, and the wives of your youth whom you’ve abandoned. Yet, she has been your partner… she’s the wife of your sacred agreement! 15 So, He did not send any good, with even a small portion of His Breath.
‘Then you asked, What other than a seed does God seek? [What He wants is for you to be] guarding your spirit, and not to abandon the wife of your youth! 16 Do not detest her and send her away,’ says Jehovah Israel’s God, ‘then cover the irreverence of your thoughts.’ For thus says Jehovah the Almighty God: ‘Keep close guard on your spirit, and no way should you ever abandon [your wives].
17 ‘You provoke Jehovah with your words, then you ask How have we provoked Him? By your saying, All who act wicked are still good before JHim, and He thinks [kindly] of them… O where is the God of righteousness?’
Chapter 3
1 ‘{Look!} I will send out My messenger, who’ll prepare the way before My face. Then Jehovah (the One you are seeking), will suddenly come to His Temple, with the messenger of the Sacred Agreement (whom you want).
‘Look, here he comes,’ says Jehovah the Almighty! 2 ‘Now, who will endure the Day of his entry, and when he appears who will stand? For, his entrance will be like the fire of a furnace, and as the lye to do washing. 3 So, a melting pot he’ll place in a furnace, as someone who’s refining the silver. Then he will cleanse the sons of Levi, and pour them out like silver or gold.
‘And to Jehovah they will then be, those who bring sacrifices
that are righteous. 4 And the Lord will thereafter be pleased, with the
offerings of
5 ‘Then I’ll come against you in judgment, and against all those who make potions, I will be a swift witnes. And against those who are [guilty of] adultery, and those who in My Name swear false oaths; against those who don’t pay those whom they’ve hired; against those who would tyrannize widows; against those who are [abusing] the orphans, and those who deny justice to foreign people, for they are the ones who don’t fear Me,’ says Jehovah the Almighty. 6 I’m Jehovah your God and I never change!
7 ‘But you sons of Jacob won’t stay away, from the sins of your fathers… you’ve turned aside and not guarded My Laws. So, return to Me and then to you I’ll return,’ says Jehovah the Almighty.
‘But, you have asked, in what ways should we then return?
8 ‘Will a man be stomped on by God? No! Yet, you [are guilty] of stomping on Me. Then you ask, In what ways [are we guilty] of stomping on You?
‘By your keeping your tenth parts and first fruits! 9 You turn and look away, and by this you are stomping on Me!
10 ‘This year has come to an end, and you’ve carried all your produce and put them in barns, but there will be a ravaging in your homes.
‘Restore indeed what [is due],’ says Jehovah the Almighty, ‘and see if I don’t open to you, the outpouring of rain from the skies… I’ll pour My blessings upon you, until you’ve received what’s enough. 11 For you I will set aside food, and no way will I destroy the fruit of the ground, nor will I weaken your grapevines,’ says Jehovah the Almighty.
12 ‘Then all the nations will proclaim that you’re happy, and you’ll be a land that’s desired,’ says Jehovah the Almighty.
13 ‘But you’ve put Me down with your words,’ says Jehovah, ‘and then you dare to ask: How have we spoken ill against You? 14 By your saying, Our service to God is in vain! And, Though we have kept His instructions, before Him we must still go as supplicants! 15 So now, we will declare the aliens to be blest, and those who are doing lawless deeds, for they opposed God and yet lived.
16 ‘Yet, there were those who spoke to their neighbors, and told of their fear of Jehovah. So Jehovah paid attention and He listened, and wrote [their names] in a scroll to remember, those fearing the Lord and honoring His Name. 17 And in that Day, to Me they’ll belong,’ says Jehovah the Almighty, ‘for I will prepare a procurement, and I’ll select them in the same way, as a man selects the son who will serve him.
18 ‘Then you will turn and you’ll see, what happens to those who do wrong… the difference between the one serving God, and those who choose not to serve Him.’
Chapter 4
1 ‘For {Look!} the Day is now coming, and it burns like an oven, and against them all it will blaze. Then the foreigners and lawless will be just like stubble, to be lit on fire in that Day,’ says Jehovah of Armies! ‘And no way will a branch or a root still remain.
2 ‘But, upon you who are fearing My Name, the sun of righteousness will arise, and healing [will come from] his wings. You will come and leap like young calves, who were spared from the bondage [of death]. 3 Then you will trample the lawless, and they’ll be like ashes under your feet, in the Day that I have prepared,’ says Jehovah the Almighty.
4 ‘Remember the Law of Moses My
servant – all that I gave him in that dry
place – the orders and decisions that I gave to
5 ‘And {Look!} I’ll send EliJah
the Prophet, before the Great Day of Jehovah, 6 and he’s the one who’ll restore, the hearts of fathers to their sons, and the heart
of a man to his neighbor, so I won’t strike the whole earth.’
Notes
The Heavens or Sky, the Earth or the Land?
Throughout the Scriptures 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, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In an ancient time God made the sky and the ground.’
This description is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above, and the water. There was no technical understanding of earth as a planet back then, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space. That wasn’t necessary at the time. However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, Bible translators must choose the proper word to provide the right nuance in English, so readers can grasp the proper meaning of the text.
For this reason, you will find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You will also find the Greek word ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at Romans 3:5, for example, are translated as, ‘The ancient earth and sky weren’t covered by water. However, (obeying God’s instructions) they stood together between the water [that was above and below].’
Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located between the water. So, although other Bibles translate this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is really to that portion of the heavens that are close to the earth (or the sky). Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘meek’ as inheriting the earth, since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth, we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not ground.
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 ‘flowing’). 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: ‘The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things they did.’
We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ‘Then I saw a new earth and a new sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea.’
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Age
The Greek word aionos is what the English word eon
is derived from. It means an indefinite period. However, there is no
exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era(s).
Please note that 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
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 Hebrew Scriptures. 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 the
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 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.’
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 form (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 aionion (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 would (in their current life) be considered among the
living, not among the dead (see Revelation
From consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life, the conclusion might be logically reached 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 (unlike those whom God considers to be ‘dead’) living people will receive ‘life in the age,’ meaning, they will be considered worthy of life by God during their lifetimes.
Two words imply infinity in the Bible. One is the Greek word athanasia, which means undying or immortal and 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, aidios, which is found at Romans 1:20 and at Jude 6, is used to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal.
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 illness) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bibles, 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 (again) means breath. 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, and there is good reason to believe that even these are spurious and added in the Third Century C.E. And all other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. Notice that the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is definitely 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,’ for translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. And there are also instances where we have used the word spirit to indicate a person’s inward inclinations or feelings.
Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase ‘Breath of Life.’ This means more than just breathing, it refers to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life that is shared by all living things… it’s the thing that 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.
It is interesting that at Genesis 6:4 God says, ‘I won’t allow them to keep My Breath (which allows them to flesh) throughout the [rest of] the age.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka.’
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 that 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.’
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Why the Name Changes?
You may have noticed that we have started putting some of the letters in Bible names in capital letters. For example, we’ve 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? For Jonathan means Jehovah has Given. So, the name was originally pronounced Yo-nuh-thahn. Then the second part of the Name (Nathan) means Gift.
In the case of names that end with an iah, as in Isaiah, the last part of the name 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 ‘J’ for the letters ‘ie’ in both of the above cases? Well, we recognize that there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter ‘J’ in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, we have the choice of changing all names that start with ‘J’ (such as Jesus, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jeremiah, etc.) to start with the letters ‘Ie’, or for consistency, we can change all the ‘Ies’ into ‘Js’, which is what we have done.
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 ‘My God is Jehovah.’
Also notice that where a name ends with an iah, as in Jeremiah (Jehovah exalts), we have often spelled it 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 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
‘El’ (from the Hebrew Elohe, or God). So EliEzer (which people commonly
pronounce Ee-lee-ay-zer and means God [has] Helped) should actually be
pronounced Ehlee-EhZer. 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 probably meant the City of
Similar words, such as Bel (as in BelShazzar), Baal, and Beel, refer to ‘the Lord’ or ‘the God.’ Also, the letters ‘Ben’ and ‘Bar’ mean ‘the son of.’ ‘Beth’ means ‘the house of,’ ‘Beer’ refers to a ‘well,’ ‘Is’ or ‘Ish’ means ‘Man,’ etc.
Does this mean that we have put all the capitals in the right places, and where they should be? No, for we make no claim to Hebrew scholarship. All we are trying to do is provide a better understanding to how these names were pronounced by Greek-speaking Jews.
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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).
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 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 as an example: ‘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:
-
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
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 pron
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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, notice how (at Haggai
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 refers to a heavenly 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. It helps us to understand, for example, why the Bible never speaks of ‘baby angels,’ and that all of God’s heavenly sons aren’t called angels.
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Scroll of Life
The first mention of the Scroll of Life can be found in one of the songs of King David (Psalm 69:28), where he wrote, ‘From the Scroll of the Living may their names be erased, and among the righteous may their names not be written.’
So, we must assume that as early as the Eleventh Century B.C.E., God’s faithful worshipers had some concept of a record that God keeps of people who He counts among ‘the living.’ And as David pointed out, their names can be erased from God’s record once they are put there.
What is this Scroll, how does a person get his or her name written in it, and what does this mean for them?
Although God surely needs no actual written book to remember His faithful, the phrase ‘the Scroll (or Book) of Life’ is mentioned enough times in the Bible to assume that God does remember or record the names of those righteous who He counts among ‘the living,’ as opposed to those He numbers among ‘the dead.’
Who are ‘the living?’ They are likely the same as the ones
who Jesus spoke of at John
So, we must assume that some conscious act of faith by each individual causes him or her to cross over ‘from death to life,’ and that is likely the time when a person’s name is written in the Scroll of Life. Then, as Jesus said, ‘He won’t have to be judged’ thereafter.
What is this act of faith? Today it would surely be the
conscious act of choosing to be
baptized. However,
since baptism wasn’t practiced during the time of David, it appears as though
all
Now, many have concluded that having their names written in the Scroll of Life means that they will never die, yet the Bible shows that all must die (as did Jesus) and then be resurrected. So their hope, if they remain faithful, is to be counted among ‘the living’ when they are resurrected.
Notice that the Revelation speaks of several ‘scrolls’ being opened and of the ‘dead’ being judged by the things that are written in those scrolls. Who are these ‘dead?’ Well, by the time this happens, the series of events indicated there shows that all the resurrections will already have taken place (see Revelation 20:4-6), so these individuals aren’t dead any longer, for they are seen to be standing. As the result, this must mean that although they are no longer literally dead, they are still counted as dead or dying and needing to be judged, and their names have yet to be written in the Scroll of Life.
Then at Revelation 20:12 we are told, ‘Then I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing in front of the throne. Several scrolls were opened; then another scroll was opened, which was the Scroll of Life. The dead were then judged by the things that were written in the scrolls by the things that they did.’
So from the above, we must assume that those who remain faithful worshipers of God have their names permanently sealed in God’s Scroll of Life upon their deaths, and are considered among ‘the living’ by God. Then when they are resurrected, they will be counted as living, and there will be no need for them to be judged thereafter.
As for ‘the dead’ who the Revelation says are ‘judged by the things written in the scrolls,’ this likely means that they too will be resurrected, but they will be judged by the things they do after the resurrection and during the thousand-year period that the Slanderer is bound and in the pit (See Revelation 20:2, 3 and verses 5, 6).
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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 Opposer and his messengers are thrown out of heaven? It appears so, because the Revelation (which covers these events) starts out with John’s words (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, apparently, almost all the things that were prophesied to happen in Revelation are included in that Day. They 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, then comes the battle against Gog of Magog, which is followed by the descent of ‘New Jerusalem’ and the making of the ‘new earth and sky’ (see Revelation 21).
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 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? Well, we’ll all have to live to see it to be sure.
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