Search, Study, Show*

I am convinced that we are living in the time of the coming of our Lord. I pray that the church is prepared. Second Timothy says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness." (2 Tim. 2:15-16). If we don't know the Word of God, then all else is profane babblings that lead to ungodliness. The Word and voice of God and Christ impact our everlasting life. Jesus said, "...he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life...The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live...for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (Jn. 5:24-29, excerpt). Jesus told His listeners strongly that they did not have the Father's Word abinding in them because they did not believe the one that the Father had sent to them, Himself. He said, "Searh the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (v. 38-39). Jesus said that Moses would accuse them, because his writings testify of Jesus, whom they refused to believe. Jesus observed a truth about them. He said that while they wouldn't believe or accept one, such as Himself, sent from God, and of whom God has testified, they would receive any other man who testifies of himself, rather than of Christ or the Father (v. 43-47). Today also, many reject God and His Word, but believe anything man tells them. The Prophet Zephaniah received the Word of the LORD concerning the corruption and shamelessness of Jerusalem. He called it filthy, polluted, an oppressive city and unashamed (Zeph. 3). He wrote, "She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God (v. 2). Her princes, her judges, and her prophets were unjust and treacherous. Of those who served in the house of the LORD, God said, "...her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law." (v. 3-4). Anyone searching and studying the scriptures would also have seen the serious consequences brought to Judah because of their worship of the false god, Baal: "And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I have commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin." (
Jer. 32:35). Many of our own children have been offered to this false god as well, as abortion became the law of the land almost fifty years ago. Regarding this offering of children in Judah at the time of the prophet, the LORD called it an abomination that He never imagined, and that the sin weighed against the whole nation. However, after the LORD's prophecy of a judgment of desolation for their corruption, and refusal to hear the voice of the LORD, the LORD brought this promise to Judah also: "For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent." (v. 9). We will see more about the restoration of the Hebrew language later. Zephaniah also prophesied the command of the LORD to the daughter of Zion and the daughter of Jerusalem to sing, be glad and rejoice with all their heart, because the LORD, the king of Israel, promised to restore Israel, and dwell within her midst: "...thou shalt not see evil any more...The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing...At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all the people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD." (v. 14-20). We have seen Israel restored as a nation after almost 2,000 years. The world would have never expected the nation of Israel to rise again from the ashes of history, but for those who searched and studied the scriptures, they knew that the prophets made clear the intention of the LORD to do so. Also the Hebrew language, the pure language, has been restored as prophesied by Zephaniah. Hebrew is the only language that has been brought back from the dead. For those who study the scriptures, looking into the original Hebrew word meanings, and even the meanings of the individual Hebrew letters as well, offers a wealth of understanding into the depth of the Word of God. The prophet Jeremiah also prophesied the restoration and revival of Israel, as Zephaniah did, even while the Babylonian army was at the wall of Jerusalem. The LORD said, "Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built..For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God." (Jer. 31:4-6). The individual Hebrew letters that make up the word "mount" used above are beth and reysh, which have the meaning when combined "the revelation of the Highest". The individual Hebrew letters used in the name Ephraim combine to mean, "The Head, or Adonai, is the beginning, the mouth that opens the door to the cross". This is the revelation of the Highest found in the phrase "mount Ephraim" in these verses above. In this revelation the LORD also said, "I will surely have mercy upon him" (Ephraim my dear son). Not only does the LORD promise to restore Israel, but to also establish a new covenant with them: "Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers...which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jer. 31:31-33). The written Word was to become a living, inward work in us, to become part of our substance. Also, as part of this new covenant the LORD prophesied through Jeremiah, "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, , from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (v. 34). Again we see the results of the new covenant, which was accomplished by the blood of Jesus, in the forgiveness of our iniquity and the forgetting of our sins. Again a Word of comfort and hope went forth from the LORD to His people: "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins." (Ia. 40:1-2). The LORD's Word is not finished with Israel, but here promises to bring them to a new level of comfort, completion and peace in Him. This weekend the Second Passover took place, as allowed in scripture, for those who were unable to participate in last month's Passover because they were defiled or a journey away. God gives a second chance to come to His table for those who have been defiled, or have found themselves far away from God and our Passover Lamb, Jesus. This weekend we are also seeing another unusual sign involving a blood moon lunar eclipse. As a prophesied part of the new covenant, the Word is meant to dwell in our inward parts, and in our hearts. It is time for the church to search, study and show forth the Word of God. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 5/15/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and theshroudofturin.org.

The Importance of the Pure Language*

 

 

 

Not only does the Hebrew language give us a depth in scripture containing infinite layers, but its restoration in our generation is also a sign of the End Times, and the approaching judgment of God according to scripture. All of God's creation was centered around the Word, and language. God Himself, and His Son, Jesus the Messiah, describe Themselves  in the unique and deep Hebrew language used in Their holy names. Jesus referred to the completed work and plan of God in terms of the Hebrew "Aleph-beth", or alphabet. Let's take a look.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."  Jn. 1:1-5

The gospel of John reveals that the beginning work of creation contained the Word,  Who was God, and with God, inseparable. All things were made by this Word. Life was composed of this Word, and became the light in men. John later identifies this powerful Word as Jesus, who became flesh, and dwelt among us. Here John reveals the depth of the Hebrew language used in the Genesis 1 account of the beginning of creation:

"In the beginning (Baresheit: translated from each pictographic early Hebrew letter -the son  crushed, his hand on the cross), God (Elohim Aleph-Tav- plural character of God from the first letter of the Hebrew Aleph-beth, aleph, to the last letter, tav) created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."  Gen 1:1-4

God spoke the Word, and created everything from it. By the use of the Hebrew language, we can understand the truth of the presence all three members of the Trinity from the very beginning of the creation. Jesus also referred to the Hebrew aleph-beth alphabet when He described Himself in the Book of Revelation as the Alpha and Omega, which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, into which the New Testament was translated. In Hebrew, He would be describing Himself as the Aleph-Tav, as Elohim is described in Genesis. The Church's unfortunate separation from its Jewish roots meant the loss of the Hebrew language for us as well, deeply impacting our understanding of scripture in all of its beauty and power. However, God would not let this loss stand forever.

As the prophets of God (Zeph. 1, 2, 3), describe the corrupt, defiled, polluted, sinful, rebellious, unrepentant, shameless condition of God's own people, which we see today, and the coming day of judgment by fire, God also makes promises that will be signs for us of this approaching time of judgment. Though God brought destruction to other nations as a warning to His people, they still did not return to Him from fear of seeing these things, nor seek His instruction (Zeph. 3:6-7). It is the same today. We see terrible destruction, but people do not turn back to God. It is vital that we recognize these signs, and know the times.
The first sign of coming judgment that we will discuss, is one in which the LORD prophesies that He will gather His people and bring them back to the land:
"...ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria (success), and the outcasts in the land of Egypt (distress), and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem."   Isa. 27:12-13
"From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my supplicants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering...I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out...At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD."   Zeph. 3:10, 19-20
The LORD prophesied that He will gather the humble of His people back to their land. We have seen a great fulfillment of this promise as the nation of Israel was miraculously re-established, and Jews and others from all over the world have returned to the land. This return is ongoing.
The LORD makes another interesting promise at this time of wickedness and judgment:
"For then I will turn to the people a pure (chosen, purified, proven, to polish arrows, to clarify, cleanse) language (remove, gather, be caught up, joined, to make an end or conclusion), that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent....The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem."   Zeph. 3:9, 12-13
As the nation of Israel was restored as promised, so also was the Hebrew language. It is the only dead language in history that was ever resurrected. As we have already discovered, the Hebrew language as the Word of God, directly reveals God, and His Son, Jesus. The knowledge and use of this language once again, the pure language, the language of the end, or conclusion, brings yet another opportunity for people to find God, and our Savior. Jesus said:
"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged (weighed down) with surfeiting (debauchery, drunken hangover), and drunkenness, and cares (anxiety, distraction, to be drawn in different directions) of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares (unexpected, unforeseen, sudden). For as a snare it shall come upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth, Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."   Lk. 21:33-36 (see also 2 Chron. 7:14). The candle of God's Spirit is searching His own people:
"And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled (thickened, condensed, curdled, congealed) on their lees (dregs, settlings of wine, something preserved): that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil."  Zeph. 1:12
As we see these two prophesied End Time signs come to pass, are we caught up in the cares and activities of this world that ensnare the unprepared? Or are we watching and praying, as Jesus instructed?
 *The above is based upon the 6/30/19 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.

 

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https://everlastingcovenant.sermon.net/main/main/21320220
 

Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.

 

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