I have an ability to understand Nostradamus in a way that no one else can. I can translate and interpret what he wrote in the letters and verses of The Prophecies, in such a way that can be logically defended. That ability has led me to find that I am able to understand the books of the Holy Bible in ways I never imagined I could. None of this talent has come to me through educational institutions or seminaries, as everything dawns upon me. No one has taught me what I understand. My understanding is purely by divine assistance, which I did not seek to possess, but which I wholeheartedly welcome. Because I do not have this ability to keep to myself, I write freely about those translations and interpretations that come to me, so others may find how they too can understand how Nostradamus was a prophet of God and how Christianity is now failing Christ, just as the children of Israel failed God. Understanding what I have to offer is the only chance this world has for survival. If you would like to ask questions and take the time to seriously discuss this topic, feel free to send me an email or post a comment on one of my blog articles.
Jesus prayed for his disciples, “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
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This is the Gospel selection for the seventh Sunday of Easter, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This reading will accompany the mandatory reading from the Acts of the Apostles (this Sunday from chapter 1), where it is written, “In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons).” That will be followed by a Psalm 1 reading, which sings: “Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and they meditate on his law day and night.” Last, the Epistle reading will come from First John, where he wrote, “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life.”
In all of John’s seventeenth chapter there are zero times the word “disciples” was written. John recorded Jesus saying, “I concerning them pray,” adding, “not concerning this world pray.” So, Jesus talked to Yahweh, such that “prayer” implies asking for special considerations. However, John began chapter seventeen by saying, “These spoke Jesus,” saying his vision had become elevated to the heavenly realm of the Father; and, talking with Yahweh is prayer.
While translators of Scripture place headings over sections of verses to help guide the readers as to what will be presented next, those headings are human testimony and are not part of the text. Such a heading appears over this section of verses, which announces: “Prayer for the disciples” [BibleHub Interlinear]. The NRSV lists the whole chapter as “Jesus prays for his disciples,” when verses 1-5 are called “Prayer for the Son” and verses 20-26 are called “Prayer for all believers” by BibleHub Interlinear. One can assume that young John followed his father to his place of prayer and listened to his father pray aloud to Yahweh; but the essence of what Jesus said is not a plea, as much as it is a statement that summarizes Jesus’ ministry.
While the assumption is that Jesus privately prayed for his disciples, that word [“disciples”] not being used allows for Jesus to also be praying for his followers, both male and female adults, which the accompanying reading from Acts says numbered one hundred twenty. That would have included family members and those outside the family, all of whom were also included in this summary by Jesus. Most importantly, these prayers can include others from distant times, including today. When one reads these words John recorded, one needs to hear Jesus praying to his Father for us too; as Scripture is a living text that never dies or gets old.
It is again important to understand the context of the chapter John presents. These prayers are offered late into the night [Sunday], after Jesus has led his disciples out of the upper room, into the streets of the Essene Quarter of Jerusalem. From there they then go outside the Essene Gate, to the hillside that overlooked the Hinnom Valley. It was in that area that Jesus did a ‘walk and talk,’ while his disciples continued to get drunk on Seder wine. As such, Jesus and John were the only two who were sober then.
Most likely, Jesus led John to a secluded place amid some olive trees, while the disciples were boisterously acting like drunken Jews on a feast night, one that sought that state of being as a sign of faith. As Jerusalem was teeming with Passover pilgrims at that time, all of whom were also doing the Seder ritual, it is likely Jesus’ disciples had plenty of company that kept them distracted, while Jesus went to pray privately. We know this most likely happened not far from the Essene Gate, because John’s eighteenth chapter begins by stating: “After Jesus had spoken these words [the prayers of chapter 17], he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.”
In the Ascension of Jesus, which took place on a Sabbath, the Jews were limited to walking barely further than half a mile beyond the synagogue. Because Gethsemane is beyond that distance and because the Mount of Olives [Mount Olivet] was further, it is important to realize this area outside the Essene Gate, on the ridge overlooking the valley of Hinnom, it too was called a mount of olive trees. This means the place where John recorded Jesus praying would later be the place where he would ascend, not the actual Mount of Olives.
In these selected fourteen verses, there are only five capitalized words. They are:
1. “Ephanerōsa” – I have revealed, made visible, made clear, manifest, made known.
2. “Egō” – I
3. “Pater” – Father
4. “Nyn” – Now, the Present
5. “Ouk” – Not, No
Simply by realizing a capitalized word takes on divine meaning and even though these five words are spread out in fourteen verses [6, 9, 11, 13, and 15], they connect divinely to make the statement, “I have made known I Father Now Not.” That says these prayers are based on Jesus having been made aware that he was about to be arrested, never again to have physical contact with his family, followers, and disciples. Even while he was still free and alive, Jesus knew his time on earth, in a physical body that was his alone, was finished. For readers today, and through all times since John’s Gospel was first published and made commonly available to be read, the same statement [in essence] stands true still. There will be no other physical manifestation of Jesus that will again teach followers how to serve Yahweh, because Jesus would become the Spiritual seed that falls and dies, so that it can grow and spread spiritually through others produced.
In these fourteen verses are found fifteen uses of the word “kai,” which is a marker word that denotes important statements to follow that marker [usually a segment of words]. I will now present each of those segments that are introduced by the word “kai.”
1. [6c] “kai ton logon sou tetērēkan,”
2. [8c] “kai autoi elabon
3. “ kai egnōsan alēthōs hoti para sou exēlthon;”
4. [8d] “kai episteusan hoti sy me apesteilas.”
5. [10a] “kai ta ema panta,”
6. [10c] “kai ta sa,”
7. [10e] “kai dedoxasmai en autois.”
8. [11a] “kai ouketi eimi en tō kosmō,”
9. [11b] “kai autoi en tō kosmō estin ,”
10.[12d] “kai ephylaxa,”
11.[12e] “kai oudeis ex autōn apōleto,”
12.[13b] “kai tauta lalō en tōkosmō,”
13.[14b] “kai ho kosmos emisēsen autous,”
14.[19a] “kai hyper autōn egō hagiazō emauton,”
15.[19c] “kai autoi hēgiasmenoi en alētheia.”
Those important statements literally translate as:
1. [6c] “kai that word yours they have watched over ,”
2. [8c] “kai they have taken
3. “ kai have understood truly because alongside of yours I have come ;”
4. [8d] “kai they had faith because you me sent .”
5. [10a] “kai who mine always ,”
6. [10c] “kai who yours ,”
7. [10e] “kai I have been valued in them .”
8. [11a] “kai no further exist in this world ,”
9. [11b] “kai they in this world exist ,”
10.[12d] “kai I have kept ,”
11.[12e] “kai no one from out of them is lost ,”
12.[13b] “kai these speak in this world ,”
13.[14b] “kai this world has esteemed less them ,”
14.[19a] “kai on behalf of them self-identity sanctify myself ,”
15.[19c] “kai they sanctified in truth .”
Before going over these important statement, I want to point out a couple of ‘contractions’ that incorporate “kai.” One is “kamoi” and the other is “kagō.” The word “kagō” is a contraction of “kai egō,” and “kamoi” is rooted in the word “kagō,” where “moi” is the enclitic dative form of “egō.” There are three of these in these fourteen verses, one presentation of “kamoi” and two of “kagō.” All should be read as equally important verses being marked along with the “I” of Jesus. Those three are as follows:
1. [6b] “kamoi autous edōkas,”
2. [11c] “kagō pros se erchomai,”
3. [18b] “kagō apesteila autous eis ton kosmon;”
Those important statements literally translate as:
1. [6b] “kai myself themselves you gave ,”
2. [11c] “kai I with you come ,”
3. [18b] “kai I sent them into this world ;”
When one looks closely at these important statement, one should be able to see Jesus was not specific to just twelve [eleven without Judas] “disciples. His words are certainly references to them, but globally applicable to all who could forever be deemed as his “disciples.” When the two sets I pointed out above are dovetailed in their order of presentation, the first one [6b] importantly states, “myself themselves.” That has to be seen as statements about “souls,” where a “self” is the life animating a body of flesh. Thus, everything falls from the union that merges the soul of Jesus with each of the souls of the faithful. When Jesus added to that segment, “you [Yahweh] gave,” this means God made it possible for that presence of Jesus’ soul to be within another human being. For that to happen [then, now, forevermore] Yahweh must grant that presence; and, that comes after one’s soul marries Him.
To see all of this [and that not delineated] as being the power of Yahweh, where the Son is sent for this purpose, it should become evident that there would be absolutely no reason or cause for Jesus to “pray for his disciples.” This whole chapter of John tells of a conversation held between the Father and the Son. In that conversation others were mentioned and had focus placed on “them,” but to think that Jesus did not have the complete trust, confidence and faith that God’s plan was playing out … as planned … Jesus was not begging Yahweh for help. He was simply acknowledging the time had come for him to cease being alongside others in the flesh, because his soul was soon to be released, so many others could be filled. The conversation Jesus had with his Father says what Jesus knew what was about to take place.
There is so much that could be written about what John wrote here, about what Jesus said to God. It is written for your benefit, by John, directed by Yahweh. If you would like to see yourself as one with God and Christ, then it is time to put down your handheld play toys and try to see what you need to do to fulfill these traits and characteristics outlined by Jesus. See how Jesus is praying for you.
1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord, *
and they meditate on his law day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *
everything they do shall prosper.
4 It is not so with the wicked; *
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, *
but the way of the wicked is doomed.
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The is the Psalm to be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on the seventh Sunday of Easter, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This will follow the mandatory reading from the Acts of the Apostles (this Sunday from chapter 1), which states: “Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’” After will be the Epistle from First John, which says, “Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts.” Finally, this will accompany the Gospel reading from John, where Jesus is heard to say: “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”
Verse 1 begins with the combined Hebrew words “’aš·rê-hā·’îš” [from “esher ish”], where “happiness” is understood as one being “blessed” by Yahweh. These two word are combined and separated from the rest of verse 1 by a comma mark. This means the rest pertains to those of mankind who are not led by Yahweh.
Those not led by Yahweh are then those who “walk in the counsel of the wicked,” tread the “path of the sinners,” and “sit in seats” that display mockery of the righteous. Here, the one who “counsels the wicked” is Satan, who enjoys turning the heads of those not married to Yahweh, so they will not be inclined to live righteously. The righteous travel the road that leads one to marry Yahweh; so, as His servant, one then does only what He leads one to do. Those who veer from that path to marrying Yahweh are left alone to find their own way, assisted by worldly counsel. That invariably leads one to take the easy path to sin. They then place scorn on all who would tell them they are going the wrong way.
Verse 2 then places more focus on what the one “blessed” by Yahweh does, rather than what one does not do. In verse 2, where the NRSV has been to ashamed to translate “Yah-weh” as Yahweh [instead listing Him generically as “the Lord”], it is “his law” that becomes “their delight.” Here it is important to see David as the one who knew this “delight” [“chephets”], because his soul was married to Yahweh. It was Yahweh who Moses stayed with for forty days on top of Mount Sinai [not “a Lord”] and brought down “the Law,” which all the Israelites needed to agree to maintain. That “Law” [as I have stated prior] was the marriage vows that merges one’s soul to Yahweh’s Spirit. Thus, when David said, “they meditate on his law day and night,” this is a statement of soul union, not some conscious state of brain-thinking, twenty-four-seven.
Verse 3 then sings about this marriage of a soul to the source of all “happiness,” where he compared this constant presence to being like “streams of water” [or “rivers”], with one being “planted like a tree.” The metaphor of a “tree” means a fruit-bearing tree [or “vine”], where the fruit produced comes from the source of eternal life, Yahweh. The root system of the “tree” is the soul, which intermingles with the flow of Spirit that is the “stream.” When David said “bearing fruit in due season,” the fact that he added “with leaves that do not wither” is that “season [or “time”] is year-round. The “tree” of Yahweh is always bearing good fruit, where “everything they do shall prosper.”
Verse 4 then returns to the opposite of one married to Yahweh, referring to them as “the wicked” [“hā·rə·šā·‘îm,” from “rasha”]. This returns one to verse 1, where “the wicked” are those counseled by Satan, therefore without Yahweh merged with their souls. Rather than a “tree” firmly “planted” in the ground, always having the flow of the Spirit to keep them alive and righteous, the “wicked” are called “chaff.” The Hebrew word for “chaff” is “mots,” which also implies “squeezer” or “extortioner.” (Strong’s)
As such, the “chaff” is the useless covering that keeps the inner fruit from being readily available and useful [as food or as seed]. However, the “chaff” will fall from the kernel and be blown away by the wind. That says, the soul will outlast the body that surrounds it; and, sins are always the soul pleasing the flesh, not a soul being submissive to Yahweh. Therefore, the “wind” is a reference to “time,” such that the fruits of a “tree” are always relative to the “time” one is married to Yahweh. The “chaff’s” enemy is “time,” which means mortality and death.
That understanding then makes it easy to see why David wrote of death in verse 5, where he wrote: “the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes.” That says a soul always has to pay the price for sins; if not before death, then after. The Hebrew word “yā·qu·mū” [rooted in “qum”] has been translated as “stand upright,” but the word means “to arise, stand up, stand.” (Strong’s) This usage then says that when an eternal soul that has sins to pay for has been released from its body of flesh, after death, it cannot remain in the eternal realm with Yahweh. Its judgment will be “I do not know you,” which says that soul never married with Yahweh [for totally selfish reasons]. The judgment then means a return to the soul’s past lover – the mortal-material realm [reincarnation].
The meaning of David singing, “nor the sinner in the council of the righteous” is better understood when one realizes “ba·‘ă·ḏaṯ” [from “edah”] does not say “counsel” but rather “congregation.” In verse 1, where David did write “counsel of the wicked,” the word translated as “counsel” was correct, coming from “ba·‘ă·ṣaṯ” [from “etsah”]. The “congregation” represents the souls of the righteous, all who were married to Yahweh while in the flesh. Only the wives of Yahweh are allowed to remain with Him forever, being those so judged as worthy.
This is why verse 6 says, “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,” as Yahweh was the source of those righteous ways. While the sinful souls were counseled by Satan and headed down self-pleasing paths of wickedness and wrong-doing, Yahweh was merged with the souls of the righteous, who were constantly in touch with His presence, obeying [delightfully] all His commands. The element of “knowing” [“yō·w·ḏê·a‘,” from “yada”] has Biblical connotations that imply ‘intercourse,’ which comes after marriage. It is Spiritual ‘intercourse,’ not physical. Thus, Yahweh has entered His wives [both human genders] and “knows” them personally, having merged with those souls.
When David ends by saying, “but the way of the wicked is doomed,” this is the judgment of those souls that have received “counsel” from Satan. The translation of “doomed” is somewhat mild, as the word written “tō·ḇêḏ” [from “abad”] means “to perish.” The English word “perish” is defined as: “suffer death, typically in a violent, sudden, or untimely way.” Therefore, the judgment of an eternal soul that has previously died in a sinful body of flesh, rising spiritually for judgment, is “death.” Since the only way an eternal soul can know death [“to perish” or be “doomed”] is reincarnation, where the soul will recycle back into new flesh and have to start all over, the soul cannot ‘graduate’ to the peace of heaven. It has failed to make the grade and must repeat the course. This repetition means a cycle of death that continues eternally; it can only be avoided through submission of self-ego to Yahweh, becoming His wife and obeying His laws.
As the Psalm sung aloud on the seventh Sunday of Easter, it is clear that David sang of two paths in life: one to salvation; and, the other to sin. One path leads to release from bondage. The other leads to perdition, where the payment for self-worship is found to be reincarnation.
During the season of Easter, one should have already found its soul married to Yahweh, such that one knows His Son has been resurrected oneself – twin souls merged. To be reborn as Jesus, also chosen by Yahweh as His wife, Anointed with His presence, the challenge is to learn the delight in following God’s laws. The Law is written upon one’s heart [i.e.: a soul] when one married Yahweh, but like anything new, one needs to practice obeying laws and learning the meaning of what one says “I believe” to.
This means being like David sang. One is either doing the will of Yahweh or one is pleasing oneself, regardless of the consequences of judgment. Yahweh knows the path to righteousness means work serving others, not pleasing self at the expense of others. Therefore, one needs to break a lot of old habits; and, the only way to do that is to stop trying to think what to do and start having faith that Yahweh will lead you properly, as His Son reborn.
When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs– in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
`In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ “
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This is the final mandatory reading from Acts for the Easter season, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This reading can be chosen as either the First Lesson or the New Testament selection for this Sunday. If chosen as the New Testament reading, then it will be accompanied by a reading from Ezekiel, as the First Lesson. There is written: “Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.'” Following that will be a portion of Psalm 104, which sings, “You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; and so you renew the face of the earth.” If this reading from Acts is chosen to be the First Lesson, the the New Testament selection will come from Romans, where it says, “we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. ” Finally, all will accompany the Gospel reading from John, where Jesus said: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.”
I wrote a [rather snarky] synopsis of this reading last year, when the churches were shut down by the government, afraid fake Christians gathering in churches would endanger the world [more than the fake Christians] by spreading COVID19. Search this site to read it. In 2018, I wrote more seriously about this reading, under the title Acts 2:1-21 – The feast of fifty days. I offer both to be read by searching this site, as this reading is a standard for Pentecost Sunday every year; and, the same assessments I have made in the past still apply today.
The wonder of Scripture is it can offer new insights every time the same readings are read. As I have evolved over the years to see the seasons set apart during the year, according to the Roman Catholic – Episcopal/Anglican – Lutheran and all others of the universal catholic church mindset, I see each season plays specific roles in the development of a soul towards true Christianity, I have relatively recently come to see the season of Easter as the time when one, whose soul has married Yahweh AND been reborn as His Son [Jesus resurrected within], must come to terms with new talents that are the gifts of this presence. In the 2021 Easter season, in particular, I have developed a view of this time being preparatory for ministry, learning how to use Jesus’ Spirit resurrected within one’s flesh. Ministry begins after Pentecost Sunday [or on this Sunday], so one’s soul must step aside and allow God’s Spirit – the resurrection as His Son, a Christ – to operate in one’s flesh, as a reproduction of Jesus in ministry.
From that perspective, I want to offer some new insights that I have been shown recently. One comes from the realization that the recording of the events of that day, by Luke, cannot be limited to only that day. Scripture is not primarily for historical documentation. It is a living document that truthfully applies at all times. In that regard, the translation that says “the disciples were all together in one place” is misleading, as the Greek word that would translate as “disciples” was not written. That means this reading applies to the one hundred twenty then [who voted to have Matthias to replace Judas]; and, it applies to “all” who forever will be “together on the basis of this self.”
The second segment of words in verse 1 states: “ēsan pantes homou epi to auto,” which literally translates to say: “they existed all together on the basis of this self.” The word “homou” can translate as “together” or “at the same place at the same time.” The word “ēsan” is a form of the verb “eimi,” which states, “I am, exist.” As a word stating the “being” or “existence” of “all at the same place at the same time,” the third-person plural imperfect active indicative says “all” had been in this state of being with one soul presence for some time prior. They were prepared for what was about to happen, even if they had no idea what would take place.
This timeframe of “existence” is then set at fifty days, as that is the meaning of the Greek word “Pentēkostēs.” While the capitalization of that word easily implies a proper noun name, the reality that divinely elevates something as benign as “fiftieth” – implying an important day that numbers fifty – is it reflects on the time Moses demanded Pharaoh release the Israelites from bondage, until Moses brought down the Covenant from Mount Sinai. That took fifty days. The capitalization then reflects on a holy number of days required to pass, in preparation for the time one enters into an eternal commitment to Yahweh [Holy Matrimony]. That number needs closer examination.
The Christian concept of “Pentecost” is distorted. Pentecostals seem to believe that “speaking in tongues” is what the name means, when the name clearly means “Fiftieth.” The Episcopal Church [and others of the universal catholic dogma] have created a new idea of fifty days being after Jesus was risen. In this concept, Easter Sunday represents day one, such that seven Sundays later [the eighth Sunday in a fifty day range], Pentecost Sunday fits nicely into this manufactured notion. All of this ‘Christianization’ represents a man-made new covenant that replaces the old, changing the meaning of Pentecost and shifting the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.
Praise the “human testimony” that came up with that idea!
[See 1 John 5, search for those who make God out to be “a liar,” as if God-commanded days of recognition can’t be changed on a whim. Obviously … they can!!!]
The Greek word “pentékosté” is not Jewish. The Jewish name for the day Yahweh commanded be forever observed is called Shavuot, a Hebrew word meaning “Weeks.” It is capitalized because it is a divine day of recognition, as seven weeks [seven days each] totals forty-nine days. The days of the seven weeks are counted daily, with the count officially ending the day before Shavuot, the “fiftieth day. the Greeks called “pentékosté.” To understand this count, one must return to the opposite end of the time span, to that which is the Passover feast [called the Seder] and the festival of the Unleavened Bread [eight days total].
Because Yahweh commanded the Israelites to maintain a calendar, which began on 1 Nisan [a lunar based time of new moon], the timing was the first new moon of spring. Yahweh then commanded a festival of remembrance of the Passover, to take place on 14 Nisan [the full moon]. To commemorate the Israelites being the first fruits produced by the Yahweh line of high priests [Moses the first of this], the first fruits of spring [grains, olives, figs, grapes, etc.] would be picked when still green and placed in the Temple [or Tabernacle], after the Israelites had been prepared in the wilderness for forty years.
Those first fruits would have a feast [feast of the First Fruits, in Hebrew “Bikkurim”], which would be held one evening during the seven days of the festival of the Unleavened Bread. The day of that feast might or might not coincide with the beginning of an official counting towards the forty-nine days [Weeks]. Because the gathering of first fruits was ordered to be in omers [dry measure], the counting of the weeks is referred to as the ”Counting of the Omer.” Each evening a prayer is recited and each day in the counting is recognized. The first day in this count is 16 Nisan [after 6:30 PM when 15 Nisan ends]. Because there are 15 days in Nisan [a 30-day month] and then 29 days in the second month, Iyar, the fiftieth day is always 6 Sivan [the third month in the Hebrew calendar].
No longer a Bethphage [House of green figs] omer of fruit, but ripe and ready to serve.
Whether or not the order given by Yahweh, through Moses, about this element of the first fruits beginning after the Israelites would enter the Promised Land and always maintained thereafter, the symbolism must be recognized as having a Passover connection. The Passover meant the death of all firstborn males, unless they were protected from death by the sacrificial lamb: blood on doorposts, lamb cooked and eaten – the Passover Seder meal. Those who complied with the orders given Moses by Yahweh, and lived, would become the first fruits of Israel. Those first fruits would then marry Yahweh when Moses brought down the marriage vows [the Covenant]; so, the symbolism of green fruit maturing to ripeness and edibility was a reflection on the green sons of Israel who would mature into servants of Yahweh [His priests]. This was at first the dedication of the firstborn male in a family to Yahweh, as His priest. Later, this was reduced to just the firstborn sons of Levite descent; but then that too was amended where one could pay to have a son released from such duty.
This is where it is important to realize that Moses did not enter the Promised Land. Moses served Yahweh by preparing the Israelites to carry the torch he lit upon them. Joshua became the first torchbearer, by name, with all the rest [the common people] also expected to maintain the flame of Yahweh within them [His wives]. Likewise, Jesus would play the role of preparing the Christians to carry the torch he lit for them. Peter would take a role similar to Joshua, along with the other Apostles named, but all the rest [the common people] were expected to have the same Spirit within them. In the same way, Elijah was in the same classification, leading to Elisha and the Northern Kingdom overthrowing bad kings and queens. These three should not be seen as appearing with Jesus [the Transfiguration] by accident, as that divine vision was a statement about that category of divine leader for Yahweh. Besides, neither Peter, James, nor John knew what Moses or Elijah looked like. Their presence was divinely led to be known, then and when the apostles later told of that event.
This has to be seen as the deeper meaning of “Pentecost,” as Shavuot means the receipt of an assignment by Yahweh, after having been prepared [or “matured”]. In all of the examples above, the Israelites can be seen as entering the Promised Land with the Spirit of Moses joined with their souls. The same can be said for Elisha, as he requested and received “a double share” of Elijah’s Spirit. It is impossible for a soul alone in the flesh to fully commit to Yahweh and act as His Son. Thus, the “double share” of Jesus’ Spirit is described in Acts 2 as “coming suddenly” and “filling all.” The account of it happening on Shavuot does not and cannot limit how, when, where, who or why Yahweh places His Spirit upon His wives [those of true faith].
The languages miraculously given to “all” who had been married to Yahweh were not simply a sudden talent to speak one of the languages spoken fluently by the visiting pilgrims. That list today adds French, Italian, German, Spanish, and English [and all other languages the Holy Bible has been translated into]. While sudden fluency in a foreign language [not brought about by a computer program] would be amazing in terms of “human testimony” [from John’s first epistle], the “testimony of God is greater.” Therefore, that is what went along with being able to speak a foreign language.
The “greater testimony” is “all” of the one hundred twenty Apostles [common people variety, minus the twelve] filled the streets of the Essene Quarter and explained the meaning of Hebrew Scripture. As they did that, Peter and the eleven shouted out explanations in all the languages listed. What they told them was that which all pilgrims knew written, but none grasped what it meant [recall the Ethiopian eunuch]. Thus, it was not just Peter and the eleven speaking with “raised voices,” but “all” who had received a “double share” of Yahweh’s Spirit – reborn as Jesus, His Son also [regardless of human gender].
That is what the Easter season’ practice is all about. Reading Scripture and letting the Spirit of Jesus open one’s eyes [and Mind] to understanding. Then, once one is confident understanding everything says the same thing, feeling confident that one can enter ministry just like the one hundred twenty. Their acts cause nearly three thousand to also marry Yahweh. [See the story of the Ethiopian eunuch again.]
The only language that Yahweh wants anyone to know is His divine language, from which ALL HOLY SCRIPTURE has been written. The remarkable feat that one hundred twenty wives of Yahweh did – ALL REBORN AS JESUS – was they explained what everyone in Jerusalem for the Passover had memorized all their lives, but never could explain themselves. That same remarkable feat still exists today, through true Christian priests [Anointed ones of Yahweh, with Jesus resurrected within their flesh, joined with their souls].
That is why priests ministering to others is their ACTS OF APOSTLES. Anyone running around in some alb and robe, telling people “I believe in Jesus Christ and I believe you should too” is nothing more than a hired hand. Telling cute anecdotes or quoting names once used in a seminary term paper [for an A grade!] is not speaking the “testimony of God.” All the ‘human testimony” a seminary graduate has is worthless, if one’s soul has not married Yahweh and Jesus been resurrected within. True Christianity demands priests of Yahweh who are Anointed ones that understand the truth of Scripture; especially now that so many churches are led by wolves in sheep’s clothing and false shepherds.
Note:
For anyone keeping up with the reality of those last fifty days of Jesus, here is the breakdown (CoO = Counting of the Omer):
14 Nisan [after 6:30 = 15 Nisan] – First Seder at the home of Simon the leper. [Sabbath]
15 Nisan [after 6:30 = 16 Nisan] – Second Seder (aka – Last Supper) in upper room – 1st day counting the omer [Sunday]
16 Nisan – Jesus before Caiaphas, Peter’s denials – 2nd day in the CoO [Monday]
17 Nisan – Jesus before Pilate and then Herod Antipas then back to Pilate: offered with Barabbas & flogging & ridicule – 3rd day in the CoO [Tuesday]
18 Nisan – Jesus crucified, dead at 3:00 PM – 4th day in the CoO [Wednesday]
19 Nisan – Jesus left dead on cross @ 3:00 PM = 24 hrs. – 5th day in the CoO [Thursday]
20 Nisan – Jesus left dead on cross until speared in side and Pilate allowed Joseph of Arimathea to take the body and prepare it for entombment @ 3:00 PM = 48 hrs. – 6th day in the CoO [Friday]
21 Nisan – Jesus in tomb @ 3:00 PM = 72 hrs. / Jesus risen – 7th day in the CoO [Sabbath]
22 Nisan – Jesus found out of open tomb, guards fled, mystical appearances at tomb, on road to Emmaus, and with disciples & followers [2x – 3:00 PM & 6:30 PM] – 8th day in the CoO [after 6:30 PM, Sunday]
23 Nisan – Disciples travel date to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus – 9th day in the CoO [Monday]
24 Nisan to 29 Nisan – [Monday – Sabbath] 10th to 14th day in CoO [end on Sabbath]
30 Nisan, 1 – 6 Iyar – [Sunday – Sabbath] 15th to 21st day in CoO [end on Sabbath]
7 – 13 Iyar – [Sunday – Sabbath] 22nd to 28th day in CoO [end on Sabbath]
14 – 20 Iyar – [Sunday – Sabbath] 29th to 35th day in CoO [end on Sabbath]
21 – 27 Iyar – [Sunday – Sabbath] 36th to 42nd day in CoO [end on Sabbath]
28 – 29 Iyar, 1 – 5 Sivan – [Sunday to Sabbath] 43rd to 49th day in CoO [Ascension on Sabbath] – Forty days between 24 Nisan and 5 Sivan
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.
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This is the Alternate First Lesson for Pentecost Sunday, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This reading will be read aloud if the mandatory reading from Acts 2 is chosen to fill the New Testament position. This will then precede a selection from Psalm 104, which sings, “You hide your face, and they are terrified; you take away their breath, and they die and return to their dust.” That will precede the Acts reading, which states: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” All will be read before the Gospel selection from John, where Jesus said, “And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.”
In 2018 I posted a commentary about this reading from Ezekiel. As the reading has not changed, what I wrote then still applies today. Please feel invited to read that posting by searching this site. As with all divine Scripture, there is new insight that comes each time one pondered what is written through prayer and exploration led by divine guidance. Desiring to ponder Scripture comes from the love of God; whereas, love of self makes one easily bored and causes a soul to struggle with paying any attention to the Word of God.
This is a very powerful reading, one that fits well with the Acts reading’s quotations from Joel and David, told by Peter to the crowd of pilgrims. No doubt, that is why this reading has been chosen by the elders who were married to Yahweh and led to devise a system of readings [the lectionary]. However, I want to direct that power now towards the Easter theme that I have been shown, which makes it be a season of preparation for ministry.
Knowing one’s soul has married Yahweh and His Son Jesus now lives within, the Easter “weeks” reflect a time when it is necessary to let the resurrection of Jesus within [the Christ Mind] lead one to find understanding in Scripture, as his willing disciple. Jesus lives, resurrected in new flesh, teacher and student as one.
This is this same state of being that Ezekiel reported, when he wrote: “hā·yə·ṯāh ‘ā·lay yaḏ-Yah·weh way·yō·w·ṣi·’ê·nî ḇə·rū·aḥ Yah·weh.” This is one segment of words that the NRSV has broken in two and added to the following segment. That misleads, as it is not what was written. Each segment must be understood, separate from the following segment[s], before putting them together contextually. The Hebrew written literally translates to say, “became upon me hand-of-Yahweh and brought me out in the spirit of Yahweh.” That needs closer inspection.
The first word is rooted in the Hebrew word “hayah,” which means “to fall out, come to pass, become, be.” The past tense then says Ezekiel “fell out, came to pass, became,” or “existed” [as a statement of “being”]. One must not imagine a scene where Ezekiel was just sitting comfortably in a chair, when up “came” Yahweh. Ezekiel is saying – clearly – that he became the right hand of God. Yahweh did not reach out a physical “hand,” as if a ‘come with me little fella’ invitation was made. Ezekiel knew Yahweh possessed him [from the combination of “yaḏ-Yah·weh” – “hand of Yahweh”], which was a “spiritual” possession [from “ḇə·rū·aḥ” – “in the spirit”], as Ezekiel being married to Yahweh, as His wife.
Certainly, Ezekiel had a vision or a dream, just like Joel prophesied, which Peter explained to the Jewish pilgrims. Still, Ezekiel [like Joel, and all prophets filled with Yahweh’s Spirit, as His ‘right-hand men’] wrote his book from a lucid state of being, while at the same time writing his book as the “hand of Yahweh,” so every word was divinely chosen. That means Ezekiel [and Joel, et al] was just like Peter, the other eleven, and the rest of the one hundred twenty that chose Matthias to replace Judas. They all knew Yahweh was their Master, with them his servants [“hands of Yahweh”], with them all knowing they had been Anointed ones [Christs, just as Ezekiel and all the prophets had so been anointed by the Spirit], so they all knew they were reborn versions of Jesus [Christ was not his last name]. Peter was telling all the visitors in Jerusalem, “Just like Joel wrote, so too are we prophesying.”
Yahweh led Ezekiel to write [NRSV translation]: “He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” This states the Master-servant / Husband-wife / Teacher-student relationship that was established in Ezekiel, as there was no ‘equality’ present. A big problem allowed to manifest today is anyone and everyone are allowed to question authority, even when unprepared to run one’s own life successfully. When Yahweh asked a question, Ezekiel answered as one committed to being led, not one trying to play smart.
When all the social issues of today are raised, it is Yahweh asking, “Can these bones live?” The same question is valid, because it speaks to the death of eternal souls wasting away in mortal bodies of flesh. Every minute of every hour or every day of every year of every period of history, the ‘socially correct’ call is to sin. “After all, we’re dead already, why not die a little more?” is the ignoramus question that asks everyone to join in the debauchery of a sinful world. Yahweh always asks those who serve Him the rhetorical question, “Can these morons of death save their souls?”
Rather than give the answer of commitment to Yahweh, as his “hand” on earth [as Ezekiel did], most everyone who leads a congregation in Christian churches today feel the need to play god [little-g], and say, “I think God would say …” or “I think Jesus would say …,” when the answer is right before them: “O Lord God, you know.” [“I know nothing but what you tell me to know.”]
If one does not speak what Yahweh says to speak, then Yahweh does not care what dead, dry bones think. Thinking for themselves [as little-g gods] is what turned them into dry bones. The question is [as always], “Can these bones live?”
Yahweh then led Ezekiel to write: “Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you.”’
That says, “prophesy” [“hin·nā·ḇê,” from “naba”], which means let Yahweh speak through His “hand.” It does not say, “orate an opinion, because like assholes everybody has one.” To even begin to “prophesy,” one has to “hear the word of Yahweh.” That means not thinking what one presumes God would say, but opening one’s mouth and letting Yahweh speak. As His words come out, one “hears the word of Yahweh” at the same time others listening “hear the word of Yahweh.” If anyone stands before a congregation of Christians and does not prophesy, from having heard the word of Yahweh, then that person is either a hired hand [who cares not for the sheep] or a false shepherd [who wants the sheep sacrificed to his or her will].
What Yahweh told Ezekiel then says “say to them: hear the word of Yahweh“ [the NRSV is too embarrassed to call Yahweh by His name, so they cower and whimper “the Lord”]. Every human body has a “lord,” which is its soul. That soul will lord over a body of flesh until the body of flesh takes control of the brain and makes the soul its servant. That makes the flesh become “lord” over a soul. Satan can be called a “lord” in that case. Therefore, one must know the truth that says, “the word of Yahweh” is “prophecy.”
The “prophecy” Ezekiel preached was this: “you shall live – you shall know that I Yahweh.” While that assumes “I am,” the “I” is the ego of self, which is a soul. When one lives, then one’s soul has earned eternal life … no longer the mortals made of dry bones. At that point, one’s soul is married to Yahweh, becoming His possession. That transforms “I” into “I Am,” which means knowing Yahweh. When Moses was told “I Am Who I Am,” that says, “If you are Me, then I Am you.” This marriage brings the promise of eternal life, which perks up the ears of all dry bones bound to die. By listening to “prophecy” they were given “breath,” which was an eternal “soul” that returned the essence of life to that still bound to die.
We then read that Ezekiel did as Yahweh told him and the bones began to develop bodies of flesh. This is where one needs to realize that dry bones reflect every mortal creature on earth. The bones symbolize that death one is born to experience, through mortality of flesh and bones. To use “prophecy” to those born dead – mortals just waiting until death turns them back into bones and dust – means to give the dead of the world the religion that was born of Moses, given to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
This says that every pilgrim who stood within earshot of Peter and the other one hundred nineteen on Pentecost morning were walking and talking dry bones with flesh around them. The “breath” of life had returned, through reincarnation. Same souls returning with new bodies of sinews, flesh, and skin. They were still bound to die; but they, at least, had their souls back [to some degree], so the renewed sous can then lead their bags of bones to comply [somewhat] with Yahweh’s Commandments.
Then Yahweh said to Ezekiel, where he wrote: “Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath: Thus says adonay Yahweh: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”’
That says Yahweh told Ezekiel to speak not to bodies of flesh, but to the “breath” [“ruach”] within them. That became the “lord” of Ezekiel’s soul speaking – “Yahweh” [from “adonay Yahweh”] – so the “prophecy” spoken by Ezekiel reverberated spiritually to the souls of dry bones. When Yahweh told Ezekiel to write of the “four winds,” that matches the “sounds” of the “Spirit” that came “from heaven and filled all” who were together in the upper room with Peter. This “wind” times “four” [symbolic of a foundation] becomes receipt of the “Holy Spirit” upon a soul, so it is one with Yahweh – Yahweh is that soul’s “lord” [“adonay Yahweh”].
This is why Yahweh then led Ezekiel to write: “Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.”
That says the resurrection of Yahweh within one’s soul earns a soul the reward of eternal life, beyond the grave. It is the promise made to all who have regained possession of their souls, so their souls no longer serve Satan and lead a body of flesh to ruin. Being religious leaves one needing true “prophecy” spoken to those reincarnated “souls,” not political agendas that are as temporal as yesterday’s newspaper [speaking in the age of the Internet]. It says the only way for anyone religious [the “house of Israel” whose “hope is lost,” being “cut off completely” from both sin and salvation – “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”] to feel the joy of Salvation and the release of bondage to a world of sin is to marry Yahweh and become [like Ezekiel wrote Yahweh called him – “son of man”] Jesus reborn.
The escape from the tomb of death can only come after one has married Yahweh, so the tombstone that keeps one returning as dry bones, life after life [reincarnation], is to make Jesus the rounded stone that can be rolled away after one’s death. That exit allows the soul to return to be one with Yahweh, never again to be dry bones. That was the way Ezekiel knew the presence of Yahweh within him, as he was reborn in the name of Yahweh, earning the name that means “Yah[weh] Saves” [“Jesus”].
Likewise, all the one hundred twenty souls gathered together after the soul of Jesus had escaped the tomb of death. The soul of Jesus came and was “breathed” into them; and, they “received the Spirit.” As such, ALL stood as flesh and bones that were their souls joined with that of Jesus. ALL stood as Jesus resurrected. His wounds were in their flesh. They all knew their state of death had been released by that “lord Yahweh” within their souls.
As a reading selection that is possible to be heard read aloud on the fifth Sunday in Lent [Year A], this lesson might not be read aloud on Pentecost, if the Acts 2 reading is chosen over it. Still, the power held in this reading from Ezekiel fits perfectly into the preparation for ministry that one reborn as Jesus, another Christ of Yahweh, must enter. Ezekiel was married to Yahweh, so when Yahweh called upon His “hand,” His “hand” immediately responded. Ezekiel accepted the Will of Yahweh as his will, which he happily accepted as the wife of Yahweh [a submissive soul earning eternal life]. One cannot enter ministry unless one has become an equal to Ezekiel, an equal to Peter and the other one hundred nineteen. All are equal because their souls have merged with the soul that Saves – Jesus.
The parallel of the Pentecost reading from Acts 2 is Peter and the rest “prophesied to the breath,” which was the souls of the pilgrim Jews. They were the lost house of Israel, just as today the house of Jesus [Christianity] has become just as lost, with no hope, cut off from everything without being damned. Those souls are seeking redemption and are therefore looking for someone – anyone – who can share the truth of Scripture with them. Thus, Ezekiel was told by Yahweh to “prophesy to the word of Yahweh,” in the same way the “Spirit” of Yahweh landed upon His hands [120 of them], so they also “prophesied” [explaining Joel and David]. The seekers heard the truth and were redeemed [almost 3,000]. That is what ministry for Yahweh is all about.
It is important that one see how Jesus walked for three years in ministry, taking the “word of Yahweh” with him wherever he went. It was seekers that came to Jesus. It was always their faith that healed them. It was always their faith that made them whole. It was always their faith that transformed them into true Christians, after they encountered the truth of Jesus. All of those events should be seen as Jesus “prophesying to the word of Yahweh,” as a soul speaking to the soul of a seeker, where audible words were never spoken, like they were spoken by Peter and the others. Jesus spoke to them spiritually – soul to soul – so they were transformed spiritually [a perfect example is the Samaritan woman at the well].
Because the Day of Pentecost is the official graduation day, when the Easter season is left behind and ministry is to begin now and last forever, it is good to know that the practice of forty days with Jesus [him being one with one’s soul] is to spiritually communicate with Yahweh, Jesus, and others. Explaining Scripture can be moving, but as John wrote about the time the disciples spent learning to be Jesus reborn, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” The hope of ministry is to be there and to voice religion; but the truth of ministry is to let Jesus speak spiritually through one’s acts, so the seekers can be filled. Sitting in a church office or sitting in a church pew does little towards making Jesus available for seekers.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
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This is the optional New Testament reading for Pentecost Sunday, Year B, according to the lectionary of the Episcopal Church. It will be read aloud if the mandatory Acts 2 reading is chosen over the possibility of Ezekiel 37, as the First Lesson. In that case, the Acts will present this verse: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” A selection from Psalm 104 will then follow, where David sang, “You give it to them; they gather it; you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.” This reading from Romans will then precede a Gospel of John reading, where Jesus is shown to say, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears.”
In 2018, I wrote and posted about this reading. The same words were interpreted then, so the same interpretation holds true today still. I welcome you to read that commentary by searching this site for the title: Romans 8:22-27 – Groaning in labor pains. Still, every time Scripture is pondered deeply, new revelations rise to be seen. It is from that new view that I will again interpret this reading of Paul’s words.
I will add to the above statement that the interpretation I presented in 2018 went fairly close to what the New Revised Standard Version translation shows [that read aloud]. It is from that acceptance of standard transformation of divine text into somewhat understandable English that I now veer away from. All of the Epistle selections were written by Saints, which means their souls had married Yahweh, becoming His submissive wives, who then gave birth [rebirth or resurrection] to His Son Jesus within their bodies of flesh. As divine persons, they all wrote in the divine language of Yahweh, which can only be understood when Jesus has been reborn within. This is the truth of “speaking in tongues,” which Acts 2:3-4 tells. Therefore, this interpretation takes a fresh look at what was truly written and brings forth the amazing depth that is contained in Paul’s words [spoken to him by God], which are not discernable in the NRSV presentation.
In this selection, verse 22 begins with the capitalized Greek word “Oidamen,” which is rooted in the verb “eidó,” meaning “be aware, behold, consider, perceive” (Strong’s Definition), adding in application “I know, remember, appreciate.” (Strong’s Usage) The form written is the first person plural active indicative, which is “used only in certain past tenses; properly, to see (literally or figuratively); by implication, (in the perfect tense only) to know.” This means the plural number is the reason for capitalization, as the plural simply means many have been elevated divinely to a state of knowledge, which can only be known through accessing the Godhead or the Christ Mind. Without seeing this written through capitalization, one misses the divinity of verse 22 saying, “Knowledge is ours indeed because all this creature laments jointly kai suffering in painful and laborious efforts together until of this just now.”
The NRSV translation makes it seem that “the Creation” is an event that has long “been groaning in labor pains” to give birth to something that Paul says “now” has come. While that is true, to some degree, it misses the mark by translating “ktisis” as “creation.” The same word can mean “creature.” It should be read as that, as man is little more than a “creature,” like a lost sheep.
The context missing is Paul having written that same word three times prior, once each in in verses 19, 20, and 21. In verse 21 Paul wrote, “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” [NRSV] This makes it easier to see “the creation” as a “self” [meaning “soul”] that is in “bondage” relative to mortality [“decay”], as a child seeking to be “of God.” This says, “Knowledge coming from God is what all mortals are born without; and, it is the commonality of lament and suffering that drives one to seek Yahweh.”
The NRSV then translates verse 23 as saying, “and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.” This is where confusion is added to confusion, leading readers of all the Epistles to be continuously dumbfounded and lost. The implication here in this verse says “the creation,” when that is not written in the text. It is an addition by paraphrase, based on a misguided assumption that a word written prior must now be added, when it is not [I call that ‘playing god’]. In reality this verse is complex and must be broken into segments and carefully contemplated.
The whole of verse 23 has this Greek text: “ou monon de,alla kaiautoi,tēn aparchēn tou Pneumatos echontes , hēmeis kaiautoi en heautois stenazomen , huiothesian apekdechomenoi ,tēn apolytrōsin sōmatos hēmōn.” This is six segments of words and each must be understood separately, before one can jump to another. The marks of separation cannot be erased and the words cannot be rearranged or mixed as one sees fit. The separation of segments are God-given, which means they cannot be combined in paraphrase, without weakening the truth, or even destroying it. This means each segment will be discerned separately now.
The first segment literally translates to say, “not alone on top of this.” After ending verse 22 with the change in a “creature” that had been long lamenting and painfully suffering with desire to know how to please Yahweh; that had come … as “now” [from “nyn” not “de”]. This means the change now that differs from the long struggle is one becoming “not alone.” The small Greek word “de” can translate as “now,” but not as an adverb of time. It is a conjunction that says, “on top of, next, after, or indeed now.” (HELPS Word-studies) Therefore, Paul is saying the change in self means companionship of some kind. It is hard to be led to that conclusion by a translation that says, “and not only the creation.” [NRSV]
The second segment is two words divided by the marker word “kai.” The first word, “alla,” has been translated by the NRSV as “but,” when that translation plays no role of fluency [as a conjunction] when placed before another conjunction [“kai,” which the NRSV ignores]. Because the prior segment has alluded to more than one [“not alone”], the more viable translation is “on the other hand” or “otherwise,” as “alla” is the neuter plural of “állos,” meaning “other.” That designation, as “on the other hand” is relative to “not alone on top of this” and leads to the important marker word [“kai“] that says “self” must be seen as importantly different, as “ourselves” have changed. The NRSV weak translation – “but we ourselves” – needs to be tossed.
Seeing this state of “self” [which means “soul”] having changed, so a soul is “no” longer “alone,” the third segment of words literally translate to say, “which the beginning of a sacrifice of this Spirit possessing.” Here, the aspect of “first fruits” has been replaced by the root meaning, which is “sacrifice.”
Following an important statement about “self” [a soul], it is that “which” is no longer “alone.” The word translated as “first fruits” [“aparchēn”] is said to mean, “the beginning of a sacrifice, i.e. the first fruit” (Strong’s Definition), where the usage is said to be: “the first-fruits, the earliest crop of the year, hence also metaphor, for example, of the earliest converts in a district; there is evidence in favor of rendering in some passages merely by: sacrifice, gift.” (Strong’s Usage) When the simple translation of “sacrifice” is used, the segment says, “which sacrifice of this Spirit possessing,” where it is clear to see Paul saying the lack of understanding [“knowing of God”] is “now” relative to a divine possession [“echontes” meaning “having, holding, possessing”]. Again, the confused translation of the NRSV – “who have the first fruits of the Spirit” – makes no sense, other than to sense something about the Apostles somehow being “first fruits.”
To insert a point here now that is relative to faith, as far as Christianity is concerned, there are many places in Biblical text where demonic possession is presented. Jesus was known to routinely cast out demon spirit that had possessed Jews who needed help casting them out. Jesus sent out intern disciples with the power to cast out some demon spirits in his name. Christians will go to the mat defending Jesus, stating belief that demons spirits do exist. Evil deeds are often blamed on demons within [multiple personality disorder is what it is called these days]. Roman Catholic priests [some] are trained in exorcisms, which is some ritual way of casting out a demon spirit. With all of that faith in Scripture, why does all that disappear when it comes time to admit being filled with a Spirit that makes one Holy and Sacred, Set apart by God? Why is that not the same joining of a soul, with a divine Spirit that equally “possesses” a soul? In this regard, I advise those of true faith to read this Wikipedia article called “Eudaimonia.” This is something that pre-existed Christianity and explains what Paul is saying here.
Seeing divine possession as being what Paul said keeps a “self” [“soul”] “not alone,” the fourth segment of words is another that includes the marker word of importance – “kai.” This literally translates to say, “we kai ourselves with itself compressed internally and unexpressed.” The NRSV has reduced what was written [because that program is blind to divine translation] to simply “groan inwardly.”
In this, the pronoun “hēmeis” means “we, us, our,” but all are forms of “being,” as forms of “egó.” The plural has to be seen as applying to each individual “self” [“soul”], while projecting to “selves” as being further in the plural. Thus “we” is for all individually, so one soul becomes “we,” due to possession by the Spirit of Yahweh [holy matrimony]. Because of the marker word “kai” immediately following “we,” this word stands alone and must be seen as marked separately from that coming next.
This understanding is then emphasized [“kia” usage] importantly as “ourselves with [or in] itself.” Here, the Greek word “stenazomen” becomes confusing as it typically translates as “groaning” [flashback to “labor pains,” as the same root word is involved here and there]; but the word comes from “stenós,” meaning “compressed, constricted.” Thus, Paul is saying the expanse of God’s knowledge is a strain on a human brain to comprehend; so, it is best to allow its presence to be compressed within one’s being [“eimi”], without expressing its presence.
The fifth segment of words literally translates as, “sonship eagerly awaiting.” The Greek word “huiothesian” is properly translated as “sonship,” meaning placement within a family of means [royalty]. Because of that, the word is often translated as “adoption as a son,” because females would not be adopted, instead married. It is important to realize this male designation of “sonship” means that Yahweh is masculine, as is all of the Spirit realm [that heavenly]. Everything material [in the physical realm] is feminine in essence. Jesus was then the “Son of man” because of the Spirit within him [a Holy creature]. Had Jesus been born into a female body, that body would still be an “adopted son,” because Spirit is masculine essence.
The Greek word “apekdechomenoi” translates as “eagerly expecting, looking for, or awaiting,” such that it is patience with desire. Following a segment telling of a compression of Spirit within one’s soul, the adoption is that of Jesus to be resurrected. This says there is more to come, after a soul has married Yahweh’s Spirit. The consummation of that union brings about the son adopted.
Finally, the sixth segment of words literally translates as: “who setting free of this body of us.” Here, the Greek word “apolytrōsin” translates as “redemption,” but the word actually means “a release effected by payment of ransom.” (Strong’s Definition) In that, the word properly translates as “redemption,” with the caveat being: “buying back from, re-purchasing (winning back) what was previously forfeited (lost).” (HELPS Word-studies) This then says the “eagerly awaited” resurrection of Jesus within is the sacrifice one must make in order to be redeemed and earn eternal life for a soul – one released from the bondage of reincarnation. A soul [“self”] is no longer married to a physical body [life after life reincarnations] once Jesus has been resurrected within one’s flesh, one with one’s soul.
Hopefully, the breakdown I have just presented for verse 23 can be seen as very specific and thorough. After reading what the Greek actually means, to then read the above NRSV translation that says, “and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies,” it can then make sense. Still, without that realization of what Paul wrote to the Christians of Rome, one scratches one’s head and asks, “What was the other optional reading in place of Romans 8?”
This reading becomes a sermon in itself, as it perfectly fits [all Epistles do] the theme of Acts 2:1-21, in the sense that “speaking in tongues” is about explaining words written, which even those fluent in Greek could not figure out … completely … as souls alone. Verse 23 is an example that needs to be shouted from the rooftop, explaining what it truly means, so those who are seeking the truth can receive Yahweh’s Spirit and be made Set apart by Yahweh [Holy, Sacred, Saintly].
Verse 24 then literally translates to say: “which indeed confidence we were rescued ; trust on top of this being discerned , not exists expectation ; that indeed perceives why what , he believes ?” That compares to the NRSV above, which translates: “For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?”
Here, again, the NRSV has created three sentences, when the presence of two semi-colons shows that is possible; but all thoughts are relative to one central theme. The three sentences do not show breaks in the second and third ‘sentences,’ such that they become two segments each, joining everything together as one. That makes it more difficult to see precisely what Paul intended.
In the three ‘sentences’ created by the NRSV, the word hope is repeated [four times]. The Greek words translated as “hope” [or using “hope”] are “elpidi,” “elpis” (twice), and “elpizei.” There, the last word is rooted in “elpizó.” That word means, “to expect, to hope (for)” (Strong’s Definition), with it usage stated to be “I hope, hope for, expect, trust.” The other three Greek words are rooted in “elpis,” which is defined and used as “expectation, hope, trust, confidence.” (Strong’s) Because “hope” is one of those nebulous words that everyone understands, but nobody can accurately define what it means [religiously], I have used the viability of substitution to insert “confidence, trust, expectation, and believes” [“believes” viable according to Wiktionary] into the translations. All can be summed up as relative to “hopes and expectations,” but my translation leads a human brain to better discern the intent.
These five segments, divided into three lines of thought on the same theme, can now be set up in this manner:
[Jesus reborn within one’s body, bringing the promise of redemption …] That presence is “which indeed confidence we were rescued.” In that, the Greek word “esōthēmen” has been translated as “we were rescued,” but it can also state, “we were saved” “we were healed,” or “we were preserved.” Because the presence of Jesus within is known, the element of “hope” is not such an iffy condition, but one of “confidence.”
[Relative to this introduction of “confidence, hope, expectation, trust” …] “trust on top of this being discerned.” Here, the Greek word “de” is translated as “on top of this,” but it can be “moreover, indeed now, or next” [HELPS Word-studies]. I used “on top of this” because the presence of Jesus’ soul supersedes one’s own “self” [“soul”], because it is “not alone.” Jesus’ soul takes the “top” position, as “Lord” of one’s body of flesh. This “possession” is willingly allowed, because of “trust, confidence, hope, and expectation” that the Christ Mind is that then “being discerned.” In that, the Greek word “blepomenē” is the present participle, as “looking, seeing, perceiving, or discerning.” This says one’s human brain is able to “discern” divinely, in a supernatural way, based on the “trust” coming from divine possession.
This then leads to the second part of this second line of thought, which adds: “not exists expectation.” There, the Greek word “estin” is a word translated as “is,” but “is” is a statement of “being” or “existence.” This says the joint possession of one body of flesh by two souls – one dominant, one submissive – says the submissive soul does “not exist” in an outward way as before. The saved soul sets no “expectations,” so it does not pray or hope to be given what it wants [selfishly]. Thus, the whole of ‘sentence’ two is “trust in the Spirit does not come from personal expectations.”
[Relative to the “trust that has divinely come upon one’s soul and body, such that one’s soul has totally bowed down before Yahweh, allowing His Son to guide one’s acts …] “that indeed perceives why what.” In that, the Greek word “blepei” is a repeating of the prior ‘sentence’s’ “blepomenē,” where “discernment” is now translated as “perception.” All is relative to what the Christ Mind runs through a human brain, so the submissive “self” [“soul”] becomes fully aware (“sees”) everything one’s body of flesh is led to do [acts]. As such, the combination of two words saying the same thing [“tis ti” – with both meaning, “who, which, what, why”] means the “self” understands [“perceives”] the answer to all the questions – the “what” and “why.”
This then leads to the addition that is simply one word in Greek – “elpizei.” This is one of the forms of “hope” used, but it is stated in the “third-person singular present active indicative,” which BibleHub translates as “does he hope for.” This one word then leads to a question mark. The question mark implies the whole of verse 24 is a question, which the NRSV translates only the third ‘sentence’ as: “For who hopes for what is seen?” The question can now be seen as relative to the one word, which demands closer scrutiny into what “elpizei” means. According to Wiktionary, “elpízō” means: “to hope for, to look for, expect.” That site then subdivides those “hopes” and “expectations” as being relative to being “of evils,” “with present infinitive,” and “with dative.” Because the form written is the third person singular present active infinitive, the category “with present infinitive” leads one to see a translation relative to: “to think, deem, suppose, believe.” Therefore, the question, stemming from a Spirit within that “perceives why what” one asks, “what does he believe?” or “why does he believe?” That becomes the question. The question centers on one’s faith, more than the casual way people say they “I believe.”
This is then explained in verse 25, which the NRSV translates as saying, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” The literal Greek translation is this: “forasmuch as next , which not we see we expect , on account of patience we eagerly await.”
From a question that asks about the source of one’s beliefs, verse 25 then begins with the scenario that is relative to what comes “next” [from “de”], or “moreover, indeed now, on top of this.” [HELPS Word-studies] Beliefs are not based on hopes for what will come next, based on beliefs memorized or externally held; but rather from a confidence that knows what will come. One knows personally “why” it will come “what” will be a necessary next step. This is “not” a set expectation by “us, ours or we,” which are the submissive souls stepping aside so the soul of Jesus will make us do what it righteous. Having set no such personal expectations, the only expectations are then based on what and why one believes, which is that it will be what it will be. That knowledge creates a sense of excitement [eagerness] that cannot the future be rushed. One is led to “wait and see,” knowing whatever comes it will be what is best.
The Greek word “hypomonēs” is translated as “patience,” but the word equally means, “a remaining behind, a patient enduring” (Strong’s Definition), and “endurance, steadfastness, patient waiting for.” (Strong’s Usage) The intent by Paul says one’s soul has willingly stepped aside [remaining behind] as a statement of faith, so it eagerly awaits what the soul of Jesus within will bring ‘next.”
Verse 26 is then translated by the NRSV to say, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” In reality, the Greek text needs insight to see the capitalization of the first word – “Hōsautōs” – where “Likewise” needs to be read with divine elevation.
The Greek word actually means, “in like manner, likewise, just so.” (Strong’s Usage) A divine elevation means the soul-body divinely possessed now acts “In like manner” to Jesus of Nazareth. This becomes the divinity of faith that being a true Christian is all about. One eagerly awaits what Jesus will do next, because Jesus is acting in one’s body of flesh. This “Likewise” presence is in countless others who have married their souls to Yahweh, so His Son could resurrect within them as well. This divine repetition of being “Just so” is due to [literally] “the Spirit joins to help the weakness of us.” The “weakness of us” is the inability of a soul alone to bring about a righteous state of being, thereby being prone to the failures of sin. The “Spirit” comes from a soul sacrificing itself when it submits to Yahweh in marriage.
The literal words that follow a semi-colon that follows the first segment of words in verse 26 translate as: “that for which we should offer prayers for according as what is proper.” In this segment of words there is no reference to “not,” which the NRSV has pulled forward from the subsequent segment. The weakness of our individual souls is assisted by the presence of the “Spirit” [see Jesus’ references to “the Advocate”], such that one then acts “Likewise” to Jesus and “prays for what is proper” [or “how to pray as we ought”].
The following segment of words is simply translated as “not we know” or “not we are aware of” or “not we remember.” The use of “not” is relative only to what one’s “self” or “soul” knows – which is nothing, as it has become submissive. Jesus prays for us, once his presence is within, because our prayers alone would be useless if dwelled upon by our human brains. Prayers are released once they have been sent and forgotten. When a soul alone prays, it dwells on a need for proof God heard what we want, so much that the prayer is not released; all the while, God knows all needs. Jesus knows how to pray properly.
The segment of words that then follows that admission by Paul that our souls know nothing is where he wrote [literally translated]: “on the other hand self [soul] which Spirit makes petitions.” Here, the use of “auto” [meaning “self; he, she, it; the same”] must be seen as the adjoining “self” [“soul”] that makes one’s own soul be “not alone.” Paul is now explaining that prayers of intercession are only generated by the “Spirit” within one’s “self” [“soul”]. This becomes inaudible and not sensed by physical means. It is how Jesus could do little more than tell people in need of help, “Go. Your faith has made you well.” It was the “Spirit” within Jesus that prayed for others silently.
That is confirmed in the last segment of verse 26, which literally translates to say, “with groanings inexpressible.” Here, the word “stenagmois” relates one back to the “labor pains,” which was the compression inwardly and unexpressed presence of Yahweh’s Spirit – All-Knowing pressed into a brain that knows nothing of value otherwise. Those now are the deep Spiritual feelings for the agonies suffered by others, those of faith. Therefore, miracle healings come without words needing to be uttered. The Greek word “alalētois” translates as “unutterable, that baffles words, unexpressed.” (Strong’s Usage)
Verse 27 is then translated by the NRSV as saying, “And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” That presents a four-piece segmentation of words. In reality, Paul only broke these words into three segments. The literal translation states: “that on top of this searching those inner souls perceives what this thought of the Spirit , because sent down from God , he intercedes for the sake of those set apart by God .”
This says first: The Jesus soul on top of a submissive saved soul is always diligently alert for lost souls seeking to be found and their cries are heard by the Spirit of Yahweh. Second, Paul said: The soul of Jesus inside the flesh of a self-body receives orders, where to go and who to help, sent by the Father; and, as the Son, he goes where sent. Third, Paul wrote: The Jesus soul acts for the sake of those who are seeking to be made holy; and, those made holy by the Spirit go to where that Spirit can be passed on.
As a reading possibility on the Day of Pentecost [Christian style], this reading says Christianity is a ministry of those reborn as Jesus, also the Christ reborn. It is a collection of Saints, none of who claim that title. All souls are submissive to the Will of Yahweh, for the purpose of serving Him as His Son resurrected, for the guarantee of eternal life after the body falls away. This reading from Paul’s letter to the Christians of Rome is an example of speaking in tongues, which a true Christian possesses, as Jesus reborn.
Jesus said to his disciples, ”When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
——————–
This is the Gospel selection for Pentecost Sunday, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. Before this is read aloud by a priest, the First Lesson will either be from the mandatory Acts 2 reading, which says: “Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them.” That reading will be read either as the First Lesson or the New Testament. Ezekiel 37 will be the First Lesson if Acts replaces Romans 8. The Ezekiel reading states, “So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.” If the Acts 2 reading replaces the Ezekiel reading, then the New Testament selection will be Romans 8, where Paul wrote, “God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Regardless, a selection from Psalm 104 will be read, which sings, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will praise my God while I have my being.”
I wrote about this reading in 2018. As the selected verses read aloud are still the same, that 2018 interpretation is still valid today. In it I address the Greek text, so it is a deep commentary that needs careful examination. I welcome those seeking to know Scripture deeper to find that article by searching this site for the title: The spirit of truth brings sainthood.
As it is with all divine Scripture, especially a selection as long as this one [19 verses], so much can be found that was not seen before. I will now view this reading from a position that relates to my recent insight that the Easter season is when one should already know that he or she has married its soul to Yahweh, with Jesus’ soul risen within one’s being. That is the lesson of Easter Sunday. Knowing that presence is how one becomes a witness to that resurrection, as laying physical eyesight on Jesus out of the tomb was impossible then and is still impossible today. Easter is Jesus’ soul rising within one’s own flesh, so one knows Jesus personally and can thereby testify to that presence. Because Pentecost is the final Sunday symbolizing receipt of this Spirit and the subsequent preparation for ministry that is required, one must learn to be comfortable as Jesus reborn, I will now view this reading from that specific perspective.
Leading up to the two verses from John 15, Jesus spoke of the hatred saints in his name would face in the world. He explained this hatred would be because of him – they will have become him – so the world will always love to hate Jesus. That hatred will be because the world is the only place where sin can exist; and, Yahweh sent Jesus to lead souls away from that prison, where Satan is the jailer. Satan hates Yahweh and His Son, because Satan is nothing without souls enslaved; and, Yahweh sent Jesus to free the slaves. Therefore, out of hatred, Satan will persecute all who attempt to escape by sacrificing their souls to Yahweh in marriage, so Jesus can be risen in each one. In Satan’s effort to destroy Jesus and Yahweh, those human forms receiving the Spirit and made Holy will likewise be persecuted by the world that Satan lords over.
The only time a universal catholic Christian will hear those words of warning is October 28th each year, attending church on the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude. Still, the warning to be prepared to face persecution in the name of Jesus, reborn as the Christ, exists; and, this is why Jesus told his drunken disciples about a “Helper” that will come. The reason a soul needs a “Paraklētos” [“(a) an advocate, intercessor, (b) a consoler, comforter, helper, (c) Paraclete.” – Strong’s Usage] is it is impossible for a soul alone to handle the hatred of the world. A soul alone will bend to the will of Satan [his lures, whispers, suggestions, and punishments] and sin.
Not as good as Jesus; but this model will help more Christians to stand and walk than will fake speaking in tongues.
Where the NRSV translates: “the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf,” one must realized that Jesus routinely said, “Verily” of “Truthfully I say.” That was because Jesus was possessed by the “Spirit” [“Pneuma”] that brought to him the “truth” [“alétheia”]. Jesus was not the source of this “truth,” as it came from the “Father” [“Patros”]. Those disciples “who come from the Father” will become Apostles [Saints, those Sacred, those Set apart by God]. They will then also speak the “truth,” as “witnesses” [“martyrēsei”] being Jesus reborn. Therefore, Jesus had the same “Helper” that will be forever sent by Yahweh to His wives – the “Spirit” that leads them to always speak the “truth.”
When Jesus then prophesied to his drunken disciples, “You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning,” that actually says, “you then bear witness” [“martyreite”], “because you then beginning” anew. At that point in time, “with me you are” [“met’ emou este”]. In that, “este” is a statement of “being” or “existence, when one is “with” [“meta” – “implying “change afterward” (i.e. what results after the activity)] the “existence” or “being” of Jesus. When “existence” is realized to be a soul – the animator of lifeless flesh – the meaning of “with” must be understood as the divine possession of two souls in one body of flesh. Jesus is not external to one’s “being,” as one’s “being” has joined with the “being” of Jesus.
This does not make Jesus the “Advocate.” The “Advocate” is the “Spirit.” When the risen Jesus [his soul] appeared at the place where his family, followers and disciples hid in fear of the world [feeling the world’s hatred of them, for having followed Jesus] that soul spoke in unuttered speech, which John described as: “And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive Spirit Holy” [“Labete Pneuma Hagion”]. (John 20:22)
There, the capitalization of three words shows the divine elevation to a soul level of hearing, where “Receive” is the marriage of a soul to Yahweh. “Spirit” is the union that is Yahweh in the physical realm, when merged with a soul. Finally, it is the union taking place in the flesh that makes one become “Set apart by God,” as one “Sanctified” by His presence, making one be a “Holy” extension of Yahweh on the material plane; and, that makes one the resurrection as His Son, one Anointed by Yahweh to serve Him.
The transition from John’s fifteenth chapter to his sixteenth can be seen as movement of the group, from one place [the Essene Quarter streets] to another [outside the Essene Gate]. As the group stumbled along drunk [all but Jesus and John], in this next location Jesus again spoke of the hatred, which was stated as the prophecy that those reborn as Jesus would be thrown out of the synagogues. This introductory conversation is omitted in the reading selection today, as the point is to skip forward when the talk of “the Advocate” returns. Still, warnings that being a true Christian are not read [and John 16:1-4a are never scheduled to be read aloud in Episcopal churches], so one can be lulled into thinking sitting in a church pew is all one needs – Salvation without ever having to admit to any of the hatred. Aaah, so nice.
When the NRSV translates, “yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ this gives the impression of indifference. What Jesus said is explained in the accompanying reading, found in Paul’s letter to the Romans, where he wrote: “not we know , on the other hand soul which Spirit makes petitions.” [Romans 8:26c] This is Jesus making a statement that the souls of his Apostles-Saints will have submitted all self-will to Yahweh, so they will not be asking questions, of any kind.
Keeping in mind Jesus was speaking to John, as the eleven disciples nearby were drunk on Seder wine and unable to focus on what Jesus was saying, it is easy to hear Jesus telling them about how he told them he would go to Jerusalem and be mistreated, killed, but after three days he would rise. For him to then tell them, “Remember when,” is not the point of his speaking words at this point. Thus, when the NRSV has Jesus telling the disciples, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away,” there is a much deeper meaning to be found in those words, which the Easter season is all about.
The Greek text here states: “all’ egō tēn alētheian legō hymin,sympherei hymin hina egō apelthō.” That literally translates to say, “on the other hand ego that truth tells to you , it is profitable to you in order that ego should go away .”
Simply from replacing the “I” of Jesus with a statement about the “I” of the disciples, as the repetition of “egō,” Jesus is saying [to John], the “Spirit” of Yahweh that is the “Helper” sent by Yahweh and only speaks “truth,” when that “speaks to you” and “tells you” that “it is profitable to you that yourI should go away,” Jesus just said a soul must sacrifice self in order to receive the Spirit.” Otherwise, “for if your I does not go away, the Advocate will not come to you.” Selfish disciples can be summed up in one word: Judas [as in Iscariot].
When the NRSV translates: “And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment,” that waters down what is truly written. First of all, this verse [16:8] begins with a capitalized “Kai,” which marks it as extremely important to grasp. The word most important is “elthōn,” which is the aorist active participle form of “erchomai,” stating “having come.” This then says verse eight is extremely important to realize the following, once one’s soul has married Yahweh and become one with the “Spirit.”
When that has happened, then “that one will expose that ordered system encompassing failure ,kai encompassing righteousness ,kai encompassing decisions :” Here, “elenxei” has been translated [NRSV] as “prove wrong,” when the word legitimately translates as “will expose.” The word “kosmon” has been translated [NRSV] as “world,” when the root “kosmos” literally means, “something ordered,” properly, an “ordered system.” (HELPS Word-studies) Thus, “sin” is “failure,” which is “encompassed” in the whole of life, opposite “righteousness” and the “decisions” [“judgment”] that one needs to make, based on one being with or without divine insight.
The failures [or sins] are all based on a lack of faith. This goes beyond a statement of “belief,” where the “Advocate” has remained a promise and not a spiritual reality. That lack means beliefs lead to sins, just as does no beliefs in God. However, when “your I” goes away, after marriage to “the Father,” then sin will be “no more.” This is because one’s soul “experiences” Jesus [“theōreite me”]. All “decisions” at that point are made by the “Spirit,” as Jesus resurrected, so the One who makes all the rules of the ordered system [Yahweh] has made the Son keep one’s flesh failure-free.
When the NRSV translates verse 12 as saying, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now,” this not only was a statement that his disciples were then in an incapacitated condition, but it speaks more of them being souls alone in their bodies of flesh. They had not yet married Yahweh, in the same way that Jesus had not yet gone away, which would literally take place not long after these words were spoken. Jesus knew he would be taken away and punished till death. The “Spirit” was leading the group to Gethsemane for the arrest. His following death had to take place, in order for his soul to be released from his physical body of flesh; so, that soul would be free to resurrect within his disciples. Until all that had taken place, the disciples “could not bear” the responsibility of hearing his words [a physical sensation]; and, they were physically and spiritually incapable of living up to anything Jesus could say verbally, at that time. This lesson says, no one has that capability: not Jew, not Christian, not anyone whose only concept of God is as some unseen, external presence.
When the NRSV translates verse 13 as saying, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come,” this again speaks of the “Spirit” and the “truth” that will come from Yahweh.
The “truth” is the guide that always keeps one from failure [sin]. The aspect of “not speaking on his own” comes from the Greek that literally translates to say, “not indeed it will speak for oneself,” where all references to “self” refer to the “soul.” That means Yahweh will not send His “Spirit” for the benefit of “oneself.” No one filled with the “Spirit” that speaks the “truth” of Yahweh will be able to run out and tell the world, “Look at me! I am special. I know what Jesus would say!” The converse means Yahweh sends His “Spirit” to souls that are submissive to His Will and thereby the “Spirit” will listen to Yahweh, as to where the “Spirit” is needed; and, that will be where “oneself” goes, to help others in need.
Verse 14 is translated by the NRSV to state: “He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” In that, “the Greek literally translates to say, “that one [the Spirit] me [Jesus] will honor,” meaning Jesus will be represented in the flesh by the presence of Yahweh’s “Spirit.” This then leads to s segment of words that literally say, “because from out of which mine he will receive.” That says the soul of Jesus will be received within the soul of a wife married spiritually to Yahweh. Then, following a marker of importance [“kai”], the one reborn as Jesus “will announce to you,” meaning one will speak the “truth,” just as did Jesus.
Verse 15 then says [NRSV]: “All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” In this, the first segment of words literally translate to say, “all how much possesses this Father,” which is a statement that there is no limit to “how much” or “how many” [“hosa”] can be resurrections of Jesus’ soul. “All” will be divinely in “possession” of the “Father,” through holy matrimony. All who are so “possessed” become reborn as Jesus [“mine are,” where “are” is a statement of “being”]. It will then be “because of these” [“dia touto”], Jesus will speak as the Lord of that body of flesh [“eipon” as “I command”], but only in those who Yahweh has sent His “Spirit.”
Because Acts 2 tells of the twelve newly risen Apostles entering into ministry, one must see how Jesus foretold it would be him speaking through those, as they had been selected by the Father for marriage. The soul of Jesus entered one hundred twenty family, followers, and disciples on Easter Sunday. The forty days Jesus spent within each of those who had “Received Spirit” and were made “Set apart by God,” they spent forty days becoming acquainted to their newly submissive selves, becoming comfortable being led by Jesus within.
It is important to see, during this last official day of the Easter season, that everything Jesus prophesied came true on Pentecost Sunday. Still, it is more important to see how the same prophecy extends endlessly, to all times thereafter. Christians today must consider themselves just as drunk as were the disciples, for having lived a life thinking, “I am Christian because I believe Jesus was-is-will be the Christ.” That drunkenness denies Jesus, as did Peter. Without Jesus reborn within one’s soul, fear of the world’s hatred always sends one running to hide. Not being reborn by the “Spirit” means sinning whenever the world wants to persecute Christians [the message covered over by the Episcopal lectionary, like a cat covering poo in a liter box], as John 15 tells of “The Hatred of the World” [BibleHub section heading] or “The World’s Hatred” [NRSV heading].
This prophecy of Jesus says being divinely filled with the “Spirit of truth” – the “Advocate” or “Helper” – means Jesus will be reborn within one’s soul, leading one’s body of flesh to live righteously, avoiding all possibilities of failures the world might present. With Jesus at the helm of one’s being, all decisions will be the approved judgments of Yahweh. Without, there can be no ministry, no Christianity, because belief is denying faith as a witness.
The gross negligence of Christianity today is the childish idea that one can do as one pleases, with Jesus always nearby, alongside God. The error of reasoning is thinking God loves everyone and Jesus loves me most of all. With such flimsy reasoning, no one does anything to marry Yahweh and become Jesus resurrected. Everyone wants to do as one pleases and always feel heaven is just waiting for one’s soul to get there … always forgiven for those countless sins, which regular tithing to a church organization wins some kind words at a funeral or memorial service. Nothing in Scripture says church priests are any different than the failures that constantly befell Israel and Judah, or the synagogues that kicked Jesus out.
The Easter season is the time to lose all that nonsense of thought and start practicing being Jesus in the flesh, without being able to tell anyone that. All work and no play might make Jack a dull boy, but it does wonders for allowing one’s soul the comfort of knowing heaven is well worth working for.
you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.
30 You hide your face, and they are terrified; *
you take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.
31 You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *
and so you renew the face of the earth.
32 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; *
may the Lord rejoice in all his works.
33 He looks at the earth and it trembles; *
he touches the mountains and they smoke.
34 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; *
I will praise my God while I have my being.
35 May these words of mine please him; *
I will rejoice in the Lord.
37 Bless the Lord, O my soul. *
Hallelujah!
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This is the Psalm that will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on Pentecost Sunday, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This song of praise will follow the First Lesson, which will either be from the mandatory reading from the Acts of the Apostles (chapter 2 this Sunday), which states: “All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”’ or, the First Lesson will come from Ezekiel’s prophecy that says, “Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”’ If the Acts reading is the First Lesson, then the New Testament reading will come from Paul’s letter to the Christians of Rome, where he wrote: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” All will precede the Gospel reading from John, where Jesus said: “Now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’”
I wrote about this selection in 2020. It is short and sweet, to the point. Everything I interpreted then still has value today, so I welcome those who are seekers of Yahweh to read that commentary by searching this site for the title: Pentecost Sunday 2020 – Part III (Psalm 104).
The source that I use for the Hebrew and Greek written text is BibleHub Interlinear. It presents the punctuation marks where they actually appear in the divine text, the capitalization [Greek only, Hebrew has no capital letters] and other special marks that are written, but cannot be translated. In the Psalms, there often is a discrepancy in the numbering of the verses, between my source and that designated by the Episcopal Church. This can be seen in Psalm 104, as the verses listed as 25-35, with 37 added, is shown by BibleHub to actually be verses 24-34, with 35b being the addition. Whereas the Episcopal lectionary page cites their translations to be from the NRSV, the NRSV also only has 35 total verses in Psalm 104, matching the numbering of BibleHub. Still, the NRSV lists verse 25 as what BibleHub shows as verse 24. I will now list notes from each verse, according to the BibleHub presentation, with asides to what the NRSV claims.
First of all, I want to point out that this Psalm has twenty-three verses that lead up to this reading presentation. All sing praises to Yahweh, as the God of Israel, specifically named. In all thirty-five verses, “Yahweh” is written nine time, with nine being a mystical number that cannot be ignored or thought to be happenchance. Of those nine times, two appear in verse 1. Another appears in verse 16. The remaining six appear in the verses selected for reading on Pentecost Sunday.
All six have been translated by the NRSV as “Lord.” This is not what is written. When Moses asked, “Who shall I say sent me?” The answer was not, “O just tell them you come from the Lord.” To not call Yahweh by the name that says, “I Am Who I Am,” says “I Ain’t got no Lord” in oneself.
Verse 24 [NRSV 25] sings about how much Yahweh can do. When David sang, “how manifold are your works!” he was not looking out the window, while sipping on a toddy, leaning over from his recliner, watching Yahweh build pyramids, cities, defeat evil, and all kinds of things that make Christians sweat just thinking about them all. The “manifold” of “works” come from those like David, who serve Yahweh as those who ACT in His name.
Seeing that, when David then sang, “in wisdom you have made them all,” this then reflects on the presence of the Christ Mind [the Godhead allowed those Anointed ones of Yahweh]. The intelligence of commoners pales in comparison to the “wisdom Yahweh has made” come to His servants. It is this “wisdom” that causes ACTS that create miracles and does the works of Yahweh on earth.
The last word in verse 24 [25] is “qin·yā·ne·ḵā.” This form is rooted in the Hebrew word “qinyan,” which means “something gotten or acquired, acquisition.” BibleHub translates this word as saying “your possessions.” The NRSV translates it to say “your creatures.” The point of this says “wisdom” from Yahweh has made “creatures” [dumb animals called humans, no matter how smart they think they are] His “possessions,” as He has “acquired” their souls as His wives. In return, those “creatures” have become divinely “possessed” by the Spirit of Yahweh, bringing His “wisdom” upon them.
In verse 25 [NRSV 26], David spoke metaphorically about the expanse of Yahweh being like “a sea.” His words “gā·ḏō·wl ū·rə·ḥaḇ yā·ḏā·yim” have been translated as saying, “great and wide.” In reality, they state “great wide hand,” where “yā·ḏā·yim” is rooted in “yad,” meaning “hand.” This is David comparing his Israel as a “sea” of those who served Yahweh, all as His right “hands.” This is the same “sea” that became Christianity, so the metaphor still applies today.
When David then sang of those “there teeming innumerable” [NRSV = “too many to number”], he then added “ḥay·yō·wṯ” [from “chay”], meaning “alive” or “living.” This element of “alive” means the “hand” of Yahweh is a “sea” of “souls,” all eternally “alive” as redeemed. They include those from all ranks in life: “great and small.” Still, all are “both small” [“qə·ṭan·nō·wṯ”] “with great” [“‘im- gə·ḏō·lō·wṯ”], as souls who had been lost and alone [small], until they submitted themselves to Yahweh, uniting with the greatest possible.
Verse 26 [27] then continues the metaphor, placing “ships” that “sail about.” Here, one must see that a “ship” floats atop the waters of the “sea,” not united with it. Within the “sea” is known to be the “leviathan,” or “a sea monster-dragon.”
The motto of humanity is this: If it breathes, kill it!
This is said by David to be a creation of Yahweh, made “to play there” or “to laugh there” [from “lə·śa·ḥeq- bōw”]. The NRSV says “which you have made for the sport of it.” When one sees the “sea” as those souls saved through marriage with Yahweh, the “sea dragon made” by Yahweh is the Spirit that is Sacred, which knows which “ships” are seeking to marry Yahweh. Still, the “ships” fear the Spirit, because it means sinking all that makes them float above the “sea,” as something special [not “small”]. Therefore, the sport [“laugh”] is the game we love to call religion, where Christians and Jews alike try to play the role of Captain Ahab, all trying to spear the Great White whale, to make the Spirit their prize possession, so they can hold their superiority above all others. They risk losing everything, rather than admitting defeat to a greater power and becoming possessed by it.
When verse 27 [28] then sings [NRSV], “All of them look to you to give them their food in due season,” this says the “ships” are the synagogues of Israel, which correlate today to the churches [many denominations] of Christianity. They enter the “sea” that is the outstretched “hand” of Yahweh, seeking the fish of that “sea,” with expectations to be fed spiritual food. Still, the truth of what David wrote is this: “kul·lām ’ê·le·ḵā yə·śab·bê·rūn,” which literally says, “these all to you inspect.” That says the religious read what Yahweh has fed them [spiritual food in Scripture], at the same time Yahweh waits for that feeding to lead one to say, “Yes” to Yahweh’s marriage proposal [the Covenant]. When the “time” is right [“in due season”] the “leviathan” will rise out of the “sea” and the Spirit of Yahweh will consume their souls.
Verse 28 [29] then sings [NRSV], “You give it to them; they gather it; you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.” This says the religious will find what is needed to bring about a personal love of Yahweh. It is up to them to prove their worthiness to become a bridesmaid [not a human gender word]. Here, “your hand” [from “yā·ḏə·ḵā”] is a reflection back on the “hands” [from “yā·ḏā·yim”] in verse 25 [26]. This is the “sea” of souls that are in Yahweh’s “hands,” such that here it means Yahweh’s “hand” is “open” [from “tip̄·taḥ”] to welcome another soul to His “sea.” To enter that realm of Salvation, those souls “will be filled with good” [from “yiś·bə·‘ūn ṭō·wḇ”].
Verse 29 [30] then sings [NRSV], “You hide your face, and they are terrified; you take away their breath, and they die and return to their dust.” This begins with the statement, “you conceal your face,” which implies Yahweh turns away from seekers, which would only be those who reject Him as their Husband. In reality, a marriage of a soul to Yahweh means that human body [male or female] then secretly wears the face of Yahweh, as the meaning of the First Commandment. There, wearing the “face” of Yahweh is the only “face” allowed, where “pā·ne·ḵā” is written as “paneh.” [“Thou shall have the face of no other gods before my face.”]
This then leads one to see death as the result, which is the greatest fear to which all human beings hold dearly. That fear is said by David to be “they are terrified” [from “yib·bā·hê·lūn”], but the only fear one is allowed is that of Yahweh. Therefore, that explains this “fear,” which is brought on by putting on the “face” of their Master. When that leads to David singing, “you take away their breath,” that “breath” [from “rū·ḥām”] is their “soul of life.” The only reason Yahweh would take away His “breath of life” [“ruach” or “spirit-soul”] is through marriage. Yahweh then takes possession of a soul upon marriage to Him.
The aspect of death, from “they die and return to their dust,” this relates to the sacrifice of self in marriage to Yahweh, so the “soul” is released from a prison that keeps a soul on the physical plane. Death does not come instantly, but when it comes the body of flesh remains in the material realm, while the “soul” has been taken away to remain forever with Yahweh.
Verse 30 [31] then begins by singing, “You send forth your Spirit, and they are created.” This is not some opposite way that Yahweh behaves, but a continuation of the freedom given to the soul of a wife to Yahweh. After taking away a “breath of life” [a “soul”], Yahweh then “sends forth” that “soul” combined with the “spirit” [both from “rū·ḥă·ḵā”]. This in not a new “creation,” as all souls are as eternal as Yahweh, with no beginning and no end. What is “created” [from “yib·bā·rê·’ūn”], however, is a Saint, Apostle, or one newly Anointed by Yahweh as His Son on earth [regardless of human gender].
This is confirmed in the words that have been translated to say, “so you renew the face of the earth.” In reality, the Hebrew text says, “and you renew” [from “ū·ṯə·ḥad·dêš”], where the root word “chadash” also means “repair.” To “renew” or “repair” a lost soul, that soul becomes “reborn” as a likeness of Yahweh’s Spirit. That likeness is then “the face” [“pə·nê”] of Yahweh that is hidden beneath the skin and bones of the “face” of a new wife. It is in this way that mortal human beings are continuously replenished with divine extensions of Yahweh, which enter into the flesh “of the earth” – the material realm.
Verse 31 [32] then confirms that intent, by repeating the name “Yahweh” twice. The NRSV translation suffices by saying, “May the glory of [Yahweh] endure forever; may [Yahweh] rejoice in all his works.” In this, “endurance” [assumed from “yə·hî … lə·‘ō·lām”] is relative to a human characteristic, which is the “patience” Paul wrote of in his letter to the Romans. (Romans 8:25) This means the wives of Yahweh will set aside their personal ego-driven desires, in order to do the many “works” [“bə·ma·‘ă·śāw”] that are His through His wives on earth.
Verse 32 [33] then returns to David’s use of metaphor, which sings out [NRSV], “He looks at the earth and it trembles; he touches the mountains and they smoke.” To presume that Yahweh has eyes like human beings, so “he looks” [from “ham·mab·bîṭ”] “at the earth,” is as if something might be missed if he stopped looking. That is a human perspective and therefore flawed reasoning.
David meant that Yahweh sees all; but His extended eyes on earth see all the evil that is there. This becomes reminiscent of Jesus coming upon the man who had many demons within, called Legion. The simple presence of Jesus had that demon cream out, “What do you want of me!?” Thus, the presence of Yahweh’s wives in ministry makes evil in the world “tremble” [“wat·tir·‘āḏ”].
The aspect of “touching” can be seen as a laying on of “hands,” but the “touch” [“yig·ga‘,” from “naga”] of Yahweh is His Spirit, not physical hands. Thus, Jesus could heal without having had any physical contact with those in need. This presence is felt by those who think they are most high – the “mountains” or “hills” [“be·hā·rîm”] – when they are nothing more than “small” [from verse 25 [26]]. Feeling how powerless those most high are, next to one possessing Yahweh within, they “smoke” with “anger” [“wə·ye·‘ĕ·šā·nū”], causing them to strike out against the flesh containing God Almighty. Still, the metaphor of a “mountain mist” says no matter how high in the material realm one reaches, it cannot escape the all-surrounding vapors of Yahweh [His “sea”], none of which can be grasped, controlled, or forced away.
Verse 33 [34] then sings praises, such that David promised [NRSV]: “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will praise my God while I have my being.” While David certainly did live up to his love of Yahweh, the repeated used of “I” must be seen as a confession sung by everyone whoever sings this song of praise. This says “I” (the first person singular) is forever those souls who are married to Yahweh and set free from the cycle of reincarnation.
Verse 34 [35] is then David wanting to please his Yahweh, where the Hebrew written first says, “ye·‘ĕ·raḇ,” which acts as a prayer that seeks to please Yahweh, as conditions set for “sweetness.” Following, David wrote, “‘ā·lāw śî·ḥî,” which says, “to him my complaints,” as well as “to him my musings.” This speaks of prayer that tells all to Yahweh, whether or not words are expressed.
This is followed by the word “’ā·nō·ḵî,” which stands as a one-word statement about “I.” It says the ego of self has become one with the Spirit of Yahweh, so prayer is as easy as an inkling of thought. That single thought then leads to David writing, “’eś·maḥ Yah-weh,” which says his soul “will be glad in Yahweh.” That “rejoices” His presence, which caused David to sing songs of praise to his God.
Verse 35b [numbered as 37 by the NRSV] then says [NRSV], “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” In reality, verse 35a has sang about the destruction of the sinful and wicked of the world, so 35b becomes a new sentence that sings, “be nothing knelt [before] my soul.” That must be seen as a promise made by David that sings of commitment, such that the soul of David will never profess to be anything, without Yahweh. There will be no lures of the world worthy of kneeling before in worship. No sacrifices of the soul will be made to Satan. Only to Yahweh will David’s soul be given, which led him to “praise Yah” [from “hal·lū- yāh”] which is the translation of “Hallelujah.”
As a song of praise lifted up to Yahweh on Pentecost Sunday, the element of graduation into ministry after forty days of maturing as Jesus reborn, that theme is sung loudly by these lyrics of David. Everything is based on one’s soul being married to Yahweh. Well before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth [born in Bethlehem], David was singing about the Spirit of Yahweh merging with one’s soul. This is the “Advocate” Jesus prophesied to come to his disciples. The element of patience and endurance matches what Paul wrote.
The distraction of this psalm is the leviathan, which is seen as a sea monster, mistaken as an evil creature. This is the fear that possesses all those calling themselves religious, as the vast majority are too afraid to sacrifice a job that pays all the bills, for service as a wife of Yahweh. A servant to Yahweh must put in the “works” that reflects the “hands” of God. All that “work” is too much, when added to 40-70 hour weeks at the old slat mine. Everyone sees Yahweh as a monster beneath the water that is waiting to pounce on one whose guard has been lowered. All who hear and sing along with these words do little to ponder the meaning these words contain.
In the last day of the Easter season, when a soul should have been practicing to be comfortable with Jesus reborn within one’s flesh, few will make the grade on this graduation day. Few will be praising Yah from their hearts [a soul’s center]. The sad truth is most people have given up on Jesus coming, just like the Jews long ago gave up on their promised Messiah and actually expecting Elijah to come back. Everyone is just going through motions, floating on the “sea” that is Yahweh’s outstretched “hand.” Few are willing to become the “hand” of Yahweh on earth, leaving all the “many works” required for a soul to be saved up to someone else.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!
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This is the Old Testament reading selection for Trinity Sunday, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This will precede the singing of Psalm 29, which says, “The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.” That will be read before the Epistle selection from Romans, where Paul wrote: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” All will come before the reading from John’s Gospel, where Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”
I wrote about this reading selection in 2018. You can read it by searching this site for: Isaiah 6:1-8 – An ordinary leap of faith. I addressed this reading from a different perspective than I will take now. I stand by my insights three years ago; so, please feel free to read both and offer comments.
King Uzziah was said to have been the second greatest King of Judah since Solomon. He was an upright leader for about forty years, but then his ego took hold of him and he tried to burn incense in the Temple, which the Levite priests tried to stop. During the confrontation, a major earthquake occurred that broke open the roof over the Holy of Holies and sunlight shone on Uzziah, immediately causing him to have leprosy. He had to live in a separate house for the remaining eleven years of his life (still a king), with his son Jotham the co-ruler of Judah. Following the death of Uzziah, Jotham’s rule lasted five years. this history of Judah is all downhill after that.
[WARNING: This reading selection involves a divine vision shown to Isaiah. It appears to be a sweet story about him seeing God in all His magnificence and glory, with some kind and gentle seraphim all standing around, forever saying, “Holy Holy Holy.” That does not make sense of the reading. If all were bliss and glorious, then why would Yahweh ask Isaiah, “Who shall I send? Who will go?” I have been led to painstakingly comb through the Hebrew text and see this vision as the horror of religion being overcome by Satan. These verses paint a clear picture of the demonic spirits that have taken over the thrones of Judaism and Christianity, such that there are few left who can answer Yahweh’s question and say, “Here I am! Send me.” Christians today think Isaiah did all the work; so, they can just sit in church pews [if even that is some watery profession of faith] and then go to heaven when they die. I recommend running away now. Do not read further. This was me beginning by praying, “What does this mean?” and being led down a dark path that reflects true wickedness in this world. Just go read some crap somewhere else on the Internet and be thrilled somebody is still keeping faith in Yahweh alive.]
See the Star of David as a seraph that can hide the face of self in service to Yahweh – the leviathan of the sea of Yahweh’s hands. See the Star of David as a seraph that can hide the sins through which the feet have walked – the false prophets. See the Star of David as the presence of darkness that tries to hide the light of Christ – all religions that preach hatred.
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So often when reading Scripture do we disregard something like Isaiah being divinely led to write, “In the year that King Uzziah died.” That is easily assumed to be an ancient historical dating statement, which becomes of no consequence today. We think, “Uzziah died a long, long time ago. That has nothing to do with me.” That attitude says Yahweh leads His prophets to write superfluous crap; and, that is not the case.
I say that as I was about to toss that intro out with yesterday’s garbage, and begin after that tidbit. Then, I was led to ponder the meaning of that history. That led to read the history of Uzziah, which I remembered, but had forgotten his name. The name means “Yah[weh] Is My Strength,” which is important to know [all names in divine Scripture are written with the meaning of the name being the primary intent]. By reading the history of King Uzziah, it dawned on me that Uzziah is a reflection on the whole of Judaism; and, therefore, he is a reflection on the whole of Christianity. Let me explain what I mean.
There is an axiom: As above, so below. That applies here, as King Uzziah’s history becomes a reflection of Christianity today. His history certainly was a reflection of the wrong turn Judah took, leading to its eventual demise. Uzziah is then a perfect example of how the Israelites sought to have a king lead them religiously, so they could go about the usual business of slowly evolving so far away from what Yahweh expected of them that ruin was inevitable. David was not the king the first Israelites chose. They chose an abject failure in Saul. It is a human flaw to always raise the shit of the world into power, to in turn force their subjects to eat shit and die. It is an innate sickness of being born mortal. Even David eventually let down his guard and walked away from Yahweh, proving Yahweh is the only King of merit, because all others will fail to lead the people to salvation.
Like Uzziah, Christianity began with only true Christians, as all were filled with Yahweh’s Spirit and made Saints. Then, someone decided to enter the Holy of Holies and light some incense on the Golden Altar, when that person was not a Saint. Uzziah was an upright king, until his ego took over his body of flesh, making him think he was an equal to Yahweh. Look at this like the system of popes the Roman Catholic Empire created, which led to the extermination [Inquisitions] of anyone who would challenge their rule. After true reproductions of Jesus, all Christs, began a movement that became known as Christianity, someone decided his shit don’t stink and entered the Holy of Holies to burn some incense on the Golden Altar [West]. That form of religion then became stricken with leprosy and forced to live in a house that was separate from Jerusalem: Rome.
The same model then applies to every denomination of Christianity, as all are led by men who were not Saints, because a Saint has no ego and no need to build an organization, with rules and by-laws, and pecking orders, where some are seen as closer to God, usually based on how much wealth they bring into the organization. Christianity has been stricken with leprosy. This whole reading has to begin with the concept that the religions of Christianity have died. They have no usefulness left within their carcasses. To review last week’s First Lesson from Ezekiel: Christianity has become dry bones.
This leads to another sign of Christianity being dead: It is afraid to call Yahweh by that name, thinking [using a brain is always a bad sign] “Yahweh” is the God of Israel, and Roman Catholics most certainly hate Jews, so reduce “Yahweh” to “the Lord.” The problem then comes from not having a way to differentiate “adonay” from “Yah-weh.” This inability raises its ugly head in verse 1. After recognizing that religion was dead, Isaiah is said [NRSV] to write: “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne.” That implies to the ignorant masses of the universal catholic churches that Isaiah saw God. That is not what is written.
The Hebrew of verse 1 states: “wā·’er·’eh ’eṯ-’ă·ḏō·nāy yō·šêḇ ‘al- kis·sê,rām wə·niś·śā,wə·šū·lāw mə·lê·’îm ’eṯ-ha·hê·ḵāl.” That literally translates to say, “and I saw the king sitting on a throne , exalted and lifted up , and his skirt filled the palace .”
When one realizes that “adonay” is not Yahweh [who is specifically named in verse 3], the use of “adonay” reflects back to the death of Uzziah, who was a “king.” Again, from realizing the mention of Uzziah’s death as metaphor for all religions that pretend to serve Yahweh, when they do little more than serve the leaders of those religions, “adonay” is referring to a “lord” [lower case] or a “king” that has subsequently been elevated to fil the vacancy left at the top of an organization.
When I say this, I base it on the regularity that Old Testament books use “adonay Yahweh” together in verses. It is ridiculous to translate that as “Lord Lord.” It says the “lord” of my soul is “Yahweh.” In Christian terms [none Hebrew written], “adonay” is equal to one’s soul having been merged with the soul of Jesus, so Jesus is “the lord” of one’s flesh.
On the level of Christian discipleship, Jesus was the king [who denied the world was his realm of authority] that died. This has led, since the Roman Empire’s collapse into the business of religion, to a hierarchy that built a palace [“ha·hê·ḵāl” can mean both “temple” and “palace,” so what better place does that define than Vatican City?]. None of the Saints that built a religious movement pandered for things opulent, such as thrones and long, trailing gowns or robes. Yahweh never wanted a building of stone to be caged within; and, at three o’clock the day Jesus died, Yahweh left that building. So, it is doubtful that Isaiah was led to a divine vision of Yahweh looking so ‘stately,’ meaning “adonay” does not refer to Him.
Seeing this, verse two begins with the one-word statement: “śə·rā·p̄îm,” which translates as “seraphim.” That word is followed by a long dash [“—“], isolating it from the following text that then describing this creature. This makes it most important to realize what a “seraphim” is.
According to the Wikipedia article entitled “Seraph” the following is written: “The word saraph/seraphim appears four times in the Book of Isaiah (6:2–6, 14:29, 30:6). In Isaiah 6:2–6 the term is used to describe a type of celestial being or angel. The other uses of the word refer to serpents.” The word “seraph” is defined by Strong’s as “fiery serpent.” The Biblical presence of a serpent is not always associated with leading human beings [or souls] to do the right thing.
After having been led just a couple of days ago to see the “leviathan” as the Spirit of Yahweh that filled the “sea” of souls that had become the “hands” of Yahweh, I saw how that word is equally defined in frightful words: “sea monster, sea serpent, dragon.” In my analysis then, I presented how spiritual possession could be both divine [righteousness of a body of flesh and salvation of a soul] and demonic [sinful wasting of a body and soul]. I feel that the seraphim [multiple seraph] in this vision, seen after Uzziah had died and a “lord” sat stately upon a “throne” (which presumably a king ruling Judah), says the “seraph” Christians revere might not be all that glitters, that a serpent is given credit for.
Following the long dash Is written “ō·mə·ḏîm,” which is followed by a “׀” mark, indicating a statement directly relative to a “seraph.” The “׀” mark I read as a “stop” sign. The Hebrew means “it stood,” with the root verb meaning “to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.” Whereas the verb indicating “to stand” implies rising to a divine state of being, such that Job was described as being “upright,” here the addition as a clarifying element of the “seraphim” is “it remains,” to assist the “throne,” following the “death” of Uzziah. Knowing that a “seraphim” is a heavenly creature [spiritual, not material], it is doubtful that elevation is possible in that realm, although religious scholars enjoy determining a ‘pecking order’ for angels, such as “seraphim.”
The “׀” mark, which seems to me to end the combination “seraphim — omedim,” is followed by words that say, “above it” or “upwards it” [from “mim·ma·‘al- lōw”]. These words are separated from the “׀” mark and the words that follow, by a comma mark, making them be a separate statement relative to the seraphim. While that could lead one to see the standing as being relative to an elevated position, the stop bar [the opposite of a long dash] begins a new line of thought. This leads me to see the seraphim as the new king’s source of spirituality, which makes it be less a divine possession like the leviathan. The leviathan was beneath and unseen, not above.
This then leads to the repetition of “six wings,” which the NRSV translation has reduced to only one. The literal translation says, “six wings six wings had one.” In this, the number “six” is significant as the number of days the world or universe was created. That aligns the number “six” with the physical realm, not the spiritual realm, where seven is holy. Additionally, man was created on the sixth day, which makes man represent the number six, rather than the soul of man. Finally, in Revelation 13:18, John wrote the number of the beast was “six hundred, sixty, and six” [“hexakosioi hexēkonta hex”]. That is “six” on three levels of awareness: one, ten, and one hundred. Thus, “six” being repeated is not a positive sign.
As for the Hebrew word “kə·nā·p̄a·yim” [plural number of “kanaph”], the word can mean “wings,” with that being descriptive of a garment, such as it is the “extremities” of a “skirt, corner, or loose flowing end.” [Brown-Driver-Briggs] When the word is used in reference to the earth, “wings” becomes a statement about the ends of the earth. When one recalls Isaiah writing “wə·šū·lāw,” which was translated as the “skirt” of the “king” that “filled the palace,” “wings” can be seen as mirroring that usage.
In the repetition, where there is some flexibility in translation, the words translated as “six wings six wings had one,” the same words can now be read as “six extremities six free-flowing ends in one.” When the directions of the winds are numbered as four: north, south, east, and west; the addition of two more directions would then be above and beneath. However, when the number “six” is seen to keep this in the material realm only, above would be the atmosphere of the earth, with beneath being that within the earth, beneath the surface. This would lean me towards seeing this “seraphim” as akin to Satan, more than Yahweh, where the “six” becomes descriptive of where their power is limited.
The remainder of verse 2 then is divided into three segments that each begin with the words “with two.” In the use of “two,” one cannot see the repetition as disappearing, as three times two equals six. Each use of “two” must be read as a duality being expressed. Man is the duality of flesh and soul – matter and spirit. Still, in regard to Elisha requesting a “double share of Elijah’s spirit,” the Hebrew of “double portion” is “pî-šə·na·yim,” whereas here “with two” is written as “biš·ta·yim,” with both pulling from the same root meaning “two.” The reason I mention this, is the duality can mean a spirit joined with a soul.
Seeing those possibilities, the three segments say: “with two was covered his face,” “with two was covered his feet,” and “with two he flew.” From a duality involving “face” and “feet,” it is easy to see that as being relative to the “face” of Yahweh and those Yahweh sends out into the world (His “feet”). In respect to the “face covered,” it should be remembered that Moses talked with Yahweh in the tent of meeting and afterwards his face shone brightly. The Israelites feared seeing that glow on Moses’ “face,” so they demanded he wear a veil, to “cover his face.” That denotes a halo surrounding the “face” of Yahweh’s wives, which is depicted in art as the Saints of Christianity. Thus, that can be a sign of one joined with Yahweh’s Spirit.
As to the covering of “feet,” this seems to be at odds with symbolism of doing Yahweh’s work. When Jesus sent out the seventy in pairs, he told them to take no purse or sandals, meaning their feet must be uncovered. Still, in the act of washing “feet,” Peter reacted badly to the thought that anyone but him handle them, because “feet” are always dirty from walking. To “cover his feet” is then a sign that one does nothing to become dirty, which can also mean failure to enter ministry as Jesus expected.
In all three where “covered” is found, that word can mean “conceal, hide, and shroud.” When a “face is covered” this can mean a mask is worn over the “face,” to keep the true face underneath “covered,” so the true “face” is not seen. As to the “feet” being “covered,” this can be seen as an anointment or washing, such as Mary Magdalene did to Jesus’ “feet.” When Jesus washed the “feet” of his disciples, he said that was a way of treating each other as equals, where the “feet” were always the dirtiest parts of the body, so it was up to all to keep one another clean. That symbolism goes beyond physical “feet,” to metaphor for keeping one another free from sin. Therefore to “cover his feet” means one of royalty that is protected from getting dirty, while never cleaning anything of anyone else.
The aspect of flying must be seen as something human beings were incapable of, in ancient times. Birds flew with wings, but there is no reason for a human being to be expected to literally fly. Angels have no need to use wings to fly, as they simply appear where needed. As such, the Hebrew word “yə·‘ō·w·p̄êp̄” [from “uwph”] has the figurative definitions: “(by implication of dimness) to faint (from the darkness of swooning): – brandish, be (wax) faint, flee away, fly (away – ).” This means the word “to fly” can mean “to be exhausted, to be dark, or to vanish.”
Because the central theme of verse 2 is the details of the “seraphim,” it must be seen as finding it powers only possible within the earthly realm. All of the duality says it can go either way, as far as spirit possession is concerned. It can be joined with one’s face, so one serves Yahweh, only wearing His face. It can be joined with one’s feet, making it a demonic possession that a serpent is known most for doing. The third ability can go both ways, as the ability to escape the worldly realm by divine possession, or to never see heaven because one always flees the responsibility of commitment to serve Yahweh, instead hiding in darkness.
This view of the “seraphim” then leads to verse three, which immediately begins by stating, “and cried this,” where the Hebrew word “wə·qā·rā” means “to proclaim, to call unto.” The word attached to that [“zeh”] adds, “this, here,” but is relative to “he,” as a statement of “(self) same,” which is a “soul.” As this vision is ethereal, like a dream, the “seraphim” is a Spirit, to which the “soul” of Isaiah “called out to.”
It is then identified that it was the “seraphim” who “said, ‘holy,’” with the first use of “qā·ḏō·wōš” [“holy, sacred”] followed by another “׀” mark, indicating an emphasis on what the soul of Isaiah heard the “seraphim” saying. This then follows with Isaiah writing of the dream: “holy holy,” where the repetition can use different translations, such as “sacred holy,” or “saintly sacred.”
One Hebrew translation site says [of the first two presentations of “qā·ḏō·wōš” [ignoring the stop mark], “holy of holies,” which would revert back to the “palace” as the “temple” of Solomon. If that is allowed [to make one of three uses of “qā·ḏō·wōš” be in the possessive, as “of holy”], then the second and third uses could be “holy of holies,” with the first use [leading to the stop] translate as “sanctuary.” It has been my finding in divine texts, when repetition of one word is found, it is more informative to translate each use with a different [yet viable] translation, rather than simply repeat the same translation multiple times.
Following a comma mark of separation, Isaiah wrote “Yahweh,” which is the name of his One God. After that name, he wrote “ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ,” which is translated as “of hosts.” That second word is rooted in “tsaba,” such that a “host” is defined as “army, war, warfare.” The same word is found in Genesis, referring to all Creation. It is found elsewhere as being relative to the “sun, moon and stars.” According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the word can mean: “appointed time, army, battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon.”
As one word following “Yahweh,” this acts as a defining aspect of “Yahweh,” as He is not only the Creator of everything known to mankind [all within the visible universe], but he is also the Creator of Spirits, including “seraphim.” These spirits [Jewish scholars do not classify them as angels, although they are of spiritual essence] are then an “army” of “seraphim” [a plural number of “seraph”] that are created by Yahweh.
This identification has nothing to do with the “seraphim” saying “sanctuary ׀ holy of holies.” It can only be understood that Yahweh is the Most Holy, such that defining Him as “holy” is unnecessary. Only those created by the hand of Yahweh, as those having received His Spirit, can then be termed “holy.” Yahweh’s “army” of “holy” entities implies a “sea of saints,” as that is where David said the leviathan swam.
Following a comma mark that separates “Yahweh of hosts” from the last segment of words is found “mə·lō,” meaning “full, fullness, that which fills.” This needs to be seen as a verb that is now describing the “host” of “Yahweh,” which are “filled” with His Spirit. The remaining words in this segment then say, “all the earth his glory.” In that, the word “kə·ḇō·ḏōw” [from “kabowd”] means “glorious, abundance, riches, dignity of position, honor, reputation, character of a man, and reverence” [Brown-Driver-Briggs], which is like the use of “holy.” Yahweh is exempt from all goodness that He bestows “on the earth.” When united with the verb stating “full,” as having been “filled,” the Spirit of Yahweh is what brings all these qualities into the world.
Verse 5 then begins by stating, “and were shaken the posts of the door.” In that, the Hebrew words “’am·mō·wṯ has·sip·pîm” can also be translated as saying “the cubits of the basin” or “cubits of the goblet” [from the roots “ammah caph”]. It is secondary translations that make this become a statement that makes this segment speak of “a door-base” and “a threshold.” This can further be read as a statement about the “measure” or the “limits” of “doorposts,” which in the Israelite history has to be seen as the blood of the lambs spread over the doorposts in the first Passover. It was that blood that kept the firstborn males from dying.
Now, Isaiah is telling that there came a “trembling, wavering, or quivering,” not of fear, but of a “disturbance” in the past, which has made “to be gone away” all “measures” of “doorposts” still being so covered in sacrificial blood. Relative to the history of King Uzziah, when he entered the Holy of Holies to burn incense on the Golden Altar, an earthquake opened the ceiling and light shone upon him, giving him leprosy. This statement by Isaiah must be seen as metaphor for that change having come upon Judah.
Following a comma mark that separates that statement about a “measure” of change to escaping death [the promise of eternal life], Isaiah wrote of the “voice” or “the sound” of “him who cried out.” This refers one back to verse 3, which began “and cried this” or “called out soul.” That was the “seraphim” that was “proclaiming” everything relative to “holy” and the “host of Yahweh.” Now, “shaken” by the “change of measure” that deems a soul saved, it is the seraphim making proclamations, which are part of this change.
Following a comma mark of separation, we learn that the proclamations of the seraphim have “filled the house with smoke.” Here, the word “yim·mā·lê” becomes a progression of “mə·lō,” where the “measure of the goblet” [a viable translation of “has·sip·pîm,” rather than “threshold”] has changed from “all that is glory on earth” to “the house was filled with smoke.” Whereas this too can make one recall the sinful actions of King Uzziah attempting to burn incense [smoke] in the Golden Altar, the use of “smoke” must be seen as a destructive burning of the House of Israel, including Judah.
This then leads to verse 5, where Isaiah first speaks. The first words say, “so I said woe me for I am destroyed.” In that, the Hebrew word “niḏ·mê·ṯî” [from “damah”] means, “to cease, cause to cease, cut off, destroy.” To translate this as “undone” is mild, to say the least. The implication is “to perish,” which says the “limits” set by the blood of the lamb on the “doorposts,” which spared one from death, has now been removed and Isaiah feared the loss of his soul.
Following a comma mark of separation, Isaiah then wrote the segment of words that stated: “that man of unclean speech I.” In that, the words “ṭə·mê- śə·p̄ā·ṯā·yim” [from “tame saphah”] have been translated as “unclean lips,” but the implication is more about what rolls off the “lips,” as “speech” or “language.” The aspect of “’îš” [“ish”] then becomes a statement of a “man,” not the Word of Yahweh. This then implies that the changes of “measurement” are relative to that “spoken” by the one who replaced King Uzziah, whose regality has (along with self-love) been surrounded by “fiery serpent spirits.” It is that presence that has brought about the destruction of Yahweh “man,” those who had been “glorified” by His Spirit.
The last word in this segment is “’ā·nō·ḵî,” which is a statement of “I” [not a stop bar sign]. When one is truly a leader of Yahweh’s people, one has submitted to His Will, such that the “I” of self has been lost. For this to be the last word in this segment of words about “that man of unclean speech,” the element that makes it “unclean” or “defiled” is “that man” expresses personal opinions, relative to the “I” of self-ego. That means one having turned away from Yahweh, not wearing His “face,” but worshiping “self” as a god. In that way, everything said is “unclean,” with nothing “holy.”
This realization is then furthered by the segment that follows the comma after “I,” which says, “and in the midst of people of unclean lips.” This becomes a statement that says, “As goes the head, so goes the rest.” As a king on a throne, whose skirt reaches in all directions, those under his influence are following the guidance of unholy words. As an extra element, following a comma mark of separation, one finds a one-word statement that repeats “’ā·nō·ḵî,” or “I,” which says that the “people” have all followed the lead of this king, such that none of them serve Yahweh through marriage and submission of their souls. It has become a land where everyone is for himself or herself.
Following the one-word statement of “I” is a semi-colon, denoting a new statement of relative context. It is relative to these “people,” as they are said to “dwell for the king.” Here, the Hebrew word “ham·me·leḵ” [from “melek”] refers one back to verse 1, where “adonay” was the “lord sitting on a throne.” As “king” is now stated, this leader must be seen as the replacement for King Uzziah [on a literal, historical sense], while also representing the one who has become the “leader of the people of unclean lips.” When the “measure” of righteousness, which saves a soul from reincarnation, is the sacrifice of the “I” unto Yahweh, the “king” is now who “the people dwell for.” They “inhabit” the “I” of self, such that none of their souls have been sacrificed unto Yahweh. This is a statement of a great lack of souls who will serve Him as His messengers [Apostles].
Following a comma mark that separates the segment of words ending with “king” comes a segment that begins with the naming (a second time) of “Yahweh.” The two words being presented sequentially, as “king , Yahweh” gives the impression that “Yahweh” has been named as “king,” but the comma prevents that association. The “king” is now claiming to be one of “Yahweh’s hosts,” whose claims of “I” now include, “my eyes have seen Yahweh.” Rather than hear Isaiah saying this, one must hear them stating the sacrilege of a “king,” who is a “man” now claiming to be god on earth, as a human deity – as was the presentation of a Roman emperor’s reason for rule.
This then leads to verse 6 beginning with the words that translate to say, “and flew towards me,” where “’ê·lay” is a form of “el,” meaning a “motion” that is “to, into, towards me.” This implicates Isaiah as a soul then recognized as one of “the people,” such that the seraphim was a spirit that sensed a presence that was not of the “I” teaching. As such, the word “el” acts as a statement of rules or standards being enforced, where “flew” [from “way·yā·‘āp̄”] becomes a presence of “darkness” that surrounded the soul of Isaiah.
Following a comma mark of separation, the next segment of words say, “one from the seraphim,” which says the seraphim were relative to this darkness, all of which has surrounded the “king,” the “people,” and influenced the changes of “measure” of the “goblet” or “threshold.”
At that point comes another comma mark, leading to the next segment of words that say, “and in his hand having a live coal.” Here, the Hebrew word “ū·ḇə·yā·ḏōw” [from “yad”] brings out the human characteristic of “a hand,” when the seraphim had been detailed as having “wings” or “extremities,” which “hid” the “face” and “feet,” with nothing mentioned about “hands.” It is now “in his hand” that the seraphim is “holding a live coal.”
In that, the Hebrew word “riṣ·pāh” [from “ritspah”] means “glowing hot stone,” which is not the same as a piece of burnt wood, reduced to a “hot coal.” When the implication is a “stone,” with the “measure” or “limit” of the “goblet” or “doorpost” being relative to that which would lead Moses to bring down the “stone” tablets with the Covenant, this says the original Covenant had been placed into the Golden Altar to destroy it.
Next, following another comma mark of separation, Isaiah wrote, “with the tongs he had taken from the altar.” This implies that the seraph, which is a spirit and not flesh, so it should not be burnt by physical fires, was not allowed to touch the “stone” that was “red hot.” It says the priests of the Temple had “tongs” that were used for the purpose of removing the charred remains of sacrificial animals, for the purpose of those remains being eaten. Thus, the use of “altar tongs” for the removal of a “glowing hot stone” means the “stone” was sacrificed upon the altar. If the “stone” is the “tablet” of Mosaic Law, that marriage agreement between the Israelites and Yahweh was being sacrificed, with its charred remains intended to be served to the pilgrims who came to worship “I” and consume the burnt offering that had been the Covenant to marriage with Yahweh.
Verse 7 then begins by Isaiah writing, “and he reached over my mouth,” where the Hebrew words “way·yag·ga ‘al-pi” can also be translated to say, “and he touched upon my mouth.” This does not mean there was actual touching, but the implication of that nearness leads to the next separate segment.
That is the single Hebrew word “way·yō·mer” [from “amar”], meaning “said.” This form is in the third person singular vav-consecutive imperfect (hence past tense), which then implies the seraphim spoke; but because this word follows the word “mouth” [“peh”], it can be read as words coming from the “mouth” of Isaiah, as “it said.”
This is then followed by another single-word statement, which is “behold!” [from “hin·nêh”]. This should then be seen as the importance of the words spoken, as they need to be grasped as important.
Following the comma mark at the end of “behold!,” Isaiah wrote, “reached here upon your speech,” where again the Hebrew word “nā·ḡa‘” reflects back on the use as “way·yag·ga,” where “reached, touched, or stricken” can be the implication. Once more, the translation of “lips” can equally mean “speech” or “language.” As words flow from the “mouth,” what rolls off the “lips” becomes “speech.”
Following a comma mark at that point, a new two-word statement is shown as “wə·sār ‘ă·wō·ne·ḵā,” which is translated as “is taken away your inequity.” While this translation gives the impression of the burning of lips becomes an act of purification, that cannot be the case when the “mouth” has “uttered” words worthy of “beholding.” The literal translation of “wə·sār” [from “sur”] is “to turn aside” or “to take away,” as meaning “removed, departed, or put aside.” When that is implied to be the “removal of inequity” from words “spoken,” then the presence of the “stone” had evoked “holy” words to come forth, which were not “sinful.”
This then leads to the last two words of verse 7, which state: “and your sin has been covered over.” Here, the use of “tə·ḵup·pār” [from “kaphar”] refers one back to the two uses of “yə·ḵas·she” [each from “kasah”], where the “extremities” of the “seraphim covered the face” and “covered the feet.” This says the “feet” are the source of “sin” or “iniquity,” so the covering of “sin” is based on words “spoken” that still express the Covenant as having not been destroyed. No matter how hot the altar had been stoked, the Covenant being consumed [as words spoken from it] purified Isaiah’s soul. This has nothing to do with the seraphim [a spirit of both divine and demonic spiritual influence, thus neutral] purifying the lips of Isaiah, as the presence of the “glowing hot stone” or “coal” would elicit the truth of a soul. This becomes symbolic of a test, as to whether one cried out “I” or bowed in submission to Yahweh.
Seeing this playing out over seven verses, verse 8 begins with Isaiah saying, “and I heard the voice of adonay.” This is the second of three uses of “adonay” in this chapter. It matches the three uses of “Yahweh” also found written in his sixth chapter. In the first use, in verse 1, following the announced death of Uzziah, the “lord” was seen sitting on a throne. Because “was seen” [from “wā·’er·’eh”] implies a vision of a “lord” that was external to Isaiah’s soul, that use can be generic for one pretending to rule as god’s extension on earth [see the history of popes]. Now, “I heard” implies an inner voice that is with the soul of Isaiah, rather than a voice projected to him [which would be “I saw” – “he said,” rather than “I heard”]. As such, this second use of “adonay” suggests the covering of Isaiah’s feet, left his face so it projected Yahweh as his “lord.” Thus, what Isaiah “heard” was the “voice” of Yahweh, who his soul had married, making Yahweh be his “lord.” In Christian terms, this “lord” would be the soul of Jesus resurrected within.
Following a comma mark of separation is a one-word statement: “’ō·mêr.” That word is the present participle of “amar,” which was seen in the previous verse, as “way·yō·mer,” as “and it said,” referencing the “mouth” of Isaiah. Now, the “voice of the lord” is “saying,” which means there is significance in what is being said within Isaiah.
What Yahweh was “saying” was two questions, separated by comma marks, although there are no question marks written. The first askes, “whom shall I send”. This is followed by “and who will go to.” In that, the Hebrew word “’eš·laḥ” [from “shalach”] has connotations that says “who shall I grow long” or “shoot (forth),” where the question is relative to a vine or new growth. In that, the implication is the “dead stump of Jesse,” which was the death of Israel and Judah. From that dead tree, there would come few who would speak the Word of the “hot stone” when it was placed near their “mouths.” Thus, the questions are relative to being “sent” by Yahweh into ministry, to keep alive the truth of His Spirit.
To these questions, the soul of Isaiah answered, “behold! Send me.” This becomes the mantra of all priests of Yahweh, who do not enter ministry unprepared, as “men” and “women” “filled with the power of I.” They do not go out to present an agenda demanded by a “man on a throne” above them, not Yahweh. They go out as pure servants of Yahweh, speaking only His Word.
As the first lesson after graduation day – Pentecost Sunday – this reading, known popularly as “the commission of Isaiah,” should be the mantra of all who identify as priests, ministers, pastors, preachers, or rabbis. God has not died and left someone of “man” in charge, speaking what “I” wants for oneself. Ministry for Yahweh must be seen as amid the weeds and vines that grow wild grapes, producing only the good fruit that is filled with the truth of a Covenant. Isaiah’s soul was shown the necessity of keeping alive the true Spirit of Yahweh, because the death of Uzziah ushered in the beginning of the end for Judaism. That same end is now reflected in Christianity, a corrupt version that preaches all the lies and inconsistencies of an “I” agenda.
As a Sunday designated as Trinity Sunday, the aspect of the Trinity has to be known. It is not some flowery word that has no truth to its meaning. The Trinity is the union of the Father with the Son [Yahweh and soul], which the point of union is where the Spirit that makes a soul Holy connects those two. The Holy Spirit is then the presence within of Jesus resurrected. The Ordinary time after Pentecost is when only those in possession of Yahweh – His divine possession in Spirit – enter ministry. Please not that the truth of the Trinity symbol is a cross, where the intersection of vertical [Yahweh] and horizontal [soul-flesh] occurs at one point, which is unseen because if blends the two together. In the picture I have attached to this commentary, one will see the Star of David has two triangles intersecting. The triangle cannot be seen as a symbol for the Trinity, because all sides are separate and equal; and, the son is nothing more than man, without marriage to Yahweh and His Spirit.
So then, brothers and sisters [adelphoi brothers only], we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh– for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ– if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
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This is the Epistle selection for Trinity Sunday, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow the Old Testament selection from Isaiah, which says: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!’” That will lead to the singing of Psalm 29, where David wrote: “The Lord shall give strength to his people; the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.” This reading will accompany the Gospel reading from John, where Jesus said, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
Last Sunday – Pentecost – the optional “New Testament” was from Romans 8, verses 22 to 27. The translation into English was so bad, it was nearly impossible to listen to it be read aloud and come away with any idea about its meaning. I did an in-depth analysis of the Greek text and a remarkable reading appeared, full of life and truth. I said it was an example of what “speaking in tongues” was all about. This reading selection is so much clearer to grasp, it is funny to see that reading and this reading coming from the same chapter of the same epistle. Still, as Paul did not change course as to the purpose of his letter [stating the same thing twice, differently], the Christians churches today refuse to understand what Paul wrote here, which is vividly clearly stated.
The problem with modern translations is evident in verse twelve, where the words read aloud say, “brothers and sisters.” This was not written. The word written is “adelphoi,” which means “brothers.” On top of that, it is one word separated by comma marks, so it is an important one-word statement. The word is a masculine noun in Greek. While it is possible to expand the translation to say “member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian” (Strong’s Usage), it still is masculine.
As a stand-alone statement, one needs to realize Yahweh wrote that word using the hand of Paul. To change a Word of Yahweh is heresy. Jesus said, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished!” The same philosophy should apply to all Scripture.
The curse modern churches have to deal with these day [if not always] is women make up the majority of those who sit in the pews. They are the gender most delighted by the pageantry of church services [especially the music]. For as little as males contribute to churches [other than money], the women have married their churches, putting more effort in to being a ‘church lady’ than being a wife to their husband. A ‘church lady’ definitely is not married to Yahweh. That means few these days are marrying their souls to Yahweh and few these days are being reborn as Jesus – the Son of Yahweh.
The only reason for Paul to only address “brothers” was Yahweh and the Spiritual realm of heaven is positive-masculine-light, while all made of matter is negative-feminine-darkness. This means Paul was addressing all who had been reborn as Jesus, their souls Anointed ones of Yahweh. So, even the females in Rome who would read Paul’s epistle were Sons of Yahweh, brothers in Jesus. [Not of Jesus, in Jesus.]
When churches pander to paying customers and not work to deliver the message of Yahweh [an Apostle is a Messenger], sent through His prophets [all Scripture], they then reduce themselves to being hired hands [or worse] and they keep lost souls lost. Under such ineptitude in pastoring a flock, no one is led to get up out of a pew and enter ministry, filled with Yahweh’s Spirit, made Saints, appointed as new Christs in the name of Jesus. Whenever that is not happening, then churches are an impediment to salvation, not an assistant to that.
That aspect of being lost and then being found is stated by Paul, when he wrote “debtors we are.” Paul and other true Christians were indebted to Yahweh for having been accepted in marriage, as their souls had been promised eternal life. That promise is their debt, as it does not come with a “Just sit in a pew and I’ll do all the work” card. The debt a soul owes Yahweh for the promise of Salvation is devoted service. Service means entering ministry – the point of the longest season of the Ecclesiastical Calendar – Ordinary time after Pentecost.
As a debt, ministry is an expectation, not an option. The option is either the salvation of a soul or the freedom to serve oneself and come back again in a next life. Reincarnation is a ‘been there, done that’ all souls know. Over eons, it gets old. All souls know past failures; and, all souls know it is a gamble to roll the dice and see what will come next, because all souls know the next incarnation might not have all the luxuries one has enjoyed in this failed life.
When Paul wrote, “not to the flesh,” that says humanity is not indebted to Yahweh for having breathed in the breath of life [a soul]. Being born in the physical realm is actually one’s sentence from the failures of a life before. Because souls are eternal [like Yahweh, having come from Him], they must have flesh in which to exist, if their eternal souls have become dirtied by a past life in the flesh.
While Yahweh is the Father and Jesus is the Son and all that is heavenly is masculine, the soul is neuter gender, having to adjust to life in new bodies of flesh, which can be male or female, but always negative-feminine-darkness. Thus, a soul takes on the femininity of the flesh [matter], regardless of the human necessity for opposite sexes. Souls have no need to mate, but flesh does; because so many souls keep failing to return to Yahweh. There is no debt for being placed in a physical prison for a lifetime. However, that lifetime is when one should be working towards ‘earning freedom.’
That is the meaning of Paul writing, “to live according to the flesh.” The literal translation of the Greek says, “of this according to flesh to live.” The word “tou” [not translated] says “of this,” which reflects back on the debt of the flesh. The part that then adds “according to the flesh to live” is a statement that the debt has nothing to do with being in a body of flesh and calling that being “alive.” The soul is always “alive,” as matter [flesh] is always dead, such that a soul animating flesh gives the impression of dead matter having “life.” That description of “life” comes with no debt owed, as that is debt being paid for past soul failures.
Verse 13 then furthers this by saying, “for if you live according to the flesh, you will die.” Here, the literal translation rephrases this, as “if indeed according to flesh you live , you are about to die.” The nuisance of this says calling the flesh “living” means the neuter soul has become controlled by the feminine matter that a soul has animated. This can be attributed to the fleshy brain, which is a most complicated computer that receives influences from all spiritual sources. When Satan gains control over a soul, it has used the lures of sin [the worldly pleasures] as a way to convince the soul that the flesh equates to “life.” It does not, as matter [flesh] is dead without a soul, thus it is called “mortal life,” meaning the flesh concept of “life” “will die.”
The second half of verse 13 [following a semi-colon] says, “but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body , you will live.” In that, “Spirit” [as a capitalized word] is not written. The actual Greek states “pneumati,” which refers to the “soul,” which is the “ruach” from Yahweh [with “ruach” meaning “breath, wind, spirit]. Thus, in essence, Paul said this: “If you put to death the influences of the flesh over the soul , then you will live.” This means the self-ego [a fleshy brain sense of self-importance] must die, in order for the soul to be marriage material [with soul] for Yahweh. Such a self-sacrifice must be made first, to be considered for such a divine union [holy matrimony].
It is then in verse 14 that Paul capitalized “Pneumati Theou,” which means marriage to Yahweh and the union of “His Spirit” with one’s “soul” [lower-case “pneumati”]. Knowing that can only happen if one has “put to death the deeds of the flesh,” Paul then wrote [according to the NRSV]: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Herein lies another ugly snake of translation, where the self- patronizing churches of modern Christianity take the Greek word “huioi” – which clearly states “sons” – and transform it into the uselessness of “children.”
This is not so much ignorance, as it is a complete lack of understanding the masculinity of divine Spirit, which means there is no one alive in Spirit in the places that now translate the Holy Bible. The churches have no Spirit in their hired hands, so [in fear of running off some old ladies with lots of inheritance monies to will to a church organization] they pander to worldly sex organs, not souls.
According to Strong’s, the word “huios” [singular number] translates as “son, descendant.” That means a translation as “descendants” would be somewhat more acceptable, with the caveat being “male descendants.” According to HELPS Word-studies, this is written about “huios“: “hyiós – properly, a son (by birth or adoption); (figuratively) anyone sharing the same nature as their Father.” When one’s soul [“spirit”] has joined with the “Spirit of God” [“Pneumati Theou – Yahweh’s Spirit], then one becomes a “descendant” that “shares the nature of the Father:” i.e.: a son. This is most important to grasp.
The literal translation of the Greek text of verse 14 says, “as many as Spirit of God are brought , these sons are”. There, “agontai” can translate as “are led, are guided, or are carried.” This is reference to marriage, where a bride is “led” down the aisle and given away by her biological father, given wholly to her new husband as the rightful owner. [I feel sorry for any feminists who are disturbed by that thought.] Once “carried away” by Yahweh, the new Husband of a soul [“spirit”], “these sons are.” In that statement, “eisin” is a statement of “being, “ as “are,” but the intent of that word is to say those souls have changed possession.
It is here that a mathematical symbol is inserted in the Greek text, which is a symbol that cannot be translated by translators; so, they ignore it. The symbol is called a left right arrow, which looks like this: ⇔. The symbol appears between two elements that are true, as “if true [to the left] then true [to the right]. It equally applies to statements that are false; but the point is to state the truth being equal. The two words this symbols appears between are: “eisin” and “Theou.” Thus, the change occurring to a soul [“spirit”] says the truth of “being” [“are”] is the truth “of God.” There, the genitive case says the changed “being” has become that “of God,” therefore that soul has been divinely possessed.
As for the explanation that “a son” is either by “birth or adoption,” Paul then wrote in verse 15 [NRSV]: “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption.” In that, twice the lower-case “spirit” is used, which means “soul.” In understanding this double statement of “spirit,” it helps to realize the purpose of marriage.
The purpose of marriage is not to legally have sex, to legally play together, to impressively show each other off to friends and family [like the modern concept of marriage has degenerated into]. Marriage is all about having babies. The marriage of kings would bring about witnesses to the consummation of that union, because the purpose was to have a womb generate a male heir. The etymology of the word “husband” means to be the head of a family [household], which means more than two.
The literal translation of verse 15 must address how it beginning with a capitalized “Ou,” which becomes an important statement of what is “Not.” It then says, “Not indeed you have taken hold of spirit of slavery again towards fear.” That segment of words says a human being has already received a “soul” [“spirit”] that is the slave to a body of flesh. That has already taken place, so marriage will not bring that condition about again. Yahweh, that soul’s [“spirit’s”] new Husband, is not going to impregnate that soul with another lost soul [“spirit”]. That would put two lost souls in one body of mortal flesh, so twice the fear of death would arise. That is Not the purpose of divine union [holy matrimony of Spirit and spirit].
The second half of verse 15 then literally says, “on the other hand you have received spirit of adoption as sons.” Here, the NRSV has conveniently omitted the “of sons” [from “huiothesias”] part. That matches its ineptitudes earlier [“brothers and sisters” and “children”]. Here, the “receipt of spirit” has to remind all Christians how the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples and “breathed upon them, saying ‘Receive Spirit Holy.’” Jesus appeared as a “spirit” [his “soul” appeared and spoke], so the “spirit” his disciples “received” was his. Even the women of Jesus “received his spirit” so they too were “adopted as sons” of Yahweh, as Jesus reborn within them.
This element of being Jesus reborn was the theme of the seven week [eight Sundays] Easter season. One was supposed to already be married to Yahweh [spirit to Spirit], so the little baby Jesus soul could arise in one’s flesh. The Easter season was all about being comfortable being Jesus reborn in one’s flesh, beside [but leading] one’s soul, as “brothers” in Spirit. Ministry cannot begin until that transformation has occurred and the truth says “I am ⇔ of God.”
Verse 15 then ends by saying, “When we cry, “Abba! Father!” That means only those “adopted as sons” can call Yahweh “Abba!” It says only those who have received the soul [“spirit”] of Jesus can likewise call Yahweh “Father!” One who has not been “adopted as sons” by Yahweh, because one’s soul still hides snugly within its flesh, fearing sacrifice of self and a commitment to servitude to Yahweh as His wife, reborn as His Son Jesus, those have absolutely no right to call Yahweh their Father. Their only father such souls can claim is the man who made a deposit within his wife’s womb, which Yahweh formed into your flesh, before breathing your soul into that prison you refuse to give up. Calling oneself “Christian” does not make Yahweh one’s Father. Only idiots think God is the Father to Red Chinese and Communist Russians [i.e.: all atheists]. One has to marry Yahweh [a commitment of soul], so one can be reborn in the name of Jesus Christ, in order to be adopted as a son of Yahweh – one’s Father.
Verse 16 then states [NRSV]: “it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Here, the Greek word “tekna” is written by Paul, which does translate as “children.” Still, this misses the truth contained in the words written by Paul. To begin, he wrote “auto,” which translates as “self.” The meaning must be realized as referencing a “soul” [a “self”] and not the body of flesh it animates. The body of flesh is either the son or daughter of a human father. It is the “soul” that must be “adopted as the son.”
Next, the literal translation says, “soul this Spirit bears witness with the spirit of us because we are children of God.” That says the marriage between a “soul” and Yahweh is “soul this Spirit.” By becoming one with Yahweh – as His wife – one “bears witness.” This must be seen as giving birth from that divine union, where the truth of “symmartyrei” is it says, “bears witness together with” [Strong’s], where the union of a Husband and a wife “bears” a child that becomes “witness” to that union.
This is then the meaning of the Apostles saying they “bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus,” because Jesus was reborn within each of them, from the union of their souls to Yahweh. That says Jesus reborn is “the spirit of us,” where “spirit” means the “soul” of Jesus having resurrected alongside [but reigning over] one’s soul. As such, all who are created by this Spiritual nature are “children of God,” as “adopted sons.”
This then leads to the last verse in this reading selection, which is translated to state [NRSV]: “and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ– if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” The Greek text here includes two uses of “kai,” which designates importance to two words written. The NRSV translation does not know to recognize “kai” in that way, so it is best to literally translate that now.
This begins with a conditional statement: “if now children.” This is an implication as one of the “children of God,” which ended verse 16. The “if” condition says “Not” everyone will have been “adopted as sons” by marriage to Yahweh. The conditional says the decision to marry Yahweh is left up to each individual soul, with the freedom to be the “children” of earthly fathers then given.
Following a comma mark of separation, Paul wrote the word “kai,” which then places significant importance on the word “heirs.” The implication of the “if” is then “heirs,” but the importance of “heirs” is elevated, above that of worldly “heirs.” As an “inheritor,” it is worthwhile to realize the ancient tradition of firstborn males being sole inheritors of a father’s estate, which included inheriting the responsibility of the family of that father’s household [as a husband]. This should be seen as a divine birthright, but one that is completely dependent on the “if” one decides to be reality. The inheritance of the Father [who will never die] is His Son. This is then stated in the following segment of words, which say: “inheritors truly of God.”
This then leads to a next segment that begins with the word “synklēronomoi,” which means “joint-participants,” as “co-inheritors” or “joint heirs.” While this can only be possible from a soul joining with the Spirit of Yahweh, the “joint-participants” become the reality of divine possession, where there are two “souls” [“spirits”] possessing the same body of flesh. Both are inheritors of the divine guidance of Yahweh. One is the host soul and one is the soul of Jesus. Since Jesus is the Son of man, so too does the host “soul” inherit that title. Thus, both are “joint-participants now of Christ.”
This selection is given the title by BibleHub as “Heirs with Christ.” This reflects the refusal of Christians to accept any responsibility that comes from being oneself a “Christ” of Yahweh. It sets an expectation that Jesus will adopt those who profess to believe he is the Son of God, so all a Christian has to do is wait for Jesus to die again and let the lawyers come bearing free stuff. It sounds like the last name of Jesus was “Christ.” It sounds like the nickname Christians give to Jesus is “Christ.” All this belittles Yahweh, as if He has not choice in the matter of designating who, what, how many and why a soul other than Jesus of Nazareth [born in Bethlehem] can ever be “the Christ.”
Yes, there is only one Jesus and Jesus is “the Christ,” as the one prophesied [the Messiah], but those word “Christ” [“Christos“] mean “Anointed one.” Yahweh has the power to Anoint whomever He pleases; thank you very much for recognizing that power. Therefore, EVERY APOSTLE-SAINT THAT EVER LIVED – has been, is, and will forever be “the Anointed ones” of Yahweh, ALL REBORN AS JESUS … ALL THE CHRIST.
At that point, Paul wrote: “if indeed [another conditional] we sympathize together.” That means one’s soul “suffers” along with the soul of Jesus. Being the Son of man is hard work, albeit wonderful work. This is how all of the disciples, who had received the soul of Jesus in them, could see the wounds of Jesus in their own flesh. They could witness Jesus resurrected because it was a resurrection within their own bodies of flesh, where they sympathetically could experience the crucifixion personally. It is that personal experience that transforms belief into true faith. It is how someone centuries later could witness the resurrection of Jesus, as a Saint adopted as the son of Yahweh … long after Jesus was born, lived, died, resurrected and ascended.
The final segment of words includes the second use of “kai,” stating: “in order that kai we may be glorified together.” The importance shines light on the conditional [as “may be”], such that the order of transformation demands sacrifice first. Just as Jesus had to die, “in order that” his soul could be inherited by a wife of the Father, so too must the host soul “die of self” to make all the “suffering together” bond two souls. Thus, it is only as two “spirits” in one body of flesh that two “may be glorified together” by Yahweh, the Father.
As the Epistle selection for Trinity Sunday, this has to be seen as the perfect match for Jesus talking to Nicodemus about being reborn from above. It makes bonehead Nicodemus out to be the one who ordered the NRSV to strike out all references to “sons” and “brothers,” because his view of religion is so failed it is wicked. This selection clearly says what needs to happen, if one is going to run around calling God the Father, when one has never considered sacrificing self-ego in order to serve Yahweh. Christians tremble at the thought of calling God Yahweh. Get over yourselves!
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
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This is the Gospel selection to be read aloud by a priest on Trinity Sunday, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This reading will follow the Old Testament selection from Isaiah, where we read: “And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.” That is followed by a reading of Psalm 29, which sings: “And in the temple of the Lord all are crying, “Glory!”’ Lastly, a reading from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans will be read aloud, saying “we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh– for if you live according to the flesh, you will die.”
The first verse of this reading says [NRSV]: “There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.” In the accompanying reading from Romans, it begins by stating, “So, brothers,” but the Episcopal Church has not accepted that truthful translation. Instead, they become little-g gods on earth and rewrite Scripture, in order to satisfy their need to appease people of the feminine gender. They put the words in Paul’s pen that writes, “So, brothers and sisters.” This raises the thought in my mind, here with this reading, “Why stop there? Why not rewrite this Gospel selection too?” There should be questions in everyone’s mind that asks, “Why should we put up with the ‘male only’ stereotypes of ancient Judea? Why can’t we have John write: “There were two Pharisees named Nicodemus and Nicodema, one a leader of the Jews and the other a female Temple priest”?
Certainly, there is mockery in my questions; but the point I make by raising them is this: Modern Christianity is made up of a sea of Nicodemus’, with so many being elevated into leadership positions now, being females, that I feel the females that make up those leadership positions should not be kept from the guilt of a Nicodemus. The character Nicodemus reflects a priest with a complete lack of spiritual knowledge. Since both men and women now routinely come from the same ‘puppy mills’ that are seminaries that feed ‘wet-behind-the-ears young priests’ to the Episcopal Church, it is those who are blind now routinely leading the blind of belief to ruin. Because Paul’s use of “brothers” has been ignored by the Episcopal Church, as to why he would use that specific word as an divine instrument of Yahweh [an Apostle-Saint], the same lack of divine understanding in male priests has been passed on [like an unholy spirit of ignorance] to the women and children of the Church, so all [women and men] are now reflections of Nicodemus.
I always encourage all readers of Scripture to see himself or herself as the weakest link in a Biblical story, rather than the strength. In this reading, Jesus is the strength and all Christians prefer to side with Jesus and cast condemnation on Nicodemus, who is clearly the weak link. By using the philosophy of successful addiction programs, where the first step is to identify “I have a problem,” one needs to identify with Nicodemus, if one wants to realize his weakness are reflections of the self in need. Unfortunately, most people have been in denial for so long, most people could not see himself or herself as having any weaknesses that need fixing. Therefore, rewrite Scripture, by all means, to make the modern women of Christianity equally see themselves as just as flawed as the men – none are Jesus resurrected.
Seeing the flaws mirrored in Nicodemus must begin from understanding the name “Nicodemus” means “Victory of the [Common] People.” When the capitalization takes that meaning to a divine level of understanding, this has to reflect on the name being Latin-based [Roman, in Judea], so a “ruler” – a member of the Sanhedrin – was more a reflection of telling the “People” what they wanted to hear, than finding the “Victory of God” as what he took to the people. The Hebrew word for “Yah[weh] Is Salvation,” also meaning “Victory,” is “Yeshuah.” That is the name “Jesus.” Both Nicodemus and Nicodema [Latin male and female endings on the same meaning] reflect pride in self-actualization. Thus, this meeting of Nicodemus and Jesus reflects on two opposites coming together. All who serve self over Yahweh seek “Victory as [Common] People.”
When in the reading John says, “He came to Jesus by night,” the symbolism of “night-time” [“niktos”] must be seen as the darkness of insight, which is one misled by the ways of the world. The light of truth is missing. While this fact most probably means Nicodemus was prohibited by Jewish laws to travel outside Jerusalem [as far as Bethany] on a Sabbath, “by night” means Nicodemus had to wait until after 6:00 PM to go meet with Jesus. That then says the Passover week [Festival of the Unleavened Bread] ended on a Sabbath.[1] Still, it is the symbolism that aligns this reading to all modern priest [“rulers” of Christians] who are just as ‘in the dark’ spiritually now, as was Nicodemus then.
When Nicodemus said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God,” John capitalized the word “Rhabbi,” as a sign of recognition that Jesus was a divine “Teacher.” That recognition was then voiced by Nicodemus stating the word “didaskalos,” as a stand-alone statement meaning “teacher,” which says Jesus spoke with insight others had not heard before. Jesus expressed new ideas that were applied to old texts. Nicodemus then recognized that ability as coming from Yahweh, which means “Rabbi” being capitalized made Jesus the equivalent of a Prophet of God [like a Samuel or Elijah or Isaiah]. Nicodemus seeing this trait in Jesus, causing him to follow him after it was legal to travel on a Sabbath, along with his third person plural use of “we know,” says neither Nicodemus nor those who were also “rulers of the Jews” had the ability Jesus displayed naturally. This recognition of a personal lack of divinity by Nicodemus was a confession that all priests of the Episcopal Church should admit personally – being righteous and wanting to be good are two different things.
When Jesus replied to Nicodemus saying, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above,” that was Jesus knowing Nicodemus was a lawyer who had memorized all the books written to become Jewish guidance. Still, no one could begin to explain what their words meant. Nicodemus had a high public position, which came with wealth and respect, even the fear of the common Jews because Nicodemus was one who could easily place punishment on those caught breaking the laws; but neither he nor any of his cohorts could explain how not to break them.
What Jesus said is the truth [“Verily,” from a capitalized “Amēn”], which all modern Christian leaders think they know. However, when Jesus said “no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above,” all Christian leaders today are exactly like Nicodemus. The reason is none can “see the kingdom of God” that is relative to understanding Scripture. No one today can explain how not to break the laws any better than Nicodemus, because none have been “born from above,” meaning none have become Jesus himself or herself. It is much easier, as Nicodemus knew, thinking about the now, explaining away sins or condemning sinners, than knowing how not to sin and then telling others.
This means the absurdity of Nicodemus asking, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” is the same absurdity shown by modern Christian leaders, who never once have taught an individual [much less a flock] how to be born from above and understand Scripture. From being able to see one’s parallel to Nicodemus, one must realize that speaking flowery sermons that are all fluff and no Spiritual substance leaves all the innocent lambs still in the sheepfold, depositing their wealth to the Church, while never being led to the green pastures of God’s kingdom.
Jesus saying, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Says water in a bowl by the front door of a church and wafers and wine at the church railing by the altar is all “flesh.” “Flesh” means physical “things,” all made of matter. Everything offered in an Episcopal Church is “flesh,” not Spirit.
Here, “water kai Spirit” [“hydatos kaiPneumatos”] is the same thing repeated as “Spirit , spirit is” “Pneumatos,pneuma estin”. In that, the use of “water” is metaphor for the flow of life that is a “soul.” Water is the element that maintains life in physical beings, which is metaphor for the soul; as without water or souls, all matter would revert to a state of death. A “soul” [“water” and/or “spirit”] must be married-joined-unified with Yahweh, which is His “Spirit.” All that is “flesh” or “matter” is death; and, death cannot enter into the “kingdom of God” [heaven], because death is only found in the darkness of the physical realm.
When Jesus then expanded on this divine insight by saying, “Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above,’” that says there is no other way to Salvation. When John wrote of Jesus using the capitalized word “Dei,” that speaks of divine essence that elevates “must be born from above” to “Necessary, Inevitable, Proper, and Duty,” that capitalization demands one “be born from above.”
For Jesus to then say, “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit,” this relates to Acts 2 and Pentecost Day, when “came a sound like the rush of a violent wind.” Wind is movement that is unseen; and, while modern meteorologists employ instruments that monitor wind currents in weather prediction, with much of the movements based on the rotation of the earth, the predictability of the weather is still a difficult endeavor, because the winds can change at any given moment. To then compare this to the “birth from above,” which demands the presence of Yahweh’s “Spirit” within, that says human beings [body and soul] are not the ones who determine when such a “birth” takes place. As such, one does not guarantee Salvation by going to seminary and earning a diploma to be employed by a Church, for as much as that might predict the current of one’s soul, it does not make it so. Nicodemus was proof of that.
The proof of that pudding was Nicodemus asking, “How can these things be?” While it seems he is being astounded by Jesus talking about being born from above and the winds that blow, Nicodemus was not a stupid person. Nicodemus was an intellectual, with a great brain in his head. He was able to memorize everything written in Scripture; and, he made a pretty penny from that intellect. Nicodemus is just as logical as are modern Episcopal priests, who scoff at Christians of other [lesser?] denominations, which believe in such nonsense as speaking in tongues and being filled with a Holy Spirit. I know Episcopalians of leadership wealth who ask, “What does God’s voice sound like? I have never heard it?” implying there is no voice of God, or “I would have heard it speak to me.”
When Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?” every priest of the Episcopal Church should hear Jesus asking them that. In reality, the Greek written by John literally has Jesus make a declaration that says, “You are this teacher this of Israel ,kai these not know ?” In that, the capitalization of “You” [“Sy”], followed by the word “ei” or “are,” becomes a elevated state of being [“are”] that is totally focused on “Self” [“Yourself”]. That must be seen as the selfishness all priests of Christianity possess – Self-worth above the ability to truly “teach” the Word – where their inability to lead others to be Saved says they do not care about knowing the truth, because they only care about saving himself or herself. At no time have they been “born from above,” so at no time do they “know” anything of value Spiritually. The use of “kai” denotes a question of importance that asks, “How can you call yourself holy, when you have never known Yahweh personally?”
Jesus then said, “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony.” In that, Jesus said “I say” [“legō”] what “we know we speak” [“oidamen laloumen”]. That begins in the first person, but leads to twin words in the third person – from “I say” to “we know we speak.” This is not Jesus referring to him and Nicodemus, because Nicodemus knew nothing of value. It says Jesus was “born from above,” having his soul [“spirit” – 1] joined with the “Spirit” of Yahweh [“Spirit” – 2], so that union created the plurality of “we.” That was what Nicodemus lacked; and, it is what the vast majority of people wearing collars, employed by the Episcopal Church lack. There is no “we” connecting human souls to the divine possession of Yahweh’s “Spirit.”
That plural number of “we” then carries over to implying “we testify to what we have seen.” That becomes a statement that God has shown Jesus [Father joined with Son] the truth of the Word. That divine ‘eyesight’ of Jesus is what “we have seen we bear witness to” [“heōrakamen martyroumen”]. That “we bear witness to” element written has been omitted from the above NRSV translation, as they simplify it through ‘osmosis,’ in the following use of “You do not receive what we bear witness to [“testimony”].” The omission denies the repetition of “martyroumen” and “martyrian,” both referencing “witnessing.” In that, Jesus is making a point of showing how the “we” of himself was different from the “You are” of Nicodemus and all his Temple buds. The same “we” difference exists in that which separates the Apostles [each a “we”] and the mutations that have become today’s priests of Christianity [“You are”].
The element of “bearing witness” was stated by Peter and Paul [et al “born from above”], relative to the truth of the resurrection of Jesus. This must be understood as Spiritual insight, not a physical demand that one having seen Jesus’ resurrected body walking around. A witness becomes a legal person that can testify in court, as to the truth of something seen and personally experienced. The resurrection of Jesus is then the truth known by personal Spiritual experience. That is what only Jesus had, when visited by Nicodemus [there was no “we” in the material realm then]. That is what all the Apostles-Saints had [all reborn as Jesus, being “we”]; and, that was what Nicodemus did not have. He could not receive that testimony of truth, because he was “You are,” not “we.” That is the same failure so many priests of Christianity have: they cannot testify to the truth of faith, because they can only recite stuff memorized by brains.
Jesus then asked Nicodemus questions that still apply today, to all the false leaders of churches: “If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” The “earthly things” [“ta epeigeia” – “this earthly”] are the sounds of invisible winds. Nicodemus was no expert in meteorology, just as no priest of a Christian flock today is. They might understand some basic concepts, but the weather patters are still unknown. Therefore, if you cannot understand the weather, then how can you even begin to understand the divinity of Scripture? There is no Christian seminary on planet earth that teaches young goody-goody brainiacs to speak in divine tongues. So, even if they read Scripture and think they know how to tell about such things, they can never testify to the truth of what those things mean.
A simple example of this inability to understand was then stated by Jesus. He said, “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” Quick. Go look up who that “Son of Man” is [actually written “Huios tou anthrōpou,” which actually says, “Son this of man”]. Was it Jesus? Do you know? Who do you teach people who question who the “Son this of man” was-is-will be?
The answer is Adam. Adam was made by Yahweh and placed in Eden, which is heaven on earth. Adam was divine, not animal-like; which was what the mass population on earth prior was, along with female animal-like humans. Humans are not born divine; never have been and never will be. Adam descended from Eden after he sinned; but he was still of divine creation. He then ascended after living a devoted soul joined with the “Spirit” of Yahweh for nine hundred thirty years [see if your non-divine flesh can last that long!]. hen this meeting with Nicodemus took place, Jesus had not yet died, nor had he ascended. Do the math! However, Jesus was the soul of Adam reincarnated into a most divine body, which was the DNA of Adam, placed Spiritually within the womb of Mother Mary [a virgin]. It must be realized that Adam is the original Son of man, with Jesus the soul of Adam reborn.
From that realization, Jesus then said, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” In that lesson from Numbers 21 recalled by Jesus [which Nicodemus would have known immediately], the serpent was the bite of death to all who turned away from Yahweh. Yahweh told Moses how to save the Israelites from their own self-inflicted punishments; he should make a bronze serpent [a replica of himself [a graven image] as having died and then repented to salvation]. Yahweh then told Moses to mount that replica of himself on a pole, which had to be raised high for all to see.
Look at the fang on that serpent! The bite of death comes to all mortals, due to the serpents of sin being hidden everywhere in the world. The only way to go beyond the cross of death is to marry Yahweh and become the Son of man resurrected.
Thus, being bit with an urge to sin could bring redemption by looking upon that image of Moses saved by Yahweh – as the bronze serpent. Eternal life defeats sin. The image of Yahweh is found in His Son [Moses became a Son of Adam reborn], meaning Salvation then was for the same reasons – turning away from Yahweh to sin. Salvation required the same external way to be reminded of the path of righteousness, seeing how Adam had sinned and died; but Adam was ascended through faith. Of course, the only thing modern Christians can think of here, in verse 13, is Jesus being crucified so all are saved, without having to do a thing. No one understands looking upon the death of Jesus on a cross means one must also die [self-sacrifice], in order to be resurrected as the Son of man. Nicodemus was not about to give up all he had worked to earn materially; and, modern priests of Christianity have the same selfish flaws born in them.
This leads to the one verse that is taken out of context and made to be memorized by all Christian children, such that none ever connects the dots to Moses and Adam. Everyone is trained to think only of Jesus dying for all the sins of the world. That famous quote is: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
When that verse is read out of context, no one ever takes the time to realize Yahweh only made one Son – Adam. Jesus was born of a woman, so even though the holy DNA of Adam was Spiritually placed in the womb of Mary and even though Yahweh’s hand guided the development of Jesus, Yahweh’s hand guides the development of all human-born babies. Jesus was “flesh,” just like everyone else. Adam was flesh, but he had Yahweh personally fill him with His Spirit. Jesus also had that Spirit with his soul at birth [“we”]. So, Adam is still the only hand-begotten Son of Yahweh.
In addition, no one becomes “born from above” ever thinking that “believing” is what Yahweh expects. Believing is what memorizers like Nicodemus do. The Greek word written by John is “pisteuōn,” which means “having faith in; trusting in; is entrusted with” (Strong’s Usage); and, only weakling souls think “belief in Jesus” means anything of value. The meaning, which should always be the translation in divine Scripture says, “everyone who has faith in him may not perish.” In the third person pronoun – “him” – that is the same Yahweh who Adam never lost faith in, where having one’s soul be married to Him means faith that is built from personal experience as the Son of man reborn. Having such faith is then being “born from above,” so that is the only way to “eternal life” and “not perishing” in soul.
When Jesus then told Nicodemus [and all reading here today], “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him,” that still speaks of Adam. Adam was known by Yahweh to sin; and, that sin was known by Yahweh to cause Adam to be punished for his sin, by being banished from the heavenly realm and sent into the material realm. That was known by Yahweh, because that was the plan. Adam was the first seed of divine thought planted into the world. Adam would begin a line of divine priests of Yahweh, which would begin religion in a world that knew nothing of God or Spiritual matters. Thus, the world before Adam was like a world of Nicodemus’ and Nicodema’s. The seed of Adam would beget a lineage that would lead to Jesus, born of a woman in Bethlehem, called a Nazarene. But, then, all that flew over the head of Nicodemus, just like no one teaches that today; meaning no one is teaching flocks to become married to Yahweh and keep the lineage alive and strong.
As the Gospel selection to be read aloud in the aisle of Episcopal churches by collared and berobed priests on Trinity Sunday, were the Trinity speaks of one’s soul being in union with the Father, through His “Spirt,” the great failure is to preach to that title. The state of Christianity has regressed back in time, to be like that of Judea, when the Temple elite never led anyone anywhere, other than to the treasury boxes. The serpents of the wilderness are those in the lineage of the serpent in Eden – the craftiest of the animal kingdom. Souls are routinely suffering from the bites of sins; and, the graven image of Jesus on a cross is not meant to represent what will happen to your body of flesh. Death comes to all flesh; but if one do not marry Yahweh and become Jesus reborn, then there will be no resurrection, no Salvation of a soul. Only those reborn as Jesus get down off that cross of death and ascend to heaven. All the failures – like the Nicodemuses reborn in modern Episcopalian churches – go to hell in a handbasket.
With Trinity Sunday being the first of roughly half a year of time, relative to a life led to ministry, that reflects when all souls should be flowing away from the pews (born of water), into service to Yahweh (born of Spirit) as true priests [not seminary graduates and church employees] having been taught the Word by being Jesus reborn. There are few becoming Saints today; and, all those keeping the Spirit of Jesus alive are individual choosing to be self-sacrificed, from personal devotion to finding the truth that leads one to faith. There is now little more than community organizers masquerading as Episcopal priests, leading flocks to the slaughter, for their own personal gratification. They signal a time to find Yahweh directly, with His Word needing to be explained so one’s soul knows truth.
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[1] This was the case in 22 A.D., the Hebrew year 3783.
Explaining the Readings 