James G. Owen, Author

The Galilee: Why Did Jesus Spend So Much Time In This Land?

The word Galilee. It has a meaning that I believe has a spiritual meaning to it leading us to a deeper understanding of scripture. The Hebrew word galil means a valve, or a folding door. After discovering its meaning what spiritual meaning could be tied to it. As I studied this week, and over the years I have read there is much demonic activity that occurred before and during the time of Jesus. It is in this land, whether in the Upper Galilee, the mountains, or in the Lower Galilee, the fertile plains there was pagan worship of many gods in this area. The gods worshiped were the Canaanite gods the Baalim and Asherah, and of course during Jesus’s time the Romans worshiped their gods of Zeus, Artemis, Aphrodite, and Pan,especially in the area of Gadarene.

And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
²And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
Luke 8: 26-27 KJV

As we use our imagination working upon the Hebrew meaning given above as a folding door the area possibly could work as a portal for pagan activity. The portal would be opened by the worship of these idols and the lives of the people would be affected by its worship thinking they would benefit from worshiping their gods to attain favor for their agricultural crops for the year, but instead witness torment, destruction, demon possession, sickness, disease and death.

And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
Mark 1:40-41 KJV

Another Hebrew word to describe the land of Galilee is the word galiyl, which means circuit. In this land of the Gentiles, a land given to them by Solomon who hired King Hiram of Tyre in payment for the timber used in the Temple, there was also a population of Israelites as well. Jesus spent most of his time going from place to place freeing people from torment, sickness and disease, raising the dead, stilling the storm, and feeding the hungry. It was in this land that he showed he was greater than Satan by defeating him in the deliverance of the tormented people and brought healing to the infirmed and sanity to those who were mentally ill, or demon possessed. It was in this land that many miracles happened. News of Jesus went through the nation of Israel by the word of mouth. This land he showed his power to a nation and to the satanic armies that wanted to destroy God’s creation, man.

And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
Luke 7:11-17 KJV

The land of Galilee was home to Jesus as well, having been raised in Nazareth, and he knew the land very well, and it is the area that his first miracle was performed was in Cana, as he turned pitchers of water into wine. The land that was used for pagan worship now had a revival going in the land. People being freed, stories written for future generations for the Jew and the Gentile. These stories of salvation, deliverance, and victory are being read about in scripture to this very day and has given hope to so many. This is the reason why Jesus spent so much time in the land of Galilee. There may be other reasons as well, but this is one aspect I have had on my mind this week.

Notes: All scripture given was taken from the King James Version, Public Domain Biblegateway.

https://www.messie2vie.fr/bible/strongs/search.php?search=h1551

https://www.messie2vie.fr/bible/strongs/search.php?search=h1550

https://www.christianity.com/jesus/life-of-jesus/miracles/what-miracles-did-jesus-perform.html

http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Galilee.html#.XH82dyhKiUk

https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/fertility-cults-of-canaan

Receiving the Wisdom of God

How do we receive wisdom from God? First, we must make repentance to God-the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob asking him to forgive us of our sins—to remove all the evil deeds we have done in our lives. In Hebrew, this would be teshuvah. We are to establish a relationship with him in righteousness, and to be able to receive anything we desire from him by asking. For sinful men, women, and children will not receive from God when we are living in sin.

After repentance and forgiveness is established in our hearts, we begin by listening to God as we pray, obeying his commandments, and what he tells us to do when he speaks to us. We must hide his word in our hearts, and we do this by serious study, memorization of scripture, and breaking down the passages to understand and find the meaning as it applies to our lives by meditating. If we do not understand what we are reading, then we can ask God to give us the meaning and learn by his Holy Spirit. For he will reveal it to us. So, stop and listen. If it doesn’t come soon, then think about it during the day.

Keep God and his word on your mind. As I read a scripture I may think about it during the day to see what God is going to say to me, or place a thought in my mind that I haven’t thought of before, and be prayerful throughout the day by unceasing prayer. Find moments during the day to pray privately, or voice a whisper as you go along. Apply his word in your heart and you will begin to understand.

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
Proverbs 2:1-3 KJV

Ask God for wisdom and understanding. Maintain these gifts by daily scripture readings, daily prayer, and keeping the line of communication open. Listen for his voice, or any other means in which he will speak to you. It may come through an audible voice, a voice that seems like someone is there but not, or he may choose dreams that usually occur in the last portion of the morning, being 0300 am to 0600 am before sunrise.

As you gain wisdom and understanding, you will find that you understand the reverence of God. As you become closer to him in a relationship to him, you will discover you understand him more and his knowledge. For he speaks to us as a father would speak to his children in instruction, and we gain from his experiences, knowledge, and wisdom. As we walk with God in righteousness and holiness we will understand his law, righteousness, and his judgments. We will discover we have discernment and know what is sin and what is not. We will know the path to walk because of our conscience leading us telling us right from wrong.

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
Proverbs 2: 4-7 KJV

So, how do we know when wisdom is present? Discretion will commence and subsist. It will subsist as long as we are walking in righteousness. This discretion will deliver us from evil, and that means listening to his Holy Spirit, the visions he gives us, and instructions from his messengers.

He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
Proverbs 2:8-11 KJV

As we establish a relationship with God and we repent of our sins, we must not look backward any longer. For he forgave us, delivered us, and over time will bring us to maturity through hardships, troubles and trials, that will cause us to grow so that we may open new doors of spiritual opportunity for us with him. Through all of this is how we receive the wisdom of God.

Notes:

All scripture is taken from the King James Version Public Domain Biblegateway.

A Nation with Morality God Blesses

Look all around us. Trouble everywhere. Not only sins are being committed but horrible crimes, theft, and corruption. Sexual immorality going through the roof in its various forms. We see the news reports, hear it from the neighbor, or some experience it personally.

We live in a nation whose charter began with a covenant to establish a civil government in which to follow laws to keep prevent trouble among those who had traveled with the Puritan’s. The Puritan’s had come to America so they could worship God freely and in the manner they wished and understood from scripture. This agreement is called the Mayflower Compact.

Earlier in history, God established a morality code with Adam, which simply was not to eat of the Tree of Good and Evil for which there would be a penalty, and that penalty was spiritual death, and included a physical death also. Later, at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19, God gave Moses the law which was to govern the Israelite’s in the section of laws of Morality, Sacrificial, and Ceremonial. Within these laws governed how the Tabernacle would be constructed, its furniture, and accessories needed for worship. Also, within the law was the commandments for government. Man cannot function without a moral government under God. As we obey God, worship him, and live within his law code, then a nation will be prosperous and successful. Outside of God’s government will be chaos, immorality, crime, and a spirit that says anyone can do as he pleases with no consequence. In the book of Judges we see in scripture that the land did not have a government, was not blessed, and did not produce safety. The land was full of idolatry as well.

Looking at more modern history, we see the spirit of anything goes among nations like Babylon where this spirit originated. I will call it the spirit of Nimrod, or Nimrodism. Later, in Europe this spirit comes to the surface under a different name, and that name is Marxism. All the countries that it has influenced people have become serfs, later some starving, or executed because they refused to be controlled. These nations were in chaos, and a leader who thought of himself as God. This spirit, which many call and a Antichrist spirit, which it is, has found its way around the world. Many have excepted it, and many reject it. It is a spirit that intimidates, manipulates, and controls. It places people in bondage, liberty and freedom is no longer present. The spirit advocates hate and all that hate influences. It is full of pride, thirsts for power, and will do anything to reach its goal, and that is total domination.

Here in America we have seen the rise of the Antichrist spirit within. It has taken many years working in stealth. The problems of division is because of its influence. Immorality is rampant and increasing. All the things of its character I have mentioned above. There was a time in America that this spirit wasn’t present and this nation prospered. Yes, our nation has had problems and its people, but as long as we live within God’s law, bless Israel, God will bless this nation. The road on which we are traveling is a dangerous one, and if we stay on this road our nation that we have enjoyed many freedoms, and capitalism will be destroyed and a feudal government will take its place.

How do we as a nation prevent this from happening? The answer is simple. All of us must repent of our sins and come to God, live in righteousness, proclaim the gospel to every creature, change the laws that are contrary to his word, like abortion, and those laws that champions immorality as written about in Romans chapter 1 and 2.

If we do not, then this nation will be part of a world order, a order that is evil and will dominate not only our nation but the world.

Notes

Note: http://mayflowerhistory.com/mayflower-compact/

Note: https://www.loc.gov/resource/dcmsiabooks.americanhistoryg00wood/?sp=79

The Discovery of God’s Wonderful Plan of Forgiveness and Restoration

Everyday someone is looking for a discovery that one can apply to their life that will make their life meaningful with a destiny and purpose. Many look for years, but their answer may be in their bookshelf, a bookstore, church, or a friend who has discovered their destiny and purpose. Usually, it is the latter for people are social, and when they make a wonderful discovery they must run to tell it to others. Such is the discovery we will find in God’s plan of forgiveness and restoration. A wonderful plan, and a plan of beauty.

Beginning, God made a promise to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15, that he will put enmity between the seed of Satan and the seed of Eve, and this seed will bruise the head of Satan, and Satan will only bruise the enmity’s heel. Here, we see a promise of a messiah, that he is more powerful than Satan because it tells of Satan’s defeat, that is, in bruising Satan’s head. The bruising I believe is a physical strike against one another. Who is this enmity? We find out later in the New Testament that he is the Messiah Jesus.

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Genesis 3:15 KJV

God’s plan of Salvation was shown in scripture by Jesus going about healing, delivering, forgiving, and resurrecting within the land of Israel, mostly in the land of Galilee. In reading scripture we will see symbolism that shows that God feeds his children with physical food, but there is the feeding of one’s soul spiritually by the teaching of his commandments of the Torah, or the first five books of the Old Testament. Jesus’s name in Hebrew is yeshua, meaning to save, deliver, and redeem. All three are within God’s plan. How so? In Isaiah 61:1, Jesus quotes this verse to the synagogue in Nazareth and proclaims he is the messiah, that he is anointed to bring good news to the poor, bind up the broken-hearted, and proclaim freedom to those held captive in sin and darkness.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isaiah 61:1 KJV

How did God in his plan bring about salvation that will provide forgiveness and restoration? He tells us that he loved us so much that he gave his son to die for us as a sacrifice, to shed his blood, blood that was not defiled by sin because this man was conceived of the Holy Ghost and Mary. Therefore, he was the perfect sacrifice because man’s seed was defiled by sin. He brought salvation to us through his blood by dying on a cross for all mankind. Only a pure source could be the sacrifice. If we believe upon Jesus who died for us on the cross we then will be saved, just like the thief on a cross next to Jesus who asked to be in paradise when Jesus came into his kingdom.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 KJV

How does forgiveness lead to restoration? When we are forgiven by God we will notice that a change has occurred within our spirit. Afterward, we know we must walk a different path, and to get into fellowship with other disciples of Jesus by attending church and fellowship to continue to grow. Many of us have had problems of addiction, sinned by adultery and fornication, bad relationships that has left us broken and hurt. All of this mess can lead to long term healing because it is emotional stress, guilt, and shame. We must be loved by others who have walked this path and have overcome all of it. What must we do? Stay on the road to restoration because God has a plan for us to bring us into hope and a purpose in our future. That plan is for us to work for his kingdom to bring others into it and to keep others from spending eternity in spiritual death in a place we all have heard of as hell. He uses our talents and gifts to minister to one another in order to fulfill our destiny. And remember this, going through restoration God will never leave you, nor forsake you. When we make the habit of reading God’s word to grow spiritually we will find that there will be times of difficulty, but don’t despair because these difficulties, or trials are designed to strengthen us and to bring us into a greater anointing and to a different fork on our road to restoration and spiritual perfection.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV

Within this plan I see the beauty of God’s love, a wonderful plan that God brings us from a sinful, irreparable state to one of redemption, perfection, and life! We cannot do all of this along for it takes digesting God’s word —the Bible, prayer, and the counsel of godly friends and pastors. All we have to do is to have faith, walk the road of righteousness, and the mindset that we will make it, we will win the race and prove God’s wonderful plan of forgiveness and restoration.

Notes: All scripture given is taken from the King James Version Public Domain Biblegateway.

Listen Closely To What You Hear

In this world we are living in we must listen closely. We hear many things during the day by listening to people while at work or school, or we may be listening to TV show for news or an opinion. Truth may be spoken, or untruth. Whatever we hear we must think and begin to discern what is right or wrong. We must ask the question, what I heard is it true? Or is it wrong? We might say to ourselves that doesn’t sound right, or it makes me feel funny. My gut is telling me to go do some research and read up on the subject. We may find that we will have to read past history to understand an issue that we heard people talk about. We must be on our game.

And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
²And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
Mark 4:21-24 KJV

We must show integrity when we talk to people because they may be activating the principles in the above paragraph. As Christians we must test the spirit to see if it is true, and to go to scripture to rightly divide. We must be alert because of the things we hear in this world is untrue. As a conversation is started we must tell the truth and project it. We must let our light shine while showing love and kindness to the world. We may encounter a sour spirit, or be contested when we speak the truths of God, but we must also be aware that the tests that come is telling us we are imparting truth, and these spirits do not like it. When people talk take note of their countenance. Through the eyes and the facial expressions will give you clues to whether what you are hearing is true, and whether or not they are of God’s kingdom. Make sure your countenance and your moods reflect the love of God as well, and that the word you have for that day for certain people is well received.

Those of us who are faithful and are walking in the righteousness of God must tune our spiritual ears, our spirits to hear God’s voice as he speaks to our minds—our souls. As God speaks he will give you sound bites, a measure of a word to give to people that speaks for them at a specific time.

We are to be careful of what we listen to because within a news story, a conversation, or just a sentence may vex, or upset your spirit, and you may lock down on that message and continue to play that over and over because it may offend you, or your heart is studying for the reason it was told to you. It may come to you in a manner that is unintended of offense, or deliberately. So listen closely to what you hear and receive. Truth can be spoken boldly, but propaganda can also be spoken boldly to gain entrance into your heart.

Those who are discerning will know the truth, because truth will bring joy. When people give of their hearts a good word, or of counsel then a blessing will come to them by the way of God, or by those whom they have helped. This is because they were careful to listen to the voice of God. How do I know if I am hearing the voice of God? Those of us who are followers and have God’s spirit within us will know because the Holy Spirit will bear witness with the other. Scripture tells us that we who are God’s children will know his voice.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:27 KJV

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Luke 6:38 KJV

So, be careful to what you are listening to on TV, in a movie theater, or in a conversation. What we hear does affect us and our spiritual lives, which affects our personal lives as well. Remember, if you question what you hear research it, read God’s Word, and most of all pray about it and ask God for guidance.

Notes: All scripture given is taken from the King James Version Public Domain, Biblegateway.

The Sons of God Explained

I have read and studied for a very long time now, off and on for the past eleven years about the identification of the sons of God—the bene Elohim. Following are the results of my examen from scripture and other readings.

In Genesis 6 we first read about the giants that came upon the earth, and that the sons of God came and took wives of the human daughters and had children with them. Who were these bene Elohim? In the Hebrew the bene Elohim refer to the angels of God. In one source it was stated that these angels came down to earth to teach men of the law of God which was not written in those days from Adam to Noah, and gave the law orally so that the people could believe in their creator and God. When these angels became enamored with the daughters of men then they left their estate—the habitation and became the fallen ones, the Nephillim. This is one probable statement of the sons of God.

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Genesis 6:1-2 KJV

Another thought, which I have hold to currently is that the sons of God were angels that rebelled against God and was thrown out of heaven because of Lucifer’s pride and influence on the 1/3 of angels he took with him as an army to insurrect against God. The children of the union of these sons of God with the daughters of men created the giants, which is called the seed of Satan in Genesis 3:15. These giants, the seed of Satan is one form of the enmity expressed in this scripture.

How do we know that the sons of God were angels? When we go to the book of Job we find that the angels of God along with Satan came and presented themselves in the presence of God. This is the conference between Satan and God about the testings that Job were to go through. This discourse is presented twice in the book of Job, I believe to serve as a witness and state that the sons of God are angels. Another instance in Job is at Creation the morning stars, another type of angel, and the sons of God rejoiced at the beauty of God’s creation that he created complete in six days. For these angels shouted for joy. This is scriptural proof that the sons of God were angels. So why is this important for us to know now?

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
Job 1:6 KJV

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Job 38:1-7 KJV

Later, when Jesus was born and began his ministry he taught the law and salvation. That salvation was to come through him and his death, resurrection, and ascension to the Father. Here in lies where men, women, and children who believe upon Jesus as Messiah and that believing upon him brings us eternal life. When we believe upon Jesus who brought the world salvation, and ours, then we who believe in him by faith and follow him have become sons and daughters of God by adoption. With our confession of our sins we are adopted into the family of God as children because we have been separated from God by sin.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Romans 8:12-25 KJV

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:24-29 KJV

Will the sons of God that came to the earth and had children return? In scripture we have seen this twice in the form of Nephillim and Rephaim. The bible says as in the days of Noah so shall it be. By this statement we would have to see, but it is highly probable. Before we conclude, what happened to the angels who married the daughters of men? Peter explains that these angels who sinned, that left their habitation were chained in hell waiting for their day of judgement. In scripture we do read that four angels that are under the rivers will be loosed. Are these four part of the number of angles who married the sons of daughters? That is question that needs more exploration.

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
2 Peter 2:4 KJV

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Jude 1:6 KJV

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:37 KJV

What has happened in the days of Noah will return to this earth as described in Matthew 24. I would invite you to read this whole chapter.

In a short discourse this is who the sons of God are as explained in scripture.

Notes: This Season of Angels, Perry Stone, ppgs 109-110, Faithwords First Edition, October 2018.

All scripture used is taken from the King James Version, Public Domain Biblegateway.

The Promise of a Messiah

Before Creation began God had a plan. That plan was for the salvation of his new creation upon earth that is formed in his image. This creation was formed by God’s hand like a potter using clay, and his thoughts were on his creation’s future. God knew one day that mankind would fail and fall into sin, so he had a plan to provide a messiah—a savior that would be a perfect sacrifice to provide the salvation for man. This messiah had to be a man, but not born of man’s seed, but of God’s Holy Spirit. This is the promise:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Genesis 3:15 KJV

Within this one scripture we see an abundance of meaning. First, let’s take the word enmity. In the Hebrew enmity is ebah, which means hostility and hatred. In the context here, I believe that hostility is fitting because the serpent beguiled Eve and caused her to take of the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil and then lead Adam into the act of sin. The future messiah will have hostility towards Satan and later his seed because of his deceitful and deadly spiritual action.

When I speak of Satan’s seed what could I possibly mean? From years of studying Genesis 6 about the Nephillim— the fallen angels, these are the angels that come to marry the human females and they have children with the daughters of men. The result of these unions are the giants of the earth. How did these fallen angels become the father of the giants? The answer is that they left their habitation (Jude 6).

In Noah’s day we refer to them as Nephillim as well, and after the flood they are referred to as the Rephaim, or Rephaites. These are the physical seed of Satan that were defeated first by the flood, and also later by Moses men and the David, the future king of Israel.

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Genesis 6:1-4 KJV

Examples of the Rephaim in scripture is Og of Bashan, and Goliath. Og was killed by Joshua, and Goliath killed by David. There were many who lived in the land of Israel. These are just two of the hundreds that were warred against by the Israelite’s and overcome.

But what is meant by the enmity of the seed of Satan and the seed of Eve? A messiah was promised by God to come for the salvation of man. Through his ministry of being a shepherd first he will defeat Satan by dying on a cross by the spillage of his blood, thus becoming the sacrifice, the lamb provided by God that has the DNA of man, and also the DNA of God. God had to send his son to redeem man by his blood. For the blood of man cannot redeem itself because man’s blood is defiled by sin. This is the meaning of the bruising of the head and the bruising of the heel. Jesus was on that cross that eventful day during Passover in which he bruised the head of Satan, actually fractured the head of Satan, and in return Satan bruising Jesus’s heel. Jesus is the embodiment of God and is very powerful being his Son who has always been with God. Satan is God’s creation that sinned by the act of pride, and is not powerful as God, but weak. Satan’s actions of the sin of pride brought death to him and his armies, and also brought death to man when he deceived mankind. This is the enmity that is between God and Satan, and it will all be brought to an end , and soon.

Today, we see the actions of people who do not know God, and the actions of people who do know God. The interaction between these two groups causes enmity because the evil in men’s heart does not agree with the godliness of those who have the Spirit of God within. We have the messiah today to bring us out of sin (enmity) if we accept him, and confess that Jesus is Lord.

Notes

www,messie2.fr, enmity H0342

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rephaite

biblehub.com/topical/r/rephaim.htm

All scripture used is taken from the King James Version, Public Domain, Biblegateway.

Eternity: What is it?

Today, I am reflective. I have been wondering about eternity, what it is, and how it effects all of us. Man has pondered this question for centuries and the answers that man seeks is found in the Word of God—the Bible. As I read the scriptures today I wrote down my definitions for eternity. They are:

eternity is without time
time never ending
life as a continuance
eternity is continuance

Within scripture we find that the King James Version used the word “world” for eternity. Curious, I went to the Hebrew to find the word for world, and found the Hebrew word owlam. Here, this definition from the Strong’s Hebrew says eternity is time out of mind, or always. Eternity is perpetuation.

Is eternity used by God for us to hope for in terms of our obedience to gain from this sinful world? The answer is yes, but there is more to how God used the word eternity. In his word spoken by Solomon, the wisest man in the world, he spoke of eternity as a veil, that God used eternity to be set in the hearts of man to conceal the works of God so that man would not discover his works from the beginning to the end. Why would God, the God I call Jehovah and Jesus, conceal these works from man? Here are my thoughts:

If we were to know the works of God, or created to know the works of God we would work to make ourselves like him in spirit, and continue the pride set in us by sin, and this pride would be for eternity and render us unredeemable; meaning without the means of salvation.
God wants a relationship with man. The knowledge we have he wants us to search for him. Eternity in our hearts gives us an innate knowledge that we are eternal beings, whether we are good or evil.
It is a communication by God to man that God is real and exists. We are to receive this communication of knowledge by faith as well.
His desire to protect his image. We are made in his image and he wanted us to have a means of salvation. We are innocent and have not seen God’s reality has the angels have seen and experienced. He wanted us to be with him for eternity. He does not wish for anyone to perish.

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 KJV

What other way would God use the word eternity? God speaks to us in his word of eternity in our “time” so that we can understand eternity. Peter wrote that a day is like, or is as, a thousand years. Is this literal? I perceive Peter is trying to explain eternity to man in terms of time that we will understand. There are people who believe that 1000 years is a day, but I think it is a comparison. Does eternity have a past? I think that eternity only has a past when God mentions it in his word, or refers to history on Earth. We think of time as past, present, and future. In our thinking we see a past because we have known a past in our dimension of time. Thousands of years to us will seem like eternity. God looks forward I do believe, and we should as well. Looking backward we see our failures, and that may angst our hearts if looked at negatively, or with a heart of a desire for the old life.

How will we know God’s definition of eternity, or “time”? The only way to explain this is to tell everyone to be obedient to God’s word, and at the end of our time on earth we will come to know God’s eternity when we enter it. No matter, we will enter eternity whether we are obedient or not, but our destination will be different if we do not obey his commandments. I want to know God’s eternity by living by faith, in righteousness, and know I have eternal life being able to see light, and partake of life in God’s eternity in his heavens, new universes and earth, and other planetary creations he has prepared for us.

Eternity is God. For he has been and always will be.

Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
Isaiah 43:13 KJV

Notes:

All scripture has been taken from the King James Version Public Domain Biblegateway.

messie3vie.fr website, Strongs H5769

No Other God

At the beginning of the universe and earth there was no other gods. Pagan worship had not began, nor had sin entered into the world at this juncture because man and woman had not been created. There was not a temptation by Satan yet, though he had already fallen. But at the point of man and woman in the Garden of Eden, Satan came and deceived the woman Eve. Here, Satan told Adam and Eve they could become like gods if they would partake of the Tree of Good and Evil, which they did, and sin came into the world immediately and all creation of the earth was defiled.

Even, at this time there was only One God, but as man lived and multiplied on the earth they began to listen to the lies of Satan and his fallen angels. It soon occurred that men would worship these fallen angels and give homage to them. Still there was only One God, and he was known to men like Enoch and Noah who preached to them of God the Almighty. At this time in history it is not written in scripture that God made himself known by name to man, but as we read scripture in Genesis 1:1 he makes himself known to those who read the Torah that he is Elohim—the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Elohim is plural, and that is the reason for me explaining him as the Trinity and that we are made in his image; body, soul, and spirit.

As time progressed the generations of Adam became iniquitous and soon it was found that Noah and his family of 7 were the only ones who had pure DNA. So, the world was destroyed by water because of man’s iniquities and failure to listen to Enoch and Noah of the goodness and the salvation of God.

Later, God presents himself to Abraham as the Almighty God, shadday, or as we have accustomed ourselves in later times as El Shaddai. Then to Moses, he presents himself as Yahweh, the I AM, that I AM. Yes, the God of Israel, the only true God is almighty. He is the creator and can do anything. He creates life, and that is something Satan and his fallen angels, the pagan gods, cannot do because they are created beings by the same God that created man. Even Solomon proclaimed God in this manner:

And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:
1 Kings 8:23 KJV

He is mighty, loving, pure, and is all knowing, and the God that can be anywhere, anytime, and know every bit of our hearts and thoughts simultaneously. That’s power! How can I further describe the God I serve, whose son is Jesus, and has sent his Holy Ghost to earth after Jesus ascension so that we can have salvation, deliverance, and healing? I describe him with this verse:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
²Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 KJV

God is powerful and he is the only one that we should worship because he is the only God who can deliver and bring salvation and life. Any other god that is worshiped by man is God’s enemy. Man for centuries have followed pagan gods of many names, and some of those same gods are worshiped in what we know as the New Age movement. The pagan gods no matter what name they go by in any region of the world, their influence will only bring man to his eternal death and should not be followed.

There is only one way, and that is the road to God through Jesus the Messiah because there is no other God.

Notes: All scriptures used is taken from the King James Version Public Domain Biblegateway.

The Lands of Israel

God gave a promise to Abraham of many nations. These nations would come from his seed. Abraham was old, in his nineties to one hundred when his wife Sarai bore their son Isaac. The promise made to Abraham would come through Isaac. It is through Isaac’s son Jacob that the tribes of Israel were to come to fruition later to help establish the lands of Israel.

What are these lands of Israel? How many miles approximately do they cover? Approximately 1500 by 2000 miles. In today’s world, these lands that were promised to Israel have gentile ethnic groups living within them, and claimed by them, but in the end these lands will be established from the promise God made to Israel. These lands are in identified in our times as Egypt (east of the Nile River), Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, all of Israel as we know it, the area of Gaza, and the West Bank. This is a large piece of land, approximately 1500 by 2000 miles. Why would God give such a large piece of land to Abraham? It is possible that all the lands identified is the area of the Garden of Eden, and it his will is to reestablish the Edenic paradise and fellowship with mankind.

In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Genesis 15:18-21 KJV

As I looked at the areas mapped with borders it took shape of a partial pyramid—a mountain. Upon seeing this shape I thought of the New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation. This new city will cover most of the area described in the amount of about 1500 miles square. Many preachers I have heard have thought that the city of the New Jerusalem to come would be in the shape of a cube, but I don’t believe it will be, but will be in the shape of a pyramid. Why? Because I see this city as the mountain of God, and the Mountain of Eden restored in future times after the old earth is destroyed, and the new earth established.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:2 KJV

So, the lands being fought over today are between the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael—the Arabs, and Isaac —the grandfather of Israel. As we go further, we see two more sons have a division. These two sons are Jacob and Esau, the sons of Isaac. It was God’s will that the nation of Israel would be established through Jacob with the 12 tribes, but Esau by tradition and first born was to receive the blessing. However, God’s will is to be done. This is one of the many reasons why this land is being fought over because of the traditional blessings, but Satan knows that God wants to bring the world we live in to a close, place Satan, his army of fallen angels, and his seed into the pit for warring against God. This means his final defeat and judgement. This is an eternal sentence.

God is reestablishing his creation and his kingdom to be enjoyed by the nations of people who have accepted his son Jesus and have been given the privilege to live in an “heaven”, a new earth that is not defiled by sin, as this earth we live in is defiled.

This nation of Israel, and the lands that have been promised will be the center of the world to come. A place where Ezekiel’s temple will be established for all nations to come to worship God. A nation of lands promised to Abraham. A eternal covenant, and God bringing his promise to fruition. This is what all generations have seen. God’s will and purpose coming into being, that is, a eternal kingdom with man.

Notes:

curtlandry.com/whose-promised-land-is-it-part-1-ancient-borders/

theisraelbible.com/biblical-boundaries-land-israel

All scripture used is taken from the King James Version Public Domain Biblegateway