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Eved Adonai – Being the servant of the Lord

The Scriptures hold many mysteries. And what is a mystery biblically speaking?   A mystery contains the secret thoughts of God that are hidden from humanity and must be revealed by divine revelation. It is a fact or truth that man is unable to discover by himself and his mere human reason. We read in 1 Corinthians 1:21-24:

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Messiah crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Messiah the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 2:7-8,

“No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

God desires to reveal His truth to man because He loves man and man desperately needs to know the truth. However, God reveals His mysteries by His Spirit. Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:9-10 writes:

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”

Scripture does not teach against wisdom and reason nor does Scripture despise intelligence rather wisdom, intelligence and reason is given by God to men by grace and is useful in their realm. However human reason and intelligence has its limitation when it comes to mystery of Messiah or to the power of the Good News and falls short in understanding the deep things of God and the spiritual ream. Therefore since the wisdom of the world, scientific research, or reason of men will not suffice to unveil all God’s divine counsel, being born of the Spirit is necessary to peek into His mysteries.  I believe that one of the most profound mysteries of the Scriptures is found in 1 John 1:14,

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

God became man. This mystery surpasses all the mysteries in the Scriptures.

However, I would like to peek into yet another mystery that is often misunderstood and under-appreciated. This mystery is our position in Messiah and our role in this world. As I mentioned previously often the truth of Scripture requires divine intervention.  In fact to people outside the faith who observe our lives or hear us talk about Yeshua it often seems that what we believe is contradictory and even oxymoronic. For example, the Scriptures teach that if Messiah set you free, you are free indeed. Then, we read in the same Scripture that we are His slaves, how can these statements be reconciled that you are both truly free and a slave at the same time?  When the greatest men of Messianic faith like Paul, Jacob and Peter wrote to believers they usually put the signature of authentication, which had following words:

James 1:1  – James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (eved Adonai and eved HaMashiach).

2 Peter 1:1 – Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ (eved HaMashiach)

Romans 1:1 – Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus (Eved HaMashiach)

Let’s take a closer look at the phrase bond – servant, which is doulos in Greek.  Doulos is the usual word for a slave. In Romans 1:1 Paul called himself “a slave of God,” in Hebrew, eved Adonai, a description that he uses nowhere else.

Being a slave meant to be in bondage, however the testimony of the Scripture indicates that no one valued his freedom more than Paul. In fact, he was born free, a citizen of Rome, and he was proud of it and used his citizen privileges.  In Acts 22, when the centurion wrote Paul off as just another troublemaking Jew and commanded him to be scourged, Paul said, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?” The centurion alerted the chief captain, who came and said, “With a great sum obtained I this freedom.” Paul replied, “But I was free born.”

Moreover, Paul battled fiercely to preserve the freedom that Gentiles possessed through faith in Yeshua. He spoke up to Yakov and even Peter when he saw that their freedom was infringed.  But when it came to be the prisoner for the sake of His Messiah, Paul seem to glory in those bonds. He said without shame that he was “the prisoner of Yeshua the Messiah” (Eph. 3:1).

Paul was not a Roman prisoner; but rather he was eved Adonai. In prison or not, Paul was the willing eved Adonai. Above all, Paul thought that there was no higher calling and no greater joy in life than to be eved Adonai, God’s slave. As God’s slave, he resigned his rank and his rights, his body and his soul. He belonged to God. He would go where God wanted him to go, do what God wanted him to do, and be what God wanted him to be. He had no will of his own, except to do the will of God.

Paul’s glory was to be God’s servant, the slave of the Creator of the galaxies, of the God who was served by legions of angels, of the God who was enthroned in glory in absolute power. Paul was the eved Adonai, eved HaMachiach, he knew whom he served and He knew to whom he belonged. I believe that Paul understood his position in Messiah, and that is why he considered all as rubbish in comparison of knowing and serving Messiah.

Philippians 3:7-9 - But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Messiah. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Messiah Yeshua my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Messiah 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Messiah—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

I believer this mystery is found in understanding what it means to belong to Messiah and in the phrase “called Christian” or Messianic. Since the New Covenant by the providence of God was written in Greek, therefore we will zoom in on the word Christian in Greek and we will discover that not only Paul and Messiah’s early followers understood this, but also the world or those outside of this faith.

It is amazing how this word Christian has evolved into something that has a simple and shallow meaning when in fact, there is a great truth hidden in the name. Let’s unveil the mystery or hidden meaning for the word Christian. The first mention of this word is found Acts 11:26:

and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

After Stephen’s martyrdom, some believers from Cyprus and Cerene, who had left Jerusalem, preached at Antioch. Their success became know in Jerusalem, so the community there decided to send Barnabas to Antioch. Barnabas in turn brought Paul from Tarsus.

Who are Christians?
If we look at the context, in Antioch they were mostly Jewish believers, not merely gentile believers in the very beginning.  As Acts 11:26 indicates that Paul was called among other believers Christian as well. Let’s take a closer look at the word called first. The Greek word called  is chramatizo, which refers to an official title. Another example of this usage of the same name is found in Romans 7:3, “So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress.”  We can see that here the word called, means to receive a title or status in the community. It can also refer to the office that the person holds, like secretary or official. So the disciples were called Christians. They received their title or status as Christians, in Greek christianoius.

Another little important detail to consider is that the verb called is in passive voice, was called Christians, indicates that they assumed this title. But they were not calling each other Christians, since they called each other saints, beloved, brothers.  Rather this title was more for outsiders, beyond the congregation (later, other believers elsewhere also assumed this term), but this is how believers were presenting themselves to the Roman authorities.
We also need to mention that to be called Christian did not mean to be a follower of Messiah or Christ.  When we look at the historical background we learn that during that time there were various schools of thought in both Greek and Jewish culture. For example, Platonists were called after Plato, epicureans were called after Epicurus, and also there was the school of Shammai and Hillel. Usually the followers were called by the name of the teacher.
However, Messiah’s name was not Christ, therefore to be called Christian could not mean following the teachings of Yeshua. Messiah is rather a position or title, or even office. Messiah’s name is Yeshua, consequently if the early believers should be called by His name, they should have been called something like Yesuaites or something like that, but not by His title or office.
We learn from the Tenach that Messiah means Anointed and referred to the position of the King, later precisely a descendent of the king David. So to be called Christian or Messianic had to do with that concept of belonging to the king or kingdom. Here is the grammatical key to properly understand this word: The word Christian in the original had a Latin suffix ionus, and when a word had this ending,  it had a special meaning which meant to belong to the one to whose name this suffix was attached.
Moreover, the word with this suffix meant that that one called belonged either to the household, kingdom, even teaching of the one’s name. For example Herod was the name of the king, so whoever belonged to him either by allegiance, position or role were called Herodians, just like Christ, Messiah is the King and those who belong to Him were called Christians. Therefore, the grammatical structure of the word Christianious meant, the one who was called Christian, and was the one who belonged to the Anointed King, Mashiach Adonai.

1 Corinthians 3:23 – and you belong to Christ [Messiah]; and Messiah belongs to God.

This is how the word Christian would sound to the outsiders or be equivalent in Greek, you are Christian, that means you belong to Christ. Let’s again appreciate the fact, that Yeshua’s followers were not called by His name, as it was customary, but by His title Mashiach. In Greek there was no concept as such… to be Messianic or called Christian did not come from pagan Greek culture nor is it a Greek concept at all, but strictly Jewish. No Greek could understand what Christ is… so in order to understand this we need to look beyond the Greek facade and look into the Hebrew thought. To belong to Mashiach or Messiah in the Jewish frame of reference could only mean one thing: Belong to the king, to his courts and meant to be his servant, in Hebrew the word will be eved, but in Greek duolos. However, in Greek this word duolos will have negative meaning, like we were slaves in Egypt.  When you are a slave you do what you are told to do and have no freedom.  In essence a slave was in total bondage.
But when we take the same word slave or servant in Hebrew it has a totally different meaning, to be eved Adonai is not bondage, to be eved HaMashiach or eved Adonai means that I am His representative, I belong to Him, I am in nearness of Him, I am in his company, a co-worker of Adonai. It is position of honor and privilege. To be a slave of the Lord or to be eved Adonai had an absolutely positive connotation and meaningful association. When you are eved Adonai that means that we cannot be enslaved by anyone. We serve only Him. It is being chosen, belonging to the royal household and having a position of honor.
Therefore, Paul with such confidence said, “I am the bondslave of God, eved Adonai.” Greek culture could never understand this concept, since there was nothing positive about being a slave, doulos.
On the other hand being His eved HaMashiach is the prominent position. It implies that I serve the King of kings; he gave me authority and strength.  I am not a miserable slave, but I am the servant of the Lord, I am His heir.  This is what it meant to be called Christian to the first followers of Yeshua.

But there is more
To fully unpack the mystery and meaningfulness of this concept we need to also consider that God made a covenant with David, where God promised that his throne will be established forever (2 Samuel 7:5-6). And after the last king Zedekiah, who did evil in the eyes of God, who was the last David’s descendant to sit on the throne of David, the house of David seem to be beyond recovery. But, God will keep His promise to David and will restore the tabernacle of David.

Yakov said to his Jewish bretheren that were just unveiling the mystery of Messiah and tried to make sense of this new idea of salvation that came to Gentiles through faith in Yeshua,

“After they had stopped speaking, Yakov answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. “Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. ”With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’ SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO (Acts 15:13-18; Amos 9:11-12).

In other words they understood that being Messianic believers meant to belong to the royal house and they lived in anticipation of Machiach Adonai to come and establish His kingdom and to reign with Him. Peter later wrote, “You are the royal priesthood”, John in Revelation of Yeshua also wrote, “and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father–to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever” (Rev 1:6).
This is what God is doing even today; He is raising up the people who will represent His kingdom that is coming. Yeshua was born as a king of the Jews and He died as the King of Jews, and will come as a victorious King to restore His Messianic Kingdom. Now those who believe in Him are his royal and loyal representatives working with Him and representing Him and His kingdom. We are His living witnesses and living mysteries. This world does not see us as royalty, but one day they will see it.  To the world our walk and our love for Yeshua is a mystery, but for us is reality.
We are His loyalists, eved HaMashiach, His faithful remnant living for the cause of our Messiah, King Yeshua. Our King went on a long journey (Luke 19:11-27), He taught His disciples to pray, “Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.” Yeshua taught His disciples to work for the Kingdom that is coming. He gave them His authority and His power.
It is a great privilege to work for our King to be His faithful eved Adonai until He comes. We are not to be ashamed but rather seek to be approved and be faithful to represent our King and His values. May each of us have one and only passion to hear when our King comes to hear these words: “Well done, good slave (tov eved), because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.”

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Matter of the Heart

Today we read all kinds of advice on how to keep ourselves clean from toxins and environmental damage. These bodily cleanses provide temporary relief and require continual renewal. In the same way Scripture prescribes similar diligence in keeping our spiritual hearts healthy. The book of Proverbs recommends:

Proverbs 4:23 —Watch your heart with all diligence for from it flow the springs of life.

I do my best to see that my family eats only healthy food. Therefore, when I go grocery shopping, I read the product signs and labels. One product may suggest “good for your heart,” and that always catches my attention. The American Heart Association invests a lot of time and scientific research to help people prevent heart disease. Do you heed their advice and take care of your heart?
MATTER OF THE HEART
The Heavenly Heart Association desires optimum health for our heart as well. Scripture authoritatively and with great zeal labels many things that are good for our heart as well as those things that are harmful. The New Covenant that we will be studying in this chapter is the covenant of the heart. This covenant deals with the heart of the matter which is the matter of the heart.
People dedicate their lives to different causes, they sincerely strive to make a difference in this world, and improve their quality of life, which was demonstrated by the doctor’s office that I visited. When I injured my back, I spent many weeks flat on my back and made many doctor visits. Every day I lay on a machine that stretched my spine and listened to a radio recording of this doctor’s lecture. Over and over he reiterated that the key to good health is found in the nervous system. Everything begins in the brain, headquarters, so do speak, and all commands are sent from there. If our spine is misaligned, then the signal is poor and our health is in jeopardy.
The radio recording always started with the question: “Do you live up to your God-given potential?” Of course, the question referred to physical health and energy that God gives through a healthy spine. However, there is a greater question. Do we live up to our God-given potential found in Messiah?
The springs of spiritual life flow from our hearts. Are we aligned with God and His Word? Do we relate to Him properly? Or maybe the commands from above are misunderstood? We risk too much when we are uncertain about our relationship with Him.

SPIRITUALLY ALIGNED
Israel often underestimated the importance of their spiritual alignment with God. Consequently their hearts could not receive a clear signal from Him; therefore, they suffered spiritual defeat and the loss of His blessed protection as well as the vitality that flows from the Lord.
God’s Law provided a guide for spiritual health and prosperity. When disobeyed or ignored, devastation resulted. Following a physician’s prescription, even for our good health, can be difficult. I can personally attest to this. My doctor told me that if I wanted to get healthy, I would have to follow his instructions. The agreement was bilateral.
“We will do our part,” he said, “but you have to do your part. If you fail to do your part, then the treatment that we will do here in the office will fail.”
I did not like that kind of deal at all. Why should I have to do all this work: stretching twice a day, drinking gallons of water, taking supplements, and being on bed rest. At times I was wondering, “What was I paying him for if I had to do the work? I should have agreed to a more permanent solution: surgery.”
Maybe that’s how the people of Israel felt after receiving the glorious Torah on Mount Sinai. A magnificent and awe-inspiring scene. The mount quaked, and the people trembled at the presence of the Lord. When Moses declared all the words that God had spoken, the children of Israel with one voice responded:

Exodus 24:3 —All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!
When my doctor said, “Natalia, if you will not take care of your problem now, you may end up in a wheel chair,” I quickly responded, “Everything that I need to do in order to get better, I will do.”

However, as days passed, and I was feeling a little stronger and more confident in taking steps, I doubted the doctor’s dire predictions. I stopped drinking extra water and abandoned the doctor’s prescribed treatment plan. I thought to myself, “What does he know?”
How soon we forget the pain we endured and fall away from God’s divine instructions. Just as in our physical condition, so it is in our spiritual state. Israel abandoned the Lord. They could not hear and failed to heed the Heavenly Physician’s instructions. Therefore, their spiritual condition worsened. The only cure would be to remove the heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh.

BEING DISQUALIFIED
The Mosaic Covenant taught us that God is holy and we need to live in view of His holiness. Moses, the man of God, was disqualified from entering the Promised Land for only one incident where he failed to treat God as Holy. Moses spoke with God as a friend, face to face, interceded on behalf of the people and was willing to have his own name blotted out from the book of life (Exodus 32:32). After all of this service, he could not enter the Promised Land. Why? Because he failed to treat God as Holy.

Numbers 20:12—But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

It is of paramount importance to understand that our testimony before others will witness of God’s holiness. When we appear before the Lord, our rewards will be given or lost according to how we reflected God’s character. This portion has a profound impact on our understanding of who God is and what sin does. Only through humbling ourselves, will we see His character and our failure to revere Him. Even Moses, who was considered “very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3), succumbed to the sins of pride and rebellion:

Numbers 27:14 —For in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you [Moses] rebelled against My command to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water.

Even though Moses asked God to overlook this sin, and allow him to enter that wonderful land that was promised to his forefathers, the Lord rejected his plea. From this example, we learn that we will reap the consequences of our rebellion.

Deuteronomy 3:23-26 —I [Moses] also pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, “O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the LORD said to me, ‘Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter.’”

God in His love and kindness will forgive our sins, however, He will also discipline us as a loving Father (Hebrews 2:9).

GOD IS HOLY
Our sins separate us from God. Once we comprehend that God is holy and we are not, then we are ready to receive His mercy. Through the Levitical sacrificial system provided within the Mosaic Covenant, people could draw near to God and receive mercy. But every time a person sinned, an innocent animal had to be sacrificed on his behalf. When the sinner saw that the blood was shed on his behalf, perhaps this person thought:

It seems so unfair because I was guilty, and why does this animal that had nothing to do with my sin have to die? Why? I hate sin; I do not want innocent blood to be shed because of my sin.

It is humbling to realize that I have no power to be sinless. I am helpless, desperate, and hopeless. Finally, the prophet Jeremiah gives us the ultimate solution that God offers for the sin of Israel and for our sins as well (Jeremiah 31:31-34). King Solomon said:

Proverbs 13:12 —Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

The Messianic hope was that God will bring complete healing not only of our land, but also of our hearts. Our souls are burdened with guilt and our hearts are sick with wickedness.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 —The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.
The cycle of rebellion and disobedience followed by repentance and a return to the Lord is a recurring cycle in Israel’s history. After years of sacrificial offerings, we learn that a “once and for all” sacrifice was required:

Hebrews 10:1-4 —For the Law [Mosaic Covenant], since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

THE REFRESHING WORDS OF HOPE
Long anticipated words of comfort were uttered by the prophet Jeremiah in the darkest time of Israel’s history since the Exodus. The most wonderful news about this New Covenant is that it will benefit not only God’s precious people, but also all of humanity. This time God will deal with the heart on an individual basis. Therefore, we need to carefully consider these words of hope and comfort:

Jeremiah 31:31-34 —Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Jeremiah wants the people to understand that this will be a covenant which cannot be compared with the Mosaic covenant because it is completely new. He does not hesitate to remind them that they had failed to keep the previous covenant that God made when He brought the Jewish people out of Egypt. And it was indeed a glorious deliverance, and dramatic giving of the Law. We dislike being reminded of our failures and mistakes. But such reminders help us focus on what lies ahead.
Therefore, Jeremiah, under the inspiration of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) brings a greater perspective to Israel and presents a most comforting future.
Many things changed since the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. The way of rule changed from a theocracy to a monarchy. Israel became discontented with a theocratic government and asked God to give them a king (1 Samuel 8). It is very difficult to be different, so God, in His great love, provided a king to the people of Israel through the line of Judah. But, even that did not work out as well as people expected; the nation of Israel was split into two kingdoms: northern and southern. However, apart from the Lord, no matter who was the king, the kingdom would not stand.
Because of the sin of idolatry, people would be divinely disciplined; they would be led into captivity by a stronger nation than both houses of Israel. When God removes His hedge of protection, only then we realize how weak and limited we are. God’s love for His beloved daughter of Zion has not changed. Israel will always be the apple of God’s eye.

AN UNBREAKABLE COVENANT
The Lord said that the Mosaic Covenant was broken, and since it was conditional, He provided a New Covenant, one that would deal with the heart. This would be the final covenant that God would make with whole house of Israel. This time the Law would be written, not on tablets, but directly on the heart. The Mosaic Covenant was conditional and breakable; the New Covenant would be unconditional and unbreakable.

The Mosaic Covenant revealed God’s holiness, which produced fear and despair. But through the New Covenant God would provide a permanent cure for the root of the problem, sin.
The New Covenant would reveal God’s unfailing love and would bring comfort and security. God is pleased to bestow His love on us for through this love, we will bring Him glory and honor. Israel, the chosen nation of God, would no longer frustrate the purposes of God’s faithfulness by their unfaithfulness. God’s promises to Abraham did not rest on any conditions. His promises are irrevocable. In the midst of tragedy, God breaks the news that restoration is inescapable.
When Israel was the most rebellious, God announced His intention to return Israel to Himself nationally and individually.

Jeremiah 31:33-34 —I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, “‘Know the LORD,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Let us look carefully at each provision of the New Covenant. First of all, the words “I will” indicate that this will come to pass by God’s own initiative and will completely depend upon God to bring it to pass. There is no evidence that this covenant has any conditions attached. The covenant that God will make with the Jewish people will be unilateral, eternal, and unconditional.

I will put my law within them – this will be an inward change.
I will write it on their heart – this law will be spiritual, not written on stone. God will circumcise the heart, as Moses alluded to:

Deuteronomy 30:6 —Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live.”

The desire of God’s heart, expressed in Exodus 19:5-6 to have Israel as His own possession and a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, will finally be realized. Israel was born at the time of the Exodus from Egypt. But, with the New Covenant, Israel will be born again.
They will not teach again –There will be no need to teach anymore, because every Jewish person will be a follower of the God of Israel. No need to proclaim the Good News, for all are already saved “from the least of them to the greatest of them” will know the Lord personally and intimately.
I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more—what separates us from God? Sin. Once the sin is done away with, nearness to God becomes a reality.

The blessings of the New Covenant are based upon the forgiveness of sins. Adolf Saphir eloquently explains:

The forgiveness of sin is not merely the beginning, but it is the foundation, the source; it is, so to say, the mother of all divine blessings. For as long as sin is upon the conscience, and man is not able to draw near to God, he is separated from the only source of life and blessedness. In forgiveness of sin God gives Himself, and all things that pertain to life and godliness. Sin is removed, and we are brought nigh to God, and thus enter into the possession of all spiritual blessings. To know God is the sum and substance of all blessings, both in this life and that which is to come.

David understood this truth, for he says in the Psalms:

Psalm 32:1-2—How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

The prophet Ezekiel gives us more insight into the provisions of the New Covenant:

Ezekiel 36:25-28—Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

This portion promises the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Now we see how Israel will be able to do all the righteous deeds to honor God with their lives. Through the empowerment and indwelling of the Ruah HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). Furthermore, the Jewish people will be brought back to the Land and will finally fully possess it, literally fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant.

Ezekiel 36:33-36 —Thus says the Lord GOD, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. And the desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passed by. And they will say, “This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited. Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the LORD, have spoken and will do it.”

A POINT OF RESTORATION
God promises full restoration and renewal according to His original design. The zeal of the Lord will accomplish all the purposes of His grace. Once God speaks, nothing on the earth below or in the heavens above will hinder Him.
Every computer has the option of creating a restoring point. Many people may not be aware of this wonderful feature, one that could save them a lot of time and frustration. When you buy your computer, you download the applications and look forward to utilizing them. Once you have installed your operating settings and your computer is running perfectly, all you need to do is create a restoring point. Then you name the point and set a date.
Time passes and you discover your computer has stopped responding to your commands the way it used to. Initially, you are disappointed in its performance, and then you become frustrated and ready to give up. You consider buying a newer model. But wait!
Suddenly, you remember the restoration point you had previously set. You immediately back up your personal files with a sigh of relief and decide to give your computer a second chance. And you are glad that you have taken advantage of that provision for such a time as this. Lo and behold, your computer is as good as new. Don’t you wish we could have the same kind of restoration point in our lives, in our marriages and friendships, where we could just roll back to that perfect spot and enjoy all the peak performance, the delight of compliance, and the happiness of being together.

Scripture has good news for all of us. Your computer is not the only device with the option of a restoration point. God has provided a way of restoration for His children. Just as many computer owners are not aware of the provision to prolong the life, usability and productivity of their equipment, many people are not aware of the provisions God has built into His plan to make our lives productive, lasting and rewarding.

GOD’S PROMISE CANNOT BE BROKEN
When God made a covenant with Abraham… a covenant cut in blood… unconditional and irrevocably made by God’s own initiative…He kept His word, and the promise of the Seed became fulfilled in the Messiah.
In the same way, the New Covenant was cut in blood, and the perfect Lamb, Yeshua the Messiah, was provided as the covenant sacrifice (John 1:29). Just as animals were cut in two, God went through the pieces, entering into the Covenant with Abraham so Messiah’s death gave us the way to enter into a relationship with God. Because of the everlasting love and His lovingkindness, He would draw us to Himself though the New Covenant.
The cure to our broken and hurting hearts, the solution to the separation from God and hope for the future, is provided by the lovingkindness of our God. Because of His love for us, He took the initiative and provided a perfect sacrifice, paying the ultimate price, and finally restoring us to Himself.
The New Covenant is the promise of redemption for Israel, for you and for me, and for all who believe on Him through the covenant sacrifice, the Lamb of God, just as Isaiah, the prophet foretold 700 years in advance.

A CURE AT LAST
Isaiah 53:6-7 —All we like sheep have gone astray; everyone has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth; as a Lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he didn’t open his mouth.
Our Messiah became that perfect sacrifice, as He said:
John 10:17-18 —For this reason My Father loves Me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from me, but I lay down on My own initiative.
He not only died, according to the Scriptures, but He also rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures to have complete victory not only over sin, but also over death. Why did He have to die for us? Why was shedding of blood of the perfect sacrifice necessary?

According to Leviticus 17:11,

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.

If I had only known about the covenant made on my behalf, I would not have suffered pain, or lived with disbelief. But now I can enjoy a relationship with the living God. For He not only redeemed my past, but now I can live in the present, controlled by His love and peace and have hope and the assurance of tomorrow. I do not live in fear anymore, for He is my security. God not only gave me a fulfilling life here on earth, He also gave me life everlasting. I am not afraid to die, for I know that after my eyes are closed, He will receive me to glory to be in the presence of the Lord forever. Not only me, but all who believe in Him and the redemption that He provided through Jesus the Messiah.

COME AND DINE WITH ME
Sin cripples our lives. But, there is a covenant made on our behalf, the provision was made, and has been paid in full. We no longer have to live in fear and insecurity. There is great hope, a royal table prepared in the house of the King of kings, and He is inviting you today, “Come and dine with Me.” He is inviting you into the personal covenant relationship with Himself. There is no need to live in fear and insecurity and there is no need to be alone, for He is always with you.

Revelation 3:20 —Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come to Him and will dine with Him and He with me.

This is a spiritual blessing, but it is also an eternal blessing, one that lasts forever. Not merely something you have today and gone tomorrow. Security and peace are found in the covenant God made on your behalf.

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Desiring the things of God

This morning i read Amos 5:18-9:15, the words from Amos 5:24 were impressed on my heart for they clearly represent the heart of God, “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like everlasting stream.“

God is very zealous that we live out His loving character and treat others the way He treats us. He is not impressed with our observance of His statues,  when we neglect those in need either emotional or physical. Indeed love fulfills all Law, a genuine concern, thoughtfulness and consideration of the afflicted.

My prayer is that my heart will not grow weary and hardened toward those in need of justice and righteousness. How do I know that the Lord is working in my life? The hunger for the Word of God is a sign of God’s presence  in my life. Amos 8:11-12, God warns of the spiritual feminine: “Behold the days are coming’ declares the Lord, When I will send a famine on the land, not the famine for bread or thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord. And people will stagger from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord“.

May we never take for granted His grace and power to save our souls from darkness and seek Him while He maybe found. May the thirst and hunger for righteousness will keep us aware that this world is not our home and we are to live in view of His coming. May the appetite for the things of God outrun the appetite for this world and things it offers.

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Passion Driven Life

What can motivate us to live for the Lord today and how to lead a passion driven life versus issues driven life? As we are approaching Passover and remember God’s deliverance from the bondage of slavery, it is also a time of evaluation of our lives as well as appreciation of what Messiah has done in fulfilling the Passover as our Passover Lamb. But the fact of the matter is that the best is yet to come.  Even though we are redeemed by His atonement we live in anticipation of the culmination of His love. Because He not only redeemed us but He also esteems us as He desires to share eternity with us.  He is even now preparing a place for us.

Paul’s Passion

When we read Romans we can gain an insight into Paul’s heart and what motivated him to live for the Lord. In Romans 1:9-15 Paul writes,

“For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established ; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.  I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.  So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”

These words give us a glimpse of Paul’s personal love and concern for believers. We can see that concept of ministry is not only outward activity, but also unceasing prayer on their behalf. I am personally impressed how the heart of Paul is wrapped up in the lives of those who believed as a result of his ministry as well how passionate he was about his ministry. Look at the words that are used here: v.9 unceasingly I make mention of you, v.11 I long to see you, v.14 I am under obligation, v.15 I am eager.

Of course, the reason Paul wanted to see them was to establish them in faith, impart some spiritual gift and so on, but it’s not only what he wants to do but how. Maybe the most loving thing we can do for those we love is to establish them in their faith. He tried so many times to visit these believers, but each time he was prevented from doing so, but want continue to drive him on?  What made him such an effective servant? I believe that Paul was obedient to the call of God (Acts 26:19); He seized the opportunity God gave Him as God’s fellow worker (1Cor.3:5, 9), but most of all He understood the value of the foundation on which he was building (1 Cor.3:10-11, 13). He recognized his debt to the grace he received.

It is “according to the grace of God which is given to us” that we are able to build. We bring no skill to the building that is useful by itself. It’s only enabling grace that allows us to make a lasting contribution. The foundation has been laid for us, but we are responsible to build upon it. Can you image a massive foundation with a tool shed build on it? Let each of us build according to the worth of the foundation. Furthermore, we see Paul’s attitude in 1 Corinthians 3:10b, “But each man must be careful how he builds on it.” It’s neither the activity nor the amount of work accomplished that is God’s criterion for judging the worth of service.

It’s not how much, but how, as we see in verse 13 that each man’s work will be tested “the quality of each man’s work” in that day. Which bring us to the conclusion that Paul lived, ministered, and served the Lord in a “view of that day” as He says in 2 Tim.4:8,

“In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

His energies, abilities and time were directed toward that day –the Judgment seat of Messiah (2 Cor.5:10) He was not working for this day, but for that day. He did not care what people said about him or how they judged his work as 1 Cor. 4:4-5 states,

“ For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”

The Worth Of Knowing Him

How did Paul express his devotion to Messiah and how did he prioritize his life in view of eternity? First of all, he makes a radical statement in Philippians 3:8,

“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Yeshua the Messiah my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Messiah.”

Can we say the same thing? I find myself rather trying to gain more knowledge as if it will help to know Messiah, but Paul having the finest education in his time ruthlessly counts all things as rubbish. He understood the value of knowing Messiah. Furthermore, he states in verse 10, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” His love for Messiah and devotion to build on His foundation is shown through the tireless outreach to the lost, as he exclaimed,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16).

May our passion be like Paul’s, to live in view “of that day” and may our prayer resonate with his prayer written in Romans 10:1, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation.”

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How to be Secure in God’s Love

This is how it works. Our God is a Covenant God. From the beginning of creation, God initiated His relationship with man through the covenants. God takes covenants very seriously. Even man-made covenants provide some measure of security. Truly, understanding God’s covenant love changed my life. Here is one example from the Scripture of another life changed because of the covenant. The biblical account of Mephibosheth clearly portrays how a covenant relationship brings security and restoration.

2 Samuel 4:4 —Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the report of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

Mephibosheth was born into the royal family. His father was Jonathan, son of the first king of Israel, Saul. He had a great future ahead of him until tragedy struck. At the age of five, Mephibosheth’s father and grandfather died in battle and he became a possible heir to Saul’s throne. When the news arrived, fear must of gripped the household. They had to flee. David would surely take over now that Saul and Jonathan were out of the way. David had been anointed by Samuel, and the enmity between Saul and David was a known fact. Logic dictated that David would clear his path to the throne. The Scriptures do not tell us exactly what was on their minds; we know only that the news of the tragedy was enough to send them fleeing from their home.

Little Mephibosheth’s nurse “took him up” and fled. In all the confusion and horror, the child fell and became lame. Mephibosheth would now be crippled for the rest of his life. He was taken to live in Lo-devar. In fact, the name of the city meant “no pasture”… a barren, unsightly place across the Jordan River. He was a prince without a throne, his inheritance lost, and no doubt lived in fear for his life.

UNEXPECTED INVITATION

One day king David asked Mephibosheth to appear before him in Jerusalem. The Scripture reveals that Mephibosheth had no idea why he had been summoned. Not knowing what to expect, he anticipated the worst.

2 Samuel 9:5-8 —Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!” David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly.” Again he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?”

The Hebrew expression “dead dog” was used for someone contemptible or useless. That is how Mephibosheth saw himself. But David, a man after God’s own heart, sought to show kindness to Mephibosheth. Why? Because a covenant was cut on behalf of Mephibosheth between David and Jonathan. The word “kindness” in Hebrew is hesed, which means loyal, covenant love. Note that David’s motivation for showing kindness to Mephibosheth was not pity for the crippled man, but rather David’s desire to honor Jonathan, the father. What he did, he did “for Jonathan’s sake.” Honoring the promise of the covenant that he made with Jonathan. Here we see the heart of the covenant that provided security, protection, and fulfillment.

1 Samuel 20:14-17 —If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness [hesed] of the LORD, that I may not die? You shall not cut off your lovingkindness [hesed] from my [Jonathan’s] house forever, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD require it at the hands of David’s enemies. Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life.”

Here we learn that love is the root of the covenant. Jonathan made a covenant with David because of his love for David. Jonathan loved David as he loved his own life. If Saul’s household had known about the covenant between David and Jonathan, much fear could have been avoided. Mephibosheth would not have become crippled nor would he have had to live in a desolate and barren place. Furthermore, the king of Israel said to Mephibosheth,

2 Samuel 9:7 —Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly.

Mephibosheth is a picture of the redeemed sinner, called into the King’s presence, fully restored to the royal fellowship, protected and given a glorious inheritance. God wants to do the same for you. In some way each of us can relate to this story. Even though we may not be lame nor live in a barren place, we may have a heart that is crippled, a soul that is lonely, or live in fear of our past, present, and future. Maybe we feel like a failure…hopeless, unloved and without purpose. That’s how I felt. But deep in my heart I longed for unconditional love, acceptance, and sense of belonging. Then one day, I learned of a covenant made on my behalf called a New Covenant. Just like Mephibosheth, I am a redeemed sinner. Through Yeshua I have access to God’s presence, protected by His grace, and granted an eternal inheritance.

Ephesians 1:3-12 —Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus the Messiah to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Messiah should be to the praise of His glory.

You also have been created to love Him, to adore Him, and to be loved by Him. Let us never underestimate the power of His redeeming love.  For He not only cut a covenant on your behalf, but also He was cut for your sins. You no longer have to live in fear of your past, present or future. Let us live as citizens of His Kingdom and represent the King of kings. May this world see that there is a Redeemer, and there is security in His covenant love. You, too, can be secure in His love and live confidently in this chaotic world. I hope that you accepted Yeshua as your Messiah, if not, why not. Do it now, He loves you this much, He died for you and His blood is your eternal security.

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About Angels, Heaven and Us

I hope that this lengthy teaching will be helpful to understand  heavenly beings and remind us that spiritual warfare started way before we humans appeared on the scene. So this is how it goes. In eternity past, the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, determined to have a kingdom over which He would rule as sovereign King, and receive glory and honor forever and ever from His created subjects (1 Timothy 1:17). Every kingdom has a king and subjects. When we say kingdom, we identify not only the territory but also the domain or rule. Therefore, God the Creator created the subjects over which He was to rule.

Today each of us chooses what king we will serve:  the king of this world or the King Eternal, invisible, the only God. Hebrew prayers always begin with the words, Barukh Atah, Adonai Eloheynu, Melekh HaOlam, meaning, “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe.” These words declare God’s rightful kingship over us, this world and all His Creation. By His Word everything came into existence; and by His Word, everything will be sustained.

Therefore, every time we say these words we are declaring our acknowledgment of our Lord as King of the universe and consequently the King of our life and our heart.  Our lives reflect under whose rule we operate, and to whom we pay homage.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

God created two major kinds: angelic beings and human beings. First, God created angelic beings. Angels were created to serve and glorify God, not to act according to their own wills or independently from God. Then, God created human beings to rule over the earth.

ROYAL SUBJECTS IN HEAVEN –THE HEAVENLY HOST

The Bible does not reveal exactly how many angels God created, but there are references to one hundred million plus thousands of thousands more (Daniel 7:10; Hebrews 12.22; Rev. 5:11).

Hebrews 12:22 (KJV)—But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.

THE GUARDIANS OF GOD’S THRONE

God also created different ranks of angels. The first and highest order of celestial beings is called cherubim. The Hebrew word translated as cherub has the root meaning “to guard” or “to cover.”In Genesis 3:24, cherubim guarded the entrance into the Garden of Eden so that Adam and Eve could not get back in. In Exodus 25:18-22, cherubim covered the mercy seat.In Exodus 26:1, figures of cherubim were embroidered into the curtains of the Tabernacle. In 1 Samuel 4:4 and 2 Samuel 6:2, God is pictured as sitting above the cherubim. Ezekiel 1:5-28 gives a rather extensive description of cherubim.Cherubim are closely associated with the Shekinah Glory. Cherubim cover and carry the throne of God and are in the closest proximity to His presence, therefore they are considered the highest order of celestial beings.

THE ZEALOUS WORSHIP LEADERS

The second order of celestial beings are called seraphim. We learn about seraphim in the book of Isaiah and Revelation. Seraphim are a plural form of the Hebrew word seraph which means “a burning one.” Scripture describes seraphim in the following way:

Isaiah 6:2-7 —Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”

From this passage we learn that seraphim have six wings; each pair of wings has a different purpose and function. With two wings they cover their faces, which reflect their reverence and humility. With two wings they cover their feet, which symbolizes modesty. And with two wings they fly, demonstrating their active and ongoing service to the Lord. They call to one another with the words, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory,” declaring the holiness of the Lord with burning zeal.

Furthermore, we read that the seraph purify Isaiah’s sin with a burning coal. The book of Revelation gives further insight about these angelic beings.

Revelation 4:6-11 —And before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

We discover that they surround God’s throne and that they are full of eyes in front and back, symbolizing that they are able to see far beyond the human ability to see. They also continually praise God and say, “Holy, Holy, Holy…” similarly to the passage from Isaiah. Seraphim are characterized by unceasing worship of God, by humility, and by leading worship in heaven.

HEAVENLY SERVANTS

When the term angel is used in Scripture, the reference is to a third and basic order of angels.

Matthew 22:30 —For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Hebrews 1:14 —Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”

According to these words angels do not have bodies of flesh and bone; rather they are composed of a spirit body. Because of their immaterial nature, they are generally invisible.  However, they are capable of becoming invisible to humans. When they do, they usually take the form of young men.

Genesis 18:1-2, 16, 22 —Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth. Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD.

Mark 16:5 —Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed.

Luke 24:4 —While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing.

Acts 1:10 —And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.

PARADISE – A PLACE  WHERE ANGELS RESIDE

All angelic beings live in heaven as indicated in Matthew 18:10,

See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

The Hebrew word translated as heaven, is shamayim, which is a plural noun that literally means “the heights.” The Greek word translated as heaven is ouranos (as the planet Uranus) and refers to that which is raised up or lofty. Both shamayim and ouranos are used variously in Scripture to refer to three different places. The first heaven is called the atmospheric heaven. This is the sky, or the troposphere—the region of breathable atmosphere that blankets the earth. For example:

Genesis 7:11–12b —The windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

The second heaven is called the planetary heaven. This is where the stars, the moon, and the planets are. Scripture uses the very same word for heaven to describe this region. For example:

Genesis 1:14a —And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night.”

The third heaven is the place where God resides with His holy angels.  Another word used for third heaven is paradise. Paul speaks of  this place:

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 —I know a man in Messiah who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.  And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—  was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

The third heaven is eternal, in contrast to the other two heavens that will pass away (2 Peter 3:10). Although angels reside in heaven, their service to God is not limited within heavenly realms. They accomplish what God wills in all spheres of heaven as well as on earth. Angels are personal beings, therefore they possess intellect, the ability to communicate, emotion and will.

INTELLECT OF ANGELS

In 2 Samuel 14:20 we learn that angels are wise: “according to the wisdom of an angel of God.”  To have wisdom means to have intellect. Furthermore, angels have the capacity  to praise the Lord, to worship Him, and to communicate.

Genesis 19:1-2 —Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.

Matthew 28:5-7 —The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

EMOTION OF ANGELS

Job 38:7 —When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

Luke 15:10 —In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Both verses speak of angels having the emotion of joy.

WILL OF ANGELS

Luke 2:13-14 —And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

This passage indicates that angels praise God and do so willingly. Angels are created spirit beings. A created being is a creature, and a creature can never have all the powers, attributes and abilities of a Creator. Even though angels are superior to humans, they are greatly inferior to God. Angels are not omnipresent; they are limited in space.

THE ANGEL CALLED MICHAEL

Scriptures identify two angels by name. One is Michael the archangel. The name Michael means, “who is like God.” The word archangel simply means “chief angel.” Michael is the one in authority over all other angels. However, he is not in authority over the seraphim or cherubim, but over the third order of angels. Holy angels are under the authority of Michael, just like demons are under the authority of Satan. Daniel 12:1 indicates that Michael is also responsible for the nation of Israel. Michael also will announce the Rapture.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 —For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Messiah will rise first.

In the middle of the Tribulation, Michael will cast Satan out from his present abode in the atmospheric heavens to the earth.

Revelation 12:7-11 —And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Messiah have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.” And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

THE ANGEL CALLED GABRIEL

The second angel named in Scripture is Gabriel. In Hebrew the name means, “the mighty one of God.” Gabriel is a messenger of revelation from God to men.

Daniel 9:21-23 —While I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. “At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.

Luke teaches that Gabriel is the angel who stands in God’s presence.

Luke 1:19 —The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.”

We read in Revelation 8:2 that there are seven such angels, which mean that Gabriel is one of the seven who stand in the very presence of God and who will pour out the trumpet judgments mentioned in Revelation 8 and 9.

THE FALLEN ANGEL CALLED SATAN

Ezekiel 28:14-16 —You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you. By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

In this Scripture passage, we learned of the first tragedy, the rebellion of the arch-cherub, Satan, anointed and placed in authority over the cherubim. He became so proud of his intelligence and powers that he wanted to overthrow the sovereign rule of God (Isaiah 14:12-14; 1 Timothy 3:6) and make himself the king of the universe and establish his own kingdom, a kingdom that would wage war against God’s kingdom.  Satan desired to become like God.

However, a creature cannot become the Creator. Because of his rebellion against God, his name was changed to Satan, which means “adversary.” He had become the great enemy of God and every member of God’s kingdom (Mt. 13:25, 28, 39; Luke 10:18-19). A sizeable number of angels did join Satan’s rebellion and placed themselves under his rule (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:7). As a result, Satan became the prince of angels (Mat. 12:24-16), the ruler of the authority of the air (Ephesians 2:2). In spite of the large scale defection, a huge host of angels chose to remain faithful to God. These are called the “holy” and “elect” angels (Mark. 8:38; 1 Timothy 5:21). God remained the Lord of these hosts (Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 31:35).

ROYAL SUBJECTS ON EARTH

The second major creation for God’s kingdom was humankind.  In as much as God had created the earth to be part of His domain, He intended that men would be subjects and would administer His rule over everything else on earth.  God created man in His own image (Genesis 1:26-28), a personal being that possesses intellect, the ability to communicate, and a free will.

In Genesis 3 we learne about the tragedy in the Garden of Eden. When God created a beautiful world in which He placed a man to enjoy and cultivate, the crafty serpent, Satan stole the domain over the world from Adam by cunning deceit.  In a very subtle way, Satan entered man’s perfect earthly environment and tempted man to disobey a specific command of God.

Adam was created and placed in the Garden to have fellowship with God, to rule over the animal kingdom, in a sense, to dominate the earth. When God first created Adam he possessed unconfirmed holiness. This unconfirmed holiness was to be tested in order to be secured. Through obedience to only one negative command: not to eat from the fruit of the tree of knowledge, Adam could have secured his holiness once and for all.

This test of submission to the will and the Word of God would determine Adam’s recognition of God as a sovereign King. Man was not to assume that, because he was given authority over the earth and the animal kingdom, he himself was independent of God and exempt from God’s Law.

WHOM WILL YOU FOLLOW?

The purpose of the test was to establish the will of man. Like Satan before him, would man reject God’s sovereignty and declare independence from God’s rule?

In order to establish his kingdom, Satan had to obtain subjects over which to rule. He capitalized on this opportunity to add to his domain. Satan cannot create,  but he has the ability to steal, to rob and to deceive.  To enlarge his kingdom, Satan would have to persuade God’s other creatures to join him in the rebellion. If his kingdom were to rule over both heavenly and earthly spheres, he had to persuade both angels and humans to join him. Satan tempted man with an idea:  to become like God, to be his own sovereign and rule his own life.  Man succumbed to Satan’s lure. In spite of God’s warning, man chose to disobey the commandment of his Divine King. Consequently, the governor of the earthly province of the kingdom of God joined the rebellion against God. Adam and Eve failed to meet the conditions of the Edenic covenant:

Hosea 6:7 —But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant; there they have dealt treacherously against Me.

As a result, Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden to assure they would not eat from the Tree of Life and remain in the state of sin eternally. Since Adam was a representative of all humanity, and the mediator of the Edenic and Adamic covenants, we all share the consequences of the Fall.

DECLARATION OF SPIRITUAL WAR

This is the origin of spiritual warfare. The Kingdom of God was threatened and His good will toward men was disrupted. The creature rebelled against the Creator. The clay said to the Potter, “I will be clay no more, I want to be the Potter.” Satan, the father of deception began his war against God, His Kingdom and His creation. Therefore, God has been actively involved in the redemption of men and the restoration of His Kingdom. Every action we take and every decision we make reflect who is the ruler and master over us. Choose today whom shall you serve. As for me I choose to serve the LORD, how about you?