Thursday, January 31, 2008

Truth, myths, confusion and yes HaSatan (Part 3)

Welcome back. In response to a comment concerning HaSatan in the bible I will ahead of time answer two of the several scriptures given to me . For all those following along, please keep in mind Context, Context, Context. When this was first revealed to me I knew that it would be something of a controversy. An understanding in which most bible readers are not familiar with, meaning the original Hebrew, and therefor may or may not understand. It was just three years ago when I first came to be introduced to the original language, yet I still know very little. So lets learn together, shall we? 

The name Lucifer is used only once, and its in the book of Isaiah chapter 14. The name Lucifer is a Latin word meaning light bearer. In other translations he is called O glowing morning star. Please keep in mind that there are many translations and bibles on the shelves of your local book stores. I wonder why? Lets move on. When reading Isaiah and any other book in the bible one must read in its fullness, including the chapter prior to and after. When the Word was first taken down there were no chapter breaks nor were they numbered. Plain and simple. 

Isaiah chapter 13 begins the prophecies regarding the nations beginning with no other then Babylonia and it's current king, Nebuchadnezzar. Chapters 10,11,12 speak of the return concerning Israel's dispersed. 

Let's get to it. Isaiah 14: 3 It shall be on the day when HASHEM grants you relief from your distress and your anxiety and from the hard labor with which you were worked: You will recite this parable about the king of Babylonia:  
How has the oppressor come to an end, the ARROGANCE been ended? HASHEM has broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of rulers who would strike peoples with fury, with relenting blows, who would oppress nations with wrath, [the nations] were pursued [by them] without respite. Those this not remind us of our coming out of Egypt after crossing the Reed Sea and our people singing the song of Moses, and even more importantly how HASHEM delivered us from our oppressors with a strong hand. Verse 7: - 'The entire land is at rest and tranquil,' they broke out in glad song. Even the cypresses rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon, [saying,] 'From the time that you were laid low, the woodcutter would not come up against us.' The nether-world from below trembles for you to greet your arrival; (the nether-world, a place where others were brought down, others who oppressed and striked with an iron fist. Many of those who await the king of Babylonia were put there by the king himself, rather it be his doing or the doing of God. This reminds us that we should always have a humble spirit.) it has awakened the giants for you, all the leaders of the world, it has aroused all the kings of the world, out of their thrones, They will all proclaim and say to you, 'You also have been stricken as we were; you are compared to us. Brought down to the nether-world were your PRIDE and the tumult of your stringed instruments; maggots are spread out under you, and worms are your covers. How have you fallen from the heavens, O glowing morning star; (king of Babylon) been cut to the ground, O conqueror of nations. In his Pride and Arrogance the king of Babylonia has been cut down. This king along with all of Babylonia had riches untold just as with Tyre and its inhabitants. Tyre we will talk about later. Regardless of the nation rather it be Israel or America, one must remember that all belongs to God and it is He who blesses, and it is He who takes away. This is why HASHEM takes His Covenant with us very seriously. We as a people were disobedient; the very reason the king of Babylon conquered us in the first place, because the Creator of heaven and earth spoke it. Remember in part one of this serious we read the book of Job chapter 1 and it was and always be God who pulls the strings. Not HaSatan, nor anything else. Believing otherwise would go against the Oneness of HASHEM. God does not have an evil nemesis He does have a tool called the Tempter (HaSatan) Another example concerning Who and what has ability to do anything we will read in Isaiah 54: 15 - 16- Behold, they may indeed gather together, but it is without My CONSENT. Whoever will gather against you will fall because of you. Behold, I created the smith, who fans his charcoal flame and withdraws a tool for his labor, but I have also created the destroyer to demolish. 

Back to Isaiah 14: 13- You had said in your heart, "I will ascend to the heavens; higher than the stars of God I shall raise my throne; I will sit at the mountain of Meeting, on the northern side (Meaning North in Jerusalem) I will ascend over the tops of the clouds; I will liken myself to the most high!" But to the nether-world have you been lowered, to the bottom of the pit!' Those who see you will take note, they will contemplate you carefully; 'Is this the MAN who made the land tremble, who made kingdoms quake; who made the world like a wilderness and torn down its cities; who never released his captives to go home? Yes the above could sound as though it was talking of an angel of some kind, but Isaiah was in a poetic way was comparing  Nebuchadnezzar to an angel who was set on high only to come crashing down. In his words Isaiah reminded Nebuchanezzar of what he had been given from God and how HASHEM put him in power. Lets reflect for a moment and think how we might feel if we heard the voice of God say like Moses and Abraham. What could be finer, what more could we ask for? To have HASHEM communicate with us in such a direct way. it would be as though we dwelt with God in the heavenly places. That is exactly what Israel had with God in the beginning, we also lost it when God removed His presence from the first temple. I leave it up to you to read and finish chapter 14 and then go on and read the remaining chapters. One quick note; Isaiah 14: 22 can be tied into the book of Daniel the early chapters. If you remember Nebuchanezzar had a dream concerning a stately tree being cut down (guess who) and he summons for daniel to interpret. The son and grandson God speaks of here are the descendants of the king himself. 

*Important: The Babylonians of this era gave the name glowing morning star to what we believe to be the planet Venus. When the Babylonians woke early enough in the morning they saw the lone star and hence being that it was alone they had considered it to have been a fallen star. Please don't just take my word for it, do your research.  Also remember the name Lucifer is listed once and means light bearer. 

OK. In the Tanakh (first half or your bible) HaSatan is viewed as a tool used by HASHEM and not one of his own authority. A good example once again is the book of Job chapter 1. From the beginning of time man and man alone, has struggled to break free of himself, rather it be lust, hatred, jealousy, disobedience, war, drugs, sexual immorality etc. etc. Turn to Mark chapter 7: 14 - Then Yeshua called the people to him again and said, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand this! There is nothing outside a person which, by going into him, can make him unclean. Rather, it is the things that come out a person which make a person unclean!" When he had left the people and entered the house, hid talmidim asked him about the parable. He replied to them, "So you too are with out understanding? Don't you see that nothing going into a person from the outside can make him unclean? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and it passes out into the latrine." (Thus he declared all foods ritually clean.) "It is what comes out of a person," he went on, "that makes him unclean. For from within, out of a person's heart, come forth wicked thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, arrogance, foolishness... All these wicked things come forth from within, and they make a person unclean." I must remind those reading this that verse 19 doesn't mean that shrimp, shell fish or pork are clean, they are not at all considered food for human consumption. They weren't then and they aren't today. We must remember that the main characters in this conversation are Yeshua, his disciples and the temple leaders, they knew what was considered food and what was not. 

When I wake in the morning I dress myself, nobody does it for me. When I was a young boy my parents assisted me I have since grown to take care of myself and make my own decisions. In many of our Jewish homes young boys and girls go through a wonderful ritual called the Bar Mitzvah, or Bat Mitzvah for girls. At the age of 10 or 11 they begin their Hebrew studies to prepare themselves for the actually ceremony, this takes place at the age of thirteen. At the age of thirteen all children should have a good idea of what is expected of them and thus now make the appropriate decisions. The world in itself is to blame. Within this world we have several billion people, the words we speak and the actions we take create an atmosphere, rather good or bad. The clearest scripture backing my understanding is found in the book of Genesis chapter 4, and the book of Revelation chapter 3. In both Genesis and Revelation, God presents us with a choice, He Himself cannot make it for us. Cain in chapter 4 rises up and kills his brother Able directly after being told that sin is crouching at his door. Cain was given the chance to overcome and he failed miserably. Why? His envy. Able gave the very best of his flock while Cain didn't. Killing his brother didn't solve God's decision. Revelation 3: 20 Yeshua presents himself before us as  the way and the life. 

Without a doubt there is scripture we may never the answers to but we shouldn't assume. Earlier in this segment we covered Isaiah chapter 14 and came to the conclusion that its directed to the king of Babylon and not a falling angel  named Lucifer or Glowing star. Isaiah was indeed  using poetic sarcasm in his reference to the king who had exalted himself.

Please turn to Matthew chapter 24: 10 - At that time many will be trapped into betraying and hating each other, many false prophets will appear and fool many people; and many peoples love will grow cold because of increased distance from Torah. But whoever holds out will be delivered.

Another scripture given in question was Matthew 25: 41 but before I continue I would like to comment in saying that verse 41 sums up all of the chapter. Especially the parable concerning the talents. The King being God and the three servants you and I. Yeshua speaks often about how we are known by our fruit, and we bare none we are cast into where..... the fire. 

Matthew 25: 31 - "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, accompanied by all the angels, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people from one another as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. The 'sheep' he will place at his right hand and the 'goats' at his left. "Then the king will say to those on his right, 'com, you whom my Father has blessed, take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you made me your guest, I needed clothes and you provided them, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the people who have done what God wants will reply, 'Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you our guest, or needing clothes and provide them? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' The King will say to them, 'Yes I tell you that whenever you did these things for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did it for me!' "Then he will also speak to those on his left, saying, "Get away from me, you who are cursed! Go off into the fire prepared for the Adversary and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me no food, thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, a stranger and you did welcome me, needing clothes and you did not give to me, sick and in prison and you did visit me.' The they too reply, 'Lord when did we see you hungry, thirsty, a stranger, needing clothes, sick or in prison, and not take care of you?' And he will answer them, "Yes! I tell you that whenever you refused to do it for the least important of these people, you refused to do it for me! They will go off to eternal punishment, but those who have done what God wants will go to eternal life."  

Yeshua addresses those who are obedient and then those who are not. As with the parable concerning the King and three servants given the talents those, who did well with what the king gave them (The Word) were rewarded while the third was not. When I make poor decisions I have no one to blame other than myself. HaSatan (The Tempter) can only go so far and that is to tempt me as he did with Yeshua in Matthew chapter 4:1. Just as with HaSatan I too have a job and that is to overcome. We read that Yeshua overcame any temptation and when he did, the Satan left his presence. I don't know how I can make this any clearer but we have a choice. I will also make clear that angels don't have the power to be disobedient. We must remember that God is in charge. Prior to the flood HASHEM decided He was going to do away with mankind aside from Noah and his family. If angels were the problem today God could certainly take care of them. 

In part 4 we will cover Revelation and Ezekiel.

Shalom






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