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Sunday, July 4, 2010

THE HISTORY OF THE LETTER "J"

J is the 10th letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet used today

it was the last of the 26 letters to be added

Its name in English is pronounced jay

It was formerly jy (from French ji) and still is in some dialects, mainly in Scottish English

J originated as a swash character to end some Roman numerals in place of i. There was an emerging distinctive use in Middle High German. Gian Giorgio Trissino (1478–1550) was the first to explicitly distinguish I and J as representing separate sounds, in his ?pistola del Trissino de le lettere nu?vamente aggiunte ne la lingua italiana ("Trissino's epistle about the letters recently added in the Italian language") of 1524. Originally, both I and J represented /i/, /i?/, and /j/; but Romance languages developed new sounds (from former /j/ and /?/) that came to be represented as I and J; therefore, English J, acquired from the French J has a sound value quite different from /j/ (which represents the sound in the English word "yet").

The History of j

The letter j is rather different to those discussed so far, as it did not exist in Latin and, of course, a great deal of the medieval literate tradition is in Latin. This does need a little explanation. Old textbooks on the Latin language or paleography will inform you that Classical Latin had no letter for consonantal i. The use of j for this purpose in Latin textbooks predates my learning of the language at school, but contrary to popular belief that was some time after the medieval era. Nonetheless, by that time Latin scholars had come to the astonishing conclusion that if the Latin alphabet had no consonantal i, perhaps the spoken language actually didn't have one either. After all, if the founders of modern western literacy had needed a symbol for a sound, no doubt they could have managed to come up with one.

Latin pronunciation, as taught, was changed and the letter j, representing consonantal i, as it had been introduced to the language, was no longer pronounced as soft g, but as y. As a result of this and other pronunciation changes which were introduced, Iulius (or Julius) Caesar was no longer pronounced jooleeus seezar but yuleeus kizar, at least in theory. We don't actually know exactly how ancient Latin was pronounced, as they had no tape recorders, and who knows what changes might have been wrought through two millennia of church Latin, but inferences have been made through the scansion of Latin poetry and the like. The reformed pronunciation did rather spoil that piece of schoolkid doggerel that began Caesar adsum jam forte.

So basically, it is probably incorrect to say that j is exactly the same as i in both ancient and medieval Latin. More correctly, there was simply no such letter as j.

In Gothic scripts, it became common to extend the second i of a double i below the baseline as an aid to untangling the minims. This looks like a j, but for all functional purposes, it is a variant of i.

    This is the word p[er]tinentiis rendered with an extended second i in a 12th century protogothic document hand.

    This is the word filiis as written with an extended second i in a late 15th or 16th century German psalter in a Gothic textura book hand.

The letter j made its appearance in other languages to serve different purposes. In modern Dutch, the combination ij is used to indicate the long i sound, so it is being used as a vowel, as in words like koninklijk. In fact, j appears in various contexts in Dutch, also representing variants both on the y and soft g sounds. As in all vernacular languages, spelling was not standardised in the medieval period and a range of variants appeared.

    The word pijn, as written in a 15th century Dutch book of hours in a Gothic textura script.

    In this word iaer, the letter i rather than j is used for the y sound, from a different 15th century Dutch book of hours. In modern Dutch the word is jaar. You see what I mean about spelling.

Medieval Dutch and the dialects of German shared a range of spelling individualities. In modern German, the letter j is used for the y sound. Until this was standardised, other solutions were used. Some German writing masters' alphabet samples of the 16th century show no lower case j.
    In this late 15th century German language document, the y sound is represented by a y in the word yemands.
    In this early 16th century letter of the emperor Maximilan I, written in a cursive document hand, the word jaren is presented with a capitalised form of j.

The only words in Italian beginning with j are 20th century modernisms like jazz or jet. The soft g is rendered with gi in such words as giustizia. In Spanish, j represents an h sound, but in written form the words may appear closer to their Latin roots than the Italian.
    In this early 16th century carta ejecutoria in the Spanish language, the j in justicia is written as a rather elaborate capital.
French, of course, uses j for the very soft g sound in such words as je and jeune.

    The word je in a late 14th century French document in a cursive hand shows j as a large letter which resembles a capital.
    In a late 15th or early 16th century French language book of hours, the word je is written with an i for j.
    French was also spoken and written as a vernacular in England, albeit one which was diverging from the French of France. This word jours from a late 14th century French language document from England also uses i for j.

The letter j is not particularly common in English. In late medieval writings it might take the form of a minuscule i or a capital I, in which case words beginning with i were often also adorned with a capital. With a few added flourishes, it developed its own character.

    In the word justyse, the letter j has an extended curved form. This is from a 14th century poem in a cursive book hand.
    In a 15th century version of the Brut chronicle, written in a cursive script, the j of the word justs (meaning jousts) has developed large closed loops.

The letter j can be seen to be a Johnny-come-lately of the medieval alphabet, and had not quite established itself by the end of the period we are looking at here. It came to represent different sounds in different vernacular languages. Most conventions of transcription seem to work along the lines that if it looks like an i it is transcribed as an i, and if it looks like a j it is transcribed as a j, but it can be a delicate judgment (or is that iudgment?).

The letter J has a history that is linked with the history of the letter I. The Romans and their European successors used I both for the vocalic i and for the consonantal y (as in the English word yet). The English letter J did not come into existence until the end of medieval times, when scribes began to use a tailed form of i, with or without the dot, next to the short form of i (1).

J - Letter J: Spiritual Theosophical Dictionary on J - Letter J

J - Letter J - The tenth letter in the English and Hebrew alphabet, in the latter of which it is equivalent

to y, and i, and is numerically number 10, the perfect number (See Jodh and Yodh), or one. (See also "I".)

(See also: J - Letter J, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

J - Letter J: Spiritual Dictionary on Jera

Jera: The 12th rune of the Elder Futhark, representing the letter J.

The meaning of this rune is harvest, and a reaping of rewards for efforts expended.

(See also: Jera, Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

J - Letter J: Spiritual Theosophical Dictionary on I - Letter I

I - Letter I. - The ninth letter in the English, the tenth in the Hebrew alphabet. As a numeral it signifies in both languages one, and also ten in the Hebrew (see J), in which it corresponds to the Divine name Jah, the male side, or aspect, of the hermaphrodite being, or the male-female Adam, of which hovah Jah-hovah) is the female aspect. It is symbolized by a hand with bent fore-finger, to show its phallic signification.

(See also: I - Letter I, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

J - Letter J: Spiritual Theosophical Dictionary on Yod

Yod (Hebrew, Jewish). The tenth letter of the alphabet, the first in the four fold symbol of the compound name Jah-hovah (Jehovah) or Jah-Eve, the hermaphrodite force and existence in nature.

Without the later vowels, the word Jehovah is written IHVH (the letter Yod standing for all the three English letters y, i, or j, as the case may require), and is male-female. The letter Yod is the symbol of the lingham, or male organ, in its natural triple form, as the Kabalah shows.

Letter Series: I and J - The letters I and J follow each other in the alphabet and look a lot alike. So it comes as no surprise to discover that our ninth and tenth letters started out as the same character.

And what happened to the Y? After the Roman conquest of Greece in the first century B.C., the Romans began to use some Greek words. They added the Greek Y to the Latin alphabet to accommodate these new additions to their vocabulary. But the sound value given to Y by the Greeks was unknown in the Latin language; when the Romans used it in adopted Greek words it took on the same sound as the letter I.

The letters I and J follow each other in the alphabet and look a lot alike. So it comes as no surprise to discover that our ninth and tenth letters started out as the same character.

The Phoenician ancestor to our present I was a sign called “yodh,” meaning “hand.” The original Phoenician symbol evolved over time into a zigzag shape that was eventually adopted by the Greeks. The Greeks often simplified the symbols they borrowed, and the yodh was no exception. As used by the Greeks, the zigzag became a simple vertical line. The Greeks also changed the name of the letter to “iota.”

Iota was the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet and, as such, has come to mean “a very small amount.” The word “jot” also derives (via Latin) from the Greek iota, and usually refers to a small note or mark.

Like the G and F, the letter I took its time deciding which sound it represented. The Phoenicians used it as a semivowel, as the ‘y’ in toy. When the I was adopted by the Greeks around 900 B.C., they used the letter to represent the long ‘ee’ vowel sound. Then, in early Latin, the I represented both the vowel ‘i’ and the semivowel ‘y.’

Eventually, somebody must have grown tired of using one letter to represent two sounds, and so an attempt was made to differentiate them by lengthening the I slightly to represent the semivowel. In the 16th century, a lettering artist decided that merely lengthening the letter was too subtle a change, and added a hook to the bottom of the J.

Both the lowercase I and J have a dot, but there are two competing theories as to which got its dot first. One theory maintains that the J was first, with the dot added during the 13th century in an attempt to further distinguish J from I. The other theory posits that the I was dotted first (also during the 13th century), and that the dot’s purpose was to help distinguish the I from straight-sided characters like the M, N and U when it appeared near these letters in blocks of text copy.

CONVIENENT TIMING: KJV TRANSLATED 1611? LETTER "J" ADDED 1634

The first English-language book to make a clear distinction between I and J was published in 1634 (Ref). Its use in the English alphabet followed, the letter J was the last of the 26 letters to be added to the English Alphabet. Its emerging distinctive use dates back to Middle High German, originally being a typographical flourish or swash character on the Roman i. The Italian: Gian Giorgio Trissino (1478-1550) was the first to explicitly distinguish I and J as representing separate sounds in 1524 with his "Trissino's epistle about the letters recently added in the Italian language."

Letter "J" - A "recent" addition to English

    It's vitally important that you recognize some significant information about the letter "J". Please note that in the original 1611 edition of the King James Version of the Bible there was no letter "J" used. The letter "J" did not even exist in common usage within the english language. James was spelled Iames. Jesus was spelled Iesous. And as you'll see below, the letter "J" was completely unknown until the 14th century. This is clearly documented in world history.

    It's predecessors were the letter "Y" and the letter "I". Each of these was "morphed" (altered) into the letter "J" at some point, based on human traditions. This was mankind's alteration of YAHWEH's Word. This involved a virtually complete rejection and replacement of the Hebrew letter "Y". In the Hebrew alphabet there is no letter “J”, and no “J” sound.

    The references below demonstrate very clearly that biblical names beginning with "J" are a corruption of the Hebrew "Y" and its accompanying sound.. Unfortunately, using the letter "J" creates a perversion of The Scriptures because of the way we use that letter today. If we would pronounce them as a "Y" we would be closer to the correct sound. But few people today even recognize that this is a possibility. As a result, they are misleading, and cause confusion when trying to properly understand The Scriptures. We would do well to change them to "Y"'s, which would more then follow the original Hebrew letters used in these words.

    This is most certainly true in the case of "Jehovah" and "Jesus". Both of these words are improper transliterations of the original Hebrew. The proper personal names are YAHWEH, for the Father, and YAHSHUA, for the Son. Jehovah and Jesus should be corrected to these proper names. As they stand now, they are corruptions of the original. If we are going to truly "honor and praise the NAME" of The Creator, we need to know His correct name. The same is true of His Son. Once we know the proper personal names of YAHWEH and YAHUSHUA we need to use them as they were intended to be used.

    This is also true of every other name in The Scriptures that begins with the letter "J" in our modern bible translations.

The Encyclopedia Americana contains the following on the J:

The form of J was unknown in any alphabet until the 14th century. Either symbol (J,I) used initially generally had the consonantal sound of Y as in year. Gradually, the two symbols (J,l) were differentiated, the J usually acquiring consonantal force and thus becoming regarded as a consonant, and the I becoming a vowel. It was not until 1630 that the differentiation became general in England.

Note these additional comments of the Encyclopedia Americana regarding The Letter J:

It is one of the few permanent additions to those alphabets, made in medieval or modern times. More exactly, it was not an addition, but a differentiation from an existing letter, i, which in Latin, besides being a vowel (as in index), had also the consonantal value of "Y" (as in maior, pronounced "mayor"). At a later stage, the symbol "J" was used for distinctive purposes, particularly when the "I" had to be written initially (or in conjunction with another "I"). Either symbol used initially generally had the consonantal sound of "Y" (as in year) so that the Latin pronunciation of either Ianuarius or Januarius was as though the spelling was "Yanuarius." While in some words of Hebrew and other origin (such as Hallelujah or Junker), "J" has the phonetic value of "Y."

Webster's Universal Dictionary (1936) discloses the early relationship between I and J:

As a character it was formerly used interchangeably with "i," both letters having originally the same sound; and after the "j" sound came to be common in English, it was often written where this sound must have been pronounced. The separation of these two letters is of comparatively recent date, being brought about through the influence of the Dutch printers.

The Oxford English Dictionary is acknowledged as one of the most authoritative works existing on the origins and meanings of words in the English language. It's a 12-volume work, and took some fifty years to complete. Under the entry for "J," is the following entry concerning the sound of the pronunciation of this letter:

“Some time before the 6th century, this y-sound had, by compression in articulation, and consequent development of an initial 'stop,' become a consonantal diphthong, passing through a sound (dy), akin to that of our di, de, in odious, hideous, to that represented in our phonetic symbolization (dz). At the same time, the original guttural sound of G, when followed by a front vowel, had changed to that of palatal g (gy), and then, by an advance of the point of closure, had passed through that of (dy), to the same sound (dz); so the i consonant and the so-called g 'soft' came to have, in the Romanic languages, the same identical value.”

The Encyclopedia Britannica reveals that the sound of the letter J was the same as the sound of the letter I:

“The original consonantal sound represented by the letter was the semi-vowel or spirant "I" (the sound of y in yacht). This passed into dy and later into the sound dz which the letter represents today.”

Please take special note of what Webster's New International Dictionary states about the development and usage of the letter:

J is a comparatively late variant from the Latin I which was used indifferently as a vowel or consonant, its consonantal value being that of English Y in yet. The form J was developed from i during the Middle Ages, and it was long used in certain positions in the word merely without regard to the sound as a consonant or vowel. But the lengthened form was often initial, and the initial was usually consonantal, so the j gradually became differentiated from i in function as well as form. It was not, however, until the 17th century that the distinction of j as a consonant and i as a vowel was fully established and the capital J introduced. In English, the regular and practically uniform sound of j as in "jet" (dzh), the same as g in "gem," dates from the 11th century, that being the sound represented by i when consonantal in words then introduced from old French.

The New Book of Knowledge puts it this way:

The early history of the letter "J" is the same as the history of the letter "1." "1" is a descendant of the ancient Phoenician and Hebrew letter "yod" and the Greek letter "iota." The Phoenicians gave the yod a semiconsonant sound pronounced like the "Y" in yellow. While the lower case "J" of modern type was derived directly from medieval manuscripts, the capital "J" is virtually a printer's invention. The sound "J" as we know it in English today was derived when the "Y" sound eventually passed into a "dy" sound and later into the "J" sound as in juggle.

Under the topic "J," Collier's Encyclopedia shows how this happened:

Introduced as a sign for the consonantal sound of "i" in Latin words, the letter j was soon used in English, French, and Spanish to represent the sound that developed out of Latinic consonantic i in each of these three languages. This was a certain improvement, since these three sounds (y, z, dz) which all developed out of the Latin consonant i, did not exist in Latin, and the Latin alphabet had no sign for them.

    This evidence establishes beyond any doubt that every word in your bible translated with a "J" at the beginning is an improper translation of the original text. It is also not a true transliteration, I encourage you to begin today to use the proper names of YAHWEH and YAHUSHUA.

    We would also do well to discover and use the proper names of all the people in The Scriptures. Altering someone's name, even when moving between different languages, is not normally done. The name should remain the same in every language, precisely because it is someone's personal name. You don't change their name just because you speak a different language. You may have trouble pronouncing it correctly, but the name should not be changed.

    There's a tremendous wealth of information contained in those proper Hebrew names. You could make an entire study of Scripture based solely on the names of the people involved, and discover a wealth of new information that has been hidden in those names. It would certainly take some work, but the rewards would be magnificent.

Our New Letter "J"

   As students with an interest in communication studies, we all know the English language has 26 letters, but did you know that there is a conspiracy contained in one particular letter of our alphabet? As open-minded students, we owe it to ourselves and our professional fields of academic inquiry to unveil this deceptive letter. I first uncovered the truth about this while giving the eulogy at my father’s funeral.

   On a cold, sad winter day in 1993, before my father’s casket was to be buried in the ground, I spoke and read from an old family Bible. My father’s side of the family came to the Massachusetts Colony before 1670, but my Aunt Carolyn mentioned that this Bible came from one of the original thirteen colonies to the south (North Carolina). I was reading from a version of the 1611 King James English Bible. The form of the antiquated English was difficult when I had read out of the New Testament Book of Luke. What puzzled me, however, was that everywhere there should have been the name “Jesus,” the name “Iosous” was written. In fact, I noticed that there was not a single letter “J” to be found in this entire Bible! I asked my Aunt Carolyn about this and she responded that “they didn’t have the letter ‘J’ back then.” This made me curious, so I decided to do a little research about this new letter.

   In my research, I found that the Creator, mentioned in the Bible, does have a name, but it does not begin with an “I” nor a “J”. In fact, He affirms that His name begins with a “Y” and that He has never changed it. I also found that there has been a long history of anti-Semitism that has focused its efforts on disguising the fact that the New Testament Messiah is Jewish. Basically, I found that it is a rhetorical war between biblical Hebrew theology and pagan Greek mythology. The cornerstone upholding this deception of the Bible verses is contained in the letter “J”.

   The dishonest use of the letter “J” has disseminated a rhetoric of deception; one that has empowered European ethnic cleansing. The practice if substituting the “J” for the “Y” is blatantly anti-Semitic. It masquerades as an “I”, and most importantly, falsifies the letter “Y”. According to Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary, the letter “J” did not even exist until the 11th century Norman Invasion of the British Islands (Webster’s 983). This warlike letter made a beachhead into the English language in the 1200s, but, in fact, the invasive letter “J” did not become fully established into the English language until the 17th century after fully misrepresenting the letter “I” and vanquishing the letter “Y”.

   Anti-Semitism has its roots in half truths because the predominant religious European political establishment employed anti-Semitic framing in its rhetoric. This framing includes misrepresentations of the actual historical personage mentioned in the New Testament. “Jesus” is often represented as a blonde hair, blue-eyed Gentile in His appearance in iconic artwork. He is often portrayed as a Greek in His actions, specifically as one who is opposed to keeping the Torah.

   This character hiding behind the letter “J” is a lawless counterfeit parading as an angel of light, a true anti-messiah of sorts. According to the genealogies listed in the four evangels, Christ, or more correctly, the Messiah, was a Jew of the lineage of King David. The letter “J” hides the Hebrew roots of this New Testament Savior and the message that He preached. It also misrepresents His family and relations, all being by birth and culture—“Jews.” In fact, the letter “J” conceals the true identity of the Jews. The Scripture Research Institute in South Africa notes, “… we are refrained from using the word ‘Judah’ because this word is derived from the Greek Iudaios (Judaios), which was none other than a Greek deity (see W. H. Roscher’s Lexicon of Mythology).

   Keep in mind that the letter “J” did not exist until around the year 1300 and the Jews, or more correctly, the Yahudim have existed for thousands of years. Yahudim in the Hebrew language means “one who praises Yahweh.” You have heard the name of Yahweh before in the expression “HalleluYah.” This expression in Hebrew means “praise you YAH—the short form of the name Yahweh. The name Yahweh is important to the Yahudim. It is Israel’s exclusive monotheistic national deity and is specifically mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. The name Yahweh is not found five or 500 or 5,000 times, but precisely 6,823 times in the scriptures, existing in the Jewish and Christian Bibles.

   The term “Jehovah” is also a corrupted name as it is a falsely-manufactured hybrid name formed when one takes the Hebrew vowel points for Adonai and transposes them into the Tetragramaton (tetra = four), or four lettered name, Yahweh. G.R. Driver, a scholar from Oxford, in his work The Original Form of the Name ‘Yahweh,’ Evidence and Conclusions, points out that the name Yahweh is found on the Moabite Stone dating from 850 B.C.

   But the real issue is that the letter “J” misrepresents the Messiah presented in the New Testament as a pagan Gentile. The Messianic prophesies in the Old Testament specify that He would be Hebrew Yahudim from the line of King David and the tribe of Yahudah. The name “Jesus” was not in common use until around the year 1,700, even before there was a letter “J”. The name Iesous was used instead. The name Iesous is Greek. It is the feminine form of “the healing Zeus” (Ie+Zeus). In the New Testament, the Messiah says in John 5:43, I have come in My Father’s Name. The Messiah of Israel did not come in the name of Ie or in the name of the Greek Zeus or Iesous, the healing Zeus or in Spanish, H(J)esus. He came in the name of Yahweh and the name, the historical personage of Nazareth, as known by His acquaintances, was Yahshua. But according to some religious leaders, those facts should never be revealed.

   I heard a pastor speaking about the Bible on the radio and was impressed with some of his insights. I decided to talk with this pastor because I was excited to share what I had found about the true name of the New Testament Savior. In our meeting at this large church, I revealed what I had discovered about how the letter “J” covers up the true identity of Yahshua. In my conversation with him, the pastor stated, “We know the name is Yahshua, but the people are not ready for that truth yet.” I was immediately escorted out of his office by two equally large stern men and briskly led to my car in the church’s parking lot. I felt the pastor was hiding something and that what I knew was somehow a threat to him and his large organization. Still, I felt that the details that I had uncovered about the names hiding under the letter “J” were fascinating, yet they were totally dismissed.

It is absolutely fascinating what the name Yahshua reveals. The first half of the name, Yah, is from Yahweh, His Heavenly Father. The second half is “shua,” meaning salvation. Yahshua of Nazareth’s name means “Yahweh is Salvation.” His source is Yahweh His Father, and His mission is salvation.

   The tricky “J” covers up the Hebrew origins of the New Testament Messiah. It is a completely unscriptural, falsified, counterfeit name usurping the historical record of Yahshua of Nazareth. In fact, strict orthodox Christianity is Hebrew Messianism. Its origin is exclusively Hebrew theology, not a mixture of Greek mythology. The misuse of the letter “J” continues to promote anti-Semitism and cloak many fascinating historical connections, such as Jerusalem itself. In Paleo Hebrew, it is “Yahrushalayim,” the city of Yahweh. This is mentioned in two places in the Old Testament, 1 Kings 11:36 and 2 Kings 21:4, Yahrushalayim, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there. And he built altars in the house of Yahweh of which Yahweh said, “In Yahrushalayim I put My name.”

   Yahweh’s people are also known by His name, as are many of the Biblical prophets who carry the short form of Yah in their names. None of them carry any form of “Healing Zeus.” Notice Isaiah—Yah is my reward, Jeremiah—Yah will elevate and Elijah—My Mighty One is Yahweh. Even the New Testament Messianic Book of Matthew is MattatiYAHu, alluding in its linguistic construction as do most of the New Testament Books, to an original Hebrew, not Greek origin.

   When one falsifies the name of another, it can alter the perceived attributes of that individual who has been misrepresented by a rhetoric of deception. The historical misrepresentation of Yahshua of Nazareth as a Greek who disdains the Jewish people is one of the biggest frauds in the history of the rhetorical tradition.

   The intent of my article has been to empower my fellow communication scholars with the knowledge of the communication significance contained in our new letter “J” and how it has been manipulated to frame and disseminate a rhetoric of deception that has brought dishonor to the field of communication. Keep in mind that the letter “J” did not exist until around the 16th century! Look it up and then decide the truth!

HalleluYAH!

In Islam

Shaitan is the equivalent of Satan in Islam.

    "It is We Who created you and gave you shape; then We bade the angels prostrate to Adam, and they prostrate; not so Iblis (Lucifer); He refused to be of those who prostrate."
    (Allah) said: "What prevented thee from prostrating when I commanded thee?" He said: "I am better than he: Thou didst create me from fire, and him from clay."

        Qur'an 7:11-12

In Christianity

# The most common English synonym for "Satan" is "Devil", which descends from Middle English devel, from Old English de-ofol, that in turn represents an early Germanic borrowing of Latin diabolus (also the source of "diabolical"). This in turn was borrowed from Greek diabolos "slanderer", from diaballein "to slander": dia- "across, through" + ballein "to hurl".[10]

In the New Testament, "Satan" occurs more than thirty times in passages alongside Diabolos (Greek for "the devil"), referring to the same person or thing as Satan.[11]

# Lucifer is sometimes used in Christian theology to refer to Satan, as a result of identifying the fallen "son of the dawn" of Isaiah 14:12 with the "accuser" of other passages in the Old Testament.

# Beelzebub is originally the name of a Philistine god (more specifically a certain type of Baal, from Ba‘al Zebûb, lit. "Lord of Flies") but is also used in the New Testament as a synonym for Satan.

"The dragon" and "the old serpent"

Friday, July 2, 2010

THE NAMES OF GOD GIVEN IN SCRIPTURE

Noah, obedience.......through faith

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Almighty God graciously chose to reveal His Name (i.e., His character and presence by means of His acts and deeds) to the world through the Jewish people.

Through the ancient Hebrew Patriarchs, through the great deliverance God effected by means of His servant Moses, through the eloquent oracles and admonitions of the Hebrew prophets, and most especially through the manifestation of the Mashiach Yeshua: in all these ways God has revealed His Name.

In fact, the Scriptures make it clear that the name of Yeshua is so vital to our correct apprehension of reality that without it we are literally lost, since we are told "there is no other name by means of which it is necessary for us to be saved" (Acts 4:12).

God [The basic form]
Elohim.
God; gods. The plural form of El, meaning “Strong One.” The Name Elohim occurs 2,570 times in the Tanakh. See Isa. 54:5; Jer. 32:27; Gen. 1:1; Isa. 45:18; Deut. 5:23; etc.

YHVH

The personal Name of Adonai, the transcendent Source and Ground of all being whatsoever. This Name appears 6,800+ times in the Tanakh (rendered in the KJV as the LORD [all caps]).

In those contexts where the actual title "Lord" (Adonai) also occurs, YHVH is translated as "GOD," (all caps):

KJV Note: YHVH is transliterated as "Jehovah" in four passages where the name is particularly stressed (Exo 6:3; Psa 83:18 [H 19]; Isa 12:2; Isa 26:4] and in three passages to form transliterated constructs (e.g., Jehovahjireh (Gen 22:14; cc Exo 17:15; Jud 6:24)).

The Son of God

Ben Elohim.
The Son of God (Matt. 16:16; 26:63; Jn. 6:69).

I AM THAT I AM

Ehyeh asher Ehyeh
(eh-YEH a-sher eh-YEH) I AM THAT I AM. (Exodus 3:14; cp. John 8:58).

The LORD God

Adonai Elohim.
The LORD God (Gen. 2:4). This Name shows that the Source and Ground of all being is also the personal God and Creator of the entire universe. References: Gen. 2:4f, 7ff, 15f, 18f, 21f; 3:1, 8f, 13f, 21ff; Exod. 9:30; 2 Sam. 7:25; 2 Kgs 19:19; 1 Chr. 17:16f; 28:20; 2 Chr. 1:9; 6:41f; Psa. 72:18; 84:11; Jonah 4:6.

The God of Abraham

Elohei Avraham.The God of Abraham (Ex. 3:15).

The LORD my God

Adonai Elohai.The LORD my God (Psalm 13:3).

The God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob

Elohei Avraham elohei Yitschak velohei Ya’akov.
The God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob (Ex. 3:15).

The LORD our Father

Adonai Avinu.
The LORD our Father (Isa. 64:8).

The LORD Most High God

Adonai El Elyon.
The LORD Most High God (Gen. 14:22; Psalm 7:17; Psalm 47:2).

The LORD God of Israel

Adonai Elohei Yisrael.
The LORD God of Israel. Identifies YHVH as the God of Israel in contrast to the false gods of the nations (Isa. 17:6).

The God of my kindness

Elohei Chasdi.
God of my Kindness (Ps. 59:17).
From chesed, the covenantal faithfulness (of God). See also Psalm 89:29; 144:2.

The LORD who sees

Adonai Yir'eh.
The LORD who sees; Gen. 22:14; Adonai sees all and knows our needs intimately (rendered in the KJV as Jehovahjireh). Sometimes transliterated as "Jehovah Jirah" or "Jehovah Jireh."

The LORD your Sanctifier

Adonai Mekaddishkhem.
"The Lord your Sanctifier." Portrays the Lord as our means of sanctification or as the one who sets believers apart for His purposes (Ex. 31:13).

The God of gods

Elohei Haelohim.
The God of gods (Deut. 10:17; Josh. 22:22; Ps. 136:2).

The LORD my Miracle

Adonai Nissi.
The LORD my Miracle, or The LORD my Banner; (Ex. 17:15) (rendered in the KJV as the Jehovahnissi).

The LORD our Maker

Adonai Osenu.
The LORD our Maker (Ps. 95:6).

The LORD our Righteousness

Adonai Tzidkenu (or Tsidkeinu).
The LORD our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6, 33:16).

The LORD of hosts

Adonai Tseva'ot.
The LORD of armies (or hosts).
Tsava means army.
References: Exo 12:41; 1 Sam. 1:11; 4:4; 15:2; 17:45; 2 Sam. 6:2, 18; 7:8, 26f; 1 Ki. 18:15; 2 Ki. 3:14; 1 Chr. 17:7, 24; Ps. 24:10; 46:8, 12; 48:9; 59:6; 69:7; 80:5, 20; 84:2, 4, 9, 13; 89:9; Isa. 1:9, 24; 3:1, 15; 5:7, etc.; Amos 4:13; 5:14ff, 27; 6:8; Mic. 4:4; Nah. 2:14; 3:5; Hab. 2:13; Zeph. 2:9f; Hag. 1:2, 5, 7, 9, 14; 2:4, 6ff, 11, 23; Zech. 1:3f, 6, 12, 14, etc.; Mal. 1:4, 6, 8ff, 13f; 2:2, 4, 7f, 12, 16; 3:1, 5, 7, 10ff, 14, 17, 19, 21.

The LORD my Shepherd

Adonai Ro'i. (ro-ee)
The LORD my Shepherd (Ps. 23:1, Ez. 34:2).

The LORD who heals you

Adonai Roph'ekha.
The LORD who heals you; The LORD your healer; (Ex. 15:26). Sometimes mistakenly named the LORD our Healer.

The LORD of peace

Adonai Shalom.
The LORD of Peace (Judges 6:24) (rendered in the KJV as Jehovahshalom).

The LORD your God

Adonai Eloheikhem.
"The LORD your [pl.] God" (Lev. 19:3).

The LORD my Rock and Redeemer

Adonai Tsuri v'goali.
"The LORD my Rock and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14[5h]).

The LORD God of David

Adonai Elohei David.
"The LORD God of David" (Isaiah 38:5).

The LORD my Rock

Adonai Sal'i.
The LORD my Rock (or Hiding Place, as in the crag of a cliff) (Psalm 18:2).

The Angel of the LORD
[WAS] YHVH Himself, exercising divine prerogatives and receiving worship (see Genesis 16:7, 9, 11; Exodus 3:2-6; Judges 13:21-22).

References: Genesis 16:7, 9ff; 22:11, 15; Numbers 22:22ff, 31f, 34f; Judges 2:1, 4; 5:23; 6:11f, 21f; 13:3, 13, 15ff, 20f; 1 Kings 19:7; 2 Kings 1:15; 19:35; 1 Chronicles 21:16, 30; Psalm 34:8; Isaiah 37:36; Haggai 1:13; Zechariah 1:11f; 3:1, 6; Malachi 2:7.

Note: The Aramaic Targum of Onkelos (Genesis 16:13) identifies the Angel of the Lord with the Shekhinah, the concrete manifestation of the presence of God.

God of -

Elohei.
God of -; a “construct form” that never appears without a qualifying descriptor.

My God

Elohai.
My God.
Elohim with personal pronoun suffix indicating 1st person singular.

The God of my strength

Elohei Ma’uzzi.
God of my Strength (2 Sam. 22:33; Ps. 31:5; 43:2).

The God who is near

Elohei Mikkarov.
God who is near (Jer. 23:23).
This Title for God acknowledges His immanence within all.

The God who is far

Elohei Merachok.
God who is far (Jer. 23:23).
This Title for God acknowledges His transcendence above all.

The God of heights

Elohei Marom.
God of Heights (Micah 6:6).

The God of Justice

Elohei Mishpat.
God of Justice (Isa. 30:18).

The God of Hosts

Elohei Tseva’ot.
Elohei Tseva’ot.
God of hosts or God of armies (2 Sam. 5:10).

The God of Rock

Elohei Tzur.
God of Rock (2 Sam. 22:47).
Rock is poetically used to indicate the strength of God as the ground of all being in the universe.

The Eternal God

Elohei Kedem.
God of the beginning; Eternal God (Deut. 33:27).

The God of my praise

Elohei Tehillati.
God of my Praise (Ps. 109:1).
From Tehillah, praise, hymn, or psalm. Tehillim is the book of Psalms in Hebrew.

Our God

Eloheynu.
Our God (Ex. 3:18).
Pronominal form that is common in many Hebrew blessings and prayers.

The God of our fathers

Elohei Avotenu.
The God of our fathers (Deut 26:7; 1 Chron. 12:17).

God our father

Elohim Avinu.
God our Father.

God in heaven

Elohim Bashamayim.
God in heaven (2 Chron 20:6).

The God of truth

Elohim Emet.
The God of truth (Jer. 10:10).

The God of Nahor

Elohei Nachor.
The God of Nahor (Abraham’s brother) (Gen. 31:53).

God the father

Elohim HaAv.
God the Father (Jn. 6:27; 1 Co. 8:6; Gal. 1:1, 3; Eph. 6:23; Phil. 2:11; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:2; Tit. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:17; 2 Jn. 1:3; Jude 1:1).

The Living God

Elohim Chayim.
The Living God (Deut. 5:26; Jos. 3:10; 1 Sam. 17:26, 36; 2 Ki. 19:4, 16; Ps. 42:2; 84:2; Isa. 37:4, 17; Jer. 10:10; 23:36; Dan. 6:20, 26; Hos. 1:10; Matt. 16:16; 26:63; Jn. 6:69; Acts 14:15; Rom. 9:26; 2 Co. 3:3; 6:16; 1 Tim. 3:15; 4:10; 6:17; Heb. 3:12; 9:14; 10:31; 12:22; Rev. 7:2).

The God of the living

Elohei HaChayim.
The God of the Living (Mk. 12:27).

The God of the spirits of all flesh

Elohei haruchot l’chol-basar.
God of the spirits of all flesh (Num. 16:22; 27:16).

The Spirit of God

Ruach Elohim.
The Spirit of God.
References: Gen. 1:2; Gen. 41:38; Exod. 31:3; 35:31; Num. 24:2; 1 Sam. 10:10; 11:6; 16:15f, 23; 18:10; 19:20, 23; 2 Chr. 15:1; 2 Chr. 24:20.

In many of these references note that the Spirit of God “came upon” an individual and enabled him to speak or act on behalf of YHVH.

The Spirit of the LORD

Ruach Adonai.
References: Jdg. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Sam. 10:6; 16:13,4; 19:9; 2 Sam. 23:2; 1 Ki. 18:12; 22:24; 2 Ki. 2:16; 2 Chr. 18:23; 20:14; Isa. 11:2; 40:7, 13; 59:19; 63:14; Ezek. 11:5; Hos. 13:15; Mic. 2:7; 3:8.

Note: A distinction was made by ancient Jewish authorities between the "Spirit of the Lord" and the Shekhinah, or the (tangible) presence of God. This distinction is made in the Talmud, which gives a list of things found in the first Temple in Jerusalem, but missing in the second Temple. The Shekhinah may have referred to God's actual dwelling within the Holy of Holies, and God's presence emanating outward from it in a special way.

The Holy Spirit

Ruach Hakkodesh.
The Holy Spirit.
Reference: Psalm 51:11

The Spirit of the LORD God

Ruach Adonai Adonai.

The Spirit of the LORD God.
Reference: Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of God

Ruach-El.

“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”(Job 33:4)

There are people out there who want to find the "perfect Name" for the LORD, and often focus in on the Name YHVH (????) in the pages of Tanakh.... In Jewish tradition, of course, it is forbidden to utter this Name (except by the High Priest during the Yom Kippur ceremony) and therefore various substitutions are used in its place. This custom is meant to avoid breaking the Third Commandment, "you shall not lift up the Name of the LORD in vain (lashav), a word that means in an empty or thoughtless manner (the LXX translates lashav as ??? ??????, "worthlessly" or "thoughtlessly"). Obviously "lifting up the Name" of God lashav includes the use of profanity, but it also includes "lip-service" expressions of faith, mechanical confessions, heartless acts of service, etc. The prohibition, in other words, means that God wants you to engage Him with "kavanah" (concentration): You cannot "call upon His Name" without first exercising reverence by recognizing His all-consuming glory and power...

When we bless others we are exercising our likeness to God ("lifting up the name"), but when we curse others, we do the opposite. "Life and death are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21). The false prophet Balaam (bil'am) was named "swallowing the people" by his mother.

Getting back to the Name of God... There are hundreds of Names and Titles, each one revealing something about the attributes and character of the LORD, and each one therefore worthy of study and appreciation.

Knowing the Name of God "objectively," then, is about truth, power, invocation.

Knowing the Name is about Hebrew letters, about sounds, about symbols, and ultimately about obtaining of spiritual power.

The main Name, the personal Name, is YHVH. [Many do not know or accept this but God has revealed to His true Church, the correct pronouncation of His Name is Yahweh-Elohim].

It is interesting to note that though the Greek language was capable of transliterating this Name, it was never done, not in the the Septuagint (i.e., the ancient Greek translation of the OT), nor in the Greek New Testament.

God is not as concerned about your "orthodox terminology" as much as he is looking for you to passionately and truly seek His face. The service of your lips must be accompanied with genuine service of the heart, lest the Name be used "lashav" - in vain... The same can be said about invoking the Name of God. God is not a snob. He doesn't get offended if someone might "lisp" His Name or tangle up their words when they call upon Him... God looks at the heart and to see if the soul truly wants His Holy Presence. As the prophet said, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart, and I will be found by you, declares the LORD" (Jer. 29:13-14).

Knowing the Name of the LORD means being in a personal, vital, and all-important relationship with the truth. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth. This means understanding God's character as "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin" (Exod. 34:6-7).

Since the Hebrew idea of word is coextensive with truth (i.e., "thing"), Jesus is called the Word of God who represents the Name of God to all who trust in Him (John 17:26, Heb. 1:3). Jesus (Yeshua) is the Name of God, the "thing" of God, the "substance" of God, the "exact imprint and representation of His nature,"

Yeshua's [Jesus] most common Name for God that we know about was "Father".

NOTE THAT THE NAME GOD ORIGINALLY GAVE JESUS WAS Y'SHUA. THE JEWISH TRANSLATION IS 'YESHUA' BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT IT WAS YAHSHUA, THE SON OF YAH [GOD-YAHWEH ELOHIM].

Thursday, July 1, 2010

GOD TOLD US "HIS" NAME...........

THE NEW "KING" JAMES VERSION IS WILLING TO NOW SHOW THIS IN 4 OF THE MANY SPOTS:
i.e. Psalms 68:4 KJV4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. (see post on the 'history' of the letter "j", last to be added to the english alphabet)

Psalms 68:4 NKJ
Sing to God, sing praises to His NAME; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His NAME Yah, And rejoice before Him.

Psalms 68:4 CJB
Sing to God, sing praises to His NAME; extol Him who rides on the clouds by His NAME, Yah; and be glad in His presence.

Isaiah 12:2 NKJ
Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; 'For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.' "

Isaiah 26:4 CJB
Trust in ADONAI forever, because in Yah ADONAI, is a Rock of Ages."

Isaiah 12:2 CJB
"See! God is my salvation. I am confident and unafraid; for Yah ADONAI is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation!"

Isaiah 26:4 NKJ
Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.

Isaiah 38:11 NKJ
I said, "I shall not see Yah, The Lord in the land of the living; I shall observe man no more among the inhabitants of the world.

Isaiah 38:11 CJB
"I said, 'I will never again see Yah, Yah in the land of the living; I will look on human beings no more or be with those who live in this world.

YAHWEH ELOHIM, WAS HIS NAME GIVEN TO MOSES; AS EL SHADDAI WAS GIVEN TO ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB, JUST AS HE GAVE JESUS HIS NAME: YAHSHUA.

Exodus 15:2 CJB
Yah is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. This is my God: I will glorify Him; my father's God: I will exalt Him.

Exodus 17:16 CJB
and said, "Because their hand was against the Throne of Yah, ADONAI will fight 'Amalek generation after generation."

Psalms 68:4 CJB
Sing to God, sing praises to His NAME; extol Him who rides on the clouds by His NAME, Yah; and be glad in His presence.

Psalms 68:18 CJB
After you went up into the heights, you led captivity captive, you took gifts among mankind, yes, even among the rebels, so that Yah, God, might live there.

Psalms 77:11 CJB
So I will remind myself of Yah's doings; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.

Psalms 89:8 CJB
ADONAI Elohei-Tzva'ot! Who is as mighty as you, Yah? Your faithfulness surrounds you.

Psalms 94:7 CJB
They say, "Yah isn't looking; the God of Ya'akov [Jacob] won't notice."

Psalms 94:12 CJB
How happy the man whom you correct, Yah, whom you teach from your Torah [Holy Scriptures],

Psalms 118:5 CJB
From my being hemmed in I called on Yah; he answered and gave me more room.

Psalms 118:14 CJB
Yah is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.

Psalms 118:17 CJB
I will not die; no, I will live and proclaim the great deeds of Yah!

Psalms 118:18 CJB
Yah disciplined me severely, but did not hand me over to death.

Psalms 118:19 CJB
Open the gates of righteousness for me; I will enter them and thank Yah.

Psalms 130:3 CJB
Yah, if you kept a record of sins, who, Adonai, could stand?

Psalms 135:3 CJB
praise Yah, for ADONAI is good; sing to his NAME, because it is pleasant.

YA'AKOV, THE HEBREW NAME OF JACOB WHOM GOD NAMED "ISRAEL"

Psalms 135:4 CJB
For Yah chose Ya'akov for himself, Isra'el as his own unique treasure.

Song of Solomon 8:6 CJB
[She] Set me like a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, passion as cruel as Sh'ol; its flashes are flashes of fire, [as fierce as the] flame of Yah.

Isaiah 12:2 CJB
"See! God is my salvation. I am confident and unafraid; for Yah ADONAI is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation!"

Isaiah 26:4 CJB
Trust in ADONAI forever, because in Yah ADONAI, is a Rock of Ages."

GOD, ELOHIM, SAID TO MOSHE [MOSES]....."SAY THIS TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL [JACOB]: YUD-HEH-VAV-HEH [YAHWEH]-ADONAI, THE ELOHIM [GOD] OF ABRAHAM [ABRAM]-AVARHAM, THE GOD [ELOHIM] OF ISAAC AND THE GOD [ELOHIM] OF ISRAEL [JACOB], HAS SENT ME TO YOU.

THIS, IS, MY NAME FOREVER. THIS IS HOW I AM TO BE REMEMBERED GENERATION AFTER GENERATION [FOREVER].

IS "SUN-DAY" IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?

Is "Sunday" Mentioned in the New Testament?

This change could not be made -a different day, the FIRST day of the week, could not be established by New Testament BIBLE authority, except in some text or texts employing the phrase "first day of the week," or the word "Sunday."

The word "Sunday" does not appear any place in the Bible.

But the phrase "first day of the week" is found in the New Testament. It occurs in exactly EIGHT places.

So it will not take long to examine these eight texts employing this phrase.

IF the day was changed by BIBLE authority, if Christians are to find any BIBLE AUTHORITY whatsoever for observing Sunday as the "Lord's Day" today, then we must find that authority in one of these eight texts!

Let us acknowledge at the outset, since the seventh day of the week is clearly established as the Bible Sabbath up until the time of the Cross, that there can be no BIBLE AUTHORITY for Sunday observance unless we find it clearly and plainly stated in one of these eight New Testament passages.

WHY DO YOU OBSERVE SUNDAY "THE 1ST DAY OF THE WEEK"?

We have been reared in a Sunday-observing world.

Naturally, we have taken Sunday-observances for granted. Naturally, the idea of a different day as the true Sabbath-day strikes us as fanatical and absurd.

Yet today some are telling us SATURDAY is the right day. They insist the SEVENTH day is the only day the Bible anywhere commands us to keep.

They even claim we are sinning—that we have the "Mark of the Beast" and shall suffer the seven last plagues—if we observe Sunday instead of keeping the seventh day.

Many False Prophets

Jesus warned that many false prophets would appear, deceiving many. So what is the TRUTH? How can we know?

Let all remember each of us shall stand before the judgment-seat of Christ! We shall be JUDGED, not by our sincerity in what we have always believed thru careless assumption, nor by our sincerity in following some NEW teaching without proof! We shall be judged by the BIBLE, God's Word! How to PROVE the Truth

"All Scripture" we read in II Tim. 3: 16, "is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction." Again, the command to us is, "PROVE ALL THINGS."

We must be willing to be corrected, if wrong. We must be careful not to be blown about "with every wind of doctrine." We must free our minds of all prejudice.
We must be able and willing to study BOTH sides honestly, laying our ideas and desires on the shelf, prayerfully asking God for guidance.

If we already are right, honest investigation will but confirm it.
If we are WRONG, we should want to know it. And we shall quickly, willingly, as a little child accept the TRUTH as God reveals it, whatever that truth may be, if our hearts are right With Him!

Perhaps this very study may be the TEST!

On the following pages is a brief, terse, outline of ONE PHASE of this many-sided question.

Explanation of other phases, answering other questions that may come up, will be supplied on request.

These three facts are self-evident.

1. Sunday is the first day of the week. See any calendar, dictionary, or encyclopedia. Is it, then, by BIBLE authority, "the Christian Sabbath," or truly the "Lord's Day," as it is popularly called today?

2. Jesus kept the SABBATH (Luke 4-16). It was His custom. The Sabbath He kept was the same day of the week the Jews observed, for the minister and congregation were all in the synagogue (verse 20), and the Pharisees continually rebuked Jesus for healing on the Sabbath day.

3. The Sabbath Jesus kept was the seventh day of the week. Three days after His crucifixion, this Sabbath still was the day before the first day of the week (Mat. 28:1). Therefore it was not just any day in seven, it was the seventh day of the week. See also Luke 23:56 and 24:1.

. . . BUT,

. . . was the day CHANGED by Christ or the apostles, after this, to the first day of the week so that Sunday

is now the New Testament Christian Sabbath?

. . . does the NEW TESTAMENT someplace show us that SUNDAY is the true Lord's Day and command

Christians to observe it?

LET us SEE!

Is "Sunday" Mentioned in the New Testament?

This change could not be made -a different day, the FIRST day of the week, could not be established by New Testament BIBLE authority, except in some text or texts employing the phrase "first day of the week," or the word "Sunday."

The word "Sunday" does not appear any place in the Bible.

But the phrase "first day of the week" is found in the New Testament. It occurs in exactly EIGHT places.

So it will not take long to examine these eight texts employing this phrase.

IF the day was changed by BIBLE authority, if Christians are to find any BIBLE AUTHORITY whatsoever for observing Sunday as the "Lord's Day" today, then we must find that authority in one of these eight texts!

So let us examine them carefully, honestly, prayerfully.

The Day AFTER Sabbath

(1) Matthew 28:1: "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher." This is the first place in the Bible where "the first day of the week" is mentioned. Matthew wrote these words, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, many years after the New Testament Church came into being. The text says that late on the Sabbath day it was drawing TOWARD the first day of the week. So this Scripture, we must admit, tells us plainly that three days and three nights after all that was done away had been securely "nailed to the Cross," the Sabbath was still the day BEFORE the first day of the week—still the seventh day of the
week.

One point is here plainly proved. Many tell us that the Sabbath command was merely for "one day in seven"—that it did not have to be THE seventh day of the week, but merely the seventh part of time. They argue that Sunday, being one day out of seven, fulfills the command. But here is a passage in the NEW Testament, inspired by the Holy Spirit many years after the beginning of the NEW Testament Church, stating in plain language that, three days after all abolished things had been done away, the Sabbath still existed and that it was the seventh day of THE WEEK—the day before the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.

That much is proved, and must remain settled for all who honestly seek and accept BIBLE authority.

But,

was the day changed later?

(2) Mark 16:2: "And very early in the morning THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun." This is merely Mark's version of the sunrise visit to the tomb. It was written several years after the crucifixion. The first day of the week, also, was "AFTER the Sabbath was PAST," according to verse 1. So this text proves the same thing as the one above—that the first day of the week was not at that time (three days after the crucifixion) the Sabbath, but the day AFTER the Sabbath.

The Sabbath, then, still was the SEVENTH day of the week.

A Common Work Day

(3) Mark 16:9: "Now when Jesus was risen, early the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils." This text speaks of Jesus' appearance to Mary Magdalene later the same day, -the day AFTER the Sabbath.

Nothing here calls the first day of the week the Christian Sabbath, we must admit. Nothing here calls it "The Lord's Day." Nothing here hallows Sunday or says God made it holy. Nothing here commands us to observe it. Nothing here sets it apart as a memorial of the Resurrection, or for any purpose. No command
or example of REST on this day no authority for observing Sunday here.

(4) Luke 24:1: "Now UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing their spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them."

This text tells again the same event recorded by Matthew and Mark, and it shows that on THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK these women came to do the work of a common week-day, AFTER having rested the Sabbath day "according to the commandment." For we read, in the verse just before this, "And they
returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment."

Shall we say these women did not yet know the commandment was abolished? No, we cannot, for this statement was not made by the women, but inspired by the HOLY Spirit, who did know it was not abolished. And it was written, at least twenty five years after the establishing of the New Testament Church!

The Holy Spirit THEN inspired the direct statement that the rest of these women on the Sabbath day was according to the commandment, which statement would not be possible had the commandment been abolished.

This text, then, establishes Sunday as a common work day, three days after the crucifixion, and it further established that at that time the command to rest on the Sabbath had not been abolished.

(5) John 20:1. "THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher."

This, written many, many years after the crucifixion, is John's version, describing the same visit to the tomb. It confirms the facts above.

Was This a Religious Meeting, to Celebrate the Resurrection?

(6) John 20:19: "Then the same day at evening, being THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."

Let us examine this carefully, for some claim this was a religious service called for the purpose of celebrating the Resurrection. But notice this is the same first day of the week that FOLLOWED the Sabbath.

It was Jesus' first opportunity to appear to His disciples. For three and a half years He had been constantly with them, on ALL days of the week. His meeting with them, of itself, could not establish any day as a Sabbath.

Were they assembled to celebrate the Resurrection, thus establishing Sunday as the Christian Sabbath in honor of the Resurrection? The text says they were assembled "for fear of the Jews." The Jews had just taken and crucified their Master. They were afraid. The doors were shut because of their fear— probably
bolted. Why were they assembled? "FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS" according to this text, and also because they all lived together in this upper room (Acts 1:13). They could not have assembled to celebrate the Resurrection for THEY DID NOT BELIEVE JESUS WAS RISEN (Mark 16:11; Luke 24-37, 39, 41).

Nothing in this text calls this day "Sabbath," or "Lord's Day," or any sacred title. Nothing here sets it apart, makes it holy. No authority here for changing a command of God! Lord's Supper Day -- or Work Day—WHICH?

(7) Acts 20:7: "And upon THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together." Here, at last we find a religious meeting on the first day of the week. But it was not a SUNDAY meeting!

Notice, Paul continued his speech until midnight! "And there were many LIGHTS in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together." It was AFTER SUNSET, prior to midnight, the first day of the week.

Now at that time the first day of the week did not begin at midnight, as men begin it today. It began, and the Seventh day ended, AT SUNSET! All Bible days begin and end at SUNSET.

Throughout the Roman world at that time, and for a few hundred years afterwards, days began and ended at sunset.

The practice of beginning the new day at midnight was started much later. Therefore this meeting, and Paul's preaching, took place during the hours we now call SATURDAY NIGHT—it was not a Sunday meeting at all!

WHY Paul Remained Behind

Let us, now, pick up the thread of the narrative related in this passage. Begin verse 6: "We sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them at Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, READY TO DEPART ON THE MORROW."

Paul and his companions had been in this town of Troas seven days. His companions had left by ship after sunset. Paul remained behind for a farewell meeting. He preached until midnight, "ready to depart on the morrow." At break of day— sunrise Sunday morning—Paul departed (verse 11).

Now notice what his companions had done. "And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in." (Verses 13-14).

Look at this on the map. Paul's companions had to sail around a peninsula—a distance of fifty or sixty miles, while Paul, afoot, walked across, a distance of 19 1/2 miles. He was able to walk this distance in shorter time than they could sail the much longer distance, which gave Paul the opportunity to remain behind
after they left, for this last farewell sermon and visit.

Now do you see what actually happened? Paul's companions were engaged in the LABOR of rowing and sailing a boat while Paul was preaching that Saturday night and early Sunday morning—on the first day of the week.

They had set sail Saturday night, AFTER THE SABBATH HAD ENDED. Paul remained
behind for one more last farewell sermon. Then, at break of day Sunday morning, Paul set out afoot, indulging in the labor of a 19 1/2 mile walk from Troas to Assos! He waited till the Sabbath was past for this long walk—a good hard day's work, if you ever tried it! He did it on the first day of the week!

Again, a common work day!

What "Break Bread" Means

But does this text not say, as many claim today, that the disciples always held communion every first day of the week! NOT AT ALL!

In the first place, it says nothing about anything being done EVERY first day of the week. It relates the events of this one particular first day of the week, ONLY. It is not speaking of any CUSTOMS, but of the events occurring as Paul and his companions concluded their seven-day visit in passing by this town.

Jesus had introduced the Lord's Supper as part of the Passover, at the beginning of the annual "days of unleavened bread." No longer could they kill lambs or eat the roasted body of Passover Lambs, after Christ, OUR Passover, had been once slain for us. yet the Passover was ordained FOREVER (Ex. 12:24).

At His last Passover supper Jesus substituted the wine as the emblem of His blood, instead of the blood of the slain lamb. He substituted the unleavened bread for the roast body of the lamb as the symbol of His body, broken for us. The disciples continued to observe Passover annually, now in the form of the Lord's
Supper using only the bread and wine, as a MEMORIAL (I Cor. 11:24) of Christ's DEATH, (I Cor.11:26), showing His death till He come again. They continued to observe the days of unleavened bread(Acts 20:6).

This year they had observed the days of unleavened bread and the Communion service at Philippi, after which they came to Troas in five days where they remained seven days.

After the Sabbath day had ended, at sunset, "upon the first day of the week, . . . the disciples came together to BREAK BREAD." People have ASSUMED this expression means the taking of Communion.

But notice! Paul preached, and continued preaching until midnight. They had no opportunity to stop and "break bread" until then. When Paul "therefore was come up again"—after restoring the one who had fallen down from the third balcony— and had broken bread, AND EATEN."

Note it! "Broken bread AND EATEN." This breaking bread was not Communion—simply eating a meal.

This expression was commonly used of old to designate a meal. It still is used in that sense in parts of even the United States.

Notice Luke 22:16, where Jesus was introducing the Lord's Supper, taking it with His disciples. He said, "I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God." Yet, the day alter His resurrection, after walking with the two disciples to Emmaus, as "HE sat at MEAT with them He took bread and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them." (Luke 24:30). Here Jesus "brake bread" but it was not the Lord's Supper, which He said He would NOT take again. It was a meal--"He sat AT MEAT."

Notice Acts 2:46. The disciples, "continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness." Here again "breaking bread" means EATING MEAT.

Not on the first day of the week, but DAILY.

Again, when Paul was shipwrecked on the voyage to Rome, the sailors had been fasting out of fright. But "Paul besought them all to take MEAT, saying, "This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take some MEAT: for this is for your health— And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all:

and when he had broken it, he began to eat." (Acts 27:33-35). Here Paul broke bread to give to unconverted sailors who were hungry.

The truth is, NOWHERE IN THE BIBLE is the expression "breaking of bread," or "to break bread," used to signify observance of the Lord's Supper. In all these texts it means, simply, eating a meal.

So, when we read in Acts 20:7, 11, "the disciples came together to break," and how Paul had "broken bread and EATEN," we know by Scripture interpretation it referred only to eating food as a meal, not to a Communion service.

What Was This COLLECTION?

We come now to the 8th and last place where the term ''first day of the week" occurs in the Bible.

(8) I Corinthians 16:2: "Upon the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him."
Often we see this text printed on the little offering envelopes in the pews of popular churches, and we have been told that this text sets THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK as the time for taking up the church collection for the carrying on of God's work, paying the minister, etc.

Let us begin with the first verse and really catch the true intended meaning of this verse.

"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."

This speaks of a collection—but for WHOM— for WHAT? Note it! Not for the preacher—not for evangelism— but "the collection FOR THE SAINTS." The poor saints at Jerusalem were suffering from drought and famine.

They needed, not money, but FOOD. Notice Paul had given similar instruction to
other churches. Now observe his instruction to the Romans: "But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia (where the Corinthian Church was located) to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem . . . When, therefore, I
have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain." (Rom. 15:25-28).

Ah! Did you catch it? It was not money, but FRUIT that was being sealed for shipment to the poor saints at Jerusalem!

Now turn back to I Corinthians 16. Paul is speaking concerning a collection FOR THE SAINTS. Upon the first day of the week each of them is instructed to do what? Look at it! Does it say drop a coin in the collection plate at a church service? Not at all!

It says "let everyone of you lay by him in STORE." Note it! LAY BY! STORE UP! Store up BY HIMSELF—at home! Not lay by at the church house—lay by HIM---at home.

Now WHY? "That there be no GATHERINGS when I come." Men GATHER fruit out of the orchard— they GATHER vegetables out of the ground, to be STORED UP. But putting coins in a collection plate at church, or handing in your tithe- envelope could not be called a GATHERING, but an offering or collection.

[note: tithes are collected on the Sabbath, given to our High Priest, His Body--to prosper God's work, Word, the Body of Christ and all it's members]

Notice further: "And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. And if it be meet that I go also, they (more than one) shall go with me."(verses 3-4).

Apparently it was going to require several men to carry this collection, gathered and stored up, to Jerusalem.

If it were tithe or offering for the minister or the spread of the Gospel, Paul could have carried the money alone.

So, once again, the last and final text in the Bible where we find "THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK" mentioned, it is a WORK DAY—a day for gathering fruit and food out of the orchards and the fields and gardens, and storing it up. It was to be the FIRST labor of the week, hence the first day of the week, as
soon as the Sabbath was past!

No Bible Authority

So, finally, we find upon honest examination that NOT ONE of the texts speaking about "THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK" sets it apart as a rest day. Not one makes it holy, calls it the Sabbath or by any other sacred title. In EVERY case, the first day of the week was a common work day.

In NONE of them was there a religious meeting and preaching service being held on the hours we now call SUNDAY. In NONE of them can we find a single shred of BIBLE AUTHORITY for Sunday observance!

There is no record in the Bible of celebrating the Resurrection on Sunday.

Sometimes Revelation 1:10 is used as Bible authority for calling Sunday "The LORD'S DAY." It says: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice." But this does not say the "first day of the week," or "Sunday" is the "day" here called "the Lord's day." As a matter of fact, it is not speaking of ANY day of the week at all, but of "the Day of the Lord,"—the time of the coming PLAGUES, climaxing in the coming of Christ, and the millennium. This is the THEME of the Revelation. But, if one wants to argue, and insist upon this text applying to some definite day of the week, he shall have to look elsewhere
to see WHICH day THE BIBLE calls "The LORD'S DAY." For this text does not designate ANY day of the week.

But Jesus said He was Lord of the SABBATH, and if He is LORD of that day, then it belongs to Him, and is His day, and therefore the Sabbath is the Lord's Day (Mark 2;28). Isaiah 58:13 calls the Sabbath (the seventh day of the week) "MY HOLY DAY." God is speaking. So the Sabbath is THE LORD'S DAY.

In the original commandment, in Exodus 20:10, we read: "The seventh day is the Sabbath OF THE LORD THY GOD." No MY day, or your day. Sunday is MY day. So is Tuesday, and every other weekday, for my labor and my own needs. But the seventh day is NOT mine—it is THE LORD'S! It belongs to HIM, and He made it HOLY, and commanded us to KEEP it that way. We have no right to use it for ourselves.

It is HIS DAY !

The TRUE SABBATH of the NEW Testament

Now briefly let us look thru the New Testament to find WHICH DAY Paul kept, and taught Gentile converts to keep.

Notice which day Paul and Barnabus used for preaching to Gentiles:
(1) Acts 13: 14-15, 42-44: "But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue ON THE SABBATH DAY, and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, ye men and brethren, if ye have any work of
exhortation for the people, say on."

Then Paul stood up, and spoke, preaching Christ to them. "And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the GENTILES besought that these words might be preached to them THE NEXT SABBATH."

Now since Paul was preaching "the grace of God," (verse 43), here was his opportunity to straighten out these Gentiles, and explain that the Sabbath was done away. Why should he wait a whole week, in order to preach to THE GENTILES on THE NEXT SABBATH? If the day had now been changed to Sunday, why did not Paul tell them they would not have to wait a week, but the very next day, Sunday, was the proper day for this service? But notice what Paul did.

"And the NEXT SABBATH DAY came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God." Here Paul waited a whole week, passing up a Sunday, in order to preach to the GENTILES upon the Sabbath day. Gentiles Met on SABBATH

(2) Acts 15:1-2, 5, 14-21: Study this whole passage carefully. Certain men had come down from Judea to Antioch, teaching that the Gentile converts there must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to be saved. Quite a dissension arose between them and Paul and Barnabus.

So it was decided Paul and Barnabus should go to Jerusalem to the apostles and Elders about the question.

At the conference at Jerusalem, James gave the decision.

"Wherefore my sentence is," he pronounced, (verses 19-21) .... that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication. and from things strangled, and from blood."

He did not say they should not keep the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were not in question— but it was circumcision in question, (Acts 15:1), which was an altogether DIFFERENT law than the Ten Commandments.

But why WRITE this sentence to them? Note it!

.... "For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues EVERY SABBATH DAY." (Verse 21).

Do you see it? Judaizing teachers were reading the Law of Moses and teaching people in the synagogues EVERY SABBATH DAY. The apostles were WRITING this decision concerning the Law of Moses, BECAUSE GENTILE CONVERTS WERE GOING TO CHURCH ON THE SABBATH DAY, and would hear this false teaching. In order to counteract it, and protect the Gentiles from it. the written message was sent. It shows that the GENTILE CONVERTS HAD STARTED KEEPING THE SABBATH DAY, AND WENT TO CHURCH ON THAT DAY!

And the Apostles' letter did not reprove them for this Sabbath-keeping, or even mention it.

This is very significant, since GENTILES HAD NEVER KEPT THE SABBATH. Therefore it is something these Gentiles had STARTED doing after they were converted under the teaching of Paul and Barnabus!

A Sabbath in Philippi

(3) Acts 16:12-15: Here we find Paul and Silas at Philippi. And "we were in that city abiding certain days.

And ON THE SABBATH we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, . .
. and when she was baptized . . ."

Here again Paul and his companions waited until the Sabbath, and then went to a place of worship, and preached, and this woman, probably a Gentile, was onverted. The passage indicates it was the CUSTOM to meet there on the Sabbath, and that it was CUSTOM for Paul and his companions to go to a place of prayer and worship when the Sabbath day came. Paul Worked Week-days, and Kept the SABBATH

(4) Acts 18:1-11 : "After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; and found a certain Jew named Aquila . . . with his wife Priscilla . . . and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought; for by their occupation they were tentmakers, and he reasoned
in the synagogue EVERY SABBATH, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks."

If we could find one text in the New Testament giving as strong authority for Sunday observance as this one does for Sabbath-keeping, we should certainly have Bible AUTHORITY for it! Here Paul WORKED weekdays, but went to church and taught GENTILES as well as Jews every SABBATH.

Now the Commandment says: "Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work," just as much as it says "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." There is just as much command to work six days as there is to rest the seventh. And so if the day had been changed, Paul would have had to work Sabbaths, in order to go to church and preach every Sunday. But here he WORKED week days and went to church and preached EVERY SABBATH—not just on one particular occasion—it says EVERY SABBATH.

He preached Christ, and the Gospel of the Kingdom. And when the Jews became offended and blasphemed, he turned away from the Jews altogether, and from then on preached TO GENTILES ONLY, (verse 6), and he continued there a year and six months (verse 11),— working week days—preaching to Gentiles ONLY— EVERY SABBATH!

What MORE conclusive proof could we desire? What STRONGER Bible evidence than this, as to the true Sabbath of the NEW Testament? For a year and a half Paul continued working week-days—six days— including Sundays—and preaching to GENTILES exclusively EVERY SABBATH!

Certainly it was his custom and manner! Certainly he could not have done this had the Sabbath been done away, or changed.

Paul COMMANDS Gentiles to Keep the Sabbath

To these Gentile-born at Corinth, Paul COMMANDED: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."(I Cor. 11:1).

And Paul "as his manner was, went in unto them, and three SABBATH DAYS reasoned with them out of the Scriptures." (Acts 17:2) It was his MANNER--his CUSTOM, as we have seen by ample evidence showing a total of eighty-four different Sabbaths Paul is shown specifically to have kept.

Did he follow Jesus in this? Why, CERTAINLY! Jesus, as His Custom was . . . went into the synagogue ON THE SABBATH DAY." (Luke 4:16).

It was Jesus' custom. Paul followed Him, and COMMANDED the Gentile converts to follow Him, even as he followed Christ.

The question for us, today, is, "Are WE willing to follow in His steps?" Jesus came to set us an example, that we should FOLLOW HIS STEPS. If we, like Paul, are CRUCIFIED with Christ, and HE lives HIS Life IN us, Christ IN us will still keep the Sabbath, for He is the SAME, yesterday, today, and forever!