FIgures of Speech

Figures of Speech

After a somewhat exhaustive search for continuity in the meanings of Old Testament and New Testament phrases, an abbreviated list is compiled here with those words that cause the greatest confusion to the casual reader of the Bible, and even the concerned student of the word.  Each word or phrase has been re-translated from the original language, evaluated by syntax, context and the hermeneutic spiral. New testament words have been meticulously evaluated from their Hebrew counterpart in the Old testament. The idiom of the New Testament has been compared with that of the Hebrew and Persian of the Old. The main effect of this treatment allows one to understand what the Hebrew-speaking writers of the New testament implied by the choice of words and syntax of their language and culture.

This has a use for the reader in that understanding is improved by glancing at these definitions of words or phrases as they are encountered while examining the Bible. 

  

Heaven: a dwelling place not like the physical universe we understand; A spiritual realm. Denoted in the O.T. as the “thick darkness” where YHVH dwells. This is opposed to “outer darkness” where YHVH does not dwell. Outer darkness is also called the “second death” or hell. (Daniel 7:13, Exodus 20:21; II Ch 6:1; Job 38:9;Psa 18:11; Matt 8:12, 22:13, 25:30)

Throne: Status notation of authority or responsibility (Gr. thronos).

Judgment Seat: Position of authority to judge at the point of need for a decision. Often performed with a portable device or platform carried about from place to place; can be for an appointed time and place. Commonly used during the apostolic era by the Roman government.

The “Judgment seat of Christ” (Rom 14:10; II Cor. 5:10) is a continuous process of daily decisions based on the direction within the mind and heart of a Christian. Based on this, judgment begins at the house of God for those who walk according to the Spirit. We are judged based on our walk of repentance, being spirit filled and having spirit led behavior. Having been judged so, our death will precipitate a resurrection unto life everlasting.  In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus pointed out that Lazarus was in a protected “Bosom of Abraham” (first covenant) while the rich man was already tormented in flames. The Bosom of Abraham was the protection afforded the righteous in God under the law through faith in Moses law.

Death: The resurrection is for the body, not the soul; the soul is transferred to its destination upon death and cannot cease to exist or “sleep”. Sleep is an idiom that infers the death of the body. Death is a term meaning the separation of the spirit from God. In this context sleep cannot refer to the spirit of man because that separation is called the “second death”. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they did “die”; that is, they were separated from the Spirit and cast out of the garden. Their bodies did not “sleep” until hundreds of years afterwards.

Footstool: A symbolic term denoting submission to an authority or the one of responsibility. This implies complete submission, including one’s own mental authority and physical power.

Under the Feet; Crushed the Neck: To be humiliated or subjected to a crushing defeat attended by complete submission. To be rendered powerless.

Crushed the Head: to destroy or kill

Standing on the Right Hand (of His People; of God): (Psa. 16:8, Acts 2:25)  The subject of the phrase has immovable power or has impossible circumstances facilitated by the power of the right hand. The right hand is the dexterous one; the one of greatest strength. The left hand was weaker and considered evil. (Rectus (correct or righteous): right hand.  Sinister: left hand (wayward or evil)).

Jesus Christ (the human sacrifice who’s spirit is God) standing on the Right Hand of God: The ascended Messiah (transfigured body) was now able to act in all power and with all authority without restraint of human form and lifestyle.

(Son of Man coming) in the Clouds of Heaven: A human being that is not altogether corporeal, but manifests as one who also inhabits Heaven; an ascended being; Jesus after the resurrection (Matt. 24:30;26:64;  Mark 14:62)

Sitting Upon: To be present at the time of an event and responsible for, or the causative authority of the event. (Sitting upon the flood, upon the circle of the Earth, upon the throne) God was present and responsible for the flood in judgment and present and responsible for the circle of the Earth (it’s orbit around the sun) in creation. He is responsible for the last judgment of every human being.

Arm or Right Arm: Judgment; either positive or negative to the recipient. Power executed in Judgment. (Destruction; Grace)  “to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed (for Israel);” “to whom all the Nations is revealed.” The judgment of God to help Israel and all God’s people as realized by and against all the Nations.  John 12:38; Isa. 52:10, Romans 1:16

Alexander the Great was known as “Alexander the long-armed” because he exercised judgment over the entire known population of Earth during his reign.

To Sit on the Right Hand of God: To have the nature of God (authority, responsibility, character). (To sit: to be present and responsible for, or the causative authority).

Begotten: To be caused to live as a wonder or sign or as a mark. This is the fundamental process of adoption or attachment of the person to mark a sign: to give the name of this begotten one as a significant point in the mind of the reader. This does not ascribe genetic parent-hood in a physical sense necessarily. Jesus Christ (the physical body) was the only begotten of the Father (the Spirit) until that Spirit fell upon mankind to reside within them.

All who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and made alive by the Spirit are begotten of the Father also. The word derives from an ancient Chaldean law code (Hammurabi) that specifies the legal ramifications of adoption by a family and the one given that family name. This includes paying the cost of midwife and the associated costs of rearing and education. That which was generated or caused to live was given all the rights, privileges and debts of the family name.

In this way we also are given these things in Heaven that derive from that name, Jesus, added to their life. This adoption into God’s family is provided to us now through Baptism in His name, Jesus.

Son of Man:  An innocent human being.  Daniel referred to the Messiah as the Son of Man. Jesus Christ referred to himself as such, pointing out his own sinless humanity; to have the nature of a Adam before the fall .  “Son of” is an idiomatic form of Hebrew writing which expresses a manifestation of something somewhere else including the nature that was present initially (see below). Mankind is translated from the Hebrew word iysh- frail mortal, after the fall.

Son of God: Human abode of the Holy One of Israel (Spirit of the Holy One) that fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament. The “Son of God” had all the authority and power of the Spirit in Heaven and Earth; one who is the nature of God among mankind. This is a reference to only one human being in the Bible; Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 9:6; I Tim. 3:16) Jesus was able to call this Spirit “Father” because he was begotten of the Holy Ghost (Matt 1:18).

After the Spirit fell (called the Holy Ghost or the Comforter), all who were begotten in salvation and are led by the Father (the Spirit) are called “sons of God” (Christians) but not The Son of God (the Messiah).

Job gives a descriptive example of this idiom 5:7: “Son of a fiery coal” is an idiom that means a burning cinder or spark. It burns just like the coal and is in fact a portion that is not located in the fire anymore but on your hand...

Jesus, the Son of God is just God, but a local human form and not in Heaven. Emmanuel: God with us.

According to prophecy, Jesus Christ was to be called Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14; 8:8) or Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23) which is interpreted as “God with mankind” or “God with us”. Jesus was never called by this translated prophetic name. Yet this prophecy was fulfilled as the idiom was used instead: “Son of God”. These two phrases have the exact same meaning.

Father: the Spirit of the Holy One that begat the “Son of God” (Matt. 1:18, Mark 14:6) and all who are redeemed of the “Son of God” by the Spirit that dwelt in him.  The Israelites never refer to God as the “Father”. They called Him many things but they were not “of the Father”, they were of the Law; they were chosen. This idiom implies the one who “begets” others. Anyone begotten of the Father 9filled with his Spirit) is called a son of God, and has the right to call God their “Father”. (Romans 8:15, Gal. 4:6)  In the salutations given by the Apostles, especially Paul, this idiom is a way to reinforce the notion of “adopted family” upon the reader.

First Begotten of the Dead: Jesus Christ.  After his death, Jesus’ body was resurrected by the power of the Spirit that dwelt in him. Because of this, all who die in Jesus are begotten from the dead in like manner.  This includes those who kept the Law in the Old Testament times. (Rev. 1:5; I Thess. 4:16)

Holy Ghost: based on translation from the Greek Septuagint and not the early Hebrew manuscripts, this actually is “The Spirit of the Holy One” in the Greek and implies that it acts upon humanity. The fundamental purpose for denoting this is the characteristic of presence (Jehovah Shama: shm= the consecrated breath is there; “I Am there” Ezekiel 48:35).  The phrase literally means the Spirit of God is consecrated there. In the Old Testament, this was the “breath” which made the dead to live (Adam). In the New Testament, it is the “breath” or “wind” that makes man live again (the indwelling Spirit of Christ). In Acts, when mankind first received the “Spirit of the Holy One” there was a sound as of a rushing mighty wind that filled the entire house where they sat. This is promised to all who are obedient to the Apostles Doctrine of salvation. (Acts 2:38) This component of our life in Christ is necessary to accomplish sanctification in life and resurrection after death. Having experienced the “Holy Ghost” means to have the character and the Breath (the Spirit) of God present within you for a purpose.

 Lord: One who has received the obedience of those who do his will, and is the provider of peace to the future of those following; the foundation of the society or individual. The authority of the Lord provides protection and compensation to those under his authority. In the context of Jesus Christ, Lord means the one we emulate in life and are changed in like fashion upon death.

(adon) Lord: The ruler as the foundation to the community.  [freq. 335] |kjv: lord, owner, master, sir| {str: 113}

The following is an analysis of the most most common salutation in the New testament written by the Apostle Paul using the above determined word definitions.

 A salutation of Paul to the Galatians: Paul, an Apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from the dead :) And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be unto you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the will of God and our Father.

 >by Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from the dead:

The Messiah (human form based on prophecy for a special sacrifice) was called by his Father’s name, Jesus. The “Father” is the Spirit we call God who begat the body of the Messiah (Matt. 1:18) and was what was inside that human body, and caused him (the human body) to be the firstborn of the dead by raising him from the grave alive. Jesus is not another person who is God, but is literally God himself in a body. (I Tim 3:16 God was manifest in the flesh; not someone’s flesh but His own that He created for Himself)

>from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ:

God provides us grace and peace, and he is our Lord Jesus through our faith in the actions and life of the Messiah that we have accepted as our redeemer. This sacrificial body provided the blood sacrifice to give us a life according to God’s will. In living through the Spirit of Jesus Christ, we make him our Lord and in obeying his commands to repent and be baptized, we make him our savior.

>according to the will of God and our Father:

Two inferences can be drawn: The first is that the will of God is displayed through the prophets; Jesus Christ being the one who finished fulfilling all of them. Secondly, the Greek word translated and is a word that can mean also and or. In this translation the phrase is

according to the will of God (who is) also our Father.

from God the Father also our Lord Jesus Christ

by Jesus Christ, also God the Father who raised him from the dead.

Regardless of translation path, these salutations emphasize the idea that God is our Father also; in essence we are begotten of the Father. This was Paul’s overriding ministry focus, and is hermenuetically correct.

Translation from the Hebrew original.

English translated from Greek

Gal 1:3  Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

Greek translated from Hebrew:

Χάρις ὑμῖν  καί εἰρήνη ἀπό θεός πατήρ καί ἡμῶν κύριος Ἰησοῦς  Χριστός

Hebrew :

 חסד לכם ושלום מאת האלהים אבינו ומאת אדנינו ישוע המשיח׃

English translation from Hebrew:

Favor to you and completeness from the Mighty One that has begotten you and provides for you and is our foundation, I Am salvation, the anointed one.

>;From the Mighty one that has begotten you (God the Father) 

>;and Is Our foundation (the Lord)

>;I Am salvation, the Anointed one. (Jesus Christ)

There is only one subject in this sentence. The titles are God the Father and the Lord. Subject noun: Jesus Christ

The Pale Horseman

A relative called me recently and asked me to look at a video of a news broadcast that contained a brief image that appears to fit the description of the “pale horseman” described in the Book of the Revelations.

God has seven “spirits” and according to a prophecy of the coming Messiah by Isaiah in chapter eleven, verse two; six of these are described. “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;”. John the Revelator tells us of these spirits of God as well: “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” These “spirits” are an interaction of God with mankind, and also include the “spirit” of creation.

These Spirits can be viewed from the point of view of humanity as the characteristics of God. They accomplish the actions and interactions of God with the created universe and humanity. God (elohiym-authority of great creative power) took counsel of His own will and created all that exists by His wisdom:
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" (Eph.. 1:4-11)

The Apostles discuss the power and wisdom of God as being manifest in Jesus Christ (I Cor.1:24). John revealed the Word as the will of God from before the foundation of the world and seen by us as the Messiah in John 1:1.

When we look to the signs and wonders that follow the Christians in the book of Acts of the Apostles, we see that they all have a purpose that brings the attention of people to their personal need of God, and to a God that can satisfy that need. Salvation is always the result of, or the goal of, these miracle events. None of the types of miracles manifested includes a “flash and boom” to cause consternation or fear.

Recently, a video broadcast of the civil war in Cairo Egypt included a sudden appearance of a pale horse and rider that miraculously disappeared from the crowd of fighting citizens. Considering the above scriptural point of view, this is not a manifestation of something in the apocalyptic account of Revelations. The horsemen described in that book are revelations of the powers of Nations involved in the environment near the end of the church age of Grace. The scripture does not suggest these are going to be observed as real objects as described in revelations, but rather they are metaphor: the horse symbolizes a warring king of responsibility.
The pale horse represents the ensuing death.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem at the beginning of the festival, his family and friends were disappointed because he did not ride a horse into town. That would have symbolized his role as an authority on Earth as a king. They had hoped he came to relieve them of the Roman government rule over Israel. Instead, he rode the colt of an ass that symbolized peace. This was the objective of his ministry; to bring peace.

This is a similar metaphorical remark as the “mark” of the beast described to be in the forehead and the palm of the hand. It might simply represent an implication of thought and action rather than an actual imprinting on the hand and forehead. The saints were “sealed” in their forehead as well, yet they bore no distinguishing marks on their foreheads that we can determine. So these statements are the result of Hebrew usage of idiom to explain the events to transpire. We may be separated from the bulk of society as a result of our faith and belief; we should be recognizable as very different and excluded from the transaction of society at large possibly because we will not be afforded the civil rights to participate based on the illegal status of our religious belief.

Paul gives us a definite description of this process to the church in Thessaloniki:
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (II Thess. 2:1-12)

A lying wonder is a falsehood. What we saw in that video clip is a manipulation of our society, and many will believe it. This will confuse and frighten a world of spiritually deceived people into a form of submission to the “assumed” apocalyptic processes based on an unknowable purpose by an unknown agency.

If I Am in Christ, I am admonished to be “anxious for nothing”. I am to be a symbol of the hope of Jesus Christ to my society, a banner made by God to attract the population that will seek God, rather than reject Him. I need to lift up Jesus before the people around me, not cower in fear of the coming judgment. If I become afraid, I will seek his face for peace in all things.