Names of God

 Book of Enoch chapter 10

1. Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him: 2. '〈Go to Noah〉 and tell him in my name "Hide thyself!" and reveal to him the end that is approaching: that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come upon the whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it. 3. And now instruct him that he may escape and his seed may be preserved for all the generations of the world.'

Names of God, such as this one made known to Noah, have varied over time, as the Book of Enoch and later scriptures tell us. Here God is made known by the terrifying name “Hide Yourself!” Later to Abraham the name became “Almighty” and the Semitic language of the wording El Shaddai is similar to the the terrifying looking beasts the Semitic peoples called a Sheddu, like a huge bull with human head and lion’s legs and wings. Like an extremely strong Cherub. The name is each time an outstanding characteristic of God on which His activities of that time would cause all to focus, the Flood especially showing His utterly terrifying sovereignty as most high judge, so “Hide!”. Be afraid. Be very afraid. That kind of name. Later to Moses the name changes and the Creator aspect of God comes to the fore as Yahweh, Becomer, Maker, who becomes known as such when He brings forth Israel as a Son for Himself out of Egypt. This change is further developed as in our times we especially know God as the Father who brought forth Jesus His Son, bringing Him forth from the tomb and from death into immortal life. 

Praying during lockdown

 There is something rather noble about being taught to frequently pray to God. The habit of praying has payoffs for those who are open to what God can do. Yet there are times in our lives when circumstances tend to provide solitude. Circumstances such as lockdowns. What a great opportunity for someone who has learned a habit of daily prayer. What an opportunity for some in such solitude to seek more diligently a better learning through prayer of the ways of God. Come let us seek the Lord God and He will teach us His ways. Look out world! A people might arise from this lockdown time who have learned the ways and counsels of the Almighty. 

Why obey the commands of Christ?

 Why obey the commands of Christ? Firstly, our stubborn disobedience adds to Christ’s sufferings but Jesus Christ is used to it, having already suffered on the cross for us. Secondly, more positively, look at where the command leads us, to becoming a better person and taking us one more step towards being worthy of the resurrection, so we live forever.

Lest we die in our sins

 When Jesus was a child and lived with brothers and parents the brothers later were recorded by John as not believing Jesus was particularly all that special. He must have lived such a very, very human life growing up with them that they could regard Jesus as a human and nothing else. After the resurrection that must have changed a bit. Yes, a human, definitely, no question, but now the kind of being other humans if worthy of it can become by Jesus’ God’s power, immortal resurrected human, a son of God, a god. Still the same as other believers and human like me and you - just exactly like me and you. Yet never again to die, being risen and made immortal by God’s power. Yet there is a mysterious aspect to Jesus in His extremely long ancient past. He alludes to it in John 8. Same yesterday and today and forever, where yesterday goes back aeons, and forever goes on forever. Still utterly human, but extremely long-lived and much of that life prior to becoming flesh. A mystery. Yet a mystery we essentially need to believe lest we die in our sins.

See Nature, See Jesus

 See Nature, that in being tied to Jesus’ name of being the same yesterday (even in Enoch’s time) and today and forever, Nature likewise is made constant in its behaviours. Stars keeping passage through space. Trees keeping on dropping leaves in Autumn and budding forth in Spring. 

Rest on this. Follow this. Become this. 

We have sinned. We are not living up to it. Yet Jesus promises freedom from sin if we believe He is the same yesterday and today and forever and if we hold to His teachings. 

And God bless you in 2021 and forever. 

Book of Enoch 

Chapter 3

“Observe and see how (in the winter) all the trees seem as though they had withered and shed all their leaves, except fourteen trees, which do not lose their foliage but retain the old foliage from two to three years till the new comes.”

Chapter 4

“And again, observe ye the days of summer how the sun is above the earth over against it. And you seek shade and shelter by reason of the heat of the sun, and the earth also burns with growing heat, and so you cannot tread on the earth, or on a rock by reason of its heat.”

Chapter 5

“Observe ⌈⌈ye⌉⌉ how the trees cover themselves with green leaves and bear fruit: wherefore give ye heed ⌈and know⌉ with regard to all ⌈His works⌉, and recognize how He that liveth for ever hath made them so. And ⌈all⌉ His works go on ⌈thus⌉ from year to year for ever, and all the tasks ⌈which⌉ they accomplish for Him, and ⌈their tasks⌉ change not, but according as ⌈⌈God⌉⌉ hath ordained so is it done. And behold how the sea and the rivers in like manner accomplish and ⌈change not⌉ their tasks ⌈from His commandments⌉.

But ye--ye have not been steadfast, nor done the commandments of the Lord,

But ye have turned away and spoken proud and hard words

With your impure mouths against His greatness.

Oh, ye hard-hearted, ye shall find no peace.”

... 

DO YOU REJECT THE PREEXISTENCE OF CHRIST?

 DO YOU REJECT THE PREEXISTENCE OF CHRIST?

The (Socinian) answer given by some to Jesus’ claim in John 8 of existing before even the ancient first ever Hebrew Abraham was born is that Jesus meant not that He existed back in the Bronze Age, thousands of years before His birth but rather, these, typically Unitarians or Socinians say, Jesus was prophesied about way back then. This falls apart if you look at the context. 

John 8:54-59 ‘Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

“You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.’

How does seeing Abraham get explained by Jesus being prophesied about before Abraham was born? How does being not yet fifty years old have anything to do with being prophesied about before Abraham was born? Jesus clearly, we should all see from the context, is addressing His having seen Abraham because He existed before Abraham was born, having immense personal experience because of this preexistence.

The most unambiguous scripture in support of this is in the Book of Enoch, a scripture book highly quoted by Jesus and endorsed by Him, much loved in Jesus’ time by those who were neither Pharisees nor Sadducees. In many passages in the Book of Enoch the author describes the Son of Man seen in heaven in Enoch’s time and this is clearly the preexistent Jesus. Some would dispute this by again saying it is prophecy foretelling Jesus Christ (those who do not outright reject the Book of Enoch). Yet in one passage in the Book of Enoch the author describes being taken into heaven “to that Son of Man”, clearly implying the Son of Man being there actually in heaven at the time. 

Book of Enoch 

[chapter 70]

And it came to pass after this that his name during his lifetime was raised aloft to that Son of Man and to the Lord of Spirits from amongst those who dwell on the earth. And he was raised aloft on the chariots of the spirit and his name vanished among them. And from that day I was no longer numbered amongst them: and he set me between the two winds, between the North and the West, where the angels took the cords to measure for me the place for the elect and righteous. And there I saw the first fathers and the righteous who from the beginning dwell in that place.

[Chapter 71]

And it came to pass after this that my spirit was translated

And it ascended into the heavens:

And I saw the holy sons of God.

They were stepping on flames of fire:

Their garments were white [and their raiment],

And their faces shone like snow.

By not saying “before Abraham was born, I WAS” but rather “before Abraham was born I AM” Jesus indicates He is the same today as in ancient times and so into the future too. So Peter could later write “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

The sons of God are gods

 The sons of God are gods. They are not God. The Holy Spirit teaches us to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. He does not teach us to believe that Jesus is God. 

The generation that knew not Joseph

 “And there arose up another king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.” Exodus 1:8

The Sovereign Lord God does not only reveal Himself kind and saving, but also strong and judging. A generation which knows both sides is superseded by a new generation which knows neither in order for God to once more show His power and kindness. To believing chosen ones He shows salvation and kindness while to hardened unbelievers He shows power and judgment. It happens simultaneously at times and surely such times are coming again with this new generation rising under human gods who know neither God nor His human friends who follow Jesus. The shutting of churches might seem warranted and might actually be warranted in pandemic times (although as centres of education that seems ironic when universities are open and spreading the disease) but it is symptomatic of a rising new generation of leaders who are ignorant of the Almighty Father who dwells among His people, even though they have sinned, and gives His people the Holy Spirit in the name of His Son. Ignorant now. Not ignorant for long, if history indeed repeats itself.

How sudden will Jesus Christ’s return be?

 How sudden will Jesus Christ’s return be? “As the lightning strikes in the East and flashes to the West, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” “In the twinkling of an eye.” But like pregnancy there will be “birth pangs”. Pregnancy and birth are not sudden but are phased in. You get more and more sure the birth is near. Then when it comes to the actual birth you might find it sudden on some occasions. When it comes to the coming of the Son of Man it will be very sudden but will come at the culmination of several occasions when it will be as if He is just about to come but doesn’t. The birth pangs. You will find many have experiences of Him which mirror His final full coming. In these experiences they will perceive Him coming in the clouds of heaven but it will not His final complete coming, just a foretaste. “Men will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven.” These foretastes lead up to the full coming which will spread like lightning from one end of the earth to the earth such that all see it almost simultaneously. That will be very, very sudden. And the dead will rise, many of them, to become judges throughout the earth, and many living will join them after being made immortal suddenly. Nobody knows exactly when this will happen, not even Jesus, the Son of Man Himself. The birth pangs will make clear it is on its way though, like in the final stages of pregnancy which can be mistaken as the birth itself, except by those who know better and know it is not necessarily imminent, just approaching. 

The Aeons

 Great mystery: the name of who Jesus is, His reputation, the work of God He fulfils, it all radiates out from Him, and by it God creates all the aeons of time, past, present and future.

“I am”

 All of time, past present future, radiates out from Jesus. “I am.”

Nature and us

 The Holy Spirit teaches that Nature is like it is because God brought into being His Son and raised Him from the dead. But we sin.

Glory

 By sinning we have so fallen short of being worthy to be called Children of God but by faith which God fosters within us, He is Father.

So poor a body we are for Christ but so great a Head He is for us.

Break free

 Break free. Get your authority from Lord Jesus the Christ’s teachings and name and break free.

The Noah Flood

 People having misgivings about the records of the earliest events that shaped human civilisation does not mean the events didn’t happen. Looking just at archeology of it and extant texts from before and after the time (texts written after but indicating earlier documents existed of which they were copies) you see Utnapishtim (Noah) surviving a catastrophic flood ingrained into folklore and historic narratives. You see him living in a city Sharappak and possibly resetting there again long afterwards and the city being rebuilt preserving a flood layer dating it all to the third millennium BC. Something happened and the people involved are perpetuated in history.