Maybe, we are not fully aware of the fact but humanity surely is in bondage of the decay; in slavery to corruption.
Perhaps some people speak against this, and they promise us true freedom, but in that case one of Yeshua’s most famous apostles nevertheless contradicts them, saying: They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of corruption (2 Peter 2:19).
Peter wrote this inspired scripture in particular in view of the false teachers who in the End times will stand up among the Jewish people and will secretly bring in destructive sects, at the same time denying the Master who bought them, and therefore will bring swift destruction upon themselves (2 Peter 2:1).
No, the famous Saul of the tribe of Benjamin, cannot be successfully contradicted when he recorded this scripture under inspiration:
19 For the eager expectation of the creation awaits the revelation of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to the futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected, in hope.
21 that also the creation itself will be set free from the bondage of the decay into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22 For we know that all the creation groans together and is in travail together until now.
Of course, Saul (more known by his apostolic name Paul) was here, according to Romans 8, referring to the essence of the creation account according to Genesis, Chapter 3.
As we all know, in Gan Eden this 'conversation' developed:
Elohim [He called the man and said to him]: Where are you?
After his children had become lost and tried to hide themselves because of shame, YHWH Elohim immediately went looking for them. He clearly did not drop them. Although, by their disobedient act, they had violated the relations with their heavenly Father, He nevertheless took immediately the initiative to maintain that bond.
Man : I heard your voice in the garden, but I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.
Elohim : Who told you that you were naked? Did you sometimes eat from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?
Man : The woman you gave me to be with me, she gave me from the tree and so I ate.
Elohim [but now the woman]: What is this you have done?
Woman : The Serpent – it deceived me and so I ate.
Having thus the facts determined in the ears of everyone YHWH Elohim pronounced his sentence upon each of the offenders:
[To the serpent]: Because you did this, you are cursed among all animals and among all the wild beasts of the field. Upon thy belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel.
[To the woman]: I shall geatly increase the pain of your pregnancy; in birth pangs you will bring forth children, and your craving will be for your husband, and he will dominate you.
[To Adam]: Because you listened to your wife's voice and went to eat from the tree concerning which I gave you the command: You must not eat from it, is the ground for your sake cursed. With pain you will eat its produce all the days of your life. And thorns and thistles it will produce, and you must eat the vegetation of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust and to dust you will return.
See: Genesis 3:8-21
Because of that development man began to deteriorate, gradually returning to dust. The dying process started and it is clear that Adam, the first man and our common ancestor, was the cause of that new situation. As YHWH Elohim had established: “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” Of course, the answer was affirmative. The first man had broken Elohim's clear commandment and now suffered the penalty for that offense:
And YHWH Elohim commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it. For in the day that you eat of it you will surely die.”
In his First Letter to the Christian community at Corinth, chapter 15, Paul concluded the following from these developments:
21 For since death through a man, resurrection of [the] dead also through a man.
22 For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Messiah all will be made alive.
45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became into a living soul.” The last Adam into an alive-making spirit.
As matters stand thus, we can rightly agree with verse 20 of Romans 8, as quoted above: For the creation was subjected to the futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected, in hope.
Yes, in hope, because in the Messiah there will come a sure restoration to (human) life for most of the dead people who suffered death because of Adam’s trespass.
So, on the one hand:
Therefore, just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12).
It is true, on the other hand:
He will destroy in this mountain the shroud that is enveloping all the peoples, and the veil that is woven over all nations. He will swallow up death forever! The Lord YHWH will wipe away the tears from all faces. He will take away the reproach of his people from all the earth, for YHWH himself has spoken it (Isaiah 25:7-8).
As we saw above, from Romans 8, in Gan Eden creation was subjected to the futility by YHWH Elohim, because of Adam’s original trespass, theologically known as SIN. However, how terrible for Adam's posterity, that judgment took place in hope, that also the creation itself will be set free from the bondage of the decay into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
And YHWH Elohim also revealed the scope of that prospect by adding that creation is in travail together until now.
What is the meaning of all that?
Answer: In God's providence the bringing forth of humanity on earth would occur in two phases:
1st Phase:
Shut up under sin (disobedience): the creation being in slavish subjection to the futility; in bondage of the decay. Compare Romans 8:32-33, where we learn something about Elohim’s wisdom in the matter!
2nd Phase:
Based on Yeshua’s sin-atoning sacrifice and at Elohim’s appointed time, giving birth to a new creation that will be freed from all servile bondage and rejoices in the glorious liberty which characterizes Elohim's true children.
However, how does true freedom look like from Elohim’s point of view?
One dictionary defines freedom in the following terms:
- The state of being free; liberty; self-determination; absence of restraint; the opposite of slavery.
- The power of acting, in the character of a moral personality, according to the dictates of the will, without other check, hindrance, or prohibition than such as may be imposed by just and necessary laws and the duties of social life.
- The prevalence, in the government and constitution of a country, of such a system of laws and institutions as secure civil liberty to the individual citizen.
Freedom, therefore is the acting and the performance of acts freely according to one’s will, with or without restraints, for the general welfare. Accordingly, the subject of freedom involves the faculty of ‘free will’ which Elohim as the Creator Superior has given to angels and men so that they can conduct themselves voluntarily in a way pleasing to their Maker.
It is in this area of action where man is allowed to excersise his free will that the use of freedom comes in. It is in this field of ‘free will’ action wherein geovernments, both theocratic and man-made, grant controlled liberties and freedoms.
From this, we can deduce that where one is able to act at will without any restraints or bounds whatsoever, such a one enjoys what might be described as total freedom. That person must be one who is completely independent of every other.
However, there is only One who is in that totally independant position.
Of course, we speak about YHWH Elohim, the Sovereign Superior of the universe. All others, be they spirit creatures in heaven or humans on earth, are works of his hands and thus are dependant inferiors.
For that reason YHWH Elohim is the Sole one who is free in the absolute or complete sense. He alone, in a unique way, enjoys absolute freedom. None can question, limit or direct this Fountainhead of freedom, the One who singly lives and dwells in the unlimited climate of free action at all times.
Listen therefore how he challenges the ones among his people Israel whose deeds occur in a dark place:
Shall the potter be esteemed as clay; that the thing made should say of him who made it, He didn’t make me; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, He has no understanding? (Is 29:15-16)
In Psalm 94 YHWH Elohim is giving us the correct picture of Himself, being the only and absolute Sovereign:
Yahweh, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph? They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. They break your people in pieces, Yahweh, and afflict your heritage. They kill the widow and the alien, and murder the fatherless. They say, “Yah will not see, neither will Jacob’s God consider.” Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise?
He who implanted the ear, won’t he hear? He who formed the eye, won’t he see? He who disciplines the nations, won’t he punish? He who teaches man knows. Yahweh knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.
Just as YHWH Elohim subjected the creation to the futility, so are the thoughts of men: they are futile.
Nevertheless, YHWH, living and dwelling everlastingly within the climate of freedom, has lovingly purposed that all his faithful children must dwell within a similar climate of freedom. As we previously ascertained in Romans 8 >> That also the creation itself will be set free from the bondage of the decay into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Man, being originally created in the image and likeness of his Elohim, was surely brought forth to exist forever within this element of freedom (Gn1:26).
Of course however, with one exception: While YHWH Elohim created none of his servants to bondage and granted them the gift of free will, their freedom is relative; it does not exist apart from their heavenly Father. Hence, spirit creatures and men possess what usually is designated as relative freedom.
Consequently, their freedom lies in living and acting in harmony with the laws and conditions that the Sovereign Superior has made to apply to them. Their field of acting at will is hedged in, or limited by boundaries. However, within that area of freedom Elohim's faithful servants have a wide range in which to exercise their free will for good to themselves and their faithful associates.
Given this situation of relative freedom, it is by no means accidental that YHWH Elohim made that truth to the first learning point for newly created man.
No doubt, there were many things that Adam had to learn closely after his appearance in Gan Eden. Yet Scripture makes mention only of that one learning point: Freedom in dependence on his grand Creator:
Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die.”
So, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil became a symbol of Elohim’s right to set the standards for man as to what is “good” (approved by YHWH Elohim) and what is “bad” (condemned by him). It thus constituted a test of man’s respect for his Creator’s position and his willingness to remain within the area of freedom decreed by God, an area that was by no means cramped and that allowed for the greatest enjoyment of human life.
Therefore, to violate the boundaries of the prohibited area by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and bad would be an invasion of or a revolt against Elohim’s domain and authority.
As we all know in Gan Eden, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil, there was also another tree to which YHWH Elohim attached a special significance: the tree of life.
Connoisseurs of Biblical gematria know that between the two trees numerically exists the proportion 1:4, namely:
* Tree of Life: 70 + 90 + 5 + 8 + 10 + 10 + 40 = 233
* Tree of knowledge of good and evil:
70 + 90 + 5 + 4 + 70 + 400 + 9 + 6 + 2 + 6 + 200 + 70 = 932.
And indeed: 233:932 = 1:4. Why is that an interesting observation?
As we know the knowledge tree appears in Genesis, chapter 2, where we also find the so-called second report of creation, a story that is characterizedby vapour / water, while the first report (chapter 1) was characterized by light.
From chapter 2 we learn that
>> a vapour went up from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground (verse 6), but also that
>> a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became four heads (or: streams; verse 10).
Well, the gematria of vapour (אד 'ed) is 1 + 4, while one river was parted into four streams; in both cases, therefore, also a 1:4 ratio.
In that same chapter (verse 7) the creation of man, Adam, is described: Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
The value of adam is 1 + 4 + 40 (אדם), so, also characterized by the ratio 1:4, which is also the case with adamah (earth) out of which he was formed, namely: 1 + 4 + 40 + 5 (אדמה).
But we can go even further with the principle of the 1:4 ratio.
The Hebrew word for truth (אמת emeth) appears in the form of 1 + 40 + 400, which indicates a certain relationship between man (1 + 4 + 40) andtruth.
If we now remove the number 1 in these words, then something special happens, viz:
* In the case of man (1 + 4 + 40) one obtains 4 + 40, which is the word for blood (דם dam).
Conversely, therefore, if blood is connected with 1, blood becomes man.
* In the case of truth (1 + 40 + 400) the result is 40 + 400, the word for death (תמ).
Conclusion:
1.) Connection or disconnection with the number 1, modifies the essence of the word completely: Man without the 1 is only blood; truth without the 1 has death as a result.
2.) Returning to the 1:4 ratio of the two trees in Gan Eden, for man there would be no future without the 1. In that case only blood and death would remain.
No wonder that we read splendid things about the tree of life in other parts of the Bible. See: Proverbs 3:13-18 and Revelation 2:7.
The promise that the days of Elohim’s restored people will be like those of a tree (Isaiah 65:22) is made more meaningful by the fact that some trees of Palestine live for centuries, even up to a thousand years or more.
In Ezekiel’s vision a stream flowing from the visionary temple was lined with fruitful trees of healing foliage, and a similar vision is presented in the book of Revelation.
But most important is the numerical value of that tree of life, 233, which is also the value of the Pesach Lamb that had to be slaughtered and eaten on the 14th of the month Nisan, a type of Yeshua, the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
As we read in Ex 12:27 >>
It is the sacrifice of the Passover to YHWH [>> value 233], who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt, when he plagued the Egyptians, and delivered our houses.
Neglecting Elohim's command not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil would therefore mean going knowingly beyond the boundaries of relative freedom. Such one commits sin; he is a rebel and acts lawless. Those who ‘kick over the traces’ by going beyond their relative freedom may think they are making a break for greater freedom, perhaps attaining absolute freedom as belongs to YHWH Elohim himself. However, such persons deceive themselves. As is written:
But each one is tempted by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the lust, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; and the sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death (James 1:14-15).
Exactly that happened to Eve after being enticed by the Serpent who had told her the lie: You won’t surely die, for Elohim knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
Now her inner desire had become fertile, and sin was just ‘round the corner’:
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit of it, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.
It is surely of great interest that the current generation of people worldwide thoroughly become familiar with this procedure. Why?
Because very soon and worldwide Satan, that old Serpent, by means of a big Lie will attempt to put whole humanity on the wrong track in the Messiah issue.
Based on Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians, long ago penned by him under inspiration, we know previously that a false messiah figure will appear on the world stage. A pseudo messiah, to be recognized as the Lawless One in person, and all that with the intention to erase completely in men’s mind the identity of the true Messiah, Elohim's own Son:
Let none deceive you in any matter, because the apostasy comes first and the Man of Lawlessness will be revealed, the Son of Destruction, he who resists and exalts himself above all that is called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple sanctuary of The God, showing himself that he is divine…
And than the Lawless will be revealed, whom the Lord Yeshua will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and destroy by the manifestation of his presence. But the Lawless one’s presence will be according to [an] operation of Satan in all power and lying signs and portents and in all unrighteous deception for those that perish, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the Truth[true Messiah Yeshua] for their salvation. And for this reason Elohim shall send them an operation of error so that they will believe the Lie [embodied in the pseudo Messiah], that all may be judged, those who did not put faith in the truth but delighted in unrighteousness.
Once again we return to Romans 8, the Scripture where the promise is given which applies to the creation, in particular referring to the truechildren of God. From verse 17 we must conclude that the sons of God will have everything to do in the achieving of creation’s expectations: For the eager expectation of the creation awaits the revelation of the sons of God.
However, even those among humanity who are very well aware that mankind’s world system is staggering from crisis to crisis, have no understanding whatsoever about the purpose that YHWH Elohim precisely has with those sons of him, namely the members of Yeshua's Congregational Body.
Nevertheless, those spiritual sons of him are the ones who, after their spiritual resurrection and marriage with his principal Son in heaven, will be fully "committed" to the task bringing about healing and deliverance for the troubled creation.
But again, as the creation was subjected to vanity (futility) without wanting and without knowing it - the same vanity about which the Preacher (in Ecclesiastes) expatiates so extensively – the members of creation do not even know from which 'angle' liberation can be expected. After all, outside Yeshua's Congregational Body the "doings" of the Gentile world take place in the emptiness of their thinking, focused as they are on the fruitless ambitions of this world. In Elohim's eyes, they are devoid of all true reality as these things are pursued entirely beyond his divine purpose. Hence the admonition to those who are really Christians:
That you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts; who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness (Eph 4:17-19).
To those Body members of the Messiah, Paul also wrote:
If you were raised together with the Messiah, then seek the things above, where the Messiah is, seated at Elohim's right hand. Set your affection on the things above, not on the things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hid together with the Messiah in Elohim. When the Messiah, your life, is made manifest, then you also will be made manifest together with him in glory.
And it is exactly that coming event, being made manifest to the world together with Messiah Yeshua, the creation is eagerly awaiting, even without having the least knowledge about that fact!
Only with the coming of the Messiah in power and much glory, the peoples on earth for the first time will get really acquainted with his congregational Body. And only then they shall understand what role the members of that Body will play in being helpful to the groaning, still travailing creation. Moreover, all that with the intention that the creation may attain the glorious freedom that characterizes Elohim's true children.
To get anyway some idea about that future task we refer to an event from Yeshua's own earthly ministry:
Behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Yeshua’s feet, and begged him to come into his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as he went, the multitudes pressed against him.
A woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians, and could not be healed by any, came behind him, and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately the flow of her blood stopped. Yeshua said, “Who touched me?”
When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes press and jostle you, and you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
But Yeshua said, “Someone did touch me, for I perceived that power has gone out of me.” When the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. He said to her, “Daughter, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
While he still spoke, one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house came, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t trouble the Teacher.” But Yeshua hearing it, answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be healed.”
When he came to the house, he didn’t allow anyone to enter in, except Peter, John, James, the father of the child, and her mother. All were weeping and mourning her, but he said, “Don’t weep. She isn’t dead, but sleeping.” They were ridiculing him, knowing that she was dead. But he put them all outside, and taking her by the hand, he called, saying, “Child, arise!” Her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately. He commanded that something be given to her to eat (Luke 8).
The two miracles give us some idea of the miraculous cure that will befall the creation from the transition to the Millennium kingdom of the Messiah.
Jairus is a representative son of Israel, and a leading figure in the local synagogue in Capernaum. His name is apparently the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Jair. The seventh judge in Israel was called Jair (Judges 10:3-5).
Disease has invaded the house of Jairus, and that threatens the life of his only-begotten daughter. Jairus must have been familiar with the miraculous healing of a servant of the army chief who had provided funds for the construction of the synagogue (Luke 7:1-10). Therefore, he does not hesitate; he has to go to Yeshua for help to his dying daughter. Yeshua responds to his request; and accompanied by the crowd they go on their way to Jairus' house.
The woman avails herself of the thronging crowd around Yeshua. Taking into consideration all the things she had heard about him, she had come to this conclusion: “If I only touch something of his garment, I will be healed”.
However, according to Thora an action like such was for her an unprecedented act, given her impure state. In that situation, contact with anyone was forbidden, for not to transfer her uncleanness to that person. Nevertheless, with faith she goes out among the crowd and manages to reach Yeshua and to touch him. And she is confirmed in her faith: immediately the fountain of her blood dried up. She sensed in her body that she had been healedof the grievous sickness.
Among the pressing crowd, many came in touch with Yeshua, but without any beneficial effect for themselves. However, the touch of the woman that had taken place in faith had immediate effect.
While she had hoped to remain in anonymity, implementing her plan unnoticed, this delicate woman became the focus of everyone's attention. In front of all the people she was forced to explain her situation; for her a source of shame and embarrassment. However, precisely thus to everyone became clear that she had acted with noble motives; her complete trust in the power of the Messiah had helped her to put aside all scruples.
Yet, Yeshua said: “Someone touched me, for I perceived that power went out of me”.
With that statement, Yeshua revealed that during his ministry he too, in all aspects, was dependent on his Father. YHWH Elohim was actually the One who performed all the miracles, but with his Son as an intermediary.
We can readily see how deep had to be done in the physical body of the woman to stop the blood issue. It is true that Yeshua, as the "last Adam", was a perfect man, but still perfectly human (1 Cor 15:45). As a mere human, without supernatural influence, he might never have been able to establish these and other miracles. Supernatural influence was the essential factor and in that, Elohim provided through the operation of his holy active force: his spirit.
Compare: Matthew 12:28 >> But if it is by means of Elohim's spirit that I cast out the demons, Elohim's kingdom has really overtaken you.
Exactly in that way, it will happen in the Messianic kingdom of the Millennium. On earth, the Jewish saints will represent the beloved city: heavenly New Jerusalem. As the members of the earthly part of the Israel of God, they shall work for the blessing of humanity. As is prophesied in Isaiah:
Violence shall no more be heard in your land, desolation nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. The sun shall be no more your light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you: but Yahweh will be to you an everlasting light, and your Elohim your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, neither shall your moon withdraw itself; for Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. Your people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. The little one shall become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation; I, Yahweh, will hasten it in its time… They shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vine-dressers. But you shall be named the priests of Yahweh; men shall call you the ministers of our Elohim: you shall eat the wealth of the nations [Gojim], and in their glory shall you boast yourselves. Instead of your shame you shall have double; and instead of dishonour they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be to them.
(Is 60:18 – 61:7)
However, even in that privileged situation, their impact will be limited. The supernatural influence of the heavenly part – the above-mentioned sons of God, whose revelation the eager expectation of the creation is awaiting - will lead to the actual healing of the nations, and therefore will constitute the decisive factor.
As we have seen in the middle of the story - the awakening of Jairus' twelve year old daughter – there appears the story of the healing of the woman who for twelve years suffered a severe haemorrhage. For that reason, both miracles can apparently be placed in an End-time perspective, when an awakening will come to a seemingly dead national Israel. The 'double' twelve years seems to support that view.
Actually, it is therefore one story with two aspects:
1. Complete in conformity with the vision of the prophet Ezekiel in Ez 37:1-14, Israel's tombs will be opened and YHWH Elohim will bring forth his people from these 'tombs' and bring it on Israel's ground. He will put his spirit in them and they will come to life; be saved, as happened with Jairus' daughter. In that regard mark Yeshua's assurance to her father: Have no fear, only believe and she will be saved.
2. In its current, deadly ill situation Israel is symbolized by the woman with the severe haemorrhage. All the things she had heard about Yeshua convinced her that he was the Messiah sent from God, but also - and in her case, the key thought - that he would provide the true sacrificial offering with the power of actual purification. In that belief she only had to touch him (Lv 6:24-27). And it was that action which led to her rescue: Daughter, your faith has saved you; go your way in peace.
For that reason, the spiritual awakening of Israel (Zion) should occur on the basis of the yet to conclude New Covenant with the nation, but then a covenant that is firmly based on the sacrifice of Yeshua's own life, leaving sins really be reconciled: This means my blood of the covenant which is to be poured out in behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.
Fortunately, we know in advance that a Great Crowd will come on earth’s scene out of the Diaspora, whose members will wash their robes, and will make them white in the blood of the Lamb. Consequently, they will be saved and they will ascribe salvation to our Elohim who sits on the throne and to the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-17).
-.-.-.-
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