Month: February 2009

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Psalm 019 Questions and Proposed Answers

Psalm 19 Questions and Proposed Answers

(See Psalm 019 Literally Rendered)

1. a) Who is the overcomer? Numerous psalms begin with this announcement. We have not yet established who the overcomer is, though we have suspicion that it might be Israel. 1 John refers to the overcomer:

1 John 2:13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them. For greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world.

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world: our faith. 5Who is he who overcomes the world, but he that believes that Yeshua is the Son of God!

The Spirit of Yehovah through John addressed the Israelis in the above texts.

1. b) Define overcome: It is to surmount opposition or an obstacle, be victorious. The idea of actually beating an enemy is not necessarily important in the definition of the Hebrew word. A person who overcomes is not a person who is conquering in a battle, but rather is refusing to be swayed or turned from a right objective. Refusing temptation to sin is overcoming. Joseph lived a perfect picture of overcoming. He didn’t conquer Potipher’s wife, but he refused to sin when being heavily tempted, and thus overcame the world.

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The Feet

The Feet

 

Do birds have feet? Yet the description of the dove is world famous:

Genesis 8:9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot. And she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. Then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.

Yehovah told the Israelis,

Deuteronomy 11:24 Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river—the river Euphrates—even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.

Children do a great deal of walking, once they are able. They understand their territory by where they can go (tread) with their feet.

They also understand what sliding with their feet involves:

Deuteronomy 32:35 To me is vengeance and recompense. Their foot shall slide in time. For the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

If their feet are guarded, they won’t slide:

1 Samuel 2:9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

2 Samuel 22:37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me so that my feet did not slip.

Children sit at the feet of adults, just as in the following text:

Deuteronomy 33:2 “Yehovah came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them. He shined forth from mount Paran, and He came with myriads of saints. From His right hand went a fiery law for them. 3Indeed, He loved the people. All His saints are in Thy hand. And they sat down at Thy feet. Every one shall receive of Thy words.”

Children will sometimes take hold of an adult’s feet in order to make a request:

2 Kings 4:27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet. But Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is vexed within her; and Yehovah hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

Young Children observe feet much more closely than adults, especially in societies where the feet are exposed (as in sandals):

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

They understand what stepping on bugs can do, so they would understand such texts as the following:

Lamentations 1:15 The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty-ones in the midst of me.

Children would more easily understand texts like the following:

Psalms 110:1 Yehovah said unto my Lord, “Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

Because children sit at the feet of adults, and sometimes even place their legs around the legs of an adult, they know that they can become a stool for feet, and that it is good. This text describes Jewish enemies of Messiah turning to Him, and becoming a place for the resting of His feet upon His arrival.

One word for spies is a ‘childism’:

Genesis 42:9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he dreamed of them. And he said unto them, “Ye are spies!” [This is literally, ‘feet’.] “Ye are come to see the nakedness of the land!”

Children who can walk and explore territories are ‘footing it’! On the other hand, some running children have evil destinations:

Proverbs 1:16 For their feet run to evil.

Many Bible texts that appear difficult to understand become clear if they are considered from the aspect of a child.

I will consider walking in another chapter.

The following texts have some interesting readings when translated literally:

Genesis 33:14 “My lords will cross-over, pray, to the faces of his servant. And I, I will conduct myself at my gentleness to the foot of the errand that is to my faces and to the foot of the children until I will come unto my lord to Seir.”

Exodus 11:8 “And all these thy servants shall descend unto me. And they shall prostrate themselves to me, saying, ‘Exit!—thou and all the people that is with thy feet!’ And afterward I will exit!” And he exited from with Pharaoh heats of nose!

2 Kings 21:8 “And I will not again make the foot of Israel move from the soil that I gave their fathers only if they will guard to do according to all that I commanded them and to all the Teaching that my servant Moshe commanded them.”

The next text can also refer to the feet of soldiers, as in the case of Nazis, whose high-stepping feet were a sign of their arrogance:

Psalms 36:11 Do not bring me the foot of arrogance.

Psalms 66:6 “He turned-over the sea to dry. They crossed on foot in the river. There we rejoiced in Him!”

I propose that the above text refers to walking on water.

Proverbs 6:13 He winketh with his eye. He uttereth with his foot. He teacheth with his fingers.

A child can quickly learn to read the foot of another, especially when it causes terror.

The next text shows how the feet can be used to express joy (that is evil, in this case):

Ezekiel 25:6 For thus saith the Lord Yehovah, “Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the foot and rejoiced with all thy contempt in the being unto the soil of Israel…”

For what are your feet known (whether you can walk or not)? Would your feet take you to the aid of Jews, should the choice be forced on you to aid Israel and suffer great loss, or to ignore Israel and be in less danger? Would Jewish children love your feet, or would they fear your feet as potential enemies?

 

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Psalm 019

Psalm 19

Literally Rendered

1. To the overcomer: a ballad. To David.

2. The heavens are scrolling the glory of a Mighty-[One]. And the firmament is telling the doing of His hands.

3. Day to day will emit a saying. And night to night will enliven knowledge!

4. There is no saying and there are no speeches without their voice being heard!

5. Their measuring-line exited into all the land. And their words are into the edge of the planet. There is a tent via them to the sun!

6. And he exited as a bridegroom from his khupah. He will exult to run a path as a valiant-[one].

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Psalm 001 Footnotes

Psalm 1 Footnotes

(See Psalm 001 Literally Rendered)

NOTE: Some footnote topics cover numerous texts. They have been recorded, and will be copied into documents discussing those topics. If you see footnote repetition from one text to another, this will explain why.

Regarding the accuracy of these conclusions: Were I gifted by the Spirit of Yehovah to do this work, it would be infallible, as was the case for all ministerially gifted persons in the Bible. No true prophet of God ever erred while prophesying. No true teacher of God ever taught any erroneous teaching. The standards of God have not changed, and the Spirit of God hasn’t weakened over the centuries. Since I am not gifted, my conclusions contain numerous errors, and must be considered and challenged if you (the reader) will not be deceived. I know some answers are correct, but I will have to change some answers as I learn more and as folks like you show me that my proposed answers need changing. If you don’t like this factor of uncertainty, ask Yehovah to give me a ministerial gift along these lines in His Word so that I can give infallible responses. If He does so, you will then be responsible to believe whatever He communicates through me. In the meantime, don’t be a sucker.

Regarding Hebrew words: If you see what appears to be computer nonsense when a Hebrew word is being discussed, your computer does not have the font to view it. If you desire to see the same article with the Hebrew word being visible and correct, let me know; I will send you a PDF form of the same document. (You will need an Adobe Acrobat reader to see it, which is freely available from the Adobe web site.)

1 Happy gives the sense of this word more than blessed, since blessed is covered with a much more frequently used different word. While some find fault with the origins of the word happy, it is a good word, describing one who is content, settled and pleased.

2 Translators were very sloppy with these tenses. Yet, the tenses are a vital part of this text (and indeed for all others).

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Baptism

Baptism

One of the Basic Foundational Truths
For Understanding Anything about Biblical Faith

 

 

1. Introduction

2. Romans 6

3. Colossians 2

4. 1 Corinthians 10: Exodus 14

5. 1 Peter 3:18‑22

6. Immersion of Objects in Sacrifices

7. Jewish Traditional Baptism: Orthodox Pictorial Baptism

8. A Suggestion For a Present‑Day Pictorial Baptism

9. Conclusion

1. Introduction


While many are baptized in local churches, few know why. Some are too young to learn reasons, and others have been taught reasons outside of the Bible. Some haven’t been taught anything. Not knowing the reason for baptism Spiritually accomplishes nothing. Doctrines that equate baptism with Salvation create an idolatrous ritual.

Only the blood of the Perfect One can wash away sin; water cannot.

The following erroneous, non-Biblical reasons are given for baptism:

A. Baptism bears witness that one is Born Again; it is a public act to show an inward rebirth.

B. Baptism washes away sin.

C. Baptism is a testimony.

D. Believer’s baptism is an ordinance, like the Lord’s Supper.

E. Baptism enters one into the Body of Messiah.

F. Baptism is needed for membership into the Body of Messiah.

G. One is filled with the Holy Ghost at baptism.

Certain groups ‘play down’ Baptism, teaching the following errors:

A. Baptism was for Jews, not for Christians.

B. Baptism ended with the disciples.

C. One can be a ‘good Christian’ and not get Baptized.

These and many more views, including ‘Baptism for the dead’, reflect how far Baptism has come from the original pattern. Consider some Scriptural reasons for Baptism.

 

2. Romans 6:1‑14

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Absolutely not! How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer in it? Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Messiah Yeshua were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death that just as Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also of the resurrection, knowing this–that our old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Now if we be dead with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with Him knowing that Messiah, being raised from the dead, dieth no more. Death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once. But in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Messiah Yeshua our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. But yield yourselves unto God as those who are alive from the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you! For ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Consider this portion, one section at a time. The question raised concerns continuing in sin, a point brought forward from chapter 5. “How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer in it?” “So many of us as were baptized into Messiah Yeshua were baptized into His death.”

Yeshua is Salvation. Anyone who will be saved must enter into Him.

This text, the heart of the letter to the Romans, is referring to Israelis (the ‘we’ versus ‘ye also’). The Israelis will believe on Him as the blood sacrifice for sin some time during the Tribulation. They will know Him as the Lamb and will grasp His Salvation. This Romans text awaits fulfillment, though it is written in the past and present tenses, as a careful reader may notice.

The Israelis who are Saved by His Blood, by His Grace, are ready to ‘cross over’ and to enter into His death. They will cross over in the future from slavery to sin to freedom to righteousness via His death. They entered into His death via baptism: that is, they were immersed into His death. While this is pictured (only pictured) by water-style baptism, the real event that the picture portrays must be accomplished by the Spirit of Yehovah. He will take a person (who is determined to enter into Yeshua’s death for the above reasons) into that death so that the person can be part of the resurrection (explained below).

When the Spirit of God accomplishes this pictured goal (that is, when the person being immersed believes), the person will then come up out of the water to walk in ‘newness of life’—that is, with a refusal to sin and an insistence on walking righteously.

This must not be confused with Salvation, since that happens outside of this type of baptism.

Reason (1) for Baptism:

(1) They are baptized into His death.

Non-Jewish believers are baptized for the same reasons, in the same manner.

Once they enter into His death by Baptism, verse 4 shows that they are buried with Him. Then, “…as Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also are to walk in newness of life.” No one can be raised up from the dead who has not died. No one can walk in newness of life who has not been born from above.

What does “walking in newness of life” mean? The oldness was in sin and in refusal to consistently do right before Yehovah. If one Israeli still lives the old way in sin, all Israel is responsible:

Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing. for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing. And the anger of Yehovah was kindled against the children of Israel.

Joshua 7:10 And Yehovah said unto Joshua, “Get thee up! Why liest thou thus upon thy face? 11Israel hath sinned! And they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them! For they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff!”

Yehovah held all Israel responsible for the sin of one person (and his family).

Reason (2) for Baptism:

(2) The Israelis are immersed into His death so that they will be buried with Him. Thus, they enter into His death, thereby taking part in it. (This is not an end; it is part of a means. Staying dead is of no benefit. They do not physically die to do this; they are being associated with that death by the Spirit of Yehovah in this process.)

They will also walk in newness of life, with the righteousness of Messiah, Who Himself was raised up from the dead.

The death of the Messiah was followed by the resurrection, as verse 5 shows. The Saints who follow Messiah into His death and burial (by picture, and by the Spirit of Yehovah) will participate in His resurrection.

A character called “our old man” is mentioned in verse 6. He is the original nature of the Israelis (the body of Israel). From the time Israel (the people) was first born until the events just before Israel’s baptism, Israel will still have this nature of sin.

When all living Israelis enter into Messiah’s death and burial, their old man will be crucified with Him. This will accomplish the destruction of the body of sin “that henceforth we should not serve sin.” The conclusion is, “He that is dead is freed from sin.”

I have never seen a corpse sin.

That brings us to reason (3):

(3) One who is dead is freed from slavery to sin, and will no longer serve sin.

All who are alive from the dead will be parts of one Body, and will be tools of Righteousness serving God as God’s property. Sin will not have power and authority over them. They are now slaves of Righteousness (verse 18). They will now have the answer of a good conscience toward God!

Other reasons for Baptism follow.

3. Colossians 2:8‑15 

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Messiah. For all the fullness of deity bodily dwells in Him. And ye are complete in Him Who is the head of all principality and power, in Whom ye also are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Messiah—buried with Him in baptism in which ye are also risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God Who has raised Him from the dead. And, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made-you-alive together with Him having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, that was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it [the handwriting] to His cross; and, having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it!

The Circumcision Covenant made between Yehovah and Avraham’s lineage continues today. Physical circumcision is practiced widely by many people groups for medical cleanliness, while among Israelis, it still has Covenant implications. Yehovah commanded the Israelis to circumcise the foreskin of their (plural) heart (singular). This is not a physical operation on a physical heart, but a real operation on the heart (mind) of the Body of Israel, in which the mind of sin will be removed.

The Colossians text refers to the circumcision of these non-Jewish folks. It is “made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Messiah, buried with Him in baptism.” Heart circumcision is what Baptism pictures. So, we have another reason for baptism:

(4) Baptism pictures putting off the body of the sins of the flesh and becoming free from that body, literally accomplished by Messiah’s circumcising the group’s heart (mind), the group being buried with Him (by the Spirit of Yehovah), and being resurrected with Him into newness of life.

This disconnection from the body of sin is also for non-Jewish Believers, so that they will be joined to the living Body of Messiah. All legal ordinance violations against those who enter into Messiah’s death and who will participate in His resurrection are revoked. (They had better not go back into sin after this!)

Saints are buried with Him in Baptism, and are also risen with Him through the faith of the operation [working] of God. He is the doctor who performs the work that gets rid of the ‘Body of the sins of the flesh’ of this entire group, and does this by circumcising their (plural) mind (singular). The Biblical faith is always group oriented! Only a very self-centered faith thinks mainly of ‘me’.

 

4. 1 Corinthians 10:1‑4 and Exodus 14 

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual food, and did all drink the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them. And that Rock was Messiah.

[With Pharaoh hot in pursuit of and catching up to the Israelis, the Israelis became angry at Moses. At their comments, Moses replies, verse 13:] And Moshe said unto the people, “Fear ye not! Stand still and see the salvation of Yehovah that He will show to you today! For the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. Yehovah shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace!” And Yehovah said unto Moshe, ‘Why shout thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward. But lift thou up thy rod and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians. And they shall follow them. And I will get me honour upon Pharaoh and upon all his host, upon his chariots and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am Yehovah when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots and upon his horsemen.” And the Angel of God who went before the camp of Israel removed and went behind them. And the pillar of the cloud went from before their faces and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. And it was a cloud and darkness, but it gave light by night so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea. And Yehovah caused the sea to go by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry. And the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry. And the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued and went in after them to the midst of the sea–all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen. And it came to pass that in the morning watch Yehovah looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud. And He troubled the army of the Egyptians and took off their chariot wheels so that they drove them heavily, so that the Egyptians said, “We shall flee from the faces of Israel! For Yehovah fights for them against the Egyptians!”

All (Israelis) were baptized into Moshe in the cloud and in the sea (1 Corinthians 10:2). Baptism is not something new. The Children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground with the waters being a wall on their left and right (Exodus 14:22). The Egyptians, their enemies and slavemasters, wanted them in bondage; Yehovah wanted them free. The Israelis were slaves to false gods in Egypt; Yehovah wanted them for His own property. The Passover (during which the blood was applied picturing Salvation) had already happened. The people still needed to be freed from the Egyptians in order to walk in newness of life. The ‘old man of sin’ had to be put to death. They were slaves until the Egyptian army was destroyed.

The Song of Moshe (Exodus 15) is also the story of baptism. Exodus 15:9 shows future plans of an enemy: “The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.” Verse 10 shows the effect of baptism on the old man of sin: “Thou didst blow with Thy wind! The sea covered them! They sank as lead in the mighty waters.” The Egyptian army acted as the Israelis’ ‘old man of sin’ in that it kept them physical slaves. Yehovah could have created their New Man for them in this picture, though the Israelis continued as if they were still slaves in Egypt with that ‘old man of sin’ accompanying them. Yehovah was not pleased with them, though He had just saved them. They were still destroyed like Lot’s wife, at a later date after their rescue.

Another reason for baptism:

(5) Baptism is into death in order to result in freedom to walk in newness of life (with the slavemaster of righteousness).

 

5. 1 Peter 3:18‑22

For Messiah also hath once suffered for sins–the righteous for the unrighteous–that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison who at one time were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared in which few–that is, eight souls were saved by water, the like figure whereunto baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him.

Those who entered into the Ark were “saved by water.” The Ark was a type (picture) of Messiah. Folks are saved by being in Messiah. Peter explains further: “the like figure whereunto baptism does also now save us by the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua;” but he explains that it has nothing to do with the putting away of the filth of the flesh. That was accomplished by Yeshua paying with His blood on the cross. Baptism ‘saves’ ‘by the answer of a good conscience toward God.’ Thus,

(6) Baptism is immersion into Yeshua, being placed into the Salvation Ark, in order to have the answer of a good conscience toward God.

While Noah was already born of God before entering the Ark, his obedience gave the answer of a good conscience toward God. All who are in Messiah and are being obedient will have a very good conscience answering Him.

As when Israel crossed the Red sea becoming free of Egyptian pursuers,

(7) Baptism pictures freedom from bondage, especially to sin.

The first of the Ten Commandments is: “I am Yehovah thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” How good it will be when Israel lives according to his baptism, no longer living in sin! All who are born of God have sought to be freed from sin, and will avoid it as a terrible disease. Baptism pictures that transfer of ownership from a sin slavemaster to a righteousness slavemaster!

 

 

6. Immersion of Objects in Sacrifices

Exodus 12:21 And Draw called to all elders of Israel. And he said unto them,  “Draw-ye and take-ye a flock to you—to your families. And slaughter-ye the Skip-Over! 22And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop. And ye shall immerse in blood that is in a basin. And ye shall cause-to-touch unto the lintel and unto two of the doorposts from the blood that is in the basin.” “And ye, ye shall not exit—a man from the opening of his house—unto morning. 23And Yehovah will cross-over to smite Double-Adversity. And He will see the blood upon the lintel and upon two of the doorposts. And Yehovah will Skip-Over above the opening. And He will not give the slaughterer to come unto your houses to smite.”

Hyssop is a type. I proposed that it typified the lack of a fly (a reference to Satan in an Exodus 12 footnote based on its name: ayzov). If this type is correct, immersing the hyssop in the blood shows another picture. Dipping “there-is-no-fly” in the blood of the perfect sacrifice and applying it to the upper lintel and the two sideposts of the opening of the House pictures the Millennium in which there will be no tempter, no troubler that can enter into all the House of Israel once the blood has been applied.

In another footnote (to Numbers 19), I went further:

When I checked back on my work, I saw that this would not fit. So I began looking again. I found the following:

bwz, zowb is a noun meaning a flow, issue, discharge (semen, blood), flux. It comes from a root verb meaning to flow, gush, issue, discharge; pine away (fig.). If this is the case, c¨z2t means I will discharge (that is, cause something to be given off as if menstrual blood). This would fit how hyssop was used to apply the blood of the lambs and goats to the openings of the houses in the first Passover.

What would be given off? Since the life of the flesh is in the blood, menstrual blood represents what is dead, without life. Those parts of Israel and the claiming rest of the kingdom in which there is no life will be discharged, like menstrual blood.

Leviticus 4:6 And the priest shall immerse his finger into the blood. And he shall sprinkle the faces of the Veil of the Holy-[One] seven strokes from the blood to the faces of Yehovah.

This text contains circuitous Hebrew. The direct object of the verb shall sprinkle is the faces of the Veil, though that direct object is placed beyond to the faces of Yehovah. I therefore placed the sentence in grammatical order in the English translation.

This text does not specify which finger. (This is unusual.)

The curious word for finger in Hebrew is etzba (ending in an ayin). (Whenever I find a type mysterious so that I can’t solve it by references, I always look at the Hebrew word itself to determine if the answer is inherent in the word. I have solved numerous types by this means.) Since etzba has four letters (instead of the normal three letters for a root), and since it starts with aleph, my first thought was that it was a first-person future singular form of a verb. That would leave the root to be tzava, a word used five times in the Bible, and all in Daniel. Translators thought it meant to wet. I thought them wrong. It seemed curiously related to another word, sava, meaning to become full (from eating a good meal). Hebrew often relates in this way: the sheen and the tzadi being related by sound. If two of three Hebrew letters are in the same position in two root verbs, and the third letter in each verb root has a similar sounding letter, the meanings of te two verb roots will tend to be related. I thus proposed that tzava meant saturated (filled with water) rather than just wet. If this is the case, the word for finger would mean I will saturate. If I err in any of these premises, the whole result will be an error. If I am correct, however, the whole result will hold.

With the supposition that I have rightly concluded, the type of the priest immersing his finger in the blood shows that Yehovah will saturate the priest and the entire priesthood with what that blood typifies. Since all Israel is called to be priests of Yehovah, all Israel will therefore by saturated by this blood.

The bull in this text typifies one who will be perfect, who is the son of a herd, and therefore comes from among the Israelis, and who will give his life to cover the sin of the anointed priest and the people. The bull is a larger animal, indicating a higher rank among the Israelis.

Some will quickly conclude that this bull typifies Messiah Yeshua. I do not agree with this conclusion unless it is backed up with proof. I know that the Lamb of God is Messiah Yeshua, and is typified by the Passover lamb or goat. But I have learned that assuming answers to types is a good way to never find the right answer.

A group can be the antitype of this bull, or a high-ranking person can be the antitype. We must await more information before concluding. Consider the following text:

Psalms 22:12 Many bulls have compassed me. Strong-[ones] of Bashan have beset me round.

Persons are being called bulls in this text showing readers that bulls can picture (typify) persons. Though these bulls are bad guys, still the picture does show persons like bulls. The bull in our text is good and is perfect.

If the bull typifies a group of leaders in Israel who will be perfect before Yehovah and who will be sacrificed (slaughtered) because of their righteous stand, the priest’s dipping his finger in the blood of this bull will portray two results. The priest will participate in this slaughter/sacrifice of righteous Israeli leaders, and thus will be culpable, and the priest will be saturated with this blood (as if drinking it), turning the heroism of those represented by the bull into a life-saving act that will lead to the Salvation of the priest, the priesthood, and the rest of the Israelis. Yehovah will ‘saturate’ them with the innocence of this blood, and they will turn from the work of their violence to faith in Yehovah through the innocence of this sacrifice, an effect that the stoning of Stephen eventually had on Saul of Tarshish.

Leviticus 4:16 And the anointed priest shall bring from the blood of the bull unto the Tent of Appointment. 17And the priest shall immerse his finger from the blood. And he shall sprinkle seven strokes to the faces of Yehovah, faces of the veil. 18And he shall give from the blood upon the horns of the altar that is to the faces of Yehovah Who is in the Tent of Appointment. And he will pour all the blood unto a foundation of the altar of the ascension that opened the Tent of Appointment. 19And he shall elevate all his fat from him. And he shall incense the-altarward. 20And he shall do to the bull just-as he did to the bull of the sin-sacrifice. He shall do so to him. And the priest shall cover upon them. And he shall be forgiven to them. 21And he shall exit the bull unto outside to the camp. And he shall burn him just-as he burned the first bull. He is the sin-sacrifice of the congregation.

The same type will hold for this text as for the one above (if that one is correct). The priest will immerse his finger; Yehovah will saturate the priest with this innocence blood, and will saturate all the priesthood, and all Israel. This time, the entire congregation of Israel will fully profit from this sin sacrifice (slaughter) of the righteous leaders of Israel.

Leviticus 14:1 And Yehovah spoke unto Moshe to say, 2This shall be the Teaching of the ‘scourgee’ in the day of his ‘encleaning.’ And he shall be brought unto the priest. 3And the priest shall go-out unto the outside to the camp. And the priest shall see. And behold the stroke of the scourge is healed from the scourged-one. 4And the priest shall command. And he shall take for the ‘encleanee’ two clean living birds {feminine, and no reflection on the lifestyle of the birds}, a cedar tree and worm crimson and hyssop. 5And the priest shall command. And he shall slaughter the one bird unto a sherd vessel upon waters of lives. 6The live bird─he will take her and the tree of the cedar and the crimson of the worm and the hyssop. And he will immerse them and the live bird into the blood of the slaughtered bird upon the waters of the lives. 7And he will sprinkle upon the ‘encleanee’ from the scourge seven times. And he will ‘enclean’ him. And he will send the live bird upon the faces of the field. 8And the ‘encleanee’ will launder his garments and shave all his hair and bathe in water. And he shall be clean. And after, he will come unto the camp. And he will dwell outside to his tent seven days.

Understanding this text requires several explanations. The ‘scourgee’ is the person with the supposed leprosy disease (it isn’t any form of modern leprosy). To be ‘encleaned’ is to be declared clean.

The purpose of this immersion typifies being fully immersed into death. (See Romans 6:4 for the complete explanation.) The living bird was immersed into death, into the blood of the sacrificed bird, just as Messiah was both immersed into death and rose from the dead. Messiah was dead, yet he was alive in Sheol and doing a function until His resurrection.

Baptism is immersing a person or an item into another person or item with both identification and an accompanying change of state (if the immersion’s picture truly represents the person or item immersed).

The live bird will be let go, let free to fly away. This is the picture of the resurrection.

While this explains the birds, it doesn’t explain the cedar tree, worm crimson or hyssop.

Consider the literal meanings of each:

  • I will make-lean a tree
  •  Two earthworms
  •  I will discharge (as menstrual blood)

The tree associated with Israel and the Saints (the olive tree of Romans 11) pictures the Kingdom of God/Kingdom of the Heavens, a kingdom that will appear to grow very fast, very fat, and very large. Yeshua will greatly diminish the appearance of the kingdom to its rightful size during the Tribulation. It will be very small when He is finished, and will have no dead branches on it. The olive will then be very fruitful.

I propose that the two earthworms picture two very humble beings, since an earthworm is always prostrate (in a position of Biblical worship), are down in the soil, and serve the soil just as man was assigned and designed to do. Yehovah saw to it that their blood is the same color as human blood.

I cannot presently verify that these two earthworms typify the two prophets whose importance will be so great during the Tribulation, but I am considering this. Humility doesn’t mean a reluctance to speak and do the Truth in the face of total opposition. I can also propose that the two earthworms represent the Jews and non-Jews at this time.

I mentioned a proposed type of hyssop in a section above: “I will discharge,” referring to menstrual blood, blood that never produced life.

Each of the above is immersed in the blood of a clean bird (without specifying the type of bird):

  • A tree that Yehovah has made lean is immersed in the blood
  •  Two earthworms are immersed in the blood
  •  What Yehovah will discharge. That immersion in the blood that gives life will still give no life; thus, Yehovah will discharge those represented by that blood of menstruation.

I have no difficulty seeing the living and dead birds as one bird that died and whose blood was shed, yet the living bird who carried all uncleanness away. If this represents the Messiah, that same blood will cleanse the lean version of the olive tree, will give boldness to the two earthworms (whether representing the two prophets, or the Jews and non-Jews who have believed), and will discharge all those who claimed life, but who did not respond to the Way, the Truth or the Life.

Leviticus 14:15 And the priest shall take from the log of the oil. And he shall pour upon the left palm of the priest. 16And the priest shall immerse his right finger from the oil that is upon his left palm. And he shall sprinkle from the oil with his finger seven times to the faces of Yehovah. 17And the priest will give from the excess of the oil that is upon his palm upon the tip of the right ear of the ‘encleanee’ and upon the thumb of his right hand and upon the big-toe of his right foot upon the blood of the transgression-sacrifice. 18And he will give the remnant in the oil that is upon the palm of the priest upon the head of the ‘encleanee.’ And the priest will cover upon him to the faces of Yehovah. 19And the priest will do the sin-sacrifice. And he will cover upon the ‘encleanee’ from his uncleanness. And he will slaughter the ascending-sacrifice after.

The priest poured this oil into the left palm of his hand so that he would dip it out with his right hand. The rest of the oil in his palm was placed on the head one being rendered clean.

The priest didn’t immerse his right finger straight into the log of oil since this would ruin the type, and he would not have oil in the palm of his hand to put on the one being rendered clean. I have viewed oil as a type of preparedness.

The priest immersed his right finger from the oil, then sprinkled at Yehovah’s faces seven times. If a finger participates, a hand participates. If a hand participates, the whole arm participates. If an arm participates, the entire priest participates. If a priest participates, the priesthood participates along with all Israel. Thus, all Israel took from this innocent blood, and sprinkled it in the faces of Yehovah. The text doesn’t specify which finger except to state, the right finger. Thus, which finger is responsible isn’t the issue. It is a finger on the right hand, indicating that it wasn’t some branch away from the main priests who did this, but was one of the main, acting priests.

Leviticus 14:48 And if coming, the priest will come and see and behold the stroke did not spread in the house after plastering the house, and the priest shall ‘enclean’ [render or declare clean] the house because the stroke is healed. 49And he shall take to sin the house two birds and a tree of cedar and two worms and hyssop. 50And the priest shall slaughter the one bird unto a vessel of sherd upon waters of lives. 51And he shall take the tree of the cedar and the hyssop and two of the worms and the living bird. And he shall immerse them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and in the waters of the lives. And he shall sprinkle unto the house seven times. 52And he shall sin the house via the blood of the bird and via the waters of the lives and via the living bird and via the tree of the cedar and via the hyssop and via the two worms. 53And he shall send the living bird unto outside to the city unto the faces of the field. And he shall cover upon the house. And he shall be clean.

(The text of the same chapter, an earlier set of verses has proposed explanations of the various types.)

Numbers 19:14 This is the Teaching. Adam when he will die in a tent, every comer unto the tent and everyone who is in the tent—he will be unclean seven of days. 15And every open vessel that there is no fastener twisted upon him, he is unclean. 16And everyone upon the faces of the field who will touch into/via a pierced of a sword or into/via a dead-[one] or into/via a bone of adam or into/via a grave shall be unclean seven of days. 17And they shall take for an unclean-[one] from an ash of the burning of the sin-sacrifice. And he shall give waters of lives upon him unto a vessel. 18And he shall take hyssop. And a clean man shall immerse in water. And he shall sprinkle upon the tent and upon all the vessels and upon the beings who were there and upon the toucher via a bone or via a pierced-[one] or via a dead-[one] or via a grave. 19And the clean-[one] shall sprinkle upon the unclean-[one] in the third day and in the seventh day. And he shall sin him in the seventh day. And he shall launder his garments. And he shall wash via water. And he shall be clean in the evening. 20And a man who will be unclean and he will not sin-himself, and that being shall be cut from the midst of the congregation! For he uncleaned the Sanctuary of Yehovah! He did not sprinkle waters of menstruation upon him! He is unclean! 21And she shall be for a statute of Hider. And a sprinkler of the waters of the menstruation shall launder his garments. And the toucher via waters of the menstruation will be unclean until the evening.

This text refers to the necessary steps for an unclean person (who became unclean through touching something else that is unclean) becoming clean. They involve the following steps:

  • Undisclosed they take sin-sacrifice ashes from the altar, and place the ashes in a vessel.
  • An undisclosed he will pour waters of lives on the ashes in the vessel. This forms a combination that is identified as waters of menstruation (see verse 20). Thus, the man is being sprinkled with menstrual waters; he is certainly being recognized as unclean.
  • The same undisclosed he will take hyssop.
  • A clean man will immerse the hyssop in water. (That may not be apparent in the English text, but the Hebrew construction is normal for this understanding.) If hyssop typifies “I will discharge” (referring to Yehovah doing the discharging, as with menstrual blood), that very means of the discharge will be immersed in waters of menstruation.
  • The clean man will sprinkle the waters of lives combination with the sin sacrifice ashes upon the Tent and upon all the vessels, and upon the beings who were present when the person became unclean, and upon the unclean person. Thus, when one becomes unclean, the entire Congregation becomes in need of the menstruation waters (the Tent and the vessels being types of the Congregation and persons in that Congregation of Yehovah).
  • The clean person must accomplish two more sprinklings: in the third day and in the seventh day. The third day, then, typifies a major event, and the seventh day another different major event in a week of turning Israel from unclean to clean.
  • The seventh-day sprinkling sins the unclean person. He thus must launder his garments, and he must wash with water.
  • He will be clean in the evening.
  • The sprinkler of the waters of the menstruation must launder his garments.
  • Whoever touches those waters of menstruation will be unclean until the evening.

Immersing the “I will discharge” in the menstruation waters is a major baptism form. While a reader might be tempted to think of the menstrual waters as cleaning the hyssop, it doesn’t do that. If it did, anyone upon whom those waters came would be clean. They are not; they are unclean. Those waters were the waters of lives (which, if imbibed with faith, give everlasting life), but the ashes of the sin sacrifices were mixed with them. They thus became intimately connected with sin sacrifices, and they became unclean. Yet, they are necessary for one becoming clean. Thus, the sin sacrifice and the waters of lives are both necessary for anyone becoming clean; one or the other won’t do.

Next, the person must become entirely sinned (verse 20). He must “sin himself” (thus making himself entirely a sinner). He must have the waters of menstruation sprinkled on him; and the only way those waters can be sprinkled is by the immersion (baptism) of the hyssop (“I will discharge”) into the waters of menstruation. The person must recognize that Yehovah will indeed slough off every Israeli sinner who will not become clean, immersing His discharging into the very waters that alone can render him (or her) clean, waters that first make the person totally unclean.

 

7. Jewish Traditional Baptism: Orthodox Pictorial Baptism

I have heard that one form is as follows. (I could not prove this if I had to do so.) One comes to a place of much water and enters it approaching the one who will immerse. Words are exchanged; the immerser brings the convert completely under the water and up three times. The convert is given a (1) new Hebrew name. The convert (2) leaves the water a different way than he came in. (3) His clothes worn during immersion are buried or burned. A New Name. A new Walk. A New Lifestyle.

 

8. A Suggestion For A Present‑Day Pictorial Baptism

One comes to the immerser. The one being baptized is asked to give reasons for baptism (to make sure he understands), and also is asked concerning Salvation, sin, etc. Scriptures may be read for the sake of any who may be watching. The person is immersed in the Name of the Father, Yehovah (down and up once); in the Name of the Son, Yeshua our God (down and up the second time); and the Name of the Holy Spirit, Yehovah (down and up the third time), according to the “Shma” (‘Hearken, Israel! Yehovah, Elohenu [our Gods], Yehovah, is one!’). The person then exits the water another way and changes clothes. The old garments of baptism are buried or burned.


9. Conclusion

Rituals are for the thoughtless. Good comes if one turns both from sin and slavery to sin, from true uncleanness to cleanness before Yehovah. Individuals and individualism are rarely what is important in the Bible. A Congregation, and Body—the entire group is subject to the uncleanness of one of its members.

Biblical immersions are for very different reasons, and give very different pictures. Confusing them, mixing them together, or giving wrong interpretations of them will lead to results that will not benefit, and that will mislead others, including to death.

 

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Various Cups in the Bible

The Various Cups of the Bible

 

 

A. Two Special Cases

Diviner’s Cup

 

Genesis 44:1 And [Joseph] commanded whoever is over his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks of food just as they will be able to carry. And put silver of a man into his sack’s mouth. 2And thou wilt put my goblet—the silver goblet—in the mouth of the sack of the little, and the silver of his break.” And he did according to the speech that Joseph spoke. 3The morning is light. And they sent the men, they and their asses. 4They exited the city. They didn’t distance, and Joseph said to whoever is over his house, “Arise! Pursue after the men and overtake them. And say unto them, ‘Why ‘peaced’ ye bad under good? 5Is not this in which my lord will drink? And he, divining, will divine via him! Ye bad-did what ye did!” 6And he overtook them. And he spoke these same words unto them. 7And they said unto him, “Why will my lord speak according to these words? Profanity to thy slaves from doing according to this speech! 8Behold, we returned unto thee the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks from the land of Canaan. And how shall we steal silver or gold from thy lord’s house? 9With whom he will be found from thy servants, and he shall die! And we, we also shall be slaves to my lord!” 10And he said, “And also now he is established according to your speeches! He with whom he shall be found will be a slave to me! And ye, ye shall be innocent.” 11And they hurried. And they descended, a man with his sack to the land. And they opened a man his sack. 12And he dug. He began in the big and he finished in the little. And he found the goblet in Benjamin’s sack. 13And they tore their clothes. And a man loaded upon his ass. And they returned to the city. 14And Judah came, and his brethren to Joseph’s house. (And he, he is still there). And they fell to his faces landward. 15And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that ye did? Did ye not know that, divining, a man who is as I will divine?” 16And Judah said, “What will we say unto my lord? What will we speak? And what will we justify ourselves? The Elohim found the iniquity of thy slaves. Behold, we are slaves to my lord, also we and also whom the goblet is found in his hand.” 17And he said, “Profanity to me from doing this! The man in whose hand the goblet is found—he shall be a slave to me! And ye—ascend ye to peace unto your father!”

 

Joseph commanded that another type of cup be placed in Benjamin’s food sack. He called it the cup by which he would divine (a strictly occult term). Joseph was not into the occult; he feared Yehovah. Yet he prophetically filled a role that Yeshua will fill regarding Israel, for Yeshua’s prophecies will seem to be divination to the Israelis once they start happening before and during the Tribulation.

 

This very cup was used to save the lives of Joseph’s family, but Joseph’s brothers were terror-stricken by this cup’s presence in Benjamin’s sack. The same will occur when Yeshua sets His ‘divining tools’ into Israel’s ‘food sack’ during the Tribulation.

 

 

Drinking the Blood of Men

2 Samuel 23:15 And David lusted. And he said, “Who will water me, waters from the Beit-Lekhem well that are in the gate?” 16And three of the valiant-[ones] broke through into the camp of Palestinians. And they drew water from the Beit-Lekhem well that is in the gate. And they carried and came unto David. And he was not willing to drink them. And he poured them to Yehovah. 17And he said, “My profanity to her is to me, Yehovah, from my doing this—the blood of the men walking via their beings.” And he was not willing to drink them. Three valiant-[ones] did these.

 

1 Chronicles 11:17 And David lusted. And he said, “Who will water me, waters from the Beit-Lekhem well that are in the gate?” 18And three broke through into the camp of Palestinians. And they drew water from the Beit-Lekhem well that is in the gate. And they carried and came unto David. And David was not willing to drink them. And he poured them to Yehovah. 19And he said, “My profanity to her is to me from my Gods from doing this—will I drink the blood of these men walking via their beings? For they brought them via their beings!” And he was not willing to drink them. Three of the valiant-[ones] did these.
If anyone (or any group) risks his life to do a service for another, that person is offering his blood. If the benefactor willingly or unwillingly receives the benefit, the benefactor has drunk the blood of the one who took the risk.

 

While this is how Yehovah views simple heroism, there is another issue. If the service done is for entertainment and not to sustain life, attempt to restore health, or for some truly heroic purpose, the recipient of the entertainment has also drunk the blood of that person (whether the person died or not), and this is the same as enjoying blood sports in historic Roman arenas for personal entertainment. It is a great act of contempt against Yehovah, since the image of God has been risked for entertainment purposes.

 

Some make it their life’s work to take risks (Hollywood stunt personnel, race car drivers, etc.); they are in a different category. Those who willingly join the riskiest forms of the armed services (like the Navy Seals) are also the greatest risk takers. There is a major distinction between these two types of volunteers, however. A Navy Seal is risking his life for his country. That can include saving innocent lives; any lives they save by their risks fall under the drinking blood option above. Anyone whose life is saved by another, and who thus drinks that hero’s or heroine’s blood, is doing right by drinking. Anyone who derives entertainment from acts of heroism personally done for them (I am therefore not referring to race car drivers who love the thrill and do it for personal enjoyment, not to save lives), and no other benefit, is violently drinking the blood of others, and will receive appropriate condemnation.

 

This cup of the blood of men is another cup. Yeshua volunteered His life to save the lives of many and to everlastingly save many. All who grasp that Salvation, taking advantage of it, are drinking Yeshua’s blood.

 

 

B. Humanly Caused Cups

The Cup of Violence

Proverbs 4:17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

 

The wine of violence is not from Yehovah; that is a manmade cup.

 

 

The Cup of Waters

Psalms 73:10 “Therefore He shall return His people here!” and “The waters of fullness shall be sucked-out for them!”

 

This is not a legitimate cup. Bad guys make these two statements in their sarcasm and bitter vituperations against Yehovah.

 

 

C. Deity-Caused Cups

The Cup of Wrath

Isaiah 51:15 “And I am Yehovah thy Gods, calmer of the sea, and his waves roared! Yehovah of Hosts is His Name! 16And I put my words into thy mouth! And I blanketed thee in the shadow of my hand to plant heavens and to foundation land and to say to Zion, ‘Thou art my People!’” 17Awaken thyself [feminine]! Awaken thyself [feminine]! Stand-thou [feminine], Jerusalem who drank the cup of His heat from the hand of Yehovah! Thou drank, thou drained the cheating of a cup of self-reeling! 18There is no guide to her from all sons she childed! And there is no grasper into her hand from all sons she reared! 19 “Twice, behold, I called thee! Who will be wandered to thee? The devastation and the shattering and the famine and the sword? Who? I will console thee!” 20Thy sons took-cover. They lay in the head of all streets as a luster of a net, the full-ones of the heat of Yehovah, rebuke of thy Gods! 21Therefore hearken-thou [feminine] this [feminine], humble-one [feminine], and drunk-one [feminine], and not from wine. 22So said thy Lords Yehovah and thy Gods! He will fight His people! “Behold, I took from thine hand the cup of self-reeling, the cheating of a cup of my heat! Thou wilt not gather-again to drink her again! 23And I will put her into the hand of thy grievers who said to thy being, ‘Prostrate! And we have crossed-over!’ And thou didst put thy body as land and as the outside for crossers-over!”

 

The word kavah in Hebrew has the flavour of spoiling and robbing, but these are best covered by other words. It is more akin to cheating with the following acceptations: to deprive by trickery; defraud; mislead, fool: illusions that cheat the eye; elude, escape: cheat death. Yehovah ‘cheated’ potential victims of the devastating cup of Yehovah’s heat (fury) they were about to drink. They didn’t know He did that, as if he had defrauded them, tricked them, etc. Yet, He saved their lives. It would be like a hero who takes the place of a prisoner who has been sentenced to death without the prisoner knowing what occurred, only to find later that the hero died in that person’s place.

 

The cup of heat is the cup of fury.

 

Psalm 11:5 Yehovah shall test a righteous-[one]. And His being hated a culpable-[one] and a lover of violence! 6He will rain traps, fire and brimstone and a spirit/wind of pouring-out-flights [where folks must flee their homes and lands] upon culpable-[ones], a portion of their cup! 7For Yehovah is righteous. He loved righteousnesses. They shall envision straightness within Him.

 

One aspect of Yehovah’s fury when that cup of iniquity is full is shown by Yehovah forcing folks out of their homes. If the fury is great enough, He will destroy the entire land (as He did with Sodom, etc.). Otherwise, losing homes and being taken captive will be the result.

 

Psalms 75:8 For a cup is in the hand of Yehovah. And the foaming wine was full, mixed. And He poured from this. But her dregs shall go-forth. All the culpable of the land shall drink!

 

This shows the location of the cup: “in the hand of Yehovah.” Yehovah pours, though in other texts He sometimes gives others that responsibility. He did so with Yeshua, and He did so with Jeremiah.

 

The dregs of the cup (the particulate matter at the bottom) also must go from the cup; it will be entirely emptied. All culpable folks (guilty before Yehovah) will drink from this cup. Most cups will be connected with races. This one is connected with all members of all races.

 

Jeremiah 25:15 For so said Yehovah Gods of Israel unto me, “Take this cup of the wine of the fury from my hand. And water her with him: all the races that I am sending thee unto them. 16And they shall drink. And they shall stagger. And they shall praise themselves from the faces of the sword that I am sending between them.” 17And I took the cup from the hand of Yehovah. And I watered all the races that Yehovah sent me unto them: 18Jerusalem and cities of Judah and her kings, her princes—to give them to her sword to desolation, to her shriek and to her worthlessness as this day, 19Pharaoh king of Egypt and his servants and his princes and all his people, 20and all the mixture and all kings of the land of Utz, and all kings of the land of Palestinians, and Ashkelon and Azzah (Gaza) and Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod, 21Edom and Moab and the sons of Ammon, 22and all kings of Tyre and all kings of Zidon and kings of the island that is in-over the sea, 23Dedan and Tema and Buz and all cutters of corners, 24and all kings of a [desert] crosser and all kings of abiding [desert] crossers in the desert, 25and all kings of Zimri and all kings of Elam and all kings of Medes, 26and all the near and far kings of the north, a man unto his brother, and all the kingdoms of the land that are upon faces of the soil. And King Sheshach shall drink after them.” 27And thou shalt say unto them, ‘So said Yehovah of hosts, Gods of Israel, “Drink-ye! And be-drunk-ye! And vomit-ye! And fall-ye! And ye shall not arise from the faces of the sword that I am sending between you!” 28And he shall be that they shall refuse to take the cup from thy hand to drink. And thou shalt say unto them, ‘So said Yehovah of hosts, “Drinking, ye shall drink!”

 

This cup is singular, and includes all kingdoms on the faces of the planet starting with Israel and ending with a King Sheshach. This one cup of Yehovah’s fury will be passed from one to the other by the hand of Jeremiah (who already did this, but the kings of the world have no clue, since these kings will not be born and reign for many centuries). Yehovah sends historical prophets to deliver messages to future persons, at times; time is no barrier to Yehovah.

 

Revelation 14:6-10 will cover these events from the angle of Babylon and the cups.

 

Jeremiah 49:12 For so said Yehovah,  “Behold, who it is not their justice to drink the cup—drinking, they shall drink. And thou art he—innocent—thou shalt be innocent? Thou shalt not be innocent! For, drinking, thou shalt drink!”

 

This text is speaking to Edom, including Petra (Botzrah). Yehovah is warning that Edom will most certainly drink from the cup of His wrath.

 

Lamentations 4:21 Rejoice and be glad, Daughter of Edom, my dweller in the land of Utz! A cup shall cross-over also upon thee! Thou shalt-be-drunk. And thou stripped-naked thyself!

 

This cup of Yehovah’s wrath causes drinkers to be drunk. That drunkenness is from shock at the terrible and successful attacks of enemies or at the furious destructions of Yehovah.

 

A land stripping naked indicates a total loss of armour and the exposure of all sensitive body parts that not only can feel very great pain, but can quickly bring the body to death when harmed.

 

Obadiah 1:15 For the Day of Yehovah is approached upon all the races. Just-as thou did, He will do to thee! Thy retribution shall return via thy head! 16For just-as ye drank upon the mountain of my Holy-[One], all the races shall continually drink! And they shall drink, and they shall swallow. And they shall be as they were not!

 

Yehovah guarantees that the bad-guy races will drink, will swallow, and will obtain the retribution for their deeds. The end result is the erasure of their society. (He also protects His own who are among the races from being killed by His wrath; His wrath is very specific. That doesn’t mean they don’t suffer; they certainly do as they see their possessions, homes, family, friends, neighbours, etc. be destroyed or go into slavery at the hands of a very angry enemy.)

 

Habakkuk 2:16 Thou art filled: lightness [unimportance] from glory! Drink—also thou—and thy foreskin shall circle upon thee! A cup of the right of Yehovah and vomiting of shame is upon thy glory.

 

The cup is associated with vomiting and shame. Once Yehovah pours that cup, the group upon which it is poured will lose its importance (glory), and will be brought to great shame and sickness. Nakedness will also result—the nakedness of a group that is suddenly without any defense from attack—not even the clothing that the group would put on. (This is in contrast to another text commanding a group to put on the whole armour of God.)

 

Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice from the Temple saying to the seven angels, “Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the land!”

 

This text doesn’t mention the cup, but instead but instead, vials. These are shallow bowls. They contain the wrath of God. The entire chapter of Revelation 16 covers these.

 

Psalm 79:6 Pour out thy wrath upon the races that have not known thee and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy Name! 

 

 

The Cup of Waste and Desolation

Ezekiel 23:31 “Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand.” 32Thus says the Lord Yehovah, “Thou shalt drink of thy sister’s deep and large cup. Thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision. It contains much. 33Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of waste and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.

 

This cup is deep and large. When a group finally drinks it, the result is waste and desolation, meaning that the previously occupied and busy land is now a destroyed ghost town. The population has suffered slaughter and has been taken captive. All the building, the business and the manufacturing goes into recycling, and into giving future archaeologists something to dig.

 

 

The Cup of Staggering

Psalms 60:3 Thou showed Thy people hardness. Thou made-us-drink wine of staggering!

 

Yehovah will sometimes make a people drunk (and thus easily conquered) if that people becomes vile and lovers of sin. (A people that is idolatrous doesn’t necessarily fall into this category.)

 

 

The Cup of Reeling

Zechariah 12:2 Behold, I am putting Jerusalem a goblet of reeling to all the peoples around. And he will also be upon Yehudah via a siege upon Jerusalem.

 

 

The Cup of Tears

Psalms 80:5 Thou hast fed them bread of a tear. And Thou hast watered them via the tears of a third-one.

 

This cup contains tears. The group that drinks this cup will deeply weep.

 

Psalms 102:9 For I ate ash as bread. And I mingled my drink via weeping 11from the faces of Thy indignation and Thy fury. For Thou carried me, and Thou slung me!

 

While the contents of this cup are not given (though they are mingled—that is, a mixed drink), they were mingled via weeping.

 

 

The Cup of Iniquity of a Particular Race

Genesis 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

 

A text might not mention a cup, while alluding to it. The iniquity of the Amorites was stored in a cup. Yehovah will force them to drink their own iniquity once that cup has become full. Other texts discussed in this document show that all races have cups, and all will drink from their own cups once they are full.

 

 

The Cup of (Being) Babylon

Jeremiah 51:7 Babylon is a gold cup in hand of Yehovah. She is inebriating all the land from her wine. Races drank. Therefore the races shall praise themselves!

 

“All the land” includes all continents and islands. Babylon itself is this gold cup. Yehovah holds this cup, and will give drink to all the races. The races will become drunk. They will then praise themselves in their drunken stupor. (Certain forms of insanity include symptoms in which insane persons declare that they are able to do what they truly cannot do, and that they are what they are not. Thus, they commend themselves for what they did not and cannot do.)

 

 

The Cup of the Wrath of Babylon’s Fornication

Revelation 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, “Babylon is fallen! Is fallen! That great city! For she made all races to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication!” 9And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God that is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation! And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb!”

 

This text describes “wine of the wrath of fornication.” The other cups did not specify the offenses. Thus, this is a particular cup for a particular offense.

 

Babylon is a city (one in the past, and will be one in the future). Thus, fornication with a city requires other cities (or locations). It is as if those cities are ‘living together’ unmarried, but acting as if they are. Two cities with very different gods can always do trade. It is when they begin to take on the idolatries of each other that they are committing fornication.

 

Babylon did not know that she caused others to drink of the wine of wrath, since Babylon will have no investment in the Word of Yehovah and in belief of Yehovah. This is from Yehovah’s angle; He is saying that she caused them to drink of that wine of wrath.

 

The text then speaks of individuals: “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God that is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation!” This wine of the wrath of God will occur in this life, and will continue into the Lake of Fire and Sulfur. This cup differs from the previous cup, since this cup is only for individuals, while the previous cup is for races. Thus, this text does give evidence or proof that individuals also drink from a cup from Yehovah.

 

The lack of mixture is a lack of cutting the strength of the wine; they will get it in its full potency.

 

I have not seen or heard of anyone drinking a liquid that was identified as this wine. That doesn’t mean it isn’t literal, since I also have not heard of anyone literally drinking of the waters of life; yet the Bible guarantees that that is literal water that folks will drink. (I can do some supposing at this point. This is only a guess. Suppose that each person will drink of a literal cup at the judgment after the Millennium, and the cup contains the full measure of the wrath of Yehovah toward that person even as that person waits then to enter the Lake of Fire and Sulfur.)

 

The cup itself is called “the cup of His indignation.” Therefore, sinning fills the cup of Yehovah’s indignation. Indignation means a strong passion or emotion of displeasure or antagonism excited by a real or supposed injury or insult to oneself or others, or by the intent to do such injury. For Yehovah, the definition would then be, Indignation means a strong passion of displeasure and antagonism excited by a real injury and insult to Himself and to justice including the intent to do such injury against Yehovah and justice. The word indignation in Hebrew is stronger than hatred. It is akin to outrage. It is the word katsaf, and represents a fervent drive to cut such a person off from the land of the living. Outraging Yehovah just isn’t smart.

 

Every person potentially has a cup of Yehovah’s indignation. That cup fills every time a person sins. The cup never empties (unless everlasting Salvation occurs), and thus the longer the person lives, the fuller that cup gets. This is one reason why Yehovah cut down longevity.

 

Revelation 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts. And the cities of the races fell. And great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.

 

This cup is called “the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.” Therefore, it is akin to the Lake of Fire and Sulfur, since this lake is the expression of the fierceness of His wrath.

 

Revelation 18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works. Fill to her double in the cup that she filled.

 

Babylon is again considered in this text. You refers to the Israelis. They are told to reward Babylon just as she did to them. She doubled the punishments and torments of the Israelis; her cup filled as she sinned. Her cup’s portion will be doubled. She will thus drink double.

 

 

The Cup of the Waters of Poison

Jeremiah 8:14 Concerning what are we sitting? Assemble! And we have come unto cities of the fortification! And we were silenced there. For Yehovah our Gods silenced us. And He watered us waters of poison! For we sinned to Yehovah.

 

These Israelis are admitting that they sinned, and that Yehovah watered them with waters of poison. This is a very surprising text (to me). The next text explains:

 

Jeremiah 9:15 Therefore so said Yehovah of hosts Gods of Israel, “Behold, I am feeding them—this people—wormwood. And I will water them waters of poison.”

 

Yehovah promises to water them with waters of poison.

 

Jeremiah 23:15 Therefore so said Yehovah of hosts concerning the prophets, “Behold I am feeding them wormwood. And I am watering them waters of poison. For blasphemy exited to all the land from with prophets of Jerusalem!”

 

 

D. Cups That Lead to Benefit Or Avoid Suffering

The Cup of Yeshua

Matthew 20:22 But Yeshua answered and said, “Ye don’t know what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup of which I shall drink and to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They say unto Him, “We are able!” 23And He says unto them, “Ye shall indeed drink of my cup and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. But to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give. But it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.”

 

That cup is the wine of the wrath of Yehovah on account of Israel’s accrued sins since the last pouring of the last cup.

 

Mark 10:38 But Yeshua said unto them, “Ye don’t know what ye ask. Can ye drink of the cup of which I drink, and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39And they said unto him, “We can.” And Yeshua said unto them, “Ye shall indeed drink of the cup of which I drink and ye shall be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized.”

 

Matthew 26:39 And He went a little further. And He fell on His face. And He prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou.”

 

Matthew 26:42 He went away again the second time. And He prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup will not pass away from me except I drink it, Thy will be done.”

 

This cup is set for Israel. Israel had accrued iniquity upon iniquity by this time. The cup was full. Yehovah had given it to Yeshua to pour out, so that Israel would reap the full measure of iniquity. That would have meant Israel’s being torn to shreds, taken captive, and the Israelis being tossed out of the land. Yeshua did not desire to pour that cup. He knew that He could avoid pouring it by drinking it: taking Israel’s iniquities upon Himself. That is what He did.

 

Mark 14:36 And He said, “Abba (Father), all things are possible unto Thee. Take this cup away from me. And not what I will, but what Thou wilt.”

 

Luke 22:42 Saying, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. And not my will be done, but thine.”

 

John 18:11 Then Yeshua said unto Peter, “Put up thy sword into the sheath. The cup which my Father hath given me—shall I not drink it?”

 

Yeshua personally suffered the way that all Israel would have suffered, being turned over to the Gentiles to be beaten, humiliated, cursed, bloodied, accused, and set for death.

 

 

The Cup of Vinegar

Matthew 27:34 They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with poison. And when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink.

 

Had Yeshua taken from that cup, He would have died a suicide.

 

Matthew 27:48 And straightway one of them ran and took a sponge. And he filled it with vinegar. And he put it on a reed. And he gave Him to drink.

 

Yeshua was willing to drink from this cup. It was not poison, but was a type.

 

Psalms 69:21 And they gave poison into my [bread] breaking. And for my thirst they watered me [gave me to drink] vinegar!

 

Vinegar is from the verb, to be cruel. This cup, then, is the cup of cruelty. Humans give this cup to others.

 

 

The Cup of Blessing

Psalms 23:5 Thou shalt order a table to my faces in front of mine afflicters. Thou hast greased my head with oil. My cup is abundance.

 

A few of the cups are very good. It appears that more cups are disasters; more texts give warnings because more groups are headed for destruction.

 

This cup is abundance. It is a blessing because Yehovah has promised it (thus invoking it) and given it.

 

Psalms 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

 

1 Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not the communion [joint participation] of the blood of Messiah? The bread that we break, is it not the communion of the Body of Messiah?

 

The cup itself is the Covenant, and that Covenant was sealed in Yeshua’s blood. That Covenant, then, includes the Saints’ joint participation in Yeshua’s blood. That is a blessing, since it not only is unto everlasting life, but it also provides for whatever Saints (as a group) need to live Godly and to demonstrate faith (together as a group) to others so that they can be benefited (if they will desire).

 

1 Corinthians 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table and of the table of devils.

 

That cup of blessing is not available to those who are drinking from the cup of devils. Thus, the devils also have a cup.

 

 

The Cup of Yehovah’s Measure

Psalms 16:5 Yehovah is the measure of my portion and my cup. Thou art the Maintainer of my lot!

 

Can Yehovah be a cup? He can be anything He desires to be, but not all things are reasonable for Him to be. Yehovah is a Rock. I don’t see where He is a cup.

 

If this is the case, the division of the first statement would be, “Yehovah is the measure of my portion” and “Yehovah is the measure of my cup.” (The alternative would be a division like this: “Yehovah is the measure of my portion” and “Yehovah is my cup.”) I do not agree with the alternative because another psalm states, “My cup runs over.” If Yehovah were the cup, how could He run over? He fills all things. Therefore I will go with the first: “Yehovah is the measure of my portion” and “Yehovah is the measure of my cup.”

 

If Yehovah is the measure of any cup, and Yehovah is infinite, that cup’s measure cannot be limited, though the cup can overflow with blessings.

 

 

The Cup of Salvations

Psalms 116:13 I will carry the cup of Salvations. And I will call via Name Yehovah.

 

This cup contains more than one salvation. Each one is a rescue from death. Carrying that cup indicates that it is being transported for the sake of others, not just for the sake of the carrier. (Salvation is from the Jews.)

 

 

The Cup of the Waters of Life

John 4:9 The Samaritan woman therefore says to Him, “How dost thou, being a Jew, ask from me, a woman of Samaria, to drink?” For Jews have no intercourse with Samaritans. 10Yeshua answered and said to her, “If thou had known the gift of God and Who it is who says to thee, ‘Give me to drink,’ thou would have asked Him, and He would have given waters of life to thee! 11The woman says to Him, “Sir, thou hast nothing to draw, and the well is deep. From where, then, hast thou the waters of life? 12Art thou greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons and his cattle?” 13Yeshua answered. And He said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again. 14But whoever will drink of the water that I will give him shall in no wise thirst forever. But rather, the water that I will give to him shall become a fountain of water in him springing up into everlasting life.”

 

Yeshua addressed this woman concerning the waters of life. While no cup is mentioned in this text, and while an artesian well is mentioned, I have still chosen to categorize this as a cup.

 

1 Corinthians 10:4 And they did all drink the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them. And that Rock was Messiah.

 

Again, no cup is mentioned. The Rock is mentioned, and the waters of life came from that Rock.

 

 

The Cup of Consolation

Jeremiah 16:7 They shall not split to them upon mourning to console him concerning a dead-[one]. And they shall not water them a cup of consolations concerning his father and concerning his mother.

 

This cup of consolations is what one person can ‘pour’ upon another when they are both mourning over a dead person for whom they greatly cared. Yehovah is indicating what will not happen. (They will suffer many deaths, but the deceased loved ones will not be buried, and individuals will not separate from the group to console others in mourning. Instead, dead bodies will be everywhere.

 

 

The Cup of the New Covenant

Matthew 26:27 And He took the cup. And gave thanks. And He gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of it. 28For this is my blood of the new Covenant that is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

 

This text gives the appearance that the cup is His blood. Another text will correct this view, showing that the cup is the Covenant that is in His blood.

 

Luke 22:17 And He took the cup. And He gave thanks. And He said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves. 18For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God shall come.” 19And He took bread. And He gave thanks. And He broke it and gave unto them, saying, “This is my Body that is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new Covenant in my blood that is shed for you.”

 

(Body does not refer to Yeshua’s physical body; it refers to what is later called “the Body of Christ,” having all living Israel as its core, and having additions in Saints from all races.)

 

This text mentions two cups, but the first cup isn’t described. The second is the New Covenant, and that is in His blood. Thus, it refers to the shedding of His blood on the cross. Yet, the cup is not His blood. It is the Covenant. Thus, that cup represents that Covenant.

 

Who drinks that cup, and what does it contain? The cup Yeshua passed contained wine at this Passover meal. Yet, what are the contents of that cup that Yeshua is describing? The cup contains Yeshua’s blood. This will directly link to the other section in this document in which King David refuses to drink the blood of valiant persons who risked their lives to obtain good-tasting water for him. Everyone who takes advantage of Salvation provided by Yeshua’s blood being shed drinks His blood.

 

John 6:49 “Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread that comes down from the heavens so-that a man may eat thereof and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from the heavens. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, that I will give for the life of the world.” 52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53Then Yeshua said unto them, “Faith! Faith, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eats my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life. And I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is certainly food and my blood is certainly drink. 56He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he who eats me—even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread that came down from the heavens—not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He who eats of this bread shall live forever.”

 

Thus, anyone taking advantage of Yeshua’s sacrifice is drinking His blood.

 

Mark 14:23 And He took the cup. And when He had given thanks, He gave it to them. And they all drank of it. 24And He said unto them, “This is my blood of the new Covenant that is shed for many.”

 

1 Corinthians 11:25 Also, after the same manner, He took the cup when He had supped, saying, “This cup is the new Covenant in my blood. Do ye this in remembrance of me as oft as ye drink it.” 26For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death until He comes. 27Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and blood of the Lord. 28But a man shall examine himself, and so he shall eat of that bread and drink of that cup.

 

 

The Cup into the Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:13 For we are all immersed into one Body by one Spirit, whether we are Jews or Greeks, whether we are slaves or free. And we all have been made to drink into one Spirit.

 

This corresponds to the waters of life from the following text:

 

John 7:37 In that great last day of the feast, Yeshua stood. And He shouted, saying, “If any man thirst, he shall come unto me and drink. 38He who believes on me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of the waters of life shall flow out of his belly.” 39But He spoke this of the Spirit that they who believe on Him shall receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified.

 

Thus, drinking of the Spirit of Yehovah is drinking of the waters of life. While no cup is mentioned, a drink is still used.