IN A PRISON OF YOUR OWN MAKING... OR NOT

Mankind are much like animals in a cage, albeit a big cage with walls unseen.  We are free to range within our massive reservation, but it remains a prison in which we live. That is a shocking statement but there is evidence of that.

What size makes a cage? Obviously, even if an electric fence is put around your personal space, that would be a cage and sort of a virtual prison that is mobile. It is as if we are circus animals that others marvel at our antics.

If your property boundaries are within a fence, then you are still contained, but in a larger space. You begin to feel free, just like your pets do when they seem free range, but are still within the confines of your lawn. They are liberated each time you allow them outside the walls of your house but are still confined with the false knowledge that they are free.

Now, increase that living space to include the neighborhood. Stray pets remain in a cage because of local laws. There are no bars, but their freedom is at best imaginary.

On the Sabbath, Jews become observant of their cage; called “techum shabbat,” meaning the Sabbath boundary which restricts each one from walking more than 2,000 cubits, (about 0.7 miles) outside their home city or home.

For Jews, driving or even using motorized transportation is against their law. Perhaps that is God’s way of persuading them that they are not yet free beings, but like animals in a cage, not for punishment, but for their own safety.

Free range on the other days, on the Sabbath day they know that they are in one of two places: (1) a prison whose “bars” are the Law of God or (2) just a hedge about them (Job 1:10) that keeps the wicked ones from getting into them. Their boundaries are their consciences; for some they are sanctified and set apart for their own welfare, or for others, they are in prison made by the Law of God.

The latter state is that in which the Jews of the age of Jesus found themselves. So many saw the Law, thanks to the Pharisees and scribes, to be a prison rather than a state of sanctification wherein they were set apart from the wiles of the Devil as Paul wrote so succinctly:

 

Finally, my brethren (fellow Christians), be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might; Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephes 6:10-12)

 

Therein, the wall, or hedge, of protection is the armor of God — His mightiness. Paul was essentially saying, Commit yourselves to containment for your own sake. That state of existence is you knowing the commandments given to you by the Lord Jesus (1 Thes 4:2). Those commands were given by the “Finger of God” (Deut 9:10)— the “Word” Jesus (John 1:14).

The boundary of your confinement is the Power of God who prescribed, not really “commandments,” but “prescriptions” for eternal life. The Law is either a prison or a sanctuary based on the conscience of each person.

Some pets require no laws but stay within the bounds of property lines because they love and obey their masters. Others love their masters, but venture out into the world, never knowing the hazards that they may encounter.

Some dogs, even though they love their masters, just cannot resist the exploration of the world; that is where most Christians live. The most feral dogs go where the action is and even bite the tires of moving vehicles. They will risk their necks for the sport of it. That’s the situation of atheists who inherently know there is a real God, but one who interferes with their quest for excitement from the world.

Whatever the space in which everyone lives is their conscience. For those who are conscious of a loving God, laws are sanctuary from the world, and they are pleased to do them to honor their Master.

To others, the conscience is a hindrance, thus keeping them from doing as they please, even things that will kill them. As you can see walls do not a prison make but the state of the conscience.

That was where most of the Jews found themselves when Jesus came in the flesh… in a prison built by the laws of men rather than freedom in the armor of God to go even where the even wicked ones might be. The Pharisees taught rigid enforcement whereas Jesus gave them freedom by instructing the Jews:

 

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

They answered him, “We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how say You, ‘You shall be made free?’”

Jesus answered them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin.’” (John 8:32-34)

 

Is God the prison warden or sin itself? Sin is anything that would displease God — missing the mark of God, or His standards of thinking and behavior — the conscience of human beings. That is what makes us human!

 The Will of God is expressed in the “Ten Words” that prescribe healthy living using the Conscience of God — the Law. Knowing that things are not God’s Will and doing them anyway is criminal to God, but wanting to do them, even while failing displays the grace of God and makes even sinners free-range beasts.

“You are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father you will do...” (John 8:44). “Father” therein means that the genetics of the Beast is in all natural born people. Who is the “Beast”? That can be found in end-of-time scripture; “They worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the Beast.”

The “dragon” is the “Devil” who is the spirit of wickedness — the “Wicked One” (1 John 3:12), and that would be the adversarial spirit in some lower state of mankind that had carnal knowledge with the female Adam (Gen 4:1).

If that is correct, the woman would have seen the countenance of the Beast as a shining one, perhaps Lucifer, but outwardly, a lower state of man who the Wicked One had entered.

Her encounter with the Beast would have been much like shallow Hal’s vision of Rosemary Shanahan in the movie of that same name; she was fat in reality but beautiful to shallow Hal whose mind played tricks on him. That was the much like the situation Adam’s woman was in with her encounters with the Beast, seeing only the shining star in it.

(To see the origin of the Beast, refer to my book, Creeping Things of the Bible wherein the creeping thing would have been the genetic origin of human flesh.)

Lucifer would have provided the spirit, and the beast of the field, the flesh of Cain, and since then all humans have the spirit of Cain in them from the Wicked One (1 John 3:12).

We are not “mankind” in the manner of Adam but common mortal men (Ish of Isha, the woman, and the Beast). We are Eve’s kind and she and Satan are our genetic “mother” (Gen 3:20) and “father” after she was transfigured with sin into a brutish being with flesh and disgusting desires (Gen 4:1).

Since original sin, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Human beings are no longer glorious creatures like God without organic flesh but with organic flesh that will wither and die like any beast of the field.

The only correction for that state of existence is rebirth (John 3:7) to be made glorious in the end like Adam’s kind before sin entered them.

Now stand in front of your mirror. Ask yourselves, “Who am I? Are you glorious or more brutish like? I see the beast in me more often that the power of God to be honest. I am still biologically a beast but spiritually a sanctified one protected in a state of safety until I too will be glorified with incorruptible flesh (1 Cor 15:52).

As with any beast, I can be incarcerated for the safety of others because I can be a danger to them; or it could be for my own safety from perilous things that I might encounter.

Because I have Christ in me (sanctification) my abode is in Christ. The Law would not make a prison but a sanctuary from wild beasts. That Christ is in me is Christ-consciousness of the “ten prescriptions” for eternal life. They would be suggestions for us “animals” to serve our Maker, rather than restrictions for which we look for ways around them.

Jews, for instance, in Palm Beach, Florida tried to enact legislation to install a wire around the city to increase their boundary on the Sabbath. They would rather enlarge their wall of protection than let Jesus remove their spiritual walls and make them free.

Now recall the previous passage about freedom (John 8:32-34). Jesus makes us free from the Law by becoming sin for us. Paul wrote about God, “He has made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21).

How did God, who never sinned, become sin? He put on human flesh like a beast. He could sin but overcame the world (John 15:33) by not sinning, thus demonstrating that we need not sin and do things the other animals of the world do.

From where does the idea that the world is a prison come?

 

The Lord God sent him (Adam) forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken; so He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the Tree of Life. (Gen 3:23-24)

 

The Garden of Eden, means “pleasantries,” and “east” before time.

Adam and Eve would have been removed from Paradise within both heaven and earth, to planet Earth alone where they were no longer conscience of God and His Presence but material things alone. They would become conscious of both time and matter but no longer privy to heaven and the things therein. Their milieu thereafter was material things and the tribulations of the world, many of which are expressed in Genesis chapter three which describe prison conditions where they would suddenly find themselves.

They would be encaged like the animals they were on planet Earth, and ages later, Australia became a similar prison for English convicts.

In the same manner, some considered Australia a “Heaven” and in the Outback, others a “Hell.”

If you have not been born again, your existence here is more a prison from which Christ can make you free, all the while leaving the world intact (for the time being.).

Adam and Eve were given coats of skins from God for their new habitation. He put onto them the Power of God in whom they believed; their spirit had been willing but their flesh weak, so God provided for them a barrier from the things of the world — coats of skin (Gen 3:21) from the Power of God.

He put onto them the whole armor of God, not for prison suits but for their safety in a cruel world that would be a prison to Cain — the free-range beast — who could go the world over while he was still in a prison of his own making. God marked that one “prisoner” like Jews would be in WWII where they were free-range prisoners… at least for a time.

The world to which sinful Eve’s kind would go would be here on planet Earth where the walls are not of brick or stone but the human conscience that God may have given them as coats of skin.

If you are not a disciple of Christ, you are not free, whatever you may think. You may be in prison to be executed at the end of you serving time, but if marked by God, this prison is more a sanctuary for safety until you are saved after enduring your time on good behavior and righteous thinking (Mat 10:22).

Some may think themselves in Paradise in this age, but those conscious of God understand it is merely a prison with great tribulations that can only end with death and eternal life in another realm.

Because there are no walls, it seems not to be a prison, but it is. Christians live in a state of sanctification until they are saved in the end.

Sanctification is not a hedge at all but a state of safety under the Power of God — encased in His whole armor from the aspects of the world.

Strangely, you may remain captured all your life because of your lack of consciousness of God.

 

 Picture credit: Hasan Almasi

 

MORE ABOUT HAWAIIANS

MORE ABOUT HAWAIIANS

 

In my book, The Arks of Tubal-Cain, I compared Hawaii, perhaps one location of the land of Nod, to which Cain wandered. The reason for that was Eve’s name; “Adam called his wife's (Ishah in Hebrew) name ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all living” (Gen 3:20).  

Therein exists equality; she was called “Eve” because she was the mother of all living. Hence Eve is equivalent to “mother”, and hers the land of the living. Cain’s seed might be called the “Motherland”.

In Hebrew, Eve is spelled חַוָּה (right to left chet-vav-hey) which is transliterated “Haua” in the Hebrew. The first letter (חַ), I mistook for the letter hey (ה), and while realizing that the “u” has the waw sound, I thought That spells Hawaw’a which it does not. Strong’s Dictionary misled me as well sounding Haua khav-vaw'. However, the “k” is not sounded; it is merely a guttural “h” sound like a hard “h” compared to the letter hey as a soft, airy “h” sound.

By getting it wrong, I nearly got it right; Hav-VAW with the hey silent therein.

How would natives pronounce Hawaii?

Hawaiʻi is generally huh-VAH-ee (or ha-vai-ʻi), with a soft 'v' sound for the 'w' and a distinct pause (glottal stop) represented by the ʻokina (ʻ). While many locals use the 'w' sound, using a soft 'v' is considered authentic to the native language. (YouTube)

Now compare Haua (Eve) to Hawai’i. Note that the pause of the ʻokina replaces the silent hey in חַוָּה (Haua) and that the “u” has the sound of the VAH in huh-VAH-ee. Hence, it is hav-vaw for one and hav-Vah for the other with an extra ee sound.

In Hebrew, Hawai’i is pronounced Ha-VAH-ee, very much like Hawaiians pronounce it. In early times, generally the WAW sound for the letter vav was used rather than the VAH sound. If that is the case, then Eve’s name would be pronounced in ancient times as Haw-WAW-uh (the uh replacing the letter hey. Although not exact, the reader must admit that there are just too many similarities for them not to be common. With that, I submit that the island of Hawaii may have been named for Eve and like Eve it is the motherland.

That means that I may have stumbled upon something by accident; The island of Hawaii has something to do with Eve. Indeed, Hawaii is a “paradise” like Eden, so it made sense that the seed of Cain had found their own version of Paradise.

The next thought that came to me is What is notable about Hawaii? The hula dance, and as it turned out, hula means “wandering” in the same vein as the land of Nod.

Next, I wondered about their god(s). Who did they worship? Several sea creatures. I thought that perhaps friendly sea creatures guided them to a safe mountain during the flood of Noah.

Mount Kea is their holy mountain. and it is much higher than any of the mountains of Ararat. Mount Kea was created from a volcano, last active 4,500–6,000 years ago. Could it be that God provided a place because of His mercy and the “lighthouse” to guide them there?

The full name is Mauna a Wakea in their language. Wakea means “sky father” and represents space and the heavens. In Hebrew Wakea would be the same as the Hebrew Shamayim (the heavens). Mauna a Wakea would mean “mountain to the heavens”. Indeed, Mauna Kea is their most holy mountain.

Also, Raki'a (רָקִיעַ) refers to the "Firmament" or the "expanse" created to separate the waters from the heavens in Genesis. This closely mirrors Wakea's role as the expansive space above the earth.

In some contexts, Wakea (or Awakea) means "noon" or "light of day," symbolizing the vivifying influence of the Sun, or either the Light of God.

Wakea would be the progenitor of the Hawaiian people and the "Sky Father" — Father God. Could it be that they worshipped the same father God as Judeo-Christianity, but the wrong son? Who is their major God? Kane.

Representing the god of creation, procreation, and the Progenitor of chiefs and commoners. As a giver of life, he is associated with sunlight, fresh water, and the sky. He is revered as a creator who formed the earth and fashioned the first man. (Beckwith 1940)

Cain was the first mortal man — “Ish”— who like God existed within himself.

Now consider my young granddaughter; I asked of her, “Who taught you to speak?

Her short reply was, “I taught myself.” Compare that to Eve, “I created Ish-man, Cain” (Gen 4:1). Like the mother, like the son; Cain may have been thinking, I created myself!

Modern people think the same way; God did not create me, I just happened.

As such, Kane would parallel Jesus as the “Word” (John 1:1-14). Not Yeshua, but Kane, would be the Creator as God. The biblical Cain would be “the sky father” rather than either Adam or Yeshua. Hawaii would be the motherland of Eve.

The Serpent warned, “God knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5). If Kane/Cain was the “father of all living,” compared to Eve as the “mother of all living”, then Kane and Haua would be the Hawaiian version of the father and mother, respectively.

If so, then would expect incest to be part of the native religion. Was it? In ancient Hawaii, there were documented instances of incestuous, cross-generational, and sibling marriages within the Aliʻi — the noble and royal classes — which included some cases of a mother and son or father and daughter marrying.

 

The primary motivation for such marriages was to preserve the highest possible bloodline (mana) and keep it pure, as royal incest was considered a way to ensure the children had the highest possible status.

Aliʻi Pio (Highest Class): The highest-ranking chiefs were often the product of full-sibling unions. The practice was not considered a sin or social wrong within this exclusive, elite group. (AI Overview)

 

Now consider even the bloodline of the Hawaiians — mana. Even mana has Hebrew meaning; the mem-nun, the same as manna from heaven in the Bible. The letter mem means either blood or water, or even both, as Jesus described the prescription for salvation (1 John 5:6).

For the Hawaiians, their bloodline, true to the Bible, came both by water (the flood) and the blood (their genetics) just as with Noah’s seed.

What came by the water? The letter nun, representing both fish and semen. Could that be their mistaken doctrine of mana, crediting the ocean bearing creatures for their salvation, and making them the various gods in their pantheon?

What evolved in Hawaii would be a type of Judeo-Christianity as to be expected, so when Christian missionaries came to the island, it was difficult to alter their form of religion in favor of the religion of the white man; albeit similar, theirs included both good and evil.

Although I was mistaken in my reasoning, I accidentally found my hypothesis plausible. There is much evidence that the arks of Tubal-Cain made it far, far eastward of Eden.

Genetic studies indicate that Polynesian ancestors likely originated from, or passed through, East Asia, with significant mixing with Melanesian populations later. Their genetics are said to be around 80% Japanese because of migration from eastern Asia. They would have been from the land of Nod and from the land of the rising sun (Japan).

“Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden” (Gen 4:16). If Eden is the Holy Land, then Japan is eastward of Eden, and Hawaiians are the seed of the Japanese. That also points to water travel to escape the waters of the flood, and like their ancestors, high mountains would be the safe space and the place to worship their sky god.

Now back to phonetics. The Hebrew letters chet and hey are different but more common to the extent that some modern Hebrew words can either be written as “ch” as in chet or “h” as in hey.

Both chet and hey share the same form: חַ and ה, respectively. They are connected by the letter vav (וָּ) which means “connected”. Although spelled חַוָּה, the word Haua (Eve) is pronounced Khav-vaw’. Haua therefor means “life-giver” as the “mother of all living.”

In the original language of Hawaii, it contains a glottal stop as in Hawai’i, making the pronunciation ha-VAI-ee. Remembering that the “u” in Haua is pronounced as a double “v” sound, you may by now understand my misunderstanding in the beginning.

The word “Hawaii” is often interpreted as a combination of ha (breath), wai (lifeforce), and ‘i (supreme/God), translating to “the breath of life” or “the breath of the supreme (deity).

In the same manner, the letter vav in Haua also represents the binding life force of God. Can you now see the similarities?

Now compare Hawai’i to Haua (חַוָּה); read from right to left: chet, vav, and hey.

The Hawaiian people had no written language when the English came in the early 1800s. English-speaking people created their language using the left to right western convention. If they had developed their own language, like other Orientals, it might have been from right to left, so for the purpose of this commentary, ignore the difference in the flow of the letters.

So, let’s rewrite חַוָּה in western directions: hey-waw-chet. Linguists believe that Polynesian Hawaiki refers to Hawai’i. Hence the glottal stop might have once been the letter “k”. The letter chet sounds like “ch” or the letter “k”. Now compare phonetic ha-waw-kee to Polynesian, Hawaiki.

Not stopping there, consider the meaning of חַוָּה — “the mother of all living.” Literally, chet-waw-hey means wall, connection, and beheld (or breath), respectively.

Now work the magic of understanding Hebrew pictographs; in the manner of paleontologists, you must use the imagination.

Chet means fence, barrier, wall and similar things. After much thought, the idea of a “womb” occurred to me as a protective barrier within women to keep their unborn child safe from the world. Hence, Eve would have a womb by the time Adam classified her new kind.

The last letter hey is of a mortal man with arm’s raised, as if in praise or breathing. The pictograph may not have been a glorious man like Adam but a lower state of man raising arms to receive the glory of God. (True that is imaginative, but original man would not have looked like a common man.)

It could be that the letter hey represented Cain with arms raised to receive his mark (Gen 4:15). I have concluded that common men, coming short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23) looked more like the beasts of the field, specifically the “creeping thing” (Gen 1:26). [1]

Coming short of the glory of God, the letter hey might have represented a man/beast (Ish, Gen 4:1) in the womb of Ishah — the woman/wife. Whatever the case, the letter hey means either to behold or breathed into.

In the case of Eve, she was beguiled (Gen 3:13). Her “lord”, surely after sin, Satan would have “breathed” life unto her newly acquired womb. To validate that, we must turn to the Bible. It is there in several places; “Cain, who was of the Wicked One” (1 John 3:12) and that he was a new kind of man, not “Adam” but “Ish” of Ishah (Gen 4:1).

Because sin was genetic, then all the seed was of both Eve (the mother of all living) and Cain (Ish) — the father of all living — and because of Satan in him, all common men are of the wicked ones; “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do” (John 8:44).

That situation compares well with the Hawaiian idea of Hawai’i as the supreme mother God of Hawaii and her son, Kane the father of them all.

Hawai’i, or Polynesian Hawaiki, refers to the ancestral home or the place from which people migrated. If they migrated from Ha-Waw-kee (Eve), then Hawai’i would be the mother land and Moana Wakea the mountain of the mother — “the mother land” of Eve.

If this seems contrived, so be it. However, the thoughts just occurred to me and the elements presented herein is evidence of my hypothesis; that Hawaiians descended from mother Eve, and from father Cain.

Several names have been passed around as wives of Cain. The Bible speaks only of one ‘Issa, or Ishah.

In Biblical Hebrew, issa (אִשָּׁה - ishah) primarily means "woman" or "wife". It is the feminine counterpart to ish (man/husband), appearing frequently in The Old Testament to denote a female person, or a married woman.

Since Ish means man and Ishah woman/wife, then Isha could have been the wife of Cain. Since Eve was woman/wife Isha, could it be that Cain husbanded with his own mother? Many religions, including native Hawaiians, did not condemn such things.

An aberration of Judaism is that Lot fathered the children of his daughters, meaning well, but creating a new kind of people — the Moabites. Were his daughters just repeating the sins of their genetic mother Eve, having incest with their own father? Hence, the god of Moabites were their father/mother pairs, such as El and Asherah of the Canaanites.

Like the Canaanite God, Chemosh and Ashtar were the one God pair of the Moabites as some believe. Is it possible that Eve and Cain were paired Hawaiian gods? It seems so; perhaps they brought a form of God to the islands but a misinformed pair, or even a pantheon of creature gods.

The Ish man, Cain, was a god unto himself, not glorious but cunning and arrogant like his father the Devil. True to the Serpent, in their wanderings, the seed of Cain became the gods and that was especially true in Hawaiian mythology where even the lower states of beasts became the gods as they were more like Cain than Yahweh.

I am not the last word, but there is so much evidence that there were indeed arks of Tubal-Cain.

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[1] For more about that see my book, The Creeping Thing of the Bible.

My first glance of Hawaii from the airplane:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] For more about that see my book, The Creeping Thing of the Bible.

SPORTS FANS

Many live for their sports whether it be football, basketball, hockey, and volleyball. Some even get thrilled during the sport of curling. Many select their home team and each season, even during the holidays, they root for them; ironically, even during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s day.

There is nothing wrong with supporting your team. Supporters are as if they are part of the team, and the most dedicated of them all are those who pay thousands of dollars to sit in rainstorms or blizzards to witness the games. Indeed, their presence and enthusiasm are encouragement to the players. Playing in an empty stadium would be disheartening to any team. Even the visiting team needs some supporters because of the home-team advantage.

Sports fans are necessary for the success of the team. Indeed, athletic supporters are part of the team.

In some seasons, the home-team may be on a losing streak and apathy ensues. No longer are they not enthused but have submitted to inevitable losses. Ironically, the more apathetic the supporters become, the more losses their team seem to have. Apathy on the part of sports fans is as if their home teams are the opponents. Some may even see losses as well-deserved punishment. Usually, the manager or coach takes the ‘fall’ for the entire team.

Sports fans, when things go wrong, tend to become severe sports critics. Their discouraging words, as they sit tight on their hands, is their way of punishing lackluster players and the managers.

Sports fans are part of the team and are necessary for success. Teams without fans are never in the limelight.

So, just what is a ‘fan’?

The word ‘fan’ in that context comes from the English word ‘fanatic,’ meaning an insane person. The Latin origin was fanaticus "mad, enthusiastic, inspired by a god," also "furious, mad” (Douglas Harper 2001-2023). Therefore, ‘fan’ is as much a fervent religion as any religion might be.

You all have seen it yourselves; sports fans are religious about supporting their teams. Even atheists, therefore, have a religion of sorts. Many sports fans even follow their teams to distant places to support them. Their religion is Sports Enthusiasm. They cheer for their most revered object which is as much a team of lesser gods managed by a higher ‘god.’ Some Hoosiers still idolize coach Bobby Knight — the ‘god’ that just recently died.

Sports have always been a religion. That religion became organized in 776 B.C.  Ancient Olympic games “were held at the Panhellenic religious sanctuary of Olympia, in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin” (Wikipedia 2023).

Before the coming of Christ, the way of dating time was the year of the Olympiad. So, for sports fanatics, their time here on Earth, rather than measured from the time of Christ, is the time from the first Olympiad. For a period, that time stopped in the second century, AD, but continued secretly.

The ancient Olympiad was a celebration of Zeus every four years. That religion has been restored with the modern Olympic games, ostensibly to some unknown god.

That ‘god’ is the unholy spirit of Zeus. Hence, sports fans are unwittingly glorifying the Greek god Zeus, all the time thinking that they are just ‘fans’ as in ‘fannian’ — “to stir up air” (Douglas Harper 2001-2023).

Ironically, Satan is “Prince of the Power of the Air,” if that has any significance… and I believe it does. Sports events, for some, are more important than church and winning games is more important than winning souls. It is okay to support your teams, but not at the expense of neglecting the One True God. It is okay to support your team if not robbing God of His due.

Just what does God (Jesus Christ) deserve? Glorification!

The psalmist wrote that “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord; and shall glorify Your Name” (Psalm 86:9). His ‘Name’ became more than the Hebrew, ‘A Sem;’ He was called Jesus (Mat 1:25).

‘Glorify’ comes from the Hebrew, ‘kabad’ — to put much weight upon. In the case of Jesus, that is to value Him highly and esteem Him much. In other words, to become a ‘fan’ of Jesus — a Jesus fanatic, or becoming fervent for Jesus. You could even imply that Christians are to go overboard with Jesus.

That brings us to Peter. While still safe in the boat, Peter saw Jesus who was walking on turbulent waters. Peter went a little insane for Jesus, perhaps with much zealousness. He went overboard for the sake of Jesus.

Jesus said “come’ and, “And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus” (Mat 14:29). Peter was not ‘making-sport’ of Jesus, mocking Him, but did go overboard for Him.

Peter was a fisherman and knew the water could drown him, especially with so much turbulence during the storm, but He was such a fan of Jesus that he did a crazy thing — he went overboard for Jesus. Peter was the fan of Jesus and was fanatical about Him to the extent that He would walk with Jesus all the way to his own death. As it turned out, Peter was such a fanatic for Jesus that he went to his own cross as well, then Nero had him crucified in the same manner as Jesus.

Peter did not only go overboard for Jesus but aboveboard. He, without resistance, died for his ‘team’ — the Church — and its ‘Coach’ — Jesus.

In AD 60, Nero commenced the Olympic games in Rome, just in time to burn the ‘Olympic Torch” (as it turned out, Rome) and to persecute the Church to honor Zeus. Then Peter was crucified at about the time of the Second Roman Olympiad games.

Playing sports for Zeus (Latin ‘Jupiter’) was more exhilarating to Nero than being part of Christ’s ‘Team.’ Although a fan for Jupiter and pagan Rome, Nero was a fanatic against Jesus and the Church — the new ‘team’ that was forming to compete against Zeus.

What was the spark that ignited this commentary? Certainly not the Olympic Torch but the Divine Spark of God.

I was speaking to a person just recently who indicated that it was okay to believe in God but not to go overboard; not to be overly enthused.

Glorifying God is essentially going overboard for Him. Just think about that; when Big Ship Earth is stormed, as it will be someday, we will indeed step off the ‘ship’ and look for safe harbor. There will be no dock to step onto, but only to trust Jesus for salvation.

We will someday be called by Jesus to “Come,’ as He told Peter. Will you go overboard to walk with Him wherever it is that He goes? Will you be enough of a fan to go overboard with Him?

‘Overboard’ is to go aboveboard with Jesus — to cross the firmament to another realm to go to a place that few will ever go because they were afraid of being fanatic enough to walk on lofty places to go to heaven!

Sports fans are fanatics of an invisible god as well. It is just that their god has no power to overcome the world as our God — Jesus — has done.

What does God expect of us? To follow Him wherever He walks, just like a rabid sports fan.

You may go to an adjacent city, or sports fanatics may go to many cities, even to distant places. Some may neglect friends and family to engage in watching sports. It may not even matter whose team or what sport they are, but you can count on them to be there glorifying their team, most often not even for a reason!

If it is okay to be a sports fan, it is okay to be a fanatic for Team Jesus — to go overboard or aboveboard for Him. That, readers, is the Way to Paradise in heaven!

 

THE MULTITUDE

 We usually gloss over the 'multitudes' in scripture as just many that followed Jesus. There is more to them than that. 

In scripture, the Hebrews were sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; not that they were his sons but were of his gens, as it is called in the Latin. The ethnic area called ‘Judea’ was the home of the Jews, those of the gens of Judah. Israel, which was the northern kingdom was by then not ethnically pure.

Flavius Jospehus wrote that after the defeat of Israel (not to include Judah, as it was called at that time,) that there was a diaspora of the Israeltites eastward and that they were replaced by the Cuthites from near Babylon. Israel had become Samaria, and indeed it was odd that there was a ‘good Samaritan’ because they were not fully Jews and as such they were considered unclean in Judaism.

It is often written that the multitudes followed Jesus (e.g., Mat 12:15). The ‘multitude’ was an admixture of races and even the Gentiles (non-Jews) that followed Jesus. Contrast the commoners (multitudes) who followed Jesus for goodness to the Jewish Pharisees who pursued Him for evil. The root noun from which the multitudes come means “of common thought.” They all followed Jesus because they believed Him to be God whereas the Pharisees challenged that thought.

Jesus acknowledged His Identity: as the Son of man and the Son of God. As the Son of man (huios anthropos), meant that He was beheld to be of the posterity of man, but rather was the ‘Son of God’ (huios theos). ‘Son’ in that instance is not ‘yios’ but ‘huios.’  The former is the first generation offspring, whereas the latter is the posterity of some more ancient predecessor.

Matthew chapter one reveals Jesus as the Son of man, or the posterity of Abraham through Joseph, His supposed father (Luke 3:23). On the other hand, Luke 3:38 presents Jesus as the Son of God, not directly as a parent but as the posterity of the Father.

Note that Abraham was the supposed progenitor of Jesus but the LORD GOD His real posterity. [1]

Just as Cain was the supposed son of Adam (Gen 4:1) and Jesus the supposed Son of Joseph, Isaac was the supposed son of Abraham. The point therein is that all three were the posterity of the LORD GOD. Matthew chapter one stops short with the genealogy of Abraham because that had gone far enough. The next generation would have been the LORD GOD because Abraham had been regenned in the fiery furnace by God.

Terah was, according to the Book of Jasher (chapter twelve), not the father of Abraham. Abraham was created by God (Jasher 12:9). Matthew stopped short because he was well aware of the gens of Jesus went back to God, not to Terah, the supposed father of Abram.

With those things said, Jesus was supposed to be the progeny of Adam but that was not so; He was the progeny of the LORD GOD period because He is God! The flesh of Jesus was no more than the ‘coat of skin’ that God put onto Adam after sin (Gen 3:21). It was the ‘Garment of Adam’ that must be crucified; hence the ‘place of the skull’ (the cranium of Adam). [2]

The crucifixion was much about taking off the flesh of the female Adam and revealing the Spirit of God within — the very Holy Ghost of Jesus that is God’s True Image. (Gen 1:27) [3]

So far, the goal was to reveal why Jesus is God, not just the Son of God. You may ask a not so silly of a question, “Is Jesus now without flesh?”

No, Jesus was glorified at death. By that I mean that His ‘Garment of Adam” was removed and replaced with the unrecognizable glorious flesh of God. (John 7:39). Jesus shed the flesh that Adam wore and replaced it with flesh that God had originally made for Adam; the flesh that kept Adam safe from the fiery darts of the Wicked One. That flesh was temporary until Jesus was glorified alongside Jesus. (Mat 27:53).

Good Friday was beginning of regeneration for Jesus.  First, he shed the flesh of Adam then God would a few days later put onto His Ghost a new skin that was glorious like the one the LORD GOD had made for innocent Adam.

When Paul wrote that “He has made Him to be sin for us” (2 Cor 5:21), that can be taken literally; Jesus arrived on planet Earth with the flesh of Eve — the female Adam. Hence, Jesus is the Son of Man because of Eve who was the ‘mother of all living” (Gen 3:20).

The flesh that died was the flesh that Eve produced. He was born of a virgin; hence Adam’s kind had no part in His coming. The flesh that Jesus gave up on the Cross was perhaps the decadent genetics of the ‘Serpent’ though Eve because it was that day the Crucifixion of Jesus defeated sin. (Sin is more than a virus but a genetic disfiguration within.)

Note that Judas died that same day as Jesus and Satan who was in him had only one place to go. Maybe he vacated the body of Judas and went with the flesh of Jesus to his grave. Not only would sin be carried away from mankind but the Devil as well. (I wish I knew this for certain because it makes sense scripturally, and to be honest, those thoughts were given to me, and I am sure it was from God.)

Lastly, for the multitudes… they were the sons of Man through Eve as well since she is the mother of all. The multitudes included the sons and daughters of Eve, and even Haggar, the mother of Ishmael. The multitudes included the Babylonians and even the Arabs — all the sons of the female ‘Adam.’

When scripture speaks of Adam, it is natural to think of the male of the species. However, it can be concluded that Adam was not the father of all living or scripture would not have assigned that distinction to the female alone. It may have not been the place of the male Adam’s skull but the female’s of Adam’s kind. If that is true, then Jesus died for all the living — the ‘whosoever’ in John 3:16.

The multitudes were the ‘sons and daughters” of Eve, not that Eve was their mother, but that the multitudes were of her gens, or genetics, and not necessarily of the male Adam.

That mitochondrial DNA, call them excess genes, are passed along only by the female of the species, therefor the genetic ‘Adam’ of all mankind — the multitudes — are from Eve. It is her that sinned first, was it not?

The Jews, perhaps, wanted Jesus killed for some hidden reason. Perhaps because the blood of Jesus would make the multitudes equal to them, and indeed it did, “He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly…” (Rom 2:28-29).

Paul was speaking to Gentile Romans and making them Jews, not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. The Romans were part of the multitudes that would soon follow Jesus. They were ‘sons of man’ as well but not the male ‘man’ but the female Adam. They all had the mitochondrial “granular thread’ of Eve within their fleshes.

King Solomon was the first to identify mitochondrial DNA; he wrote, “Or ever the silver cord be loosed” (Ecc 12:6). Literally, the meaning from the Hebrew is when the pale twisted thread becomes distant. (Strong 2006). That may very well describe the ‘granular thread’ of mitochondrial DNA which is passed along through the generations in the ova of women.

Solomon was speaking about DNA in some distant time, perhaps at the Crucifixion when Eve’s DNA would be regenned by Jesus. He did that for the multitudes. He carried away all their “sins that are past” by the propitiation of His blood (Rom 3:25).

Jews are different. They were chosen and peculiar people (Deut 14:2). Because of the birth of fatherless and motherless Isaac, mankind was redeemed but that would work only for a time. Before Christ was crucified, rest was in Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16). It was by his seed, or DNA, that they were rewarded as the sands in the sea — the granules in the waters — perhaps the semen.

The multitudes were common and many. They were neither chosen nor peculiar; they merely followed. They had very little of the DNA of Abraham within their genes. Jesus would correct that, speaking to Christians, Paul wrote, “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…” (1 Pet 2:9).

Why all the turmoil between Jews and the multitude— the rest of us? We are vying to be a special people to God.

When Muhammad came, the battle got fierce because they are now the ‘multitudes.’ Their ‘Jesus’ is Isa who I believe is the Beast of scripture. They in the 600’s AD defected from Judaism and Christianity and created another ‘god’ called ‘Isa’ that has the spirit of Satan in him.

The world will someday, for a short time, be a worldwide caliphate. They seek that and that is in harmony with scripture.

In conclusion, the point is that we are all ‘sons of Satan’ not that we have Satan within us but his genetics. That can only be corrected by gene editing. Jesus did that on Good Friday 33 A.D. and we need no further tampering.

(picture credit; Architectural Digest; 2004 Olympics)

 

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[1] I have written before that Abaraham was the supposed father of Isaac in my Daily Thought, Herrin Daily Thoughts: MARVEL NOT! (kentuckyherrin.blogspot.com)

[2] See my book, The Skull of Adam, for more about that topic.

[3] For more about Jesus becoming undone, see my book, Adiol Came Down: Arkhas Came Undone.

REWARDS OF THE GREATEST AND THE LEAST

 Jesus spoke blessings; they were beatitudes. As I have written before, the Ten Commandments are new attitudes: meekness, a new spirit, and so forth. However, neither I nor anyone else is the final authority on what is a command and what is an attitude. However, the authority of God is without question.

God wrote the Ten Commandments, and now comes Jesus as the Image of God. He repeated the Ten Commandments but not as acts to avoid punishment but attitudes to be rewarded with blessings. Hence, the Law was finally revealed and people could do as they wished, and not be punished, but have new attitudes to be rewarded.

However, Jesus identified the beatitudes as what? Commandments, to wit: 

KEY VERSE: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the “least” in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called “great” in the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:19)

 Jesus is speaking. He is speaking about “commandments” — the Law. He says that there are different outcomes for breaking and keeping commandments. He was speaking of the “Law.” Lawbreakers would still be treated justly, but like anyone stopped by traffic police might understand, you can break the Law and still obtain mercy. The good policeman considers your attitude.

I broke the law forty-seven times. I was ticketed and punished forty-seven times. Why? Because I broke the law? No, because I showed a bad attitude each time!

Since then, I have been stopped about twenty times because traffic laws are so easily broken. The cop understands that, and so does Jesus!

However, the last twenty or so times, I have not been punished because my attitude had changed. I was cordial and contrite with all the policeman, and albeit I was guilty as charged; they all had mercy.

The “Beatitudes” is the “Law” rewritten; wherein we are not judged on our behaviors but on our attitudes about right and wrong behaviors. It is as plain as day.

Take for instance, “the meek shall inherit the earth.” They shall inherit earthly things. In other words, they shall be fellow heirs with Jesus.

What was their reward? It was in their day, “They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). They were comforted by the Holy Ghost here on Earth that their hope was true. Compare that, now, to the command, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Meekness is understanding the reality of who you are. You are neither God nor a god. You must accept that truth and credit Jesus with that status. He is God!

Inheriting the earth, then, is preparation for the real inheritance — Paradise in the realm of heaven.

Now back to the key verse: lawbreakers are to be called “least” and command-keepers will be called “greatest” and both in the Kingdom of Heaven (Ouranos). The Kingdom of God is not of this world (John 18:36). James wrote about that Kingdom, “Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love Him?” (Jas 2:5).

The promise is not about whether they break the Commandments or not, but about those who love Him. Think not of emotional attachment to God, but agape love is goodwill toward God — “a willing effort or a cheerful consent” (Merriam-Webster Dict. 1828-2022). You see, it is the attitude about the Will of God and the effort made, whether failing or not! Your own will must be of a good attitude to receive the ultimate Beatitude — the nature of God by rebirth (John 3:7).

Before rebirth, the nature of the person is like their father, the Devil (John 8:44). But those with good attitudes have been transformed with the attitude of Jesus — Christlike; “We are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:24).

Think not of water baptism but baptism of the Holy Ghost of Jesus. Baptism with “Living Water” changes the nature of the person. It is not so much what you do but what you are willing to do. It is a change, not in behaviors or actions, but a willingness to comply with the tenets of God out of respect for God, even though you might still fail. The Beatitudes is a list of the Graces of God, and realize it or not, so are the Ten Commandments!

Note that all the keepers and breakers of the commands go to Heaven — to another realm. It is a place of souls wherein souls never die. Remember that both Lazarus, the poor man, and the rich man went to another realm: 

²² And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; ²³ And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:22-23)

 They both physically died. Lazarus went to lie with Abraham in his non-earthly realm and Abraham went to Hell. They both went to “heaven” but two discreet and different places — one to rest and the other torments (Luke 16:25).

Hell is referred to as “a place in torments” not of this realm but another (Luke 16:28). Lazarus went to a place of rest alongside Abraham. The two places in Heaven were separated for it is written, “Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us” (Luke 16:26).

The point therein that those called least and greatest in the key verse all went to heaven in another realm wherein the soul goes for eternity, as the rich man found out, but there are two places in that realm for the souls of mankind.

In other words, those called the “least” go to Hell and those called the “greatest” go to Paradise — the spiritual realm wherein Abraham’s kingdom existed, according to the Book of Jasher.

Note that the “least” consists of two groups: (1) command breakers, and (2) teachers that promote command breaking. Not to be mean, but truthful, some strict interpreters of Calvinism teach antinomianism:

In some Christian belief systems, an antinomian is one who takes the principle of salvation by faith and divine grace to the point of asserting that the saved are not bound to follow the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments. Antinomians believe that faith alone guarantees eternal security in heaven, regardless of one's actions. (Wikipedia 2001)

 Many Christians believe that antinomianism is a “ticket to sin” (ibid.) I have heard fundamental Baptist preachers say, “Even if you have murdered, you are still going to Heaven.” (That would be true if they have repented, but that was not made in his point.) By saying that, they have unwitting reinforced the Words of Jesus. Indeed, they will go to Heaven, but which place in Heaven? They teach wrong doctrine and are among the “least.”

Calvinism is having a poor attitude concerning grace. It is not that you can live in sin and still be rewarded but that God delivers you from sin because the crucifixion redeemed the genetic aspect of sin “for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God (over time)” (Rom 3:25) but thereafter, there must be repentance for each sin.

The meek repent of all sins. David even repented that he was born in sin (Psalm 51:5). The arrogant believe that a one-time repentance is enough; that any subsequent sin is already covered by the blood. If that is true, then why would anyone fellowship in prayers, as Luke wrote? What is it you would pray for? Things? Pray for the forgiveness of subsequent sins, as Jesus modeled with the Lord’s Prayer, “¹⁰ Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Mat 6:10). Just what is the Will of God that should be done? The Commandments that demonstrate goodwill toward Him, so simply stated by Jesus, “If ye love me (have goodwill), keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

So, it condenses down, it is not commandment keeping that is goodwill, but your willingness (attitude) to do the Will of God (the commandments) whether you succeed or not! Continual failure, however, reveals on whom the will lies.

The Ten Commandments are on stone for perpetuity. They are as valid today as they were in the time of Moses. They are the “Conditions” to be heirs to God’s Estate in Paradise. He knows that His heirs will fail, but because He loves them so much (John 3:16) even true adopted children of His will be rewarded for mere willingness to please the Father.

Just as the prodigal son failed but still received his inheritance, so shall all of us who come to the Father shall receive his portion. The prodigal son could have easily come to the faithful son for his share, and if the father had been away, he would have done that. The same goes for those who come to Jesus while the Father is away!

(picture credit; pxfuel)

ON CONFORMING

  One of the most divisive passages in the Bible are the key verses for today’s commentary. However, in an attempt at unity, the focus is not on predestination or foreknowledge, but a continuation of my commentary on the “form” of Jesus. With that in mind, read the key verses:

KEY VERSES:  ²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Rom 8:28-30)

  Everyone conforms! The question is, to whom do they conform?

  Christians, “all who are called according to His Purpose,” is the focus of Paul’s message. It is for their good. In reference to perishing, Jesus said in His parable, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mat 22:14) for the wedding feast. Of course, that “wedding” is for Jesus and His Bride which is the Church. Many are called never to perish, but few are chosen. As such, Christians do not choose God, He chooses them. How many is “many?” Everybody, most, some, a few, or a remnant?

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Mat 7:1314)

 Therein is “many” again. It means a great number (Strong’s Dict.) “Many” in the key verses refers to those who are born again. The “first born” is the Son’s “image” called Jesus. The key verses seems to be at great odds with what Jesus said. “Many” will be born again, but “few there be that find it,” speaking of eternal life. God calls, many are born again, but few end up with eternal life! That implies that most who are born again fail to overcome temptations in the world. That is apostasy, called “falling away” (Luke 8:13).

  Perhaps many shall fall away because believing in Jesus and His Purpose is easy but conforming to His image is extremely difficult.

  Many are born again. Just what is rebirth? Trusting the water and blood of Jesus as the sacrifice for our own sins (1 John 5:6). That means one thing, and that is trust in Jesus’s redemption of all sins.  Jesus was pierced and bled so that you need not. The Purpose of Jesus was so God’s Flesh could die, so that your own soul would not. For God to suffer death, he assumed a Form, like ours, so that He could feel the temptations that we feel, overcome them and Satan, and then die as if He was guilty like us! We are guilty, but Jesus was innocent of all sin, albeit he entered unto temptation to show that it could be overcome.

  As such, many have good intentions. They desire to trust God and intend to do so! However, albeit the “spirit is willing, the flesh is weak” (Mat 26:41). What must those who are called and respond do? Sacrifice their flesh to God, to wit: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom 12:1). Many have faith to turn to Jesus, but few conform to Him.

  Just what is the “Form” of Jesus. The last key verse calls that Form, “Glorified.” Glorification is splendor and goodness; living in the Presence of God as Jesus would live. Not that Christians will be “perfected” (Glorified) in this world but walk the Way of the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is the physical “Form” of Jesus before He was made Flesh. Not that He was a physical “Tree” but that he was glorious and rooted in the Garden of God. Those born again will walk the Way that Jesus did, and conform to the image of God of whom Jesus is God’s Form!

  Jesus died for “whosoever” because He so loved the world (John 3:16). What must those reborn do? Be as God… not God but “as God” (Gen 3:5). The reborn must be changed; they must conform to Jesus and love others as He loves us: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

  Face it, few will lay down their lives for their friends. How many who have been born again tell others about the splendor of their rebirth? How many really do the Great Commission. Many will not even tell their friends about their joy and the joy that they are missing. What would Jesus do? Love “whosoever” and die so that they never perish (John 3:16). What is it that you do? Entertain with friends as if there is no judgment day? What is it that Christians must do? Chance truth — tell them that God has already judged that all men (and women) are sinners and will die (Rom 3:23)... So, confrontational, but so necessary. If men are “trees” then as Adam, we are to “dress and keep” those “trees” (Gen 2:15). That means to “serve and preserve” or fellow man.

  A story goes that an atheist doubted that Christians have conformed to Christ. Jesus died that even sinners not perish, but he perceived that we fail to even tell sinners that they shall perish. The atheist saw Christians as hypocrites!

  The Great Commission is to persuade others to answer the call and conform to Jesus. That implies that they have a choice. Although many are called, few will walk the Way to the Tree of Life until the end. Of course, God knows who will, intervenes often with His Spiritual Form, but the Way must be walked by the Christians. Satan’s delight is to steer Christians off the path less followed until few follow. The end will come when many are called, only a few hear, and then many will fail to comply by conforming to the Form of Jesus.

  When few conform to Christ, even when many are still called, the end is near. The churches may be full, but few among the many will comply to the Way of Jesus. Those are the apostate churches, and now there are many.  

  “Conforming” to the Form of God is living as if already glorified. It is striving for perfection until it is achieved, albeit it will only be rewarded after those born again overcome the temptations of the world (“To live is Christ; to die is gain”: Phil 1:21). Then when Jesus returns, those who have conformed to the Form of Christ, will be glorified like Christ. (“To live is Christ” means to conform to the Form of Christ.)

  Those who are reborn are not to meander through the world because they have already won a divine lottery, but must trust God enough to conform to His Form. Lucifer said truth, that with the knowledge of good and evil, they would be “as God” (Gen 3:5). That has two sides: one is complete knowledge, even of evil, hence the “Wisdom Tree,” and the other is to conform to God with the knowledge of God’s goodness.

  The Tree of Life was in the Garden, and that “Tree” was at that time, the Form of Jesus. All that God wanted was that Adam and Eve conform to that “Tree” of which they could freely eat (Gen 2:6). That specific Tree had twelve manner of fruits (Rev 22:2). They are named in full only in the Latin version as: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, forbearance, gentleness, faith, modesty, self-control, and chastity (Gal 5:22-23; Latin Vulgate).  Those twelve manners are the form of Jesus to which those born again are willing to conform.

  They may fail because the flesh is weak, but their spirit is willing to conform. In other words, they must retain the Spiritual Form of Jesus… retain the Holy Ghost. James tells how that can be done. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Jas 4:7). Many answer God’s call and are born again, but few submit to God because they continue in sin. They live in Satan’s environment, and Satan is comfortable there with them.

  As such, rather than born again and conform to Jesus, they remain conformed to the world and to Satan. They remain “prodigal sons” belonging to Satan, but God stands ready to welcome them back. Those who are born again can backslide but must eventually conform to Jesus.

  With that said, what must we all do? What would Jesus do? We must conform to the Format of Jesus, live His Way, and “eat” only of His fruits. Few are capable of that because they deny the Holy Ghost Form of Jesus. Why the Great Tribulation. It is one last chance for a few more to conform to Jesus!

(picture credit: BBC.com; "Tips for Raising Quadruplets")