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Sermons Series 3:44, 1 July 2006
The Apostles' Creed and 40 Principles
What We Believe In and What We Witness Of
Main Themes:
Minor Themes:
Brethren and sisters, I welcome you in Yah'shua's Name as we use this amazing time in this ministry's life to carefully review not only our own lives personally during the current 'shake-up' provoked by our enemies but the very beliefs upon which this Mishpachah are based. A lot of people, drawn to us by the current 'controversy', are asking us exactly what we believe in and how our beliefs have changed over the years. In answer to one enquiry recently, I cited our core belief in the Apostles' Creed (which will, and can, never change) and which I think should be restated here. We have put it into Messianic terminology:
"We believe in Yahweh-Elohim, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. We believe in Yah'shua the Messiah, His Only Begotten Son, our Master. He was conceived by the power of the Ruach haQodesh and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He [physically] rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of Yahweh the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit), the universal Body of Messiah, the communion of Yahweh's set-apart ones, the forgiveness of sins, the [physical] resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen".
We have, over the years, issued several 'Statements of Belief' each of which covers different aspects of what we believe in. The second most important statement we have made, which I have updated a little here to reflect current understandings, runs as follows:
- 1. We believe that salvation (deliverance) is a process that leads, ultimately, to the perfection of the human soul.
- 2. We believe that this salvation consists also of seven distinct saving acts, of which the most important is the first, symbolically represented by Pesach or Passover, in which a soul accepts the risen, resurrected Messiah as his personal Saviour, in whom he is learning to trust completely. This is followed by many spiritual baptisms as the sevenfold Ruach haQodesh dwells more deeply and permanently within the soul of a believer.
- 3. We believe that this salvation is by and through the blood of Yah'shua the Messiah alone, that no man - be he apostle, prophet or teacher - can save another, but that godly men such as these are called by the Ruach haQodesh to be the messengers of this salvation to all who will hear them.
- 4. We believe that salvation is by active faith, meaning a faith whose natural fruits are good works, and the living of doctrines and practices which are in harmony with the Torah (Law) of Messiah.
- 5. We believe that faith without works, or faith which does not lead to obedience to the Torah of Messiah, is a dead or false faith, for the process of salvation (which includes sanctification and regeneration) consists of a Ruach haQodesh-mediated interaction between faith (trusting in Yahweh our Heavenly Father) and works (acts of righteousness) in every situation where good works are possible and desirable.
2. The Torah (Law) of Messiah
- 6. We believe that true faith in the Messiah is not possible without first having an understanding of the requirements of holy Christian living which are stated in the Torah of Messiah.
- 7. We believe that the Torah of Messiah is the touchstone by which we measure our faithfulness to Yahweh.
- 8. We believe that the Torah enables us to identify sin in our lives, repent of it, and to obtain forgiveness through the redeeming blood of Messiah.
- 9. We believe that the core of this Torah consists of the Supreme Commandment to eat from the True of Life only, which is the core of the Two Great Commandments of Yah'shua, viz. that we should love Yahweh our Elohim with all our souls above all else, and that we should love our fellow man as we love ourselves.
- 10. We believe that the Ten Words or Commandments (Debarim) are an amplification of these Two and that they are eternally valid to all peoples in all generations.
- 11. We believe that all the other commandments (Mitzvot) given in the Tanakh (Old Testament), which have not been superceeded by new or higher commandments in the B'rit Chadashah Scriptures (New Testament), and all the new commandments given by Messiah and His apostles in the B'rit Chadashah Scriptures, are but amplifications of the Ten Commandments and are eternally valid to all believers in all generations;
- 12. We therefore believe that all three categories constitute One Eternal Torah of Messiah and are to be found in both the Tanakh and B'rit Chadashah Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) of the Bible.
- 13. We believe that Yahweh's apostles or emmissaries are called today, as in the first Messianic Community (Christian Church), to further clarify and amplify the Torah in order to meet the complex needs of our modern technological and increasingly atheistic and neopagan society, and to clarify ambiguities caused by the evolution of language over time. This right to "bind and loose" or "permit and forbid" is called, in the Hebrew, halakhah.
- 14. We believe that Yahweh, in His loving mercy, has established covenants whereby a believer is called to enter into agreements with El Elyon (the Most High God), Yahweh-Elohim, to obey the Torah, through faith, and that by his faithfulness he is declared righteous.
- 15. We do not believe that a man is made righteous through legalistic observance of the Torah but only through faith in Yahweh, our Heavenly Father, through Yah'shua the Messiah.
- 16. We believe that a man must be true to his word and that Yahweh will hold him accountable to that word.
- 17. We also believe that all covenants made with Yahweh, both before the world began and in this mortal sphere, are eternally binding if a man understands them and if they are sealed by the Ruach haQodesh of Promise. We also believe that ungodly covenants and vows may be annulled by the blood of Messiah.
- 18. We believe in voluntarily binding ourselves to Yahweh through the Messiah, and to each other, through sacred covenants, that we may enjoy the blessings of those covenants, viz. peace, security, hope, love, and all the blessings which are predicated by Yahweh by obedience to each specific covenant.
- 19. We believe that inner peace, security, hope and an increasingly more loving nature, are amongst the most important spiritual fruits of being obedient, in love and faith, to those covenants.
- 20. We believe that these covenants, which are holy and sacred, may only be administered by those servants of Messiah who have been entrusted with them, viz. his apostles, and those of the elders whom the apostles delegate to do the same.
- 21. We believe that these covenants may be administered wherever a holy and spiritual atmosphere prevails, whether in the meeting places of fellow believers, in special parts of nature, or in holy temples.
- 21. We believe in the same spiritual gifts that have been enjoyed by all true believers in Yahweh in all dispensations of time from the days of Adam to the present.
- 22. We believe that these gifts are given by the will of Yahweh to whom He will and not by choice and not because of any special human merit.
- 23. We also believe these gifts have been given not for personal glorification but to bring honour and glory to the Father, Yahweh, who gives them.
- 24. We believe that these gifts are varied and that every member of the Body of Messiah possesses one or more of these gifts with which to bless the Messianic Community and mankind.
- 25. We believe these gifts include prophecy, visions, revelations, faith, speaking supernaturally in modern languages (tongues), interpreting languges, translation, miracles, healing the sick, preaching, teaching, serving, etc..
5. The Body of Messiah (Christ)
- 26. We believe that Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon is united to the wider Body of Messiah of all true believers in the Lord Yah'shua the Messiah, and that the difference in teachings and practices that presently divide us will be resolved and disappear when the Lord Yah'shua returns.
- 27. We further believe that whilst we share a common calling with all other true Biblical churches and assemblies to bring souls to the Messiah Yah'shua, that we have also been given unique callings that no other Church or Messianic Community has, to our knowledge, received as the Josephite House of Messianic Israel under the special anointing of the Spirit of Elijah and in the Johannine tradition.
- 28. We believe that Yahweh sends souls to those parts of the Body of Messiah (Christ) where they can spiritually prosper and grow, and that therefore no single denomination or Messianic Association has received the divine mandate to claim that it is the only true, authoritative representative of Yahweh in this dispensation.
- 29. We believe that the Mesasianic Community will be fully united and one during the Millennial Era, and it is towards that ideal that the Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon is moving under the guidance of a modern Apostolate.
- 30. We believe that every Church or Messianic Assembly is accountable to Yahweh, and not to other denominations, for their own faith and works, or lack thereof.
- 31. We believe that men should be free to choose which denomination, church or assembly they want to join and serve in without the threat of divine retribution pronounced by other denominations claiming to be Yahweh's sole representatives.
- 32. We further believe that men should be free to move from one denomination or assembly to another provided they do so of their own free will and according to their own conscience.
- 33. We do not believe that any Church or Messianic Assembly has the right to condemn a person to hell or make judgment concerning an individual in the eternities. We believe this to be the sole province of Yahweh.
- 34. We do believe, however, that every Church or Messianic Assembly has the right to judge its members according to the rules established by their respective organisations to which its members have given their free consent upon becoming members of that denomination or community -- to admit, teach, discipline, encourage, disfellowship, or expel such persons.
6. Personal Accountability and Behaviour
- 35. We believe that we are personally accountable for all the choices that we make in this life, both good and evil, and that no man has the right to blame another for his personal life decisions.
- 36. We believe that those who blame others for their own personal misfortunes will themselves be punished by the evil thoughts and feelings they have towards those they judge.
- 37. We believe that a Christian should always respond to hatred with love, for this is the will of His Messiah, but that he must be careful not to confuse the love of Messiah with the sentimentality and superficiality of the love of men.
- 38. We believe that a man who is walking close to Yahweh will live at peace in his soul and possess a deep, inner strength that enables him to surmount and overcome all problems through faith in Messiah.
- 39. We believe that it is the tendency of unredeemed and rebellious man to deny the truth by refusing to admit he is wrong and by compulsively attacking it, and those proclaiming it, in order to justify himself.
- 40. We believe that the truth is independent of the beliefs and actions of men and that it will defend itself, and that those who trust in the truth, and are willing to continually reform their lives so as to conform to that truth, need never fear man or devils.
Within the last few weeks we have produced a couple of additional documents entitled A Synopsis of MLT (written for a newspaper which, as you know, has since slandered us libelously) and Principles of Ministry, in addition to an earlier document called, What We Believe in a Nutshell. All of these look at what we stand for from different angles. I'll be looking at aspects of these presently if we have time.
We are a group of people who claim the Name of Yah'shua as our Master and Deliverer - our Lord and Saviour - and as such we belong to a wider family of all believers who have been given a very clear commission to "preach the gospel to every creature" (Mk.16:15, KJV). Individually, it means that we are commissioned to share our witness with those whom Yahweh leads us to by personal revelation. As a Mishpachah or spiritual family we are to all of us share to all those whom we are individually called to witness to so that collectively we fulful the commission to witness both as individuals and as a spiritual family. One-to-one ministry is vital but so is many-to-one. We cannot grow and mature except in a genuine family setting where we can experience the nurturing that comes from brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandparents, sons, daughters, uncles and aunts, and so on. We need the wisdom of age and the vitality and zeal of youth. That is not, however, the limit of our witness. We are not just called to witness to those who are predestined to salvation, those whom Yahweh called from the beginning to be saved because of the choices He foreknew they would make. We are also to witness to those who refuse to be saved so that they have the chance to respond to the invitation. And specifically, we are to witness to those whom Yahweh sends us, and often it is those who are in positions of authority and influence whose bad examples are having a negative impact on both Yahweh's own children who are already saved and those who are not, who are being kept blind and harrassed by the wicked in power. We have seen how Elijah worked on Ahab for this reason. Thus our witness extends beyond those predestined to salvation to those who refuse to be saved but who are purposefully and maliciously preventing the elect from receiving their Saviour or from growing. To be sure, a certain amount of adversity is necessary for our growth, but Yahweh does set limits: He never allows us to experience more than we can endure. Therefore he sends prophets in like Elijah to bring the evil rulers, and those with influence, to task.
There is another form of witnessing too. Paul says that we are also to defend the gospel against those who seek to destroy both it and those who adhere to it. There will always be those who "stir up trouble" (Phil 1:17, NIV) for Yahweh's servants particular when the latter are in trouble, as Paul was when he was in prison. Yahweh raises up His apologists who expound the Word and refute error. Finally, we are to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks [us] to give the reason for the hope that [we] have" (1 Peter 3:15, NIV). Peter does not here say what the motive the people asking may have, only that we should be prepared at an instant to explain why we have the hope that we do. They may be sincere or insincere. The word we preach may fall on good soil or bad. We can't always tell. Nevertheless we are to sow and leave the rest of Yahweh and to others who may water and nurture later who are quite likely in completely different churches or assemblies to our own. It doesn't matter who Yahweh uses. That is up to Him.
Finally, just because someone asks you for a witness doesn't mean to say that you are obliged to give one. We take our marching orders from Yahweh, not from man. There will always be those who question us solely with the purpose of laying traps and snares. Yah'shua faced many of these kinds of men in His ministry and His reponse was two fold: either He turned the questions round to expose the hypocrisy of His questioners or - in the case of some of Pilate's questions - He remained silent. The agenda of our witness is determined by Yahweh, not our enemies. For example, if a complete stranger comes and asks me: "Why are you such a bad Christian?" then there is obviously an agenda involved. Answering that question is not giving an answer to the hope that we have in Yah'shua. It's purpose is to trap. Our purpose, so clearly stated by Paul, is "defending and confirming the gospel" (Phil.1:7, NIV). - the Good News of Messiah Yah'shua. The focus must always be on Him. In that way, we can then fulfil the commission Yahweh gave our forefathers to "not turn aside to the right or the left" but rather to "walk in all the way that Yahweh [our] Elohim has commanded, so that [we] may live and prosper and prolong [our] days" (Dy.35:32-22).
I am speaking to you today at a time when once more the ugly head of persecution, fuelled by malicious men, is raising its head and threatening to engulf us. We should not be surprised by this because we are forewarned often enough by Yah'shua that these things would come to those who love Him. He admonishes us with these words: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33, KJV). What are we to do? We are to continue on as before, making a defence of the gospel and our Messiah. Our enemies work on many assumptions, often contradictory. Some do not believe in the existenve of God and yet it is ironic that the Ruach is often seen to be working on them, inviting them to let go of their delusions and embrace the truth. Thus is was that one of our critics wrote that as He was reading something I had written that that he felt conviction in his heart of its truthfulness and drawn in. He writes that he had to stop himself short so that he would not be 'brainwashed' as if I was magically sitting there in the article with a hypnotic pendulum. Well, of course, such a person, who believes in no absolutes and thinks that truth evolves, must be greatly alarmed when something that belongs to eternity touches something that is human and finite. It can be, and usually is, quite frightening when something bigger than ourself touches us. To this day I recall vividly the shock of a friend of mine, who was a communist, when he discovered that he was still alive after he had died in a motorcycle accident. His spirit came to me, because I was his friend, and was in a state of total confusion: here he was, a militant atheist, discovering that he was alive non-materially following his physical death. In fact he appeared to someone else in the same state of confusion. I had to pray for him and send him on his way. We sometimes encounter this in deliverance ministry, and not just with atheists, but with people from other religions who have died and come face-to-face with the resurrected Yah'shua. They are at first dumbfounded and then overjoyed. It is indeed a wonderful thing when we come face-to-face with the resurrected Messiah, whether in the flesh or out of it - unless you are a wicked person who will not repent, in which case there is much trepidation of soul, guilt and shame to be experienced in such an encounter.
I wish people hearing or reading me here today to know that the Gospel of Yah'shua the Messiah and the Torah of our Heavenly Father can and should be defended. We have in our own Mishpachah, and indeed in the wider Body of Messiah, many talented and gifted men and women who are able to see clearly through the lies of the enemy and make a sound defence. Some of them are very keen intellectuals, some of the best I know. Some of them make the 'fathers' of secular psychology, like Freud and Jung, appear as babbling fools trying to describe a beautiful inner landscape wearing a blindfold. We can rest securely in the fact that the Bible is, in its original autographs, inerrant. We can rest securely in the fact that as lovers of the truth we have absolutely nothing to fear from the truth either. The truth will, as the saying goes, more than adequately defend itself.
It is therefore rather ironic, I think, that those who claim to have no belief in Elohim but only in the random forces of nature - a nature which allegedly constructed itself by chance over millions of years, including themselves - can have the gall to claim to be in the business of exposing 'lies' and declaring the 'truth'. Truth presupposes a Truth-giver and since they do not believe in an Ultimate Truth-Giver like Yahweh, then logically it can only mean that they believe that they somehow occupy that exalted position. I thank Yahweh that we claim no source of truth that originates in man: we believe the Truth is beyond us, coming from an entirely different origin, and yet we also claim that it can, and does, dwell in us when we invite it in. This Truth is not acquired by gnosis or an intellectual pursuit of so-called 'factual' knowledge, but by opening ones heart and letting it in. For Truth cannot be received in the abstract - it is not something you can put in a bottle and examine under a lens. Truth is only seen, apprehended and understood by incarnation - it has to first live in someone. Therefore me make the bold claim that Yah'shua made of Himself: "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6, NIV), expanding on what Yahweh said to Moses:
"And Moshe (Moses) said to Elohim (God), See, when I am come to the children of Yisrael (Israel), and shall say to them, The Elohim of your ahvot (servant) has sent me to you; and they shall say to me, What is His Name? What shall I say to them? And the word of Elohim said to Moshe, Eyhe asher eyeh: and He said, This shall you say to the children of Yisrael, EYEH has sent me to you. And Elohim said moreover to Moshe: This shall you say to the children of Yisrael, YHWH (Yahweh) Elohim of your ahvot (servant), the Elohim of Avraham (Abraham), the Elohim of Titzchak (Isaac), and the Elohim of Yaakov (Jacob), has sent me to you: this is My Name le-olam-va-ed (for eternity), and this is My memorial to all generations" (Ex.3:13-15, RSTNE).
Yah'shua said "I am the Way (derech)", "I am the Truth (emet)", "I am the Life (chayim)". And here Yahweh tells Moses "Eyeh asher eyer" - "I AM THAT I AM" - and tells his prophet, to tell the people: "I AM (eyeh) has sent me to you". "I am" means present reality and when Yah'shua says, "I am the Truth" He means that the Truth exists in the present reality of the one to whom it is being presented. The disciples who heard Him declare, "I am the way and the truth and the life", were seeing, touching, experiencing and knowing Truth and Life first-hand. It was not learned in a school, university or seminary. It was being experienced in incarnate form. The Way, Truth and Life were all experienced as a single echad - incarned in the form of a Person - a Divine Person, Yahweh-Elohim incarnate as a human being of noble descent. Truth is not a collection or words or 'facts' - truth cannot be received in print or spoken word. In that form it is like an unplanted seed - those words have to root in a heart fed by the waters of love which alone can bring those seeds to life. Truth is lived. Yahweh is "I am that I am" because He is the very epiome of LIFE - He is ALIVE and TOTALLY REAL.
We, as believers, do not primarily deal in abstract intellectual ideas. What we share is not some theory or intellectual proposition. What we share is a living experience rooted in total reality and total truth. It can only be approximated in words - indeed, we can only give directions by word. After that, it is totally beyond our control. After that, the honest seeker must go to the Source all by himself, unaided. The atheist does not believe that that Source exists so he is left trying to explain what humans experience in their divine encounters. He is actually at a total loss so he is forced to resort to what I call 'psycho-babble'.Unfortunately for him, he is in a minority on this planet. Most people believe in something greater than themselves, whether it be a Divine Person or some kind of super-consciousness. So the atheist, being in the minority, must, in order to 'win', do what? He must become an vigorous evangelist for his creed. That is not too bad - I respect people who hold passionate convictions, however erroneous. But when he cannot convert by the force of reason (as he supposes), he sadly does what a lot of wicked people have done over the ages - atheists and theists alike: he starts to force his view on others. He uses coersion and may even resort to lies and deception (like the Moonies) to ahieve a solution which he believes will ultimately benefit the one he wishes to convert to his godless world view. Indeed, that is the justification used by many of the so-called 'cult deprogrammers' to kidnap and abuse those whom they believe are 'deluded' and must be 'forced' to 'recant' their beliefs. Yes, they have become a modern secular Inquisition, and some of them are known to use torture, like the fascists, communists, Catholics and others.
I read the other day of the appalling case of a lesbian who was abducted by 'cult deprogrammers' who was kept under lock and key and who was raped to 'make' her into a heterosexual. These kinds of wicked people are doing the same to Christians to try and force them into becoming atheists or believers in other denominations or religions. Quite apart from the vileness of their methods, they seem to be fundamentally ignorant of one glaring truth: "A person convinced against his will, remain unconvinced still". I will defend lesbians, atheists, Christians, Muslims, Scientologists, Wiccans or anyobody, no matter what they believe in, against the abuses of the 'cult-deprogrammers'. I will defend them against the psychological abuse of the racist and religion- and minority-haters in the media, and I will do that for one reason: the right of free choice. And this is no political slogan, it's a religious one - a Biblical one, in fact. The Muslim may believe he can convert by the sword and the Catholic by the Inquisition (when he has political power - he uses other means when he has not), but the Bible-believing Christian knows that he can only convert by the force of persuasion.
We know, because Yah'shua taught this, that we cannot - and must not pursue - those who do not want to hear our message. People don't 'belong' to us unless they choose to. And that choice is precious - nobody, whether government, parent, friend, or lover can force you to be what you do not want to be. If the lesbian wants to be a lesbian, that is her choice. If the Muslim wants to be a Muslim, that is his choice. If the atheist doesn't want to believe in God, that's his choice. If all of these people want to hear the basis of my own hope, I will readily share it with them, because that is both my duty as a believer as well as the desire of my heart.
You cannot have a free society unless each individual has the freedom to share what he wants and believe what he wants without being harrassed. It is only when life and limb are being threatened (by fundamentalist terrorists, for example) that the state has a duty to intervene: if someone comes with a gun and says convert or die, then my government must protect me. If someone comes and tries to force his religious, political or atheistic view on me and I don't want to hear it, it is my privilege to dismiss that person, and the government should protect my right to be left in peace if that missionary does not desist upon my request.
But what the government cannot do is come into my private home, or my church, and tell me not to preach against other beliefs. I have the right not simply to passively believe what I want to, but also to disseminate it, provided I respond to a "No thank you, I'm not interested" response of a targeted convert by ceasing to attempt to persuade that person further in a public place. You will, however, find considerable hypocrisy in our liberal, secular West, because, as in George Orwell's book, Animal Farm, some people continue to be 'more equal than others'. And it just happens that currently, Bible-believing Christians, who believe their religion is exclusively true, are unofficially regarded as 'less equal'.
Thus if someone goes into a public place wearing a T-shirt with a Christian Cross on it, with a red line in a circle striking it out as in a 'No Parking' sign, with the caption, 'Bad Religion' underneath it (I saw someone wearing this at our local railway station a couple of years ago), he can get away with it. But if a Pentecostal Minister stands up in his own church and says that homosexuality is wrong, he can be arrested and put into prison. Or if someone prints a cartoon in a Danish newspaper representing the Muslim prophet, he can become the subject pf death threats, and instead of taking action against those threatening to murder him (and in Denmark that would probably be tens of thousands of people), the government instead accuses the newspaper of being defamatory (never mind that the cartoons are just satirical representations of what that religion teach and practice). So we see, then, different laws for different people, much as we do in Muslim countries where Sharia is practiced - you have first and second class citizens - the Muslims and the non-Muslims.
Yet the same is true here. We have first and second class citizens in this country, those who have 'special favour status' and those who must accept an inferior position. I must endure seeing the symbol of my religion (the cross) subject to a public hate-attack and take it tongue-in-cheek, I must suffer defamation and lies in the local press and just 'take it', whilst people with physical murder in their hearts are allowed to preach hate and murder in their mosques, people who incite their followers to take over this country by force, whilst our children are subject to political brainwashing in public schools.
Whilst we ourselves are little interested in politics, there are some things we must stand up for, so that we may be treated with equality before the law. There are no 'élites' in a truly democratic state and when they appear, then you know the democracy has become a sham and you have slipped into the dark waters of totalitarianism.
These days most people are familiar with the Star Wars series of movies, and whilst I dilike the spiritual message that the New Ager Steven Spielberg teaches these films, they do contain some useful political warnings as well. For one, they illustrate how a democratic Republic can, by discrete steps, become a totalitarian Empire, by the gradual erosion civil liberties. We see it happening in the West under various red herrings called 'emergency degrees'. People are being conditioned to let 'Big Brother' take over and make their own choices for them. In the United Kingdom they are creating a giant database of all the children in that country, recording everything from behaviour in school (as reported by teachers) to eating habits. They are all graded so that Sociel Services can be given the authority to 'step in' (with all that means) if, for example, a child is not being given enough vegetables in its diet! The state is fast replacing the family and deciding what is 'good' for us as 'alternative parents'. We are gradually becoming a fascist/communist block of nations, no better than the Sharia governments of some Islamic countries who cut off hands for theft and murder those of other religious beliefs.
The Gospel is needed as at no other time in history. Our rights to proclaim it and propagate it are being daily eroded. The so-called 'chamption of freedom', the West, is gradually slipping into a totalitarian mindframe, and we are seeing its first baneful fruits. And since we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of that whirlwind, we have, I believe, some useful things to say about it. If you don't belong to this ministry, it could be your turn next. The Pentecostals of this country are already getting a taste of the New World Order to come just as the Baptists did in the former Soviet Union.
What, then, is to be our witness in an increasingly hostile and politically intolerant world? Our witness is the same as it was in the apostle's time. It is to be with the same fervour and conviction, and the same doctrinal accuracy. We must always follow and obeyYahweh before man. The cost is getting greater and greater as the years roll by and will not abate, and the effect of this will be to clearly separate the true believers from the false ones. The basic message of the Apostles' Creed must be vigorously preached because it is the foundational truth of our faith.
But in every dispensation and century, there are different controversies. Some repeat themselves and in our day there is a replay of the old Judaising heresy of the first century, though in a slightly different set of mutations. We face a resurgence of Arianism which demotes the deity of Messiah, and amongst far too many Messianics there is a return to Ebionism which rejects the writings of the apostle Paul. In short, the scriptural canon is being challenged. We are also witnessing a major resurgence of Gnosticism which teaches salvation by knowledge rather than by faith, and of a new strain of Phariseeism in the Messianic movement. There is also the great Zionist deception which has fooled millions of Christians into believing that the 50 year-old Republic of Israel is the 'Israel' prophesied to arise in the last days. This has led to another heresy, namely, that Yahweh has two kinds of saved people - Jews and Christians - who may be saved by two different routes. There is also the controversy of Torah-observance as the lawless churches defend their lawlessness on the basis of tradition rather than truth, and as many Torah-observant Messianic themselves fall into the trap of legalism (salvation by works instead of by faith). Worse, some are trying to resurrect the Old (Mosaic) Covenant and add the New Covenant (which they rename the 'Renewed Covenant') as a secondary extension. And then there is all the charismatic deception driven by demonic spirits.
Quietly behind the scenes, the Ecumenical Movements goes from strength to strength, secularising, occultising and diluting the Gospel into a lukewarm swill. As I write this, the Anglican-Presbyterian Communion is splitting into two because of liberal excesses in the USA. The Catholic Church is slowly seducing Lutherans, Anglicans and other Protestants 'back' into its fold as it openly proclaims a One Word Religion, fulfilling the prophecy made about it in the Book of Revelation as a prostitute selling itself out to other religions for political gain in the new European Union which has become much more Catholic since the accession of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Lithuania. They want a resurrected Holy Roman Empire.
Finally, we must not forget that whilst Christians squabble and apostacise, the real enemy in our midst continues to gain in strength. I speak of the devil-worshippers and satanists who openly hate Christians and Christianity, who burn churches down and murder believers, and who have infiltrated most of the organs of power of state, denials to the contrary. Such statements, of course, provoke both the ignorant as well as those in the know to accuse us, and others like us, of 'paranoia'. However, we are not ignorant people. Most of us are well educated and know how to think and observe. We have not learned by rote nor been spoonfed the restricted diet of state schooling, or have subsequently come to see beyond it into the concealed abyss. We know that most will refuse to believe such things until it is too late, inevitably. The lessons of history are, sadly, rarely learned. We live with that and instead of trying to convince an incredulous and disbelieving world, instead focus on what really matters: standing and ministering in the eye of the storms around and on us in the power of the Most High. People must be allowed to believe what they want and to search out the truth for themselves. There must be free speech and freedom of exploration. They can take our witness with a pinch of salt, dismiss us, disbelieve us, slander us and even persecute us. Currently, the latter seems to be in vogue as the enemy believes that old fashioned lies are more effective than openly attacking us (as he knows from his many defeats). However, he has forgotten this addage seemingly: You can fool all of the people some some the time, and some of the people all the time: but you can't fool all the people all the time.
It is also well to remember the lessons learned in the Communist era. During that time, Christians behind the Iron Curtain were ruthlessly persecuted. It was especially bad in Russia and Romania. I remember one pastor in Romania who was arrested by the communist authorities who told him to stop preaching or he would be killed. I have never forgotten his reply: "Kill me and my sermons will speak a hundred times louder than when I was alive!" The communists wisely released him. We too must speak the truth, no matter what the threats are, and not bow down to threats and intimidation. The enemy is about to learn that his current actions against us, far from destroying us, will simply make the ministry bigger and stronger. You have Yahweh's word on that. It seems that the enemy doesn't learn from history either.
If our beliefs are not rooted squarely in the truth, then we don't stand a chance. We're finished. But if they are rooted in the truth, then what should we fear and what can we lose? The Truth, as I have said, will not only defend itself but also manifest its power, because it isn't just an 'it' but a Divine Being - Yahweh-Elohim, what some call 'God', incarnate as the resurrected Messiah, Yah'shua. We return to Him - again and again - as we must, because we either stand or fall in Him. We know in whom we trust because we have seen His miraculous works justify our faith. We are still being refined and purified but we know in Whom we trust and what we believe.
In the New Testament we are given four witnesses of the life of Yah'shua - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, who wrote to Hebrews, Romans, Greeks and to the whole world, respectively. We too have four witnesses - to the Hebrew mindset rooted in Torah, to the Roman mindset rooted in government, to the Greek mindset rooted in intellect, and to the patriarchal, cosmic mindset rooted in the Johannine revelation on love. All are important. All are needed. They emphasise different aspects of the Messiah too - His earthly kingship, His servanthood, His humanity and His heavenly deity. We in our turn must teach and preach the Kingdom of Yahweh, service to Yahweh and to our brethren, what it is to be truly human (which includes deliverence ministry), and how to enter into the echad mystery of the Elohim through total surrender to the heart of Yah'shua. We are indebted to Hebrews, Romans and Greeks and yet we have at the same risen beyond the provincialism of the Messianics (with their neo-nazi racist tendencies of a Jewish Master Race), the carnality of the Romans (with their weakness for political power), and the sophistry of the Greeks (which their weakness for philosophy and pagan myth) and have entered a sphere that is cosmic in its dimensions - the Johannine or Priestly vision of eternity.
Out of the current difficulties is arising a rewnewed, invigorated, more doctrinally and practically coherent fellowship of those seeking the fullness. And I'll not pretend this has been easy - it has been hard, and is hard today, but it is absolutely and totally worth it. There are still congregations streaming to us all over the world asking for membership. Only this week ten congregations from Malawi in southern Africa asked to join us. There are actually over a hundred congregations worldwide waiting to join us currently which we have had to refuse for lack of resources. It has not been the time, but that time is fast approaching, thanks to the foolishness of our enemies. In their blind rage and hatred, as they try to keep their evil behaviour hidden from the law, they are simply playing into Yahweh's hands.
We remain resolutely committed to helping free the captives from the satanic covens - those who belong to Yahweh. The world may wish to believe the lie that these don't exist and accuse us of scaring people into the ministry (the truth is, we scare most people away), but the truth remains the truth. There are tens of thousands of brutalised people out there whom nobody cares about, because people would rather they did not exist. Those who have dared to stand forward and seek help have faced a double problem. First, because of all the spin, nobody believes them and accuse them of fantasising. Secondly, few know how to actually help them because secular psychology is almost totally powerless to do anything. Most end up committing suicide in desperation. I do want those victims of SRA listening and reading this today to know and understand, though, that now there are people who can help them to freedom and the power of Yahweh is being used to defeat their captors and oppressors - possibly for the first time in centuries. The long captivity of these people is coming to an end. They have known nothing but hell but almost nobody cares. But we do. We care. We have sacrificed a lot to help them and are even now the victims of the current persecution for their sakes. However, we suffer along with them because we love them and love our Father in Heaven who has called us to do this work. All I say to them is this: have courage and know that the hour of your deliverance is close at hand now.
Our mission is embedded squarely in a matrix of divine truth because without it we know we cannot stand. You too, whoever you are, can "know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32, NIV) - I guarantee it, if your search is single-minded. I repeat again that salvation and deliverance is not in an organisation, church, ministry, or in individual human beings, but in Yah'shua the Messiah, whom the world calls Jesus Christ. He is available to you today and is waiting even now to set you free from the prison of wrong thinking and wrong feeling. He invites you to test Him (1 Thes.5:21) and to reason with Him:
"'Come now, let us reason together', says Yahweh. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.' For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken" (Isa.1:18-20, NIV).
The good 'land' is your heart transformed into a paradise of pure emotions and love by the redeeming blood of Yah'shua. The 'sword' is the mental and emotional torture inflicted on us by the invisible powers of evil when we give them residence rights for believing in lies. Each and every soul must go to Yahweh without intermediaries, on a one-to-one basis, and meet Him, and to receive from Him, upon surrender of self-sovereignty of the soul, free pardon for sin and the gift of eternal life. Please do not hestitate - the joy of the good heart-land is better than the misery of the sword of self-imposed affliction. Amen.
Author: Lev-Tsiyon
Glossary of MLT Hebraic, Greek and English Terms For other terms and full details please see the Micropedia
A
Adon(ai) = Master, a pagan fertility god, Adonis; used by many Messianics but not MLT
(a)eon(ian) = 7 dispensation- or age-long time periods, not forever (see le-olam-va-ed)
Alef-Tav = Alpha-Omega, A-Z, first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet = Yah'shua
Amen = truly, let it be so, written Amein by some Messianics
Apocrypha = Hebraic Scriptures not a part of the Protestant canon (e.g. Baruch)
Anti-Messiah = Hebraic term for the end-time Antichrist or anyone opposed to the Messiah
antinomian = lawless Christian who disregards all or part of Torah/commandments
Ashkenazi Jew = East European Jew descended from the Turkic-Japhethite Khazars
Assembly = church, congregation, ekklesia, community, fellowship, koinonia, gathering
Azazel = the Yom Kippur scapegoat
B
Baal, Ba'al = any other master than Yahweh, usually demonic in MLT terminology
Bachor(im) = firstborn son(s)
Bar/Bat Mitzvah = Son/Daughter of Commandment, covenant to obey Torah at age 12
being = soul, the whole person (spirit and body), e.g. "my whole being"
Beit, bet, beth = house, e.g. Beit Yisrael (House of Israel), Beth Lechem (House of Bread)
Beit haMikdash = Yahweh's Temple in Yerushalayim
B'rit Chadashah = the New Covenant; B'rit Chadashah Scriptures = New Testament
B'rit Milah = circumcision - abolished in the B'rit Chadashah, replaced by Mikvah
C
canon = authoritative Scripture (Heb. qaneh, Gk. kanôn = measuring instrument)
Catechumen = a serious, covenanted investigator seeking Mikvah or Baptism in MLT
Chag haMatzah = Feast of Unleavened Bread, second of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Chavurat Bekorot = MLT's Priesthood Order, Holy Order and Assembly of the Firstborn
Cohen = priest; Cohen Gadol = High Priest (also spelled Kohen)
Council of Yah's elohim = the heavenly Assembly of the Firstborn or Chavurat Bekorot
D
demon = fallen malek or angel in rebellion against Yahweh (Heb. shad; see Êl-Shaddai)
derech = the Way, Path or Road - Yah'shua and the Gospel are the Way
Drash = moral or homiletic interpretation of Scripture - see PaRDeS
E
Echad = One, Union of two or more in one (as opposed to Yachid) - see Elohim
Echad Godhead Doctrine = Father Yahweh, Son Yah'shua and Sevenfold Ruach (Mother)
Êl, Eloah, Elah = God the Father, Yahweh
Êl-Elyon = Most High God, Yahweh
Êl-Shaddai = Master/Lord over all shads or demons
Elohim = God, the Godhead (Father, Son & Holy Spirit), lit. 'Mighty One(s)', 'Ruler(s)'
elohim = Israelite judges, rulers, angels or gods (false deities, idols, demons)
emunah = faith, actively trusting, clinging or adhering to (especially Yahweh or Yah'shua)
emet = truth, Yah'shua is the Emet
Ephraimite = descendant of the patriarch Ephraim and head of Messsianic Israel
F
Feasts of Yahweh = the 7 annual Moedim (Pesach, Chag haMatzah, Yom haBikkurim, Shavu'ot, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot)
G
Gan-Eden = Garden of Eden, Paradise and state of the purified heart in Messiah
goy(im) = nation(s), Israelites or gentiles not born in or converted to the Covenant
H
hallelu-Yah = praise Yah(weh)!
Heylel = proper name of Satan or haSatan = the Adversary, the devil
Sabbath = Yom Shabbat (Friday to Saturday sunset, add 1 day in IDL Zone)
Hochmah = Wisdom, title of the 7-fold Ruach haQodesh
I
IDL = International Date Line, false man-made time division in Pacific Ocean
IDL Zone = Area between the true Divine Date Line (Lake Van/Eden) and the false one
Israeli = citizen of the modern Edomite-Khazar Republic of Israel (not Biblical Israel)
Israelite = citizen of biblical state of Israel or a modern follower of the Messiah
J
Jew = post-biblical term describing descendants of Edomite and Khazar converts to Judaism
Johannine = pertaining to the Apostle Yochanan (e.g. Gospel of John)
Josephite = descendant of the patriarch Joseph, the head of Messianic Israel
Judahite = a person in direct descent from the patriarch Judah, forefather of the Messiah
Judaism = a Talmudic-based religion rejecting Yah'shua the Messiah
Judean = a citizen of the Kingdom or Province of Judah until the 2nd Century diaspora
K
Kadosh la Yahweh = set-apart or dedicated to Yahweh, 'Holiness to the Lord', MLT motto
Karaites = Jews (from 700 AD) who reject the Talmud and accept only the Tanakh
kashrut = keeping kosher, food laws of Yahweh and correspinding lifestyle
Ketuvim = Writings or Hagiographa of the Tanakh
Khazar = a Turkic convert to Judaism ~700 AD forming the Ashkenazi Jewish community
kosher = clean foods authorised by Yahweh for human consumption
L
Lashon Hara = evil-speaking, gossip or slander
legalism = false route to salvation through works (self-salvation)
le-olam-va-ed = dispensation- or age-long, aeonian, not eternal, forever or for eternity
Lev = heart, as in Lev-Tsiyon = heart of Zion
Lev-Tsiyon = Heart of the Fortress [of Yahweh], Hebrew name of MLT's founder
M
Master = Lord, Sir, Adon(ai) - (one in authority, a ruler - a king, husband, prophet, judge)
Malak(im) = Angel(s), heavenly supernatural messenger(s)
manna = wafers of honey, bread from heaven (lit. 'what is this?')
matzah = unleavened bread, see Chag haMatzah
Menorah = 7-armed candlearbra = the 7 annual Moedim and 7-fold Ruach haQodesh
Messiah = Christ; Anti-Messiah = Antichrist
Messianic Community = Body of Christ, sum total of all true believers; all true fellowships
Messianic Israel = all who worship Yahweh, trust in Yah'shua, obey Torah and overcome
Messianic Jew = Messianic convert from Judaism still clinging to Talmudic traditions
Midrash = aggadic interpretation of scripture viâ Drash, a scriptural discussion
Mikvah = baptism by immersion of convert into Yah'shua or of wife into husband
Mishpachah = family: nuclear, congregational, tribal or the whole of Messianic Israel
MLT = Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon = family of the heart of the fortress [of Yahweh]
Mishpat = right-ruling or judgement
mitzvah/mitzvot = commandment(s)
moed(im) = appointment(s) of Yahweh, 7 Annual Feasts, Sabbath and Rosh Chodesh
N
Nefilim, Nephilim = giant offspring of materialised demons and human women
Nevi'im = prophetic writings of the Old Testament or Tanakh
New Birth = spiritual conversion in the Ruach haRishon, being 'born again' with new heart
Nidah = a woman's menstruation period during which no intercourse is permitted
O
Olive Branch = collection of revelations, prophecies and visions published by MLT
P
Paraclete = Comforter, Advocate (NEB), Counsellor, Ruach haQodesh (Gk. paraklêtos)
PaRDeS = method of textual interpretation (homiletics) - see P'shat, Remez, Drash, Sod
Patriarch = a father who is head of his family, clan or tribe (lit. 'father-ruler')
Pentateuch = first five books of the Tanakh (Genesis-Deuteronomy), also called Torah
peribolaion = headcovering worn by daughters/wives in submission to fathers/husbands
Pesach = Passover, first of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Peshitta = an Aramaic version of the Bible
Prototrinitarianism = early, simplified MLT formulation of the Echad Godhead Doctrine
Prush(im) = Pharisee(s)
Pseudepigrapha = Non-canonical Hebrew writings additional to the Apocrypha
P'shat = literal, contextual, philological, exoteric, outer meaning of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Q
Qadosh Qadoshim = Holy of Holies, most sacred set-apart room of the Beit haMikdash
Qodesh, Kodesh = set-apart, holy (see Ruach haQodesh)
R
Rabbi = Teacher, term used by Messianic Jews and some Messianic Israelites = Pastor
Refuge, the 12 Cities of = divinely protected MLT fortresses during the 7-year Tribulation
Remez = hint or allegorical level of Hebraic understanding of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Rosh Chodesh = monthly New Moon appointment of Yahweh
ruach = spirit of a person (lit.'breath')
Ruach Elohim = Spirit of God (the Spirit of the collective Godhead or Elohim)
Ruach haChamashee = 5th Ruach presides over Yom Teruah and Yom Chamashee
Ruach haQodesh = the Sevenfold Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost (lit. 'Set-Apart Breath')
Ruach haRevee = 4th Ruach presides over Shavu'ot, Yom Revee and Bar Mitzvah
Ruach haRishon = 1st Ruach presides over Pesach, Yom Rishon and the New Birth
Ruach haShanee = 2nd Ruach presides over Chag haMatzah and Yom Shanee
Ruach haSheshi = 6th Ruach presides over Yom Kippur and Yom Sheshi
Ruach haShleshi = 3rd Ruach presides over Yom haBikkurim, Yom Shleshi and Mikvah
S
Sabbath = Yom Shabbat (Friday to Saturday sunset, add 1 day in IDL Zone)
Satan = rebel archangel Heylel, father of lies, devil, chief demon (lit.'Adversary')
Sephardic Jew = West European Jew of mixed blood containing many Judahites
Septuagint = Greek translation of the Tanakh, LXX
Shegal haShabbat = 7th Ruach (Sabbath Queen) presides over Sukkot and Yom Shabbat
Shekinah = Divine Presence and Glory of Yahweh-Elohim
Set-apart = holy, sanctified, consecrated, dedicated, separated (to and by Yahweh)
Shabbat-Shabbaton = High Sabbath (e.g. Yom Kippur)
Shalom = heavenly peace, standard Hebraic greeting invoking Yahweh's peace
Shamash(im) = servant(s), deacon(s), attendant(s)
Shavu'ot = Pentecost or Weeks, fourth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Sheol = grave or pit, euphamism for Hades or hell - also see Tartarus
shofar = ram's horn, blown during Yahweh's Moedim
simcha = joy, keynote of Sukkot
Sod = mystical, anagogic, inner or esoteric understanding of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Sukkot = Tabernacles or Booths, seventh of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Synagogue = Greek word used by Jews and Messianics (but not MLT) for a meeting house
T
talmid(a) = male/female disciple or student
Talmud = scriptures, teachings and commentaries belonging to non-Messianic Judaism
Tanakh = acronym for Old Testament Scriptures - Torah, Nevi'im & Ketuvim
Tartarus = place of imprisonment under the earth for rebellious angels and Nephilim
teshuvah = repentance, remorse and contrition leading back to Torah obedience
Torah = Yahweh's teachings or Law; New Covenant Torah includes Yah'shua's teachings
Tribulation, the Great = the final 7 years of the present aeon when Anti-Messiah rules
Trinity = Catholic Godhead formula - see Echad Godhead Doctrine and Prototrinitarianism
Tsiyon = Zion, a fortress, a name of Jerusalem and a prominent hill
Tzitzit/Tizitziyot = tassel(s) worn by men in remembrance of Torah
U
Universalism = salvation of all at the cosmic Yovel, with different rewards and punishments
Y
Yachid = one, single person or item, as opposed to Echad (many in one, unity)
Yah'shua the Messiah = Jesus Christ (the Son)
Yahudah = Judah - see Judahite
Yahweh, Yah, YHWH = the true Name of our Heavenly Father, also carried by Yah'shua
Yahweh-Elohim = LORD God (the Father, Yahweh as Head of the Godhead or Elohim)
Yahweh haQatan = the sent Yahweh = Yah(weh)'shua, Malak of Yahweh's Presence
Yam Suf = Sea of Reeds, the true Israelite Exodus water crossing, not the Red Sea
Yarden = Jordan River (lit. 'meanderer')
Yerushalayim = Jerusalem
Yisrael = Israel (lit. 'ruling with Êl') = true believers under the New Covenant
Yom Chamashee = 5th day of the week (Thursday, Friday in IDL Zone)
Yom Din, Yom haDin = (the) Day of Judgement
Yom haBikkurim = Feast of Firstfruits, third of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yom Revee = 4th day of the week (Wednesday, Thursday in IDL Zone)
Yom Rishon = 1st day of the week (Sunday, Monday in IDL Zone)
Yom Kippur = Day of Atonement, sixth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yom Shabbat = 7th day of the week and Sabbath Rest (Saturday, Sunday in IDL Zone)
Yom Shanee = 2nd day of the week (Monday, Tuesday in IDL Zone)
Yom Sheshi = 6th day of the week (Friday, Saturday in IDL Zone)
Yom Shleshi = 3rd day of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday in IDL Zone)
Yom Teruah = Day of Trumpets, fifth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yosef = Joseph - see Josephite
Yovel = Jubilee or Year of Jubilee
Z
Zaqen(im) = elder(s) of an assembly or congregation, or senior members of a community
Zoë Life = Greek term for spiritual life in the Messiah
Commonly Used MLT Abbreviations
For additional abbreviations and explanations, please see the Micropedia
A
Amp.V(er). = Amplified Version of the Bible
Aram. = Aramaic
AV = Authorised Version of the Bible - see KJV
B
BCAY = B'rit Chadashah Assembly of Yahweh - see NCCG
BoA = Books of Abraham (e.g. 1Abr., 2Abr., etc.)
C
cp, cf = compare with
CB(Q) = Chavurat Bekorot
CEV = Contemporary English Version of the Bible
ch. = chapter
CJB = Complete Jewish Bible
CLNT = Concordant Literal New Testament
CYe = Council of Yah's elohim
E
Eng. = English
F
ff. = and onwards/forwards
fn = footnote
G
Gk. = Greek
GNB = Good News Bible - see TEV
H
Heb. = Hebrew, Hebraic
HEM = Holy Echad Marriage, eternal marriage
HO = Holy Order - see Chavurat Bekorot
HOC = Holy Order Collection of revelations - see OB
HRV = Hebraic-Roots Version of the Bible
I
ibid. = ibidem (lit. 'in the same place'), referring to a book previously cited
ICJC = Independent Church of Jesus Christ, earlier name of NCCF
ISRV = Institute for Scripture Research Version of the Bible
J
JB = Jerusalem Bible
JBP/Phillips = J.B.Phillips translation of the New Testament
JNT = Jewish New Testament
K
KJV = King James Version of the Bible - see AV
L
LB = Living Bible
lit. = literally or literature
LXX = Septuagint, Greek translation of the OT
M
MLT = Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon
Moff. = Moffatt translation of the Bible
MRC = Messianic Renewed Covenant Version of the NT
MS(S) = Manuscript(s)
N
NASB, NASV = New American Standard Bible/Version
NC&C = New Covenants & Commandments - see OB
NCCF = New Covenant Christian Fellowship, earlier name of NCCG
NCCG = New Covenant Church of God, earlier name of MLT - see BCAY
NCP = New Covenant Press, publishing arm of MLT
NCW = New Covenant Witness, MLT magazine
NEB = New English Bible
NIV = New International Version of the Bible
NKJV = New King James Version of the Bible
Nor. = Norwegian
NT = New Testament, B'rit Chadashah
NWT = New World Translation of the Bible, unreliable Jehovah's Witness version
O
OB = Olive Branch - see NC&C
op.cit. = opere citato (lit. in the work cited)
OT = Old Testament, Tanakh
P
p(p). = page(s)
pl. = plural - see s.
PWNC = Prophetic Words of the New Covenant, revelation cataloging system - see OB
Q
QED = quod erat demonstrandum (lit. which was shown to be proved)
R
RCF = Restoration Christian Fellowship, earlier name of ICJC
RhQ = Ruach haQodesh, Holy Spirit
RSTNE = Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition of the Bible
RSV = Revised Standard Version of the Bible
RV = Revised Version of the Bible
S
s. = singular - see pl.
S&G = Smith & Goodspeed Version of the Bible
T
TEV = Today's English Version of the Bible - see GNB
V
Vulg. = Biblia Vulgata, Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible
W
WEB = World English Bible
Glossary Copyright ©2007 Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon (MLT) - All Rights Reserved
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This page was first created on 18 March 2007
Last updated on 18 March 2007
Copyright ©2006 Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon (MLT) - All Rights Reserved
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